Crossed Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 On 7/12/2019 at 11:21 PM, queenanne_1536 said: I’m an old nag, but I have been a supporter of trombones, electronics, body movements, the costuming changes, three values and narration (as stupid and cheesy as it is 99.9% of the time), but what I’m having trouble supporting is the complete lack, in most corps, of actually marching while playing and actually marching a drill. It’s all just SO BORING. Most everyone has the same formula - stand - play ridiculously hard music that’s just hard for the sake of being hard - drum break while the brass runs in scatter drill and dances and does body movements - stand - play ridiculously hard music that’s just hard for the sake of being hard. Rise and repeat over and over and over. ] Then we have the props. I’m not going to single any corps out - wait ok I’ll single them all out (expect BD) - what they are doing with their props is so laughable and basic. BD actually does cool and interesting things with their props. Everyone else - it’s just so corny. The Blue Stars sliding down slides. Really? Dumb. Vanguard having ladders just so people can climb them and not do anything interesting on them. Yeah, that’s exciting to watch. Bluecoats having a ridiculous amount of #### on the field to detract from the fact that they don’t have much drill either. Boston (who is actually one of the few who do have a drill) just hang on theirs. Really - it’s nothing interesting, so I’m perplexed as to why the activity has moved into this prop heavy direction. If you’re not BD, I can basically slam your props. They are all essentially pointless because they add absolutely nothing to the show. Bluecoats ‘16, Vanguard ‘18 and BD ‘19 were really the three times that props were really elevated to levels they should be. I watch Flo every week, and I’m just bored with everyone except Crown and Boston. This activity has lost it’s way. I’m not drinking the KoolAid anymore. So you’re telling me that, of all of the Blue Stars Drill this year, all you’re pulling out of it is that you don’t like the fact that they slide down slides... in one small part of their show..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTrooper77 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Yeah, I've been eating humble pie as far as my musical talent was for several years now. I hear you. All the horn players I marched with agree that the musicians on the field today are absolutely amazing. Love listening to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyboy Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 The members today are not more talented than the members 10 years ago. The members from 20 years ago are not more talented than the members from 30 years ago. Talent is not exploding exponentially, talent is static. What is constantly improving is instruction, techniques, education etc. You might have a ring from 1990 and can't play a third trumpet book from today, but if you were 18 today and came up in today's atmosphere you would be in the line. Shows are harder today than yesterday, but the same rule applies. The top corps in 1980 were pushing the envelope of what was possible. Any 21 year old from todays Crown would be working just as hard if they were 21 in 1980. The assertion that a high school from 2019 is marching and playing at the level of the 1984 Cadets is interesting. I'm sure they are attempting it at some level, all can be attributed to quality instruction and using what we've learned in corps for the past so many years, not talent of members. The Wright Brothers flew a plane for several seconds 100 years ago, I surely doubt the officers in Air Force flight school sit back and laugh at how plane flying sucked a generation ago or how they are so much more talented at flying than the guys from WW2. Shows have changed over the years, and what is designed, what is on trend and what is pushing the activity is steadily changing. The whole comparison of eras is subjective. It can be done, but you really have to factor in much more that what ended up on the 11 minute video tape from finals. On a final note, choreographing a sloppy looking scatter drill with sets and counts doesn't make it art. You can plan for a whole drumline to be out of step, and practice it until it looks perfectly horrible the same way every time. It's an achievement on some level, but who cares? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 31 minutes ago, jonnyboy said: The members today are not more talented than the members 10 years ago. The members from 20 years ago are not more talented than the members from 30 years ago. Talent is not exploding exponentially, talent is static. What is constantly improving is instruction, techniques, education etc. You might have a ring from 1990 and can't play a third trumpet book from today, but if you were 18 today and came up in today's atmosphere you would be in the line. Shows are harder today than yesterday, but the same rule applies. The top corps in 1980 were pushing the envelope of what was possible. Any 21 year old from todays Crown would be working just as hard if they were 21 in 1980. The assertion that a high school from 2019 is marching and playing at the level of the 1984 Cadets is interesting. I'm sure they are attempting it at some level, all can be attributed to quality instruction and using what we've learned in corps for the past so many years, not talent of members. The Wright Brothers flew a plane for several seconds 100 years ago, I surely doubt the officers in Air Force flight school sit back and laugh at how plane flying sucked a generation ago or how they are so much more talented at flying than the guys from WW2. Shows have changed over the years, and what is designed, what is on trend and what is pushing the activity is steadily changing. The whole comparison of eras is subjective. It can be done, but you really have to factor in much more that what ended up on the 11 minute video tape from finals. On a final note, choreographing a sloppy looking scatter drill with sets and counts doesn't make it art. You can plan for a whole drumline to be out of step, and practice it until it looks perfectly horrible the same way every time. It's an achievement on some level, but who cares? This 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfreq1128 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 On 7/12/2019 at 2:36 PM, HolyNOLA said: Whatever kid. Keep believing your ballet shows are hard core I take it you're not aware of how commonplace it is for ballerinas' toe nails to rot, die, and fall off. Nor of how often they dance through it. (The answer: always.) Keep talking smack about physical demands you clearly know nothing about though, bub. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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