BigW Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 5 hours ago, Diddlefly said: I’m not much of a poster on these forums, but I have to comment on the absurdity of this change. Those of you commenting on the danger of judging in the drill need to tell me how many judges or students have recently been injured by judges being in the drill. Yes, there have been a couple of near misses (with one judge in particular), but fix this issue with better training, required drill film study, or other precautionary measures...not this! I honestly cannot believe there isn’t more pushback on a rule that will effectively cripple the percussion score in this activity. As I said... I think they've been lucky the "Big One" hasn't happened yet and they know it. Ever been out there in the trenches? A lack of situational awareness for 2 seconds can get someone hit- or create a situation where the audience pays more attention to that than the performance. The other issue becomes, how much is one trying to survive out there and not get run over rather than actually observing, listening, and evaluating. It's been part of the game for decades. Do things to force the adjudicator out of the area then complain they're not deep enough to suit you. Better training isn't going to help. The DCI people have extensive experience, they know how to get out of the way and how to move as best they can. The kids know to alter or yell if they sense a collision or get out the stiff arm (My HS kids were trained in the stiff arm just in case...). It just may not be enough anymore. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 5 hours ago, Beckham said: Maybe those instructors should consider that there are waaaaaaaaaaay more corps members who are injured because of excessively intense rehearsals, and being expected to tough it out when there is an abnormal pain that needs to be addressed, than there are because of unaware field judges. This too. Too long a implicit tradition of expecting people to be a hero and kill themselves rather than let them sit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weaklefthand4ever Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, BigW said: Perhaps. But given the velocities, field coverages.... at the WC level it's become too risky for both performer and adjudicator. Surprised we haven't had the equivalent of the Talladega "Big One" at a show yet. I know the kids do watch out, the judges watch out...but I have a hunch everyone's been too lucky for too long. Yeah, some of the Drill mavens are likely peeved someone on-field detracts from their fantastic design and wanted that dealt with, but I think it's just genuinely been too hot down there for too long at the WC level Yep. Even as a field percussionist (there...I didn't say drummer for once,) I still like the change if it will keep the MM's (and judges) safer. I think you're correct in that we've been lucky that it wasn't an incident resulting in injury that forced this to come into being. Folks are going to complain, but for one, I would rather hear complaints about it this way than hearing complaints about "why didn't we do something about this before x happened," any day. At that point, the pitchforks come out and things just get messy and confusing. Edited January 13, 2019 by Weaklefthand4ever 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Delighted! Should have happened decades ago as soon as drill sped up in the 80s 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weaklefthand4ever Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 4 hours ago, BigW said: Better training isn't going to help. The DCI people have extensive experience, they know how to get out of the way and how to move as best they can. The kids know to alter or yell if they sense a collision or get out the stiff arm (My HS kids were trained in the stiff arm just in case...). It just may not be enough anymore. It's funny that you mention that. I honked off many a field judge in HS by yelling "MOVE" at them, but never had an issue in DCI / DCA. In fact, the only collision I ever had was in HS. Jim Gladson ran into me later and said something to me about trying not to let another field judge "feel the fiery wrath of my tenors." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideways Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 The complaints with BOA writing has nothing to do with the music field judge being limited in movement. There is not a true percussion caption...the field judge is responsible to score percussion out of 50 points on a 200 point sheet which includes all brass, percussion, woodwinds, etc.... if you are more than likely not writing for someone who is going to appreciate the subtle complexities then why bother.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sideways said: The complaints with BOA writing has nothing to do with the music field judge being limited in movement. There is not a true percussion caption...the field judge is responsible to score percussion out of 50 points on a 200 point sheet which includes all brass, percussion, woodwinds, etc.... DCI will still have a perc adjudicator, but the 'path/reasoning' in which BOA eventually eliminated the on-field adjudicators ( ie complex visual dominance overriding complex musical decisions, on-field safety issues, etc) it is that path in which DCI has now chosen to be on. Again, complex battery writing is not for the audience; from a general musical standpoint subtle complexities in hand/finger execution of hybrid/fusion notes matters not; it is for the performer's playing abilities to be pushed/evaluated; a way to seperate excellence in hand performance simplicity vs. excelence in hand performance complexity. And by the nature of requiring a DCI perc judge to be limited to the sidelines, those subtle complex differences in battery writing cannot and will not be picked-up when the battery is at or behind the front hash-mark; even by the best perc adudicators. Thus it is likely that DCI battery writing for passages played mid-field back will remain musical, and the exicuition shall remain excelent, but also go in the direction of hand/finger simplicity; just like BOA writing did. Edited January 13, 2019 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sideways said: ...if you are more than likely not writing for someone who is going to appreciate the subtle complexities then why bother.... This is my point exactly!!! The challanges, and fun, of pushing the hand performance of the battery members to excell via adjudication will be diminished, if not eliminated. Thus why spend the time and effort in attempting to achieve excelence in hybrid/fusion technique when excellence in accent=taps along with enhanced visual body movement will suffice? Edited January 13, 2019 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingusmonk Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 It will be interesting to see if this changes how batteries are tech'ed. Why have your sub-techs on the field so much when those reads are no longer relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadevilina Crown Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Something that hasn't been discussed yet is how this change will affect the positioning of the pit/front ensemble. I bet we're going to see more and more front ensembles like the Bluecoats' of the last 3 seasons, positioned in a way that "opens up" the front of the field so that the judges can more clearly see and hear the performers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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