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DCI World Championships Semifinals - 8/1215


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The product that Academy is offering is entirely different than anything else this season. A fun, easy to follow show with well-known music... clean, classy... I believe they are defining their identity!

And therein lies the charm. A totally clear and understandable show -- yet written and performed in a way which isn't condescending to the viewer through hitting one over the head again and again with the message. Never a feeling of "get it, yet? Then maybe this will help...". Just a simple and effective FLOW to the message.

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Thank you, cfIrwin3. One of the more accessible explanations which I have seen for the unenlightened (Read: clueless, in my case I guess) on the matter. That being given, may I ask a question or two regarding the emboldened portion of the above? It is has been a topic of great confusion on my part over the years, especially more so as shows have become increasingly intricate/esoteric through those years.

It appears, though I may be wrong, that you are implying that no matter the level of execution on a given night, whether it be of an extremely adept or of a totally missed-the-boat (relatively, of course...not literally) nature, a portion of the score is not going to change. Am I reading your words correctly? The tiny "enlightened" portion of my mind (if such indeed exists) can understand that in terms of the compositional aspect -- but I have a problem understanding it in terms of GE. By that I mean -- if I saw a specific corps on two successive nights, and there is a great difference in that corps' performance, it would follow that I would have two different responses in terms of my GE response to those two performances. And to carry it further...any difference in performance may affect how I interpret the composition of the program, even minutely. Sorry, I'm rambling...to the crux...does the "in stone" portion of the show mean that a corps assessment (score) will not change, either up or down, in terms of compostion -- no matter the given level of performance? To be honest, that seems odd to me. It seems odd that a corps could go onto the field, having not yet performed a single note or move, yet know that a portion of their score, no matter how large or small, will not change from the night before...or even the night before that. To me, that totally goes against the "any given night" philosophy of the performer,whether it be in music or adjudicated athletics.

I've taken a risk here, and indicated my true level of stupidity as applies to D&BC. But that's ok with me...I am far more interested in increasing my knowledge and understanding than of pulling wool over collective eyes. Thanks again for your explanation, and please know that I ask these things out of respect to you, not out of any snarkiness (new word for Webster? :smile: )

Jeff Ream is right about GE being performer driven, but you have to consider what that means... especially given your questions.

So let me TRY to answer...

While the composition is static... it is absolutely tied to the proper presentation of it... meaning that it has to be performed well in order to be judged. This, however is not (as Jeff Ream said) quite so "DRIVEN" by the performer in the sense that GE is a second representation of execution. That's the first point.

The second point that Jeff made about the Bluecoats last night get's to your questions about my explanation of GE...

The hypothetical scenarios that we have in mind tend to represent situations that really never occur. I'm talking about a performance that in retrospect could be titled "Down Side Up: An Exercise in Murphy's Law". When something doesn't quite go right, the vast majority of the group continues on unaware that anything is amiss... and even when they are aware, there is no reason (given the preparation) that the thing missing will influence the rest of the performance in an relevant way. This is the first scenario that I would categorize as "Act of God"... meaning it would take an "Act of God" in order to make the show go to pot in a way that changes the standings. The execution can only impact the GE when the execution defeats the GE (it just doesn't really happen).

The second scenario that I would categorize as "Act of God" is the one that achieves the unlikely event when a corps surges in finals to the top... the "Dark Horse" effect. I observe that these scenarios are usually foreseeable and often tied to the corps that demonstrates that the audience is on their side. Think about crowd reaction to Madison 1988... Phantom 1996, 2008... perhaps SCV 1999. This crowd phenomenon represents GE in a huge way. The crowd is not the cause so much as they are merely the indication that GE may be slightly undervalued and bound to push up. In Star Wars terms... the "force is strong with them". Now when we weigh all of this against performance and execution, it is important to note that contending corps will have small margins between them and will collectively sit above the 95th percentile in score. This means that execution differences can really only be VERY minor between them. So that other scenario in the mind (and on the forums) where one corps is "SO DIRTY" and another is "Head and shoulders above" is nonsense.

So we come back to GE... 40% of the score value in a field of 3 (with an additional 1 or 2 competing for captions). Who has the static GE... and who does the crowd indicate as having the static GE. I think that anyone there will give you the same answer to both.

If BD can sweep all performance/music and visual captions and get a small margin in 2nd in GE... they will win. If Bluecoats hangs on to GE (which they will) and the other captions are split or they win one, or place second in both... they will certainly win... and this is VERY likely to happen at this point

In short... the swings in execution are very, very small and never as wide as forum posters assume. The GE is essentially unrelated to little ticks here and there with respect to execution (and little ticks -like a bad synthesizer... or an aired out soloist note... or an equipment drop- is all that ever happens at this point).

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Well I'm done for the night. High School narration for the win I guess?

You're disappointed. We get it. I'm sorry for you. Some of us are a little down too, based on our group's results. However we, at least, choose to retain some level of class and dignity over the whole deal, and despite our disappointment. I, personally, find your final sentence to be snide, out of line, and totally and underservably disrespectful to a group of individuals who have striven hard to achieve what they have ultimately achieved. That being said...

Congratulations, BAC. Your hard work and failure to say "die" are rewarded. My hat is off to you!!! :colgate:

Edited by HornTeacher
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Thanks for the detailed explanation, cfIrwin (and, through extension, Jeff). And thanks cf, for taking the time to assist me. I was not speaking of/against/for any individual corps. Just a totally general question. I think you understood that and granted me the respect for such through your kind explanation. I've learned...which makes you a pretty ###### good teacher.

Edited by HornTeacher
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Some of us are a little down too, based on our group's results. However we, at least, choose to retain some level of class over the whole deal. Congratulations, BAC. Your hard work and failure to say "die" are rewarded. My hat is off to you!!!

No matter how disappointed one may be in the results of one corps or another, there are always the corps that step up to the plate and get it done and that puts everything into perspective.

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Wow, the Blue Knights put on one heck of a show. Fabulous staging, pacing, marching, and playing. Good sound here in the stadium. Didn't over do the synth bass.

I would also give them an award for best use of a tarp. It covered up that distracting Colts logo.

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I would also give them an award for best use of a tarp. It covered up that distracting Colts logo.

I can agree with this being a Pats fan.

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There was at least one other corps where his presence was very annoying. Usually you can visually tune out the judges on the field but it seemed like he was trying to be very noticeable. There is no way he should have been in the position to disrupt that portion of Crown's show.

He interrupted Bluecoats opener when he was in the way of the guard. This was when the snares were on the ramp playing just before they slide down the left ramp for the first time.

There were a few others too.

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Absolutely...

Dirty is such an easy accusation to make on a forum and yet indefensible.

These groups are VERY clean right now... and the "but they are soooo dirty" whines are... well... stupid... in the most accurate and applicable sense of the word.

It's the same argument that many use for when BD wins. They're so clean... Blah blah blah. I honestly don't know, I'm just around to enjoy the shows...

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