Carolina Crown 2019

[Ghost]

15 minutes ago, Incognito365 said:

  I mean, I couldn't imagine writing Star of Indianas Cross to Cross on paper, which I believe I read somewhere at one point that it was written on a napkin? 

The Cross to Cross...Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps, 1991

March 6, 2012 at 7:13am

         

As so many of us celebrate George today, I thought I would repost this note.  Enjoy and I hope it finds you "10 points bettah!!!"

I have written or told this story so many times, I have lost count, but every time I do…it’s always like the first.  Everyone remembers their own perspective of that night, but mine was especially unique.

For those who may be hearing this story for the first time, I was Drum Major of the Corps that season and we were pressing harder and harder every minute of every day towards what we hoped would be a World Championship…we had no idea what we would receive instead.  In the end, the Championship was important, but not what any of us ever talk about or remember.

We were in Massachusetts and we had heard that we would be putting the new ending of the show on.  George had become very ill and we only saw him at random times.  He had written an ending, sent the charts, and we taught and cleaned it all day.  It was some standard drill, with great movement of course, that landed in a “crown” and then reversed out of it for 3 moves or so, then finished in 2 new sets.  It was…ok, at best.

We worked and worked and worked all day and you could tell that there was some angst and even some doubt about the ending.  8:45pm.  We perform the full run.  9:00pm.  Everyone takes water and prepares for the Visual rehearsal that was scheduled from 9-12.  Around 9:10 or so…in walks George.  He’s wrapped in a blanket and frail.  He tells me to get the Corps together and get them seated.  We bring everyone up to the 50, front sideline to sit.  George says, “So…the new ending…whadda ya think?”  A couple of “Yeah…it’s great.”, some mumbling too.  George says, “Well…I HATE IT!!!  That’s why we’re going to learn a whole new ending right now!”  The Corps goes crazy…we were ready.

Meanwhile, Jim Mason, our Director, has pulled the Visual Staff off to the side and tells them that George doesn’t want anyone on the field.  They are NOT happy.  Discussion ensues, but in the end, they all head up into the stadium stands and sit down just below the pressbox.  George is gaining strength.  He explains to the Corps that there are no charts…nothing.  “I’ve got it all right here.” He says, as he points to his temple with that big grin on his face.  He tells me to get the Corps set and then pulls me to the front sideline with him.

During the season of ’91, George taught me to see…not just how to “write drill”, but how to see motion.  I was blessed and lucky to spend time with him and glean everything I could from his genius.  So, back to the front sideline, George says, “Bwobby.  I’m going to do a set on the field and I want you to go behind me and set it.  Then Todd is going to 'chaht' it up top.  Do you understand.?”  Yes, George.  And so we began.

George pulls half of the Mellophones out of the Cross.  “You come here…make me a straight line.”  They all ran to get in.  Then he looked at me and I put the line at equal intervals and the correct angle he wanted.  “Now run it.”  And so I had them reset, and ran the 8 counts while George morphed the next line segment.  When he had them, the Mellos stayed where they were, and I ran the new line.  On and on this process went…lines EVERYWHERE!  Some lines curling back around, others floating…pure madness!  George loved us taking ownership as well…if I remember correctly, the Bass Drums wrote half of their own drill.  From the field, all you could tell was that it was highly kinetic.  We stopped for a quick break around 11:30pm or so and George ate a candy bar and we were back at it.

Now…it is approaching 2am (if I remember correctly).  There had been some discussion about not going past midnight, but that just wouldn’t do.  We had George…we had to finish.  I see where George is going, although I did not realize what this had become, and I set the endpoints so he can bleed the lines seamlessly into the final Cross.  We work the last few line segments together and we’re ready.  George, bless him, was exhausted.  Mike Huber (I think his name was) was helping take care of George and helped him off the field and took him home. 

I asked the Corps if we needed a break…I was told no (not in so many words).  We reset to the first Cross and ran everything set to set.  We reset again.  It’s at least 2am.  The Front Ensemble has come in to watch along with anyone left awake on staff and they are at the top of the stadium.  Todd Ryan is whispering through the long-ranger and says, “Ok Bobby…let’s run it…waaaaay down tempo and keep the volume down.”  I gave Todd the thumbs-up and turned back to the Corps.  “You guys think we need to do this down tempo and quietly?”  I asked sarcastically…again I was met with responses I cannot type in an open forum…we all had George’s grin on our faces.

I count it off…192 beats per minute.  Just before the Corps steps off, I hear what I remember being the beginnings of the word, “NOOOOOOOO!!!” from the top of the stadium…that didn’t matter.  We ran it.  Full Tilt…Full Out and it was…memorable.  I cut the final note off, bring the horns down and turn around.  All I see is paper flying at the top of the stadium and all I hear is screaming.  As a member of the Corps, seeing the staff react to what we had just done was again…memorable.  I yelled up something like, “How was that?!?”  After the dust settled, we did run it a few more times, yes, down tempo then loaded up to head back to our housing. 

A few nights later we performed it at the next competition, in Lynn, Mass.  It’s hard to explain the crowd’s reaction, but I just remember turning around and laughing.  The rest is history and the entire moment is, in my humble opinion, still the greatest Drum Corps ending…ever.

[bvgordy]

Question for the more advanced:

So are the movable, triangle props see thru so that we can see all the movements behind or "Under The Surface"??

I was just watching their practice vid just posted from yesterday which prompted my question.

Edited June 20, 2019 by bvgordy

[karuna]

4 minutes ago, bvgordy said:

Question for the more advanced:

So are the movable, triangle props see thru so that we can see all the movements behind or "Under The Surface"??

I was just watching their practice vid just posted from yesterday which prompted my question.

Yes. They have  colored transparent sections on them but you can always see “through”.  

[Incognito365]

1 hour ago, CrownBariDad said:

I got into writing s/w by trying to write a notation program for my TRS-80.  Sigh -- not near the graphics capability on those early machines  

I had to wait for a PC and I bought Music Printer+.  Worked great, but the author was leery about moving to Windows. So -- it's Finale for me, too. 

I honestly love Finale. I've tried Sibelius and Muse Score, and I just don't care for the layout or the pre-loaded sound fonts that they use. The only thing I don't like about Finale is their percussion sound fonts. Half of what they have listed doesn't have any sound to it, and half of what I want to use isn't listed even though they're pretty basic percussion. The battery notation also leaves a bit to be desired considering that half of what is labeled doesn't sound like what it's supposed to. I'd make my own sound font, but I honestly don't even know where to begin with that. I don't have any issues with the winds and strings though, most of those sound on point.

[Incognito365]

1 hour ago, Ghost said:

The Cross to Cross...Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps, 1991

March 6, 2012 at 7:13am

         

As so many of us celebrate George today, I thought I would repost this note.  Enjoy and I hope it finds you "10 points bettah!!!"

I have written or told this story so many times, I have lost count, but every time I do…it’s always like the first.  Everyone remembers their own perspective of that night, but mine was especially unique.

For those who may be hearing this story for the first time, I was Drum Major of the Corps that season and we were pressing harder and harder every minute of every day towards what we hoped would be a World Championship…we had no idea what we would receive instead.  In the end, the Championship was important, but not what any of us ever talk about or remember.

We were in Massachusetts and we had heard that we would be putting the new ending of the show on.  George had become very ill and we only saw him at random times.  He had written an ending, sent the charts, and we taught and cleaned it all day.  It was some standard drill, with great movement of course, that landed in a “crown” and then reversed out of it for 3 moves or so, then finished in 2 new sets.  It was…ok, at best.

We worked and worked and worked all day and you could tell that there was some angst and even some doubt about the ending.  8:45pm.  We perform the full run.  9:00pm.  Everyone takes water and prepares for the Visual rehearsal that was scheduled from 9-12.  Around 9:10 or so…in walks George.  He’s wrapped in a blanket and frail.  He tells me to get the Corps together and get them seated.  We bring everyone up to the 50, front sideline to sit.  George says, “So…the new ending…whadda ya think?”  A couple of “Yeah…it’s great.”, some mumbling too.  George says, “Well…I HATE IT!!!  That’s why we’re going to learn a whole new ending right now!”  The Corps goes crazy…we were ready.

Meanwhile, Jim Mason, our Director, has pulled the Visual Staff off to the side and tells them that George doesn’t want anyone on the field.  They are NOT happy.  Discussion ensues, but in the end, they all head up into the stadium stands and sit down just below the pressbox.  George is gaining strength.  He explains to the Corps that there are no charts…nothing.  “I’ve got it all right here.” He says, as he points to his temple with that big grin on his face.  He tells me to get the Corps set and then pulls me to the front sideline with him.

During the season of ’91, George taught me to see…not just how to “write drill”, but how to see motion.  I was blessed and lucky to spend time with him and glean everything I could from his genius.  So, back to the front sideline, George says, “Bwobby.  I’m going to do a set on the field and I want you to go behind me and set it.  Then Todd is going to 'chaht' it up top.  Do you understand.?”  Yes, George.  And so we began.

George pulls half of the Mellophones out of the Cross.  “You come here…make me a straight line.”  They all ran to get in.  Then he looked at me and I put the line at equal intervals and the correct angle he wanted.  “Now run it.”  And so I had them reset, and ran the 8 counts while George morphed the next line segment.  When he had them, the Mellos stayed where they were, and I ran the new line.  On and on this process went…lines EVERYWHERE!  Some lines curling back around, others floating…pure madness!  George loved us taking ownership as well…if I remember correctly, the Bass Drums wrote half of their own drill.  From the field, all you could tell was that it was highly kinetic.  We stopped for a quick break around 11:30pm or so and George ate a candy bar and we were back at it.

Now…it is approaching 2am (if I remember correctly).  There had been some discussion about not going past midnight, but that just wouldn’t do.  We had George…we had to finish.  I see where George is going, although I did not realize what this had become, and I set the endpoints so he can bleed the lines seamlessly into the final Cross.  We work the last few line segments together and we’re ready.  George, bless him, was exhausted.  Mike Huber (I think his name was) was helping take care of George and helped him off the field and took him home. 

I asked the Corps if we needed a break…I was told no (not in so many words).  We reset to the first Cross and ran everything set to set.  We reset again.  It’s at least 2am.  The Front Ensemble has come in to watch along with anyone left awake on staff and they are at the top of the stadium.  Todd Ryan is whispering through the long-ranger and says, “Ok Bobby…let’s run it…waaaaay down tempo and keep the volume down.”  I gave Todd the thumbs-up and turned back to the Corps.  “You guys think we need to do this down tempo and quietly?”  I asked sarcastically…again I was met with responses I cannot type in an open forum…we all had George’s grin on our faces.

I count it off…192 beats per minute.  Just before the Corps steps off, I hear what I remember being the beginnings of the word, “NOOOOOOOO!!!” from the top of the stadium…that didn’t matter.  We ran it.  Full Tilt…Full Out and it was…memorable.  I cut the final note off, bring the horns down and turn around.  All I see is paper flying at the top of the stadium and all I hear is screaming.  As a member of the Corps, seeing the staff react to what we had just done was again…memorable.  I yelled up something like, “How was that?!?”  After the dust settled, we did run it a few more times, yes, down tempo then loaded up to head back to our housing. 

A few nights later we performed it at the next competition, in Lynn, Mass.  It’s hard to explain the crowd’s reaction, but I just remember turning around and laughing.  The rest is history and the entire moment is, in my humble opinion, still the greatest Drum Corps ending…ever.

I feel like I read a different account of things elsewhere, but who knows. Thank you for the post though, I love reading parts of what I would consider the history of modern drum corps.

[CrownBariDad]

17 minutes ago, Incognito365 said:

I honestly love Finale. I've tried Sibelius and Muse Score, and I just don't care for the layout or the pre-loaded sound fonts that they use. The only thing I don't like about Finale is their percussion sound fonts. Half of what they have listed doesn't have any sound to it, and half of what I want to use isn't listed even though they're pretty basic percussion. The battery notation also leaves a bit to be desired considering that half of what is labeled doesn't sound like what it's supposed to. I'd make my own sound font, but I honestly don't even know where to begin with that. I don't have any issues with the winds and strings though, most of those sound on point.

Percussion -- Yep. Luckily, most what I write is concert/orchestral/film, not marching percussion.  Plus I pick and choose from other libraries (not Finale/Garritan) when I need to.

[Incognito365]

2 minutes ago, CrownBariDad said:

Percussion -- Yep. Luckily, most what I write is concert/orchestral/film, not marching percussion.  Plus I pick and choose from other libraries (not Finale/Garritan) when I need to.

I write concert too, but even then I find myself without what I want to add in sometimes. It's irritating. I don't know any other libraries that are free, because I can't justify paying hundreds of dollars just for a sound if I can make a sound font myself. The question is, where in the world do I begin? I've read up on it online, but nothing explains it in detail well enough for me to follow. Lol.

[Ghost]

31 minutes ago, Incognito365 said:

I feel like I read a different account of things elsewhere, but who knows. Thank you for the post though, I love reading parts of what I would consider the history of modern drum corps.

George didn’t need no stinkin’ computer!

[Incognito365]

Just now, Ghost said:

George didn’t need no stinkin’ computer!

I mean, I started on graphing paper, but I'm not going to give up the technology available to me to have to go back to everything it took for me to write on said paper. I'm too organized for all that. It would take me a whole day just to create the field on multiple sheets because I'm so meticulous. Lol.

[CrownBariDad]

1 hour ago, Incognito365 said:

I write concert too, but even then I find myself without what I want to add in sometimes. It's irritating. I don't know any other libraries that are free, because I can't justify paying hundreds of dollars just for a sound if I can make a sound font myself. The question is, where in the world do I begin? I've read up on it online, but nothing explains it in detail well enough for me to follow. Lol.

My Son is writing halftime shows and he's been using a sound library subscription where he can just pick the sounds he needs for demos. I can get details if interested.