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Let's Play A Game - You Can Only Go Forward


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1 hour ago, Ghost said:

The Academy included the on field percussion with the guard during their ballad in 15.  Very impressive.

Do you not remember the Cavaliers hornline switching to rifles?

 

8 minutes ago, Quad Aces said:

Didn’t Marian Catholic High School in BOA do a show recently where the brass switched instruments with the woodwinds (and vice versa)?

That’s pretty innovative...

Do you not remember Phantom Regiment whole hornline on low brass for Biebl's Ave Maria?

And both Crown and Cadets have traded off horns at times. Cadets' Concert French horns were more than just from the mellophone section if I recall.

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I’d like to see breaking down/through the fundamental “grammar” of music and marching. A lot of posing and stomping has been added, but the fundamental marching movements and the way drill works, and how it interacts with the structure of the music, hasn’t really changed since the early 80s or before. I don’t watch much drum corps in the offseason and I’m always struck in June by how formulaic it all is- body movement as well- and samey across all the corps.

I’d love to see some really out of the box, experimental stuff. True improvisation, new ways on combining sound and movement, more varied timbres, radically different conceptualizations of space... I know this will never happen. Most shows have less varied dynamics and timbres than they did 20 years ago, it seems like you go from full brass forte to pit break to brass forte to full battery etc... I blame Cesario’s Zhdanov Decree about entertainment.

TL,DR: I wanna see and hear some weird ####.

Edited by FTNK
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11 minutes ago, skevinp said:

I can't get past imagining the sort of criteria Sir Mix-a-lot might apply.

still - it wouldn't entirely be an irrelevant take - Sir Mix-a-lot or David Byrne or Sade or John Cougar Mellencamp or Pharrel Williams -- they know something about art, about music, about performing about connecting with an audience -- I think it would be a great idea!

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2 hours ago, xandandl said:

Do you not remember the Cavaliers hornline switching to rifles?

Yes, I remember it well. (That could be a great line for a song. Oh, never mind.). I just mentioned one of many such changes done by corps over the years.

Do you not remember the Cadets pole drill in 2011?  Huh? huh?

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Though there are some obvious points of "concern", including the potential for a lack of diversity, I have long thought it would be cool to challenge the design teams to have to respond to a predetermined theme for all corps for the season. Nothing too specific. You would be too limiting to say it had to be jazz, or a show about Elton John's life, or how water becomes ice, but themes such as Mother Nature, Growing up, Travel, Machines, etc. could produce a wide array of interpretations. Always thought it would be fun to sit there waiting for the next corps and thinking, "Okay. Let's see what this team came up with." 

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54 minutes ago, skevinp said:

I can't get past imagining the sort of criteria Sir Mix-a-lot might apply.

I’m sure it would involve large posteriors.

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8 hours ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

I can't say that I'd be too thrilled with an American Idol style adjudication system. Give me corps professionals, not Paula Abdul. 

On the other hand, that may be something DCI would consider at some point unless Stu's #1 comes along. 

ditto. the biggest change IMO needed now is governance 

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11 hours ago, acolli17 said:

That second one would definitely create a new dynamic for show design, and I think it's a good step without going all the way to "fan favorite." I absolutely agree, it'd be interesting having an assessment from an outside individual or group of individuals.

 

11 hours ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

I can't say that I'd be too thrilled with an American Idol style adjudication system. Give me corps professionals, not Paula Abdul. 

On the other hand, that may be something DCI would consider at some point unless Stu's #1 comes along. 

 

7 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Nor would I.  But what if the adjudication system remained the same, performance was judged by the same people, and general effect became a bit more "general" by using a mix of DCI judges and music/arts professionals?

 

4 hours ago, skevinp said:

I can't get past imagining the sort of criteria Sir Mix-a-lot might apply.

 

4 hours ago, tedrick said:

still - it wouldn't entirely be an irrelevant take - Sir Mix-a-lot or David Byrne or Sade or John Cougar Mellencamp or Pharrel Williams -- they know something about art, about music, about performing about connecting with an audience -- I think it would be a great idea!

 

2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

ditto. the biggest change IMO needed now is governance 

To all who have commented about my adjudication idea.

What I suggest is to break out of the inbread snob mold that only drum corps experienced professionals are qualified to judge drum corps. Still use the specific rubric criteria, but open up to the fact that there are plenty of qualified professionals outside of drum corps who would bring a fresh set of eyes while keeping a high quality direction to this activity. Secure a Tony award winning choeographer to judge Visual GE; secure a Grammy award winning music producer to judge Music GE; etc...

This would likely upset the apple cart for those who believe only those in the circle of drum corps life are qualified, but it definity would bring a new professional dynamic to drum corps; and possibly greater credibility for the activity.

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5 hours ago, xandandl said:

Do you not remember the Cavaliers hornline switching to rifles?

 

Do you not remember Phantom Regiment whole hornline on low brass for Biebl's Ave Maria?

And both Crown and Cadets have traded off horns at times. Cadets' Concert French horns were more than just from the mellophone section if I recall.

Correct.  However, I wasn’t thinking just about the switching of instruments.  Yes, that has been done before.

I was thinking of the much bigger gap in switching from woodwind to brass (and vice versa) than from switching among the brass family.

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