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Self indulgent shows


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23 hours ago, WarriorWay said:

I can relate to this, never send them home confused should be written down in stone. Take for example crowns ballad. Gabriel’s oboe is a beautiful piece, but it’s almost over arranged to the point that it looses the effect it had on it own. I think arrangers are overly arranging music so much lately that we don’t hear a lot of melody and the natural effect of the piece then gets lost. My two cents. Let the source music do the work! 

Of all the arrangers in currently working in DCI,  Michael Klesch is BY FAR the most respectful of the source music.    IMHO his arrangement of Gabriel's Oboe is flat out amazing.  It retains the sensitivity and emotion of the original while working in the context of an all-brass, outdoor ensemble.   Source music is ALWAYS doing the work at Crown.

Edited by karuna
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55 minutes ago, karuna said:

Of all the arrangers in currently working in DCI,  Michael Klesch is BY FAR the most respectful of the source music.    IMHO his arrangement of Gabriel's Oboe is flat out amazing.  It retains the sensitivity and emotion of the original while working in the context of an all-brass, outdoor ensemble.   Source music is ALWAYS doing the work at Crown.

Best example of this I can think of off the top of my head is in 2012 with "Fanfare for the Common Man". I couldn't believe how true to the source he kept that.

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On 6/25/2019 at 6:36 PM, Cappybara said:

What exactly design-wise is different this year so much so that last year's shows are being described as creative genius while this year's shows are being considered designer self indulgence?

 

Seems a tad overdramatic 

A lack of conceptual cohesiveness. 

Last year whether designers went for theme (e.g. Bluecoats "Session 44", Blue Devils "Dreams and Nighthawks") or went for a compositional approach (SCV), things "tied together" one way or another.  SCV's "Babylon" was one of greatest demonstrations of flow from top-to-bottom that I can remember. Whether you liked it or not is subjective, but from start to finish,  design, body movement, props, music, dynamics, solos and soli, even a modern dance-routine seemed to fit where it should within the context of the overall show design. What show can you remember that created such drama around an act of silence (the split second before horn snap)? It's because everything that lead up to that moment made sense.  I live in Los Angeles, saw SCV in their 3rd or 4th show of the year and told my drum corps nerd friends that it was one of the best I'd ever seen. I also said the same about Mandarins at that time. 

This year we have "The Bluecoats" an homage to the Beatles that has understandable music, but the design seems out of place. There's the Cavies doing "Wrong Side of the Tracks" in Gangs of New York Costuming and assorted props that seem out-of-place next to an incredibly dramatic and great music book.  The Crusaders have cool music and they're supposed to be talking about Goliath, but the corps is dressed like "Star of Massachusetts" and the design with props leads nowhere. Last year, at least you could understand the intent of all the "SOS"stuff.

I could keep going on an on, (and yes some corps have improved this year vs. last -  Phantom was a hot mess last year, and Madison was a hot hot mess, may even not so hot mess, and both designs this year are better) but on the main - getting a read on cohesiveness is difficult at best....

Just my opinion of course, but there you have it.

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7 hours ago, adman said:

A lack of conceptual cohesiveness. 

Last year whether designers went for theme (e.g. Bluecoats "Session 44", Blue Devils "Dreams and Nighthawks") or went for a compositional approach (SCV), things "tied together" one way or another.  SCV's "Babylon" was one of greatest demonstrations of flow from top-to-bottom that I can remember. Whether you liked it or not is subjective, but from start to finish,  design, body movement, props, music, dynamics, solos and soli, even a modern dance-routine seemed to fit where it should within the context of the overall show design. What show can you remember that created such drama around an act of silence (the split second before horn snap)? It's because everything that lead up to that moment made sense.  I live in Los Angeles, saw SCV in their 3rd or 4th show of the year and told my drum corps nerd friends that it was one of the best I'd ever seen. I also said the same about Mandarins at that time. 

This year we have "The Bluecoats" an homage to the Beatles that has understandable music, but the design seems out of place. There's the Cavies doing "Wrong Side of the Tracks" in Gangs of New York Costuming and assorted props that seem out-of-place next to an incredibly dramatic and great music book.  The Crusaders have cool music and they're supposed to be talking about Goliath, but the corps is dressed like "Star of Massachusetts" and the design with props leads nowhere. Last year, at least you could understand the intent of all the "SOS"stuff.

I could keep going on an on, (and yes some corps have improved this year vs. last -  Phantom was a hot mess last year, and Madison was a hot hot mess, may even not so hot mess, and both designs this year are better) but on the main - getting a read on cohesiveness is difficult at best....

Just my opinion of course, but there you have it.

My reply to all this is that it's June. Let's wait until maybe late July to judge how cohesive shows are. Corps are still putting the pieces together

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Yeah, the quote about "Star of Massachusetts" does nothing to elevate the conversation.  And if anyone doesn't know the fundamental parable of David vs. Goliath I guess the conceptual cohesiveness would be elusive.  I know you've only had 2 posts but it does seem like somebody has already rubbed your rhubarb the wrong way. 

 

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On 6/26/2019 at 12:16 PM, Fran Haring said:

'08 was kinda cool, I agree... just got swallowed up in the "Spartacus" tidal wave. :laughing:

Never quite figured out '09.

My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles lived through the Depression years.... and from their many stories, they didn't do a whole lot of dancing on and around chairs, or having "Happy Days Are Here Again"  at the top of their hit list. LOL.  They were just trying to survive. 

BD's show was fine, I guess, from a music standpoint... but the theme? It evoked nothing about the Depression, at least to me, after hearing what my family had gone through.

 

i said that on here at the time and the Blue Crew faithful pounced like I was some idiot who didn't understand the Great Depression and the genius of the BD team.

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On 6/26/2019 at 6:27 PM, flammaster said:

There was a time when DEMAND meant something. Like your bass line does flam drag splits but the  other line that plays it safe and only does triplet based books and wins percussion.. ninja please.

 

Now days you can do Jingle Bells or I wanna hold your hand.  BARRRRRRF!

you have no clue, but man you make me laugh

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13 minutes ago, craiga said:

Yeah, the quote about "Star of Massachusetts" does nothing to elevate the conversation.  And if anyone doesn't know the fundamental parable of David vs. Goliath I guess the conceptual cohesiveness would be elusive.  I know you've only had 2 posts but it does seem like somebody has already rubbed your rhubarb the wrong way. 

 

never rub a Boston haters rhubarb

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