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Cadets 2018


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5 hours ago, One n Done said:

 

To FTNK’s point, I think we are seeing the answer.  The drill is tough and it is being achieved well at this point.  And that gets you 7th place.  I’m guessing the future for the group will include more effective prop use, better visual integration of guard, and development of stronger non-marching movement skills.  It kinda has to.

 

Completely disagree with this...

 

4 hours ago, East9900 said:

 

I think there's a way to add the marching and movement in a way that could set them apart. There's also that possibility it will attract more players if they would rather put the emphasis on marching movement over dance movement. 

If they chose to do this, they would have to create drill that would give fans/judges those wow moments. Unfortunately that is severely missing from them lately. 

2

....and completely agree with this. 

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8 hours ago, George Dixon said:

The performance captions did well they just got dinged big time in GE 

Maybe at finals they could just takes axes to those crappy props to increase the GE.

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3 minutes ago, jonwoody said:

Maybe at finals they could just takes axes to those crappy props to increase the GE.

the props aren't the issue, and they aren't the solution either

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6 hours ago, 2000Cadet said:

Completely disagree with this...

 

....and completely agree with this. 

Do you feel that with all of the props on the field these days, the drill has become less interesting? When I watch videos today, I feel like the drill isn't as interesting to watch compared to when the field was practically empty except for the corps itself.  The props take away the space for the marching members to do the kind of drill that sticks out and has those "wow" moments.  Plus, when members have to stop and move the props around, it is taking time away from actual marching too.  

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noticed that color guard score was better than crown and bac..is that an anomaly or have they improved that much?

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35 minutes ago, sched88 said:

Do you feel that with all of the props on the field these days, the drill has become less interesting? When I watch videos today, I feel like the drill isn't as interesting to watch compared to when the field was practically empty except for the corps itself.  The props take away the space for the marching members to do the kind of drill that sticks out and has those "wow" moments.  Plus, when members have to stop and move the props around, it is taking time away from actual marching too.  

I know this question wasn't directed to me, but I'd like to chime in. I think it depends on the props. In cases where the props are front and center (Bluecoats since 2016) I do think drill takes a hit. There is less field to work with, therefore the drill is limited. Can it still be done? Absolutely, but there are more limitations and have to be more creative for it to work. It seems like the drill the last few years has been less and less impressive, with more focus on body movement and jazz running rather than marching and drill. 

Nothing excites me more as a drum corps fan than to see a corps running all over the field and watching mind bending visuals with music. I am not sure that props are the culprit the last few years as much as it has been emphasis on body movement. Instead of a complex drill maneuver, they (visual creator) are relying on movement to create the impact. Cool drill moves still exist, but they aren't as crucial.

As many have said, drum corps is going through a change.  Right now corps are playing with a new toy. Complex drill will return in my opinion, but it may take a few years for the new car smell of this movement to wear off a bit.

Edited by East9900
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10 hours ago, ranintothedoor said:

Personally, I'd rather them play and march at the same time than be competitive.  At the Annapolis show, I was sitting next to a hero of mine, who's performed in European tours of the production Oklahoma and ran his own theater company in NYC (I know, right! How am I this lucky to work with the guy!?!??!).  Anyway, it was his first drum corps experience.  

At the end of the night he turned to me and said, "Your corps? Now that was entertaining."  He was blown away by the visceral power of the constant motion matching the musical intensity.  The other "broadway-esque" shows were interesting to him (Mandarins was his second favorite... he was frustrated by BD, which I thought was hilarious!), but not as effective to a man who knows Broadway. 

So.... march and play.  March and play.      

Interesting insights from your friend. Great stuff!!! 

It's always good to hear the input from arts and music professionals outside the drum corps community as to what they think of our niche activity.  Perhaps we all can learn some lessons from them. 

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12 hours ago, East9900 said:

As weird as it may sound, going "old school" (traditional uniforms, fast drill) could set them apart in a good way.

Man... I know I'm getting old when high-speed drill is "old school."  :tongue:

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I was in Chester last night. To my eyes and ears the show is shaping up nicely. My frustration is that the most glaring issue should be fixable immediately. My problem is with the field audio. The tonal balance, particularly with the choral section seems to be bumped way up in the lower midrange (~500Hz). The vocals were unclear and muddled, hiding what I think is a fantastic performance by the voices. In addition (unlike many other corps that over amplify their soloists), I strained to hear the soloists due to the poor sound engineering. This is almost entirely a technology/engineering issue. I hate to be this critical, but the MMS are doing a heck of a job with a very good program. They deserve better in field audio competence. 

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1 hour ago, waliman4444 said:

noticed that color guard score was better than crown and bac..is that an anomaly or have they improved that much?

Anomaly.

Either poor number management from the judge, or he just wasn't watching.  Cadets guard is much improved, but they shouldn't be beating Crown or BAC's line in either content or execution.

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