Jake W. Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) I also miss the times when corps played very recognizable full songs. Old school drum corps in my opinion doesn't seem good enough for the direction the activity has gone. I enjoyed good old in your face music, when the emphasis seemed like it was about the music. A time when you could easily tell what was going on. At a show I was at, others were commenting on all the props used in todays shows. I think for some people it makes it more difficult to really get into what they are watching. Clearly you weren't watching the top groups then this year. If the music books of SCV, Crown, BD, & Coats this year can't be referred to as "in your face music" then I'm not sure what can be. I've ranted about it elsewhere in the forums, but I loathe this myth that's being perpetuated that today's shows are chop & bop or don't include full, recognizable pieces of music. I think that BD's 2009 - 2015 shows were very much in that style --- with Crown always as the antidote --- and that's it. As with anything in drum corps (or marching band, or WGI, etc.), if the trend isn't good, it passes eventually, and a choppy arranging style, while experimented with for about six years by BD, is unquestionably going by the wayside (and quickly!), especially after all the successful music books this season that were the opposite of cut up and spliced. Even BD is moving away from that and bucking the trend that they started, playing their beautiful ballad in its full glory, unaltered this year. So I'm really tired of Scouts fans especially (the complaint was most prevalent on the Scouts 2016 forum this season) trotting out this tired criticism of today's shows when it simply isn't true. You know two groups who DID use an esoteric, spliced up, chop & bop brass book this year? Scouts & Boston, and both suffered immensely for it all season long. Sorry, but there's just no base to the claim that this is where you need to go in order to be successful in modern drum corps. Edited August 14, 2016 by Jake W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) You know two groups who DID use an esoteric, spliced up, chop & bop brass book this year? Scouts & Boston, and both suffered immensely for it all season long. . Neither Boston, nor Madison played " esoteric " music this season. Perhaps the arrangements of these songs were not to your personal liking, but the music selected does not fit my personal definition of " esoteric " style music, anyway. Cadets played songs that werte easily recognizeable, and have been played dozens of times before in Drum Corps too, but it got them nowhere. Meanwhile, Bluecoats and BK played music that most never heard of... but it worked for one, but not the other. Why ? its not WHAT you play. Its how appealing is the music that accompanies the all important Visual Design. The Corps that did well this season, did so with the Visuals & their Guards primarily selling their shows themes successfully to judges and fans alike, imo... Edited August 14, 2016 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcityscout Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Just be glad your beloved Scouts are a corps people will talk about on here. Imagine loving a corps with all your heart and soul - that had disappointing results - but that no one talks about on DCP. That is my situation and I have no one to commiserate with. I am envious of the multitudes of dedicated Scouts fans out there! Cheer up. They'll do better next year. They are the Madison Scouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcityscout Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 I don't get it! Why are you so envious? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftwdrummer Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 I don't get it! Why are you so envious? Relevant note: Not OP, just guessing here. Probably because, at least on here, people care about Madison more than they appear to care about the Oregon Crusaders (which her son was in, if I'm not mistaken?, and thus she's more invested in it). On the one hand, I can see her point; as a fan of a current mid-teens corps that hasn't been able to move up, it probably sucks to have 80+-page threads about a different corps, and them complaining about everything for a bordeline-Finals show. Seeing that large of an investment from people and that high of a standard held must be nice. On the other hand...it took Madison 79 years to build this following. I don't know offhand how old the Oregon organization is, but I'm guessing it's ~20 years or so? Not nearly as much time to build up a fanbase...though it can surely be done (see: Carolina Crown, which debuted in 1991). Summary: people (including myself, in all likelihood) need perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrothgar15 Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 How about a concept show featuring some in-your-face Latin jazz they haven't played yet? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcityscout Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Relevant note: Not OP, just guessing here. Probably because, at least on here, people care about Madison more than they appear to care about the Oregon Crusaders (which her son was in, if I'm not mistaken?, and thus she's more invested in it). On the one hand, I can see her point; as a fan of a current mid-teens corps that hasn't been able to move up, it probably sucks to have 80+-page threads about a different corps, and them complaining about everything for a bordeline-Finals show. Seeing that large of an investment from people and that high of a standard held must be nice. On the other hand...it took Madison 79 years to build this following. I don't know offhand how old the Oregon organization is, but I'm guessing it's ~20 years or so? Not nearly as much time to build up a fanbase...though it can surely be done (see: Carolina Crown, which debuted in 1991). Summary: people (including myself, in all likelihood) need perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcityscout Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 (edited) I can understand her point of view and honesty about it. But, you summed it up nicely in the first sentence of the last paragraph. 79 years, a huge fan base, founding member of DCI, a couple of world titles, regional championships, and a huge alumni base. But, the reaction from Madison fans, alums, etc. would be no different if say it was SCV, Cavaliers or Phantom just barely missing finals. What Madison and those other corps that I mentioned have that OC does not have right now is simply what has developed over years invested. It's not to say that OC want ever get there. In fact I think they have a fine corps and organization. And again I can understand and appreciate her honesty as to why she feels that way. I didn't understand at first. I guess it really is perspective. If you can imagine we have some scout alums that thought the sky fell Thursday night. Others are just taking a deep breath, and wanting to analyze, regroup and get back on track next year. I do hope to see OC in finals soon! Edited August 15, 2016 by Madcityscout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsRelic Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 I also miss the times when corps played very recognizable full songs. Old school drum corps in my opinion doesn't seem good enough for the direction the activity has gone. I enjoyed good old in your face music, when the emphasis seemed like it was about the music. A time when you could easily tell what was going on. At a show I was at, others were commenting on all the props used in todays shows. I think for some people it makes it more difficult to really get into what they are watching. Did you NOT see or listen to The Academy's "Drum Corpse Bride" music. Can't find a much more recognizable tune then their full 3:30 version of "Unchained Melody". IMHO: it would really be a challenge to fine a more beautiful flugelhorn solo performance then the one delivered by The Academy's Jacob Lythgoe. Based on the universal response by the majority of our fellow DCP members and all the standing O's throughout their tour, the audience did not have any difficulty really getting into watching" The Academy's program.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Let's be honest. Scouts remade their 1999 show and it was no where as good as 1999 from a music/visual perspective. 1999 was not so long ago for people to remember. I have faith that the Scouts will be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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