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Hey __________, maybe do this. What is your advice for certain corps at this point?


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1 hour ago, Rich Cline said:

2. Stay with music that average person/fan knows, can remember and go away from a show humming.. Bluecoats "Beetles" and BD's Lorne Balfe TV sound tracks are examples of music most people know. Stay away from the complicated scores that should be reserved for really advanced music study.

Ah yes, the heady days of the 60s and 70s where every corps recycled the same ten tunes over and over and over again, often times many years in a row.

Here's your trophy for the worst idea expressed on DCP this summer. The competition was fierce, but you outdid them all. It's a tremendous honor.81Hf5Rp8J2L._SR500,500_.jpg

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10 hours ago, derbydawg said:

While I cannot pretend to know the stresses and time management involved in producing a show that is highly competitive in 2019, I do have enough time on the drum corps design and teaching clock to have some opinions as to what some corps need to do now in order to perhaps best elevate their shows knowing that such time for change, balanced with cleaning time, is now crucial. 

What is your advice for certain corps?

My offerings:

BD: Make prop movement and uniform change produced and not perfunctory. Year after year of you doing this has gotten old, frustrating. Could be seen as ego-driven and not at all artistic. 

SCV: Make the styles pop more, especially the funk/rock moments of your show. Add more moments that communicate emotion and not simply headiness and angst.

Bloo: Though nearly a seamless and super entertaining show, is there one more notch up at the end that uses some velocity and drive that makes a ring guaranteed? 

Boston: The ending is the crux for me. The Goliath character and his death comes across as silly, and not a highly produced moment. It is hard to get past.

Crown: Bravo. A brilliant show from top to bottom. Stellar, actually. Checks all the current boxes. Is there room to add something that represents an attempt to push the activity forward?

Cavies: A clever show, well performed, that seems to need more visual variety and a bit of push toward innovation.

BK: This is a stunner. Best since 2015. Fix the balance issues between Front ensemble, battery, and brass and history will be made. 

Cadets: Your drive is evident. The finesse and clarity of the show narrative is not. The new ending is better but not enough. "Do better" comes across as cliche and bando. 

PR: Clean, Clean, Clean. 

Crossmen: Your best offering in a long time. It is hard in 2019 to move up. Cleaning will help, especially on the percussion caption.

Mandarins: It's a good one. Your best showing ever. Moving up in 2019 is tough. The public hanging is in poor taste. Really poor taste. Comes across as an immature and shallow decision. 

Blue Stars: Keep fighting in critique that your are super unique and fresh, yet accessible in the activity. Clean, Clean, Clean. 

SOA: Cool show. Clean. Emote. Enjoy the experience. While making finals is possible, the overall summer experiences more important. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is for all the corps and shows mentioned in the OP. 

Add some awkward narration that makes the audience uncomfortable. Then tell everyone that it is furthering the activity. :doh::peek:

Edited by E3D
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Bluecoats - The ending is like the icing on a sweet, sweet cake, but a part of me still can't help but feel like it's not quite enough. Not so much the way that it ends, as much as the fact that the little tag ending is very, very short. It's like the audience has just had a chance to sit back down and finish clapping, and the tag ending is practically over.

Crown - I know it's too late in the season to change, but the lack of contrast in the guard and corps proper is such a poor choice. It's especially disappointing given how well integrated the guard is in the drill at points during the show, but it's hard to tell because of how muted their presence is due to the plain color palette.

Boston - MY SHOT MY SHOT MY SHOT *mumblemumblemumble* MY SHOT MY SHOT. Enough, guys. Regardless of what you add to your show (which is otherwise pretty tremendous as-is), certain changes need to be made with voice-overs that are currently coming across as a bit juvenile in an otherwise fairly mature show. They were smart enough to make some changes in 2018 (live vocal of Amazing Grace to pre-recorded helped significantly), but in both 2017 and 2019 have missed the mark with voice-overs in some regards. 2017 was the cringey "nooooooooooooo" yell, and 2019 is the extreme over-use of My Shot, especially hearing the extended incoherent rambling of Lin Manuel Miranda's voice during the tenor feature. If you can't even make out what's being said, is it relevant? Also, the David vs. Goliath battle could use some clarity - sound effects don't make sense.

The Cadets - Pacing in general is awkward, so I'm not sure there's a way to fix that at this point other than work on transitions from segment to segment. Do Better is just an incredibly awkward take on New Era, and the chanting could probably go and wouldn't make a difference. 

Blue Knights - Hurt is a bit awkward. For a show that's so layered in every other respect, the bare-bones ballad solo falls flat (and it's by no means the member at fault).

Spirit - One uniform change too many... I don't understand why there are three uniforms, and the all-white ones look really messy on the field.  Groove and electronics need to be addressed during "You and Me." Falls a bit flat at the moment. Color Wheel is fantastic.

Phantom - Please record a new voice-over for "I Am Joan" that doesn't sound like an angry teenager finding out her local Starbucks is out of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes.

Edited by Musicman1084
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42 minutes ago, ReturnOfTheSonOfSUAPYG said:

Wait ... what?

I haven't seen the show yet. That just seems like an awful idea.

Phantom needs to part ways with Pitts, his arrangements are suited more for BOA and lets face it PR has not been able to get back on track since he has been there. Nice moment in 2008 as a DM, but time to go.. 

Edited by ohbaby
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4 minutes ago, Musicman1084 said:

 

Phantom - Please record a new voice-over for "I Am Joan" that doesn't sound like an angry teenager finding out her local Starbucks is out of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes.

I don't know if I go along with that, but I did chuckle. :laughing:

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11 hours ago, LyricalCoder said:

Everyone: Tone down some of the body movement. It's gratuitous and can (and often does) distract from some really great musical moments. Sometimes less is more. If it must be done, then it's time to evolve to something other than the inward knee bends and leaning your torso one way or the other. Make it matter. Movement for the sake of movement is silly.

 

This right here. I feel like corps have literally run out of possible body motions available to them from the waist down while holding horns to their mouths.  This isn't a request to turn back the clock; I get the aesthetic has changed from the days when horn lines did nothing but march, but if it doesn't complement the music or otherwise add something to communicate your theme, emotional state, story, or concept to the audience, why do it?

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You want to impress me with some body contortion? Get Goliath on stilts walking upside down on his hands. 

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46 minutes ago, Musicman1084 said:

 

Boston - MY SHOT MY SHOT MY SHOT *mumblemumblemumble* MY SHOT MY SHOT. Enough, guys. Regardless of what you add to your show (which is otherwise pretty tremendous as-is), certain changes need to be made with voice-overs that are currently coming across as a bit juvenile in an otherwise fairly mature show. They were smart enough to make some changes in 2018 (live vocal of Amazing Grace to pre-recorded helped significantly), but in both 2017 and 2019 have missed the mark with voice-overs in some regards. 2017 was the cringey "nooooooooooooo" yell, and 2019 is the extreme over-use of My Shot, especially hearing the extended incoherent rambling of Lin Manuel Miranda's voice during the tenor feature. If you can't even make out what's being said, is it relevant? Also, the David vs. Goliath battle could use some clarity - sound effects don't make sense.

 

Nicely said.  My shot is a miss. I get the idea, tryng to line up the vocals and the drums like Bloo 2015.  It just doesn't work with this tune for some reason.  Also, the drums book lacks a little nuance as written.  If you watch the Vic Firth videos of the pit, the dynamic markings are silly.

Goliath doesn't bother me so much. The rest of the show is killer.

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1 hour ago, Musicman1084 said:

Phantom - Please record a new voice-over for "I Am Joan" that doesn't sound like an angry teenager finding out her local Starbucks is out of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes.

I thought that voiceover was removed several shows ago.  Is it back now?  

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