cfirwin3 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 3 minutes ago, saxfreq1128 said: I’m really trying to understand what “playing to the sheets” means when we’re comparing specific shows, because that’s the only way I’ll ever understand how a 1.762 point difference between first place and fourth place can be blamed on “playing to the sheets,” and it’s the only way I’ll understand the logic behind saying that a corps that was a serious contender all season simply wasn’t playing the game as much. Because that’s ultimately what we’re talking about in the case of Crown 2019: a 4th place finish that was 1.762 points behind first. How is it that a corps gets ranked top 3 by three out of four GE judges and we’re still here saying they “didn't play to the sheets” as much as every other top contender? Genuinely. Is there a reason beyond “The show I personally enjoyed more scored lower”? I mean, do I get to say that in 2013 and 2018 and 2016 BD just didn’t play to the sheets as much as Crown and Bloo and SCV? Because that honestly sounds like something a martian would say. Hide your pets if you hear someone say that. People have been saying things like "playing to the sheets" since forever. It's all nonsense (much like the accusation about spending money on props and electronics). The fact is that pretty much any two of the contending groups could swap material at spring training and nail down the show just as well. None of these groups is significantly better at anything than the rest. Aesthetics, style and concept is what differentiates the field, and there is no template or cookie cutter design to follow. Far more high entertaining shows have won championships than not. Folks that say that they can spot the significant differences between 10ths of a point are fooling themselves. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 11 minutes ago, saxfreq1128 said: I’m really trying to understand what “playing to the sheets” means when we’re comparing specific shows, because that’s the only way I’ll ever understand how a 1.762 point difference between first place and fourth place can be blamed on “playing to the sheets,” and it’s the only way I’ll understand the logic behind saying that a corps that was a serious contender all season simply wasn’t playing the game as much. Because that’s ultimately what we’re talking about in the case of Crown 2019: a 4th place finish that was 1.762 points behind first. How is it that a corps gets ranked top 3 by three out of four GE judges and we’re still here saying they “didn't play to the sheets” as much as every other top contender? Genuinely. Is there a reason beyond “The show I personally enjoyed more scored lower”? I mean, do I get to say that in 2013 and 2018 and 2016 BD just didn’t play to the sheets as much as Crown and Bloo and SCV? Because that honestly sounds like something a martian would say. Hide your pets if you hear someone say that. Yeah it’s a weird concept. I really think that designers want to push the activity forward, regardless of scoring metrics. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Anova Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 1 hour ago, queenanne_1536 said: Unfortunately, more and more are going to play to the sheets It's unfortunate that a corps like Crown can't win. Sez who ? You ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Guns Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 15 minutes ago, saxfreq1128 said: Genuinely. Is there a reason beyond “The show I personally enjoyed more scored lower”? You just hit the nail directly on the head brother. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 13 hours ago, cfirwin3 said: For vocals... blame the Cadets. That one is entirely their fault, long, long before Crown's fairly tasteful use of the technique in the early 2010s. Ugly uniforms that change with the tide... blame Star of Indiana. It’s amazing how horrific the Cadets have done narration year after year 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatGuy2900 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 I can’t stop watching the Bluecoats. The show is infectious. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaustianMachine Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 18 minutes ago, ThatGuy2900 said: I can’t stop watching the Bluecoats. The show is infectious. Same, it's so good! I don't care if it wins or not, this show is just ####### entertaining. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waliman4444 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Outside of MOON RIVER and WONDERFUL WORLD and perhaps a couple other tunes from the top corps(so far), I find myself wanting more melodically..I know that writing for the sheets has compromised the way arrangers do what they do in today's D.C.I., but melody is still what I like to hear in a drum corps performance...The talent levels are stellar and that's why I lament the death of the tune I can hum on the way home after a great show...My musical palette is wide enough to accept most music genre, so with corps parking and barking more, I look forward to hearing melodies for more than 30 to 45 seconds..Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I'm seeing and hearing: But when Cowboy Bebop is more recognizable to me than another corps whole show, I rest my case..BTW I have only seen the FLO shows, so I can't comment on the other corps...Peace 5 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Hey, waliman444! You nailed it perfectly. I posted the very same thoughts minutes ago. I’m not a musician, admittedly. But these short bursts packing in so many notes doesn’t do much for my enjoyment. I just can’t get into that, as common as it is now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 1 hour ago, waliman4444 said: Outside of MOON RIVER and WONDERFUL WORLD and perhaps a couple other tunes from the top corps(so far), I find myself wanting more melodically..I know that writing for the sheets has compromised the way arrangers do what they do in today's D.C.I., but melody is still what I like to hear in a drum corps performance...The talent levels are stellar and that's why I lament the death of the tune I can hum on the way home after a great show...My musical palette is wide enough to accept most music genre, so with corps parking and barking more, I look forward to hearing melodies for more than 30 to 45 seconds..Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I'm seeing and hearing: But when Cowboy Bebop is more recognizable to me than another corps whole show, I rest my case..BTW I have only seen the FLO shows, so I can't comment on the other corps...Peace Are you looking for melody, or recognizable? You mention both but there are differences. A lot of great DCI shows over the years have had fantastic melodies from songs or symphonic works that are not recognizable. You can recognize that something is melodic, lyrical, or when the melodies are faster. You may not have heard the piece before but you can recognize its construction. But, of course, there is also music that is recognizable because you already know the song. Phantom Regiment this year has plenty of melodies but the music may not be as known to most fans. It's still pretty awesome. For me, I probably would not associate the word "recognizable" with shows unless I clarified what I meant. I don't expect corps to only play music I KNOW. I love learning and hearing new music. But if I can recognize what they are trying to do and I can latch onto the melodies and other intricacies of the music then I will enjoy the show. It seems the issues you are having are with construction, and I would agree that the construction / arranging of music for drum corps has shifted. This has been going on for a long time, but we started to notice this in the 90s and early 2000s. I would also agree that this has hurt some shows over the years. They lose clarity, impact, and the emotional content is left on the writing table. The overall effect to the fans is more confusing. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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