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I'll start with some thoughts I had from Nazareth that I didn't have time to get to, but they apply here with the rainy contest.

I'm not gonna tell you who or why I want to discuss this, but something made me think about the DCA audiences here in the Northeast.

They're a lot like the DCI Eastern Classic (DCI East still to myself and others) in that they can be a tough crowd. Some DCI corps gripe about how the East crowds can be very hard to get reactions from. Why?

A lot of the audience are peers, people who performed/competed, teach, still doing something in the activity, and they know what's Shinola... and what is not.

Things can be engineered into a program to garner a crowd reaction. These audiences know and understand that. They're very, very savvy. This isn't a Scholastic contest where the parents bang the cowbells when the director tells them to and they wave the flags and scream for Ashley and Ian at the right moments regardless.

With a Northeast DCA crowd (I can't tell you how they react in the South and Midwest) , you earn the respect and recognition from that crowd. Let me tell you, when something is really good and deserving, they will give it up way more than any other audience will. They will toss the babies, the puppies, and the kittens as well.

Case in point-- the show started rainy, driving in was slick and somewhat sketchy (scared myself on the short drive when someone came up on me on the left rather quickly...) but the fans were there.

I left the umbrella in the wagon- who needs one of those? I grabbed my CV boonie hat, which was great for this event, stuck it on, and talked to my friend Keith at the Bucs....

"No Umbrella?"

"Nope. The corps practice all day in this crap without one, I don't need no stinkin' umbrella." :satisfied:

The only bad side was no notes. I have to grab from memory now. I'll do my best.

The National Anthem was performed by the Bucs' Banner Brass ensemble, and I really like their arrangement- it's got it's own flavor to it.

The Commandant's Own took the field for the pre-contest exhibition, and all I can say is that they've done some real substantive changes to their programing that left me delighted. The show's built mainly around Resphighi's "Festa Romane" , and their visual package has been significantly modernized. The opening percussion feature is staged in a very updated way, and is quite exciting.

The brass section was delightful. I just grinned ear-to-ear as they performed- the arrangements were very well thought-out, and the brass sounded like a wonderful british-style brass ensemble on the field- very controlled, lovely, and elegant. You really have to experience this sound, so different and pretty.

Because of the rain, some of the competitors kept the Front Ensemble, electronics, or a combination of the above off the field. Safety, risk of speakers spitting, hissing and throwing out feedback, damage to expensive mallet instruments, someone getting seriously zapped.... It's understandable.

Sky had none of the above for their performance, and given how important those elements are for their total package this season, it made this a real challenge for the corps.

I've been talking about how much the performers have grown at Sky, and how they're bringing that tough Sky attitude to the field, and they did just that. It was a pretty good run even with the gaps in program. They've also added on a little tag to the show, and I think it's a neat idea. The trick will be to sell the "down ending", and those kids of show endings are incredibly tough to carry off- the Vanguard wrote the book on those, and it'll be interesting to see how well the members at Sky can make that moment happen.

Bush is gaining momentum. The battery's beginning to perform like a Bush percussion battery should, and the brass is beginning to lock down the program and master it, not just get though it and be happy they got through it without a blip or two. They've made themselves a corps to watch, and need to keep running, running some more, and not look back on their way to Rochester.

Early work start- and I'm quite stoked to talk about the White Sabres' performance, but that will have to wait. :satisfied:

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One of my good friends won a trumpet job with the Commandant's Own. He had marched Phantom for many, MANY years (when he was still in high school) and then we taught together for a few at a local high school and pumped their brass program up. Glad to hear they sounded great!

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Thank you for the kind words about Bush, the members are working very hard!

As competitive as it is this season, they really have to- the need to separate from nearby competitors is really essential, and I think this show had some of that for Bush. The Mid voices are starting to find themselves, and that will be key, and also making sure the ELP piece is tight and ends the program with a strong statement. It's a lot closer to that right now.

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My place of employment doesn't understand I need more time to do these reviews. :satisfied:

The White Sabres had a real breakout at Hempfield. I had a concern in the back of my mind whether the brass could get a big and deep enough sound to really carry the Tchaikovsky book, and they did just that at the contest. Their performance makes the upcoming clash between them and Sun a very, very tight one. They're really starting to turn up the wick on their performance quality and making the show resonate with the audience.

The Hurcs didn't use their Front Ensemble, and it really exposed to me how much they rely on the front ensemble to carry a lot of the melodic structure and direction of their program. With a month to go, the Hurcs will really have to mash the pedal and really push their program hard now to keep tight to their competition and make a strong run at prelims.

When I think of C2's performance at Hempfield, I think of Dave Rohrer when we'd perform way beyond the way we rehearsed in a contest. He'd beam a smile at us and say,

"Who are you guys? We must've got all new people on the horn line the way you played!"

Yeah- who were these guys!? They really lit up as compared to Nazareth- could it have been the day's heat? It's possible.

They had me, I mean had me until the last 40 seconds of the program. :wall: It was better then Ijamsville, but still a bit hurried and over-forced.

The Mello licks at the end completely disappeared for this show. Maybe some upcoming rewrites, maybe the Mellos bailed out en masse, (I doubt this) maybe they were told to lay out this week- I'm uncertain. They need to get this done and salted away. I've known at least 5-6 Cadets mello players pretty well, and I'm certain C2 has smart, savvy, and very motivated individuals on the instrument. They wouldn't let any droolers play them. :wink: I'm counting on them to get this locked down and performed in Cadets fashion and tradition. You have to have those cutting and flashy Mello statements at the end of any Cadets program. It's so embedded into the brand.

The Bucs just continue to knock me out. I'm sensing some serious greatness arising out of this program and corps. Any gripes from me? Maybe, just maybe the Right Brain/Left Brain narrative segment is stepping a bit on some of the super-tasty music licks underneath. A minor quibble. I don't want anyone thinking that I'm not watching the Bucs with a critical eye.

I'm gonna hold the fistbumps and bundle them up with Nazareth's and the next show's review. For now- I wish everyone good fortune in the three contests and that they present their best performances of the season.

Any predictions? Yes. The Racine contest will likely show how close everyone in A is to one another. I think a corps or two might surprise some of their competitors in A. I'll also say to not be surprised if CV cracks a pretty strong number down South. That corps and that show are just way too good to be getting weak numbers. Put that in the bank. :wink:

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