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Cymbal Lines their Scoring/GE value & why their demise?


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I think that cymbal lines are dying because its more simple to just make a pit person play it. and people that didnt see classic cymbal lines assume that all they do are crashes when no thats not the case. And most high schools after having a full drumline most percussionists are sent to the pit so anyone who wants to march cymbals doesnt get training. The only big way to do cymbals is WGI. But i appreciate that as a brass player because cymbals are easier than learning snare or bassdrum should i want to do WGI. I think GE wise they arent worth much unless you use them in choreography alot but flip ups and flip downs dont really help many things its just a good thing to use as a filler. Like in some SCV i think i saw them lift a guard up on cymbals(Les Miserables?) and that i think is absolutly a GE booster. And when SOA did that character reveal for the blond guard member in Speakeasy. Otherwise cymbals dont really boost your GE cuz no one uses them

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Brilliant Observation Jeff. In watching the artistry displayed in the WGI Percussion Ensembles the cymbalist ARE much more readily "observable." hence more apt to score GE/Visual Points. I'm finding a good deal of the comments within this thread extremely enlightening and this has really helped me better "accept" THE ACADEMY"S and other Corps decision and reasoning in not fielding cymbals lines. In essense, it IS Extremely easy for a 4-5 member cymbal line to disappear, making it that much more difficult to follow and focus on them within a 100 yeas football field, getting "lost" in the midst of a 150 member Corps.

they dont have to disappear, they're made to. SCV finds ways every year to make them an integral part of the show

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They certainly did, but that was in a different age. Also, did they even play the cymbals?

they played some good stuff

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I LIKE the outdoor Cybbal Lines. They add Visually as much as the Color Guard and add impact and emphasis to the music. Now I don't really see a need to have 4 of each type of mallet instrument especially since they are mic'd now.

I was talking to the assistant band director of my Son's Marching Band this weekend and he admitted, having all the electronics and large front ensemble was in part for intimidation purposes. I talked to people from Texas and the wealth of your band program is flaunted by having a rediculously large front ensemble.

I see nothing wrong with having a cymbal line. Does a Corps need to have one every year? I'd say, if the show benefits by having marching cymbals, use them, if not don't.

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SCV's Alumni demand it. There was just a rumor of getting ride of the Cymbal Line and the Alumni mobilized to save the Cymbal Line.

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To be honest in today's scoring I don't see them as a factor in GE scoring.

Still not sure you are correct, but yours is the only thought that would explain why cymbal lines are exterminated in the top 12 while nearly every other corps utilizes them.

For those of you who agree that cymbal lines are deemed ineffective in DCI... is SCV in essence taking a penalty in scoring for continuing to employ four of their marchers in that role?

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I LIKE the outdoor Cybbal Lines. They add Visually as much as the Color Guard and add impact and emphasis to the music. Now I don't really see a need to have 4 of each type of mallet instrument especially since they are mic'd now.

I was talking to the assistant band director of my Son's Marching Band this weekend and he admitted, having all the electronics and large front ensemble was in part for intimidation purposes. I talked to people from Texas and the wealth of your band program is flaunted by having a rediculously large front ensemble.

Ok, now you're just being ridiculous. The best cymbal line in the world doesn't even come remotely close to the visual contribution of the color guard. It just doesn't, and to intimate that is absurd. Heck, you're not doing the point any favors with this sort of exaggeration.

If your son's band has a large pit in an effort to intimidate other bands instead of simply to provide an outlet for the students, i'd argue he's not only doing it wrong, he's really got his priorities mixed up. I need *more* equipment than I already have because I have more front ensemble students than I have instruments (let alone a way to transport them if I did have them), and that's the norm, not some stupid attempt to flaunt wealth. Good lord.

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