StuStu Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 As we talk about evolution, keep in mind that Jeff Saktig and Jon Vanderkolff both marched in the '87 Cadets, and Leon May followed in '88. The spirit of innovation that drove the '87 Cadets continues to shape DCI today. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony L. Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 I think it might be more interesting to compare a drill not written by Zingali with a modern show. I think you should use one of the most difficult show in terms of total demand on a performer ever, 1993 Cadets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted July 12, 2019 Author Share Posted July 12, 2019 2 minutes ago, StuStu said: As we talk about evolution, keep in mind that Jeff Saktig and Jon Vanderkolff both marched in the '87 Cadets, and Leon May followed in '88. The spirit of innovation that drove the '87 Cadets continues to shape DCI today. I was thinking about the influence of certain visuals and the long shadow that they cast... If a corps like SCV or Crown (one that has the sort of gravitas for this type of emulation) were to field a comparable company front dissolve and reformation over a hymn chorale today... do you know what people would say? They would say 'Oh! That's a nice throwback to Garfield... Remember that show?!' It wouldn't matter if the aesthetics and the technical execution were superior to '87... it would still be a cheap nostalgic imitation of something untouchable. They MUST innovate. It must continue to be done differently. They can't go back and capture that lightning again. They have to generate new bolts of light and claps of thunder. And there will be far more near misses than hits along the way. That's just how it works. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted July 12, 2019 Author Share Posted July 12, 2019 Just now, Tony L. said: I think it might be more interesting to compare a drill not written by Zingali with a modern show. I think you should use one of the most difficult show in terms of total demand on a performer ever, 1993 Cadets. Good show. I had some school friends march that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 I just watched Cadets' 92 show, which is similar to '93 and thought that would be a good comparison. I think we are all enjoying your presentation even there are differences in opinion. Again, Thanks for taking the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Oh, a couple things I would interject. I think you've mentioned how you could tell that the musicianship is so much better now because of something The Cadets were playing... Besides playing on G horns, which for many was a major adjustment even though your experience was less difficult going from F to G, many of those horns from the late 80s were still crap. The build quality and research put into those G instruments were well behind standard instrument. Maynard Furgeson didn't sound too hot switching from trumpet to G bugle either. Good, but not the same build quality, hence not sounding as good. The 3 valve Gs were miles better after everyone mostly switched around mid 90s, but still behind in quality compared to concert instruments. That affects the sound. Also by the late 80s there were tons of music majors in DCI in the top 12 corps. The drill difficulty started ramping up in the mid 80s,and continued to ramp up until the 2010s, which is when the "variety" mentality seems to have begun to take control first musically, and now visually. Personally, I would have love to use different muscle groups in a show; kind of spreads the demand around. At any rate, I don't think the corps just stand around, I just find some of the aesthetics of modern corps visually unappealing and not as effective as others make it out to be. Finally, it'd be nice not to compare to BDs visual, as it's similar in ideas from year to year. Yes, they adjust the design, but if you credit their stuff one year, it's going to be the same type of ideas from year to year. Same with all the top visual people I suppose, but SCV did seem like a modified Gaines design aesthetic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmurrey74 Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 1 hour ago, StuStu said: As we talk about evolution, keep in mind that Jeff Saktig and Jon Vanderkolff both marched in the '87 Cadets, and Leon May followed in '88. The spirit of innovation that drove the '87 Cadets continues to shape DCI today. So interesting to see how Jon has adapted from writing Star ‘93 to now Bluecoats ‘19! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 1 hour ago, rmurrey74 said: So interesting to see how Jon has adapted from writing Star ‘93 to now Bluecoats ‘19! Jeff Sacktig is doing well this year with Crown too. Nice musical drill! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frachel Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 For the horn players here, here's the early lead sop music from '87 to give you an idea of how much time was spent playing. For current years you can find many transcriptions on youtube if you want to compare (hold down 3rd valve on a Bb if you want to try and play it). http://therachels.net/therachels/appspring/ 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordsterr Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 8 hours ago, jjeffeory said: The question was DID they not do cardio. What I was reading came across as if doing cardio was something new and not something that was done in the past. Did Bluecoats do cardio when you marched? I know several members from that time, and I never thought to ask them. We definitely did in the 80's. Not super sophisticated, but it got the job done. We'd start the morning running and then doing crunches and pushups. All things I wish I could do today.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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