MikeZ Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I feel like Spartans guard has been incredibly solid for the past 25 years. The rest of the sections fluctuate from year to year, but the color guard is always killing it. Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, Jake W. said: Sorry, I just can never get into Spartans' shows. I readily acknowledge they are STRONG this year, and large, and that color guard is on fire! But my usual complaint with them remains: they don't produce quality full ensemble brass sounds, especially when following rich lines like LAStars, 7Regiment, & Guardians. I get it, visual is their strong caption, and I totally see why they receive the scores in that caption that they do...it's just hard for me to listen past that spread & thin brass sound. That Claire de Lune impact is just not my idea (or a traditional pedagogical idea) of excellent balance & blend. I agree they are strong. And I have the same feeling on the ensemble sound. Not sure why - mainly because I'm not a brass person nor a music major etc. But the show has times where they up the decibels but even still - the ensemble is weak. Maybe some of you Smahht kids can school me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake W. Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Ok. I'll try not to be as harsh on Spartans. One area I didn't comment on a few minutes ago: what a fabulous show design, and that & the visual caption will probably keep them in 25th over Genesis, Scades, or Surf (pending performances from those three). The design is streamlined, sleek, crisp, and smart. It just works, and honestly, there's never a down moment, especially visually. It flows perfectly. Color guard writing as well as performance is outstanding. But ####, that brass line is a noticeable step down in quality from the three corps before them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Flo needs to hire someone to do play by play and color commentary during the breaks. from what I can tell from their business model - amount of show coverage etc. They are making a killing. Just my opinion though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KVG_DC Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Spider show, spider show, does whatever a spider does. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman1084 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, E3D said: I agree they are strong. And I have the same feeling on the ensemble sound. Not sure why - mainly because I'm not a brass person nor a music major etc. But the show has times where they up the decibels but even still - the ensemble is weak. Maybe some of you Smahht kids can school me. Nope, no schooling. You are all correct. It has certainly been their biggest weakness over the years (they've always been VERY strong visually - I believe they've often come close to top 12 in guard way back when Division 2 used to compete in Quarterfinals). Everyone is correct when they say the ensemble sound is fairly thin compared to their immediate competition. I just think this year is probably the strongest, or at least closest to addressing it, in many years. Side note: maybe there are others with more knowledge than me in terms of current membership, but I remember back in the day they used to have a LOT of woodwind players filling out the brass line. Edited August 9, 2018 by Musicman1084 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 DO they think they are hiding under that purple lame? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 7th Regiment and Spartans were amazing. I knew Spartans would be as strong as they were, it's just one of those shows and it had great potential even in early July. 7th Regiment amazed me. They have worked so hard and improved so much. This is probably their best performance in Indy since their formation. Congratulations to both and hope to see at least one of you tomorrow. I'd love to see both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Just now, KVG_DC said: Spider show, spider show, does whatever a spider does. Same with the honey badger... he just does not give a f... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3D Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 minute ago, Musicman1084 said: Nope, no schooling. You are all correct. It has certainly been their biggest weakness over the years (they've always been VERY strong visually - I believe they've often come close to top 12 in guard way back when Division 2 used to compete in Quarterfinals). Everyone is correct when they say the ensemble sound is fairly thin compared to their immediate competition. I just think this year is probably the strongest, or at least closest to addressing it, in many years. I can agree with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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