What are your controversial marching arts opinions?

[ThePlanets]

5 hours ago, WarriorWay said:

My controversial opinion is 

1. don’t do curvilinear forms unless you know you can achieve them.

Good example: Crown (although I really don’t like his drill, he did work for vandy nat. Champs in BOA).

Bad Example: Pretty much everyone except like Phantom and Mandarins.

2. Pick your source music wisely, and let the source music generate the effect on it’s own.

Good Example: BD, Carnival of Venice

Bad Example: SCV pretty much all of it. Yes it should be recognizable but not foreign

3. Please lets use new music! Looking at you Mandarins playing “another brick in the wall,” how many times have we heard that on the field?!

4. Pick music that flows seamlessly.

SCV and BD are doing a good job of that. Boston… it’s not so hot

 

I also hate jazz on the field so the Cadets are out for me this year but hey ho can’t love em all.

1. I'm not into abstract follow the leader drill. 

2. Yes

3. I don't think this opinion is controversial but I think some stuff never gets old. Pink Floyd and Malaguena on the field every year.

4. I will give you that Jazz is not the Cadets bag. It's always square and sounds forced. But. Jazz is my favorite thing about DCI. Sorry BD but I think historically Madison and the Bluecoats do Jazz the best.

[2muchcoffeeman]

Finals culture is bad.

That is all.

[WarriorWay]

7 hours ago, squarepush said:

You just hate jazz on the field In general or you like it when it’s done well? 

In general… sorry! Just my preference 

[WarriorWay]

5 hours ago, Cappybara said:

I am not sure how you can hate jazz on the field and at the same time enjoy the kings of jazz, the blue devils 🙂 

But their source music usually isn’t. They just layer it on top - which I really like

[Cappybara]

3 hours ago, ThePlanets said:

1. I'm not into abstract follow the leader drill. 

2. Yes

3. I don't think this opinion is controversial but I think some stuff never gets old. Pink Floyd and Malaguena on the field every year.

4. I will give you that Jazz is not the Cadets bag. It's always square and sounds forced. But. Jazz is my favorite thing about DCI. Sorry BD but I think historically Madison and the Bluecoats do Jazz the best.

Maybe historically, but neither corps does jazz very often anymore. 
 

and both of those corps follow the traditional pyramid of sound while BD remains a more jazz oriented sop-heavy sound every single year

[IllianaLancerContra]

All sounds, including singing and narration, should be done live by members on the field (inc pit).  

[Phantom56]

I'm with you Orwellian--band--drums corps --who gives a #### what it's called. Anyway, the name drum and bugle corps is so ridiculously outdated. We don't play on bugles, and it fact never did. In the old days, we played on basterdized two valve trumpets. In another key. Wish DCI could come up with another name for our marching arts. 

[jwillis35]

Back to the OP question, I really do not have controversial opinions in the marching arts. If it's ART then I feel I have to allow myself to absorb the total show and take it all in. Then, just like in any artform, I can make some opinions and decide if I like it or not. I don't have a list of things that you can or cannot do. That is up to the designers and artists. There are things I prefer or like better. 

Some like certain music better, certain drill styles better. Some hate narration but I think you have to see how these things works with the show. I never say "you better not do this or this or this." After all, I am not the one creating the art. I can only react to what I am given. But I never try to tell the artist what they should do. And I don't assume I know best for the marching members and what is best for them. 

[Mello Dude]

-Narration bad-almost always tacky

-Synth covering up all the hard work done by 70+ horn players on the field. Bloo looking at you.  While your sound system rocks it doesn't do justice to that great horn line.

-Prop and tarp explosion.  Tarps..no just no.  WGI has this we don't need it.  Looking at you Cavies using that giant crutch to dress while marching in circles...just weak sauce.  Props, can be cool but ffs the rush for more crap on the field needs to stop.  Please, march play and spin to impress me.  I don't care about your budget for more crap.

-NO minimum for playing ensemble time.  Seriously, too many soloists, small ensembles and front ensemble (pit) playing things that the whole corps should mostly be doing.  Ya smart design avoiding having to clean much but geesh can we get a min of 7+ minutes of ensemble?

-Scatter drill is not drill.

-Head wear should not be penalized and actually should be more score adding effect as it makes the units actually look better/taller and more impressive on the field.  This constant rush to copy everyone needs to stop being rewarded like it's actually adding anything by removing effect.  Weird.

-Keytar...just no.,,,,

-More safety on props that are vertical or inclined.

Rawr....ya I'm old. 😛

 

[saxfreq1128]

33 minutes ago, WarriorWay said:

But their source music usually isn’t. They just layer it on top - which I really like

Yeah, not anymore. But historically BD was the major jazz corps, and weirdly even if that isn’t huge in their shows anymore it’s still part of their identity for me, for some reason!