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Field judges restricted to front sideline in 2019


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On 1/13/2019 at 2:04 PM, Stu said:

Again, you are advocating it is fine to play technique inaccurately provided the adjudicator cannot pick it up due to being a long distance away. But I am advocating that in most cases it is the subtle differences in hand performance of note complexity that seperates battery lines at the top WC DCI level. And as for 'holistic rhythmic clarity', that is exactly what is being adjudicated in BOA from a great distance. It matters not if the judge is a percussionist or a brass specialist; holistic rhythmic clarity is holistic rhythmic clarity. Thus the battery writing there now consists of mostly accent-tap rhythms. Take away the motivation of the line performing challenging and complex notes in their hands for a perc judge accuratly and the result ends up being, at best,  some interesting holistic polyrhythm/hemiola permutation writing with more and more complex tai-chi visual motion added in.

I'm in agreement here, but let me take a different route to the same destination.

Talk to any kid with a pair of sticks. They dream of marching in a DCI line because they want to make those sticks do awesome things, mighty things, unbelievable things, world-class things. They want to play the Licks of the Gods, to make other drummers drop to their knees in admiration. They want to be part of a group locked together with a single mind, 4 others or 7 others who are playing with the same focus, the same intensity, and in exactly the same manner. They're not spending $5,000 to achieve holistic rhythmic clarity; they're baking themselves in the sun for the challenge of nailing the hardest book they've every played -- likely ever will play -- in their lives.

I watched the Perc judge at 1981 finals rush up to the Bridgemen snare line, clipboard raised, writing hand at the ready, head scanning back and forth along the line, as the line played the highlight of "Black Market Juggler": 24 counts of 16th notes, every single one of them with the left hand, traditional grip, completely exposed, completely soli. They snapped it off without a tick, the judge dropped his clipboard down to his side, turned around and walked toward the sideline. I guarantee you that moment pushed the adrenaline meter in every single one of those guys to 11 and remains one of the most cherished memories of their lives. Hell, I was in the stands and it's one of the best memories of my life.

Inside the line, that kind of feeling is like no other. Inside the line, the music is the in achievement of cleanliness of extraordinarily high demand. The fulfillment is in the dare: I dare you to find a flaw in our music. Go ahead; you can't.  Don't ask a drummer to explain; they can't. But they feel it. They know it. It's the drug. It's why they're there. It's something that only Marching Music's Major League can provide.

Or, it was. I guess they'll always have the lots.

Edited by 2muchcoffeeman
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58 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

it's an IA sheet...get to what you can when you can, and try to catch every section during the show. 

Thanks much, Jeff. Sometimes it's get what is there, what is safe... try to catch what's behind you from the FE as you watch the battery... in response to the first poster, as long as that percussion staff feels you've done your best to assess and read what's in that book, Battery and Front Ensemble, how clean it is that performance and score it fairly...whether you balance comments between FE and battery 50/50 doesn't necessarily matter.

 

They may ask someone to try to see/hear something that got missed/overlooked in the next read that they feel would enhance their number, of course.

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22 hours ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

I'm in agreement here, but let me take a different route to the same destination.

Talk to any kid with a pair of sticks. They dream of marching in a DCI line because they want to make those sticks do awesome things, mighty things, unbelievable things, world-class things. They want to play the Licks of the Gods, to make other drummers drop to their knees in admiration. They want to be part of a group locked together with a single mind, 4 others or 7 others who are playing with the same focus, the same intensity, and in exactly the same manner. They're not spending $5,000 to achieve holistic rhythmic clarity; they're baking themselves in the sun for the challenge of nailing the hardest book they've every played -- likely ever will play -- in their lives.

I watched the Perc judge at 1981 finals rush up to the Bridgemen snare line, clipboard raised, writing hand at the ready, head scanning back and forth along the line, as the line played the highlight of "Black Market Juggler": 24 counts of 16th notes, every single one of them with the left hand, traditional grip, completely exposed, completely soli. They snapped it off without a tick, the judge dropped his clipboard down to his side, turned around and walked toward the sideline. I guarantee you that moment pushed the adrenaline meter in every single one of those guys to 11 and remains one of the most cherished memories of their lives. Hell, I was in the stands and it's one of the best memories of my life.

Inside the line, that kind of feeling is like no other. Inside the line, the music is the in achievement of cleanliness of extraordinarily high demand. The fulfillment is in the dare: I dare you to find a flaw in our music. Go ahead; you can't.  Don't ask a drummer to explain; they can't. But they feel it. They know it. It's the drug. It's why they're there. It's something that only Marching Music's Major League can provide.

Or, it was. I guess they'll always have the lots.

now ask the drummer to explain it when the judge is on the sideline and doesn't see it up close.

why do you think more percussion tapes are posted online than anything else? The hype people get from hearing the up close reaction.

 

As an instructor, no greater hype happened then hearing Charlie Poole, standing in front of the battery in an arc, saying "the playing speaks for itself", then putting the recorder down, watching, and bobbing his head in time with the players.

Never would have happened under todays rules.

Edited by Jeff Ream
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2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

now ask the drummer to explain it when the judge is on the sideline and doesn't see it up close.

why do you think more percussion tapes are posted online than anything else? The hype people get from hearing the up close reaction. 

 

As an instructor, no greater hype happened then hearing Charlie Poole, standing in front of the battery in an arc, saying "the playing speaks for itself", then putting the recorder down, watching, and bobbing his head in time with the players.

Never would have happened under todays rules.

You beat me to Charlie Poole. Even as a Brass guy, his recordings are gold. 

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7 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

now ask the drummer to explain it when the judge is on the sideline and doesn't see it up close.

why do you think more percussion tapes are posted online than anything else? The hype people get from hearing the up close reaction.

 

As an instructor, no greater hype happened then hearing Charlie Poole, standing in front of the battery in an arc, saying "the playing speaks for itself", then putting the recorder down, watching, and bobbing his head in time with the players.

Never would have happened under todays rules.

Was it the 1975 Yankee Rebels drumline did like a 6 tic show at DCA? At end of execution time drum judge put his clipboard down and just followed the line until the end of the show to enjoy it. Believe a Brother Dave K story.

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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2 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Was it the 1975 Yankee Rebels drumline did like a 6 tic show at DCA? At end of execution time drum judge put his clipboard down and just followed the line until the end of the show to enjoy it. Believe a Brother Dave K story.

WEll, we all know that tic system was just as subjective as today, usually without accountability.

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16 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

WEll, we all know that tic system was just as subjective as today, usually without accountability.

Lol glad you said just as subjective as today as that’s my opinion.

I marched DCA and RCA (lesser Sr circuit) and RCA was very lenient on what was tic-able. Still remember a weekday practice and hearing “it’s DCA show this weekend... execute #### it... execute”. Might have been Larry Hershman screaming it

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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1 hour ago, GUARDLING said:

WEll, we all know that tic system was just as subjective as today, usually without accountability.

Sigh. I knew this would come up.

Irrelevant.

It's not whether it was the tic system, or the build-up system that replaced it.

Okay? Let me say that again: THIS IS NOT ABOUT TICKS OR NO-TICKS

(letting that sink in . . . . 1 . . . . 2 . . . . 3. . . . . 4 . . . . 5)

Allright? Can we lave that behind now, please?

The actual POINT is what motivates a 19-year-old who has sticks, ambition, and dreams. What motivates him or her to spend $5,000 to participate in DCI is the challenge to play ungodly difficult stuff as clean as snot, and to do it under pressure circumstances that no other activity provides -- namely, in front of highly skilled judges who will watch your every diddle (whether that judge employs a tear-down system or build-up system is BESIDE THE POINT). And which, when the test is successfully passed, certifies him or her as among the top marching percussionists On The Planet. Which is a certifiable big deal to 19 years olds with sticks, and is the reason why this activity exists: to provide an avenue to pursue excellence to those inclined toward music/dance performance.

Don't get me wrong: Drummers love the show, they love the crowds, they love helping their corps achieve success, they love everything about the drum-corps experience. They're all about team success.

But that isn't what motivated them to buy a plane ticket to their first audition. It isn't what motivated them to add 30 minutes to their practice session. It isn't what drives them to play their ever-lovin' practice pads every freakin' minute of the day, driving their friends, bandmates, teachers and parents to distraction.

No. What motivates them to such ends is the challenge to excellence, the ne plus ultra of field percussion that only DCI has provided -- to nail it the most demanding, harshest evaluation environment ever devised for the idiom. There is no drug like it.

The question going forward is whether DCI will continue to provide drummers with such a high bar.

 

 

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1 minute ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

 

The actual POINT is what motivates a 19-year-old who has sticks, ambition, and dreams. What motivates him or her to spend $5,000 to participate in DCI is the challenge to play ungodly difficult stuff as clean as snot, and to do it under pressure circumstances that no other activity provides -- namely, in front of highly skilled judges who will watch your every diddle (whether that judge employs a tear-down system or build-up system is BESIDE THE POINT). And which, when the test is successfully passed, certifies him or her as among the top marching percussionists On The Planet. Which is a certifiable big deal to 19 years olds with sticks, and is the reason why this activity exists: to provide an avenue to pursue excellence to those inclined toward music/dance performance.

Don't get me wrong: Drummers love the show, they love the crowds, they love helping their corps achieve success, they love everything about the drum-corps experience. They're all about team success.

But that isn't what motivated them to buy a plane ticket to their first audition. It isn't what motivated them to add 30 minutes to their practice session. It isn't what drives them to play their ever-lovin' practice pads every freakin' minute of the day, driving their friends, bandmates, teachers and parents to distraction.

No. What motivates them to such ends is the challenge to excellence, the ne plus ultra of field percussion that only DCI has provided -- to nail it the most demanding, harshest evaluation environment ever devised for the idiom. There is no drug like it.

The question going forward is whether DCI will continue to provide drummers with such a high bar.

 

 

BOA doesn't award a percussion caption award, and there have been many years in that circuit that many of the top groups have sub-standard percussion, and I feel it's largely due to the fact that there is no reward. With having the judges off the field, I could see some groups not being as meticulous with onfield percussion, which is very sad to me. It'll be easier to hide things for sure.

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6 minutes ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

Sigh. I knew this would come up.

Irrelevant.

It's not whether it was the tic system, or the build-up system that replaced it.

Okay? Let me say that again: THIS IS NOT ABOUT TICKS OR NO-TICKS

(letting that sink in . . . . 1 . . . . 2 . . . . 3. . . . . 4 . . . . 5)

Allright? Can we lave that behind now, please?

The actual POINT is what motivates a 19-year-old who has sticks, ambition, and dreams. What motivates him or her to spend $5,000 to participate in DCI is the challenge to play ungodly difficult stuff as clean as snot, and to do it under pressure circumstances that no other activity provides -- namely, in front of highly skilled judges who will watch your every diddle (whether that judge employs a tear-down system or build-up system is BESIDE THE POINT). And which, when the test is successfully passed, certifies him or her as among the top marching percussionists On The Planet. Which is a certifiable big deal to 19 years olds with sticks, and is the reason why this activity exists: to provide an avenue to pursue excellence to those inclined toward music/dance performance.

Don't get me wrong: Drummers love the show, they love the crowds, they love helping their corps achieve success, they love everything about the drum-corps experience. They're all about team success.

But that isn't what motivated them to buy a plane ticket to their first audition. It isn't what motivated them to add 30 minutes to their practice session. It isn't what drives them to play their ever-lovin' practice pads every freakin' minute of the day, driving their friends, bandmates, teachers and parents to distraction.

No. What motivates them to such ends is the challenge to excellence, the ne plus ultra of field percussion that only DCI has provided -- to nail it the most demanding, harshest evaluation environment ever devised for the idiom. There is no drug like it.

The question going forward is whether DCI will continue to provide drummers with such a high bar.

 

 

4

Do you actually believe people won't be challenged... That all aside, my response was not about today BUT to a statement made of BITD You have to look at what one has responded to.

Edited by GUARDLING
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