A Commentary on Narration

[jameseuph]

If you don’t like the Bluecoats show then don’t watch it. The Bluecoats have brilliant designers and performers. The 22 production is outstanding and will probably medal and can win gold. 

[ediblewaffles]

22 minutes ago, Incognito365 said:

I will add, I believe that a show should be able to stand alone without the narration. If the show makes zero sense without the narration, it should hinder GE

While I don't personally have any objections to simple narration, I do think that narration should only be used to enhance show progression (BAC 2017 "GUILTY", Crown 2017 "I Know You", Cadets 2015 "3,6,1 etc.")

 

If there is overnarration or the narration is necessary to get the theme/idea across (Cadets 2007,) it draws away from the program and can diminish the appreciation of a show 

[MidWAmericanArts]

59 minutes ago, 1956OPR said:

Although I am utilizing the Bluecoat's 2022 program as a framework for my discussion on Narration, I do not wish to have my comments adversely impact the efforts of the MM and most of the staff of this admiral corps for which I have always had great respect. The MM do what they are taught to do. My commentary is directed at the Bluecoat's design team and DCI's tolerance of narration. 

In another thread in a recent DCI World Class forum, a contributor whose thoughts I respect (Poppycock and his indomitable crew) said about the Bluecoat's 2022 progrqm that " The more I see them, the less I like them ". I agee with their conclusion. His crew may have their own reasons for their conclusions but here is mine : the godawful use of narration.

The Blue coat's design team's use of narration is an insult to Drum & Bugle Corps. The DCI  judging community's tolerance of narration of the scale and scope used in the Bluecoat's 2022 program is unfathomable.

Consider the Bluecoat's program presented at Kent, Ohio on July 2, 2022. First, you have this enormous paper-mache head, and its accoutermonts,  planted on the 35 yard line of one quadrant of the field, effectively blocking perhaps one fifth of the field and artificially reducing the demands of field coverage.

Second, you have an electronic narration by Lou Reed or Dennis Hopper or Lou Hopper or Dennis Reed or Jack Kerouac or Joe Schmoe rambling on about ?????..

Third, the show at Kent, as viewed on the You Tube presentation took ca. 12 min; I calculated a start time on the YT presentation of 3 minutes, 55 seconds and an finish time of about 14 minutes, 52 seconds.

Of that 12 minutes of "Show Time", about 21.7 % of the time was spent on narration, 60.8 % on Music and 17.5 % on Other Stuff.

I grant you that, during that 21.7 % of the time spent on narration, there were judgeable movements of parts of the corps but there was little or no music to be judged.

So, what to do?

One option is to allow drum corps to continue to use (in my judgement, to be corrupted by) narration.

Another is to take a stand and say no to any electronic narration on the field.

A third is to say yes to narration but your corps will be, e.g., penalized .1 or .5 or 1.0 point (you choose) for every 5 or 10 or 15 seconds (you choose) the corps' designers utilize this  technique. In the case of the Bluecoat's Kent, Ohio presentation, they used ca. 156 seconds ( 2.6 minutes) of narration. That might not make any difference in some of their early season competitions (e.g., they beat the Crossmen in Kent by 6.65 points) but come San Antonio and Denton and beyond, it would.

To do nothing re this narration intrusion into D&BC competition will resort in a parody or travesty of our beloved marching arts : in a lighter measure, as a parody, t will be a satirical imitation of D&BC competition in the future or, as a travesty, it will become a grotesque imitation.

What do you want?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here here! Down with artistry, creativity, and original thought! We must conform!

This activity needs to get back to its roots. Any deviation from Sousa marches performed meticulously at 120bpm will result in disqualification!

😋

(For what it’s worth, I’m not a fan of narration, but forcing designers’ hands will never lead to better results)

[cixelsyd]

45 minutes ago, Big Bird said:

The source material is the narration. The show is built around the piece Taming the Dragon. What you are asking them to do is to remove the source music that is the foundation of their entire program

1 hour ago, Big Bird said:

The music is the narration. It is the source material. 

Would it be too radical to suggest that if the "source music" cannot be performed by brass and percussion without narration, then maybe the "source" is not well suited for adaptation to this genre?

Edited July 13, 2022 by cixelsyd

[Sasha1]

lol, so much fun to complain isn’t it…just don’t forget to laugh at your own complaints 

generally i really like narration, absolutely love vocals, only like about 1/8 of the props, not a fan of recorded sound, wish everyone had the same levels of amplification, and wish the more of top corps did more listenable shows…

 blue knights narration/entire show in 2019…heavenly

[Incognito365]

1 hour ago, Big Bird said:

In some cases, I agree. In the Bluecoats case, no. The source material is the narration. The show is built around the piece Taming the Dragon. What you are asking them to do is to remove the source music that is the foundation of their entire program

Don't do a show that requires someone talking for 20% of the show when that 20% really isn't going to be judged because there is nothing musically going on? If that be the case, then why not cut the show time down to 9 or 10 minutes and just give us the music instead of the narrative? If there were something going on musically beneath the narration it would be one thing.

[Incognito365]

1 hour ago, ediblewaffles said:

While I don't personally have any objections to simple narration, I do think that narration should only be used to enhance show progression (BAC 2017 "GUILTY", Crown 2017 "I Know You", Cadets 2015 "3,6,1 etc.")

 

If there is overnarration or the narration is necessary to get the theme/idea across (Cadets 2007,) it draws away from the program and can diminish the appreciation of a show 

I tend to allow Cadets 2007 to slide a bit, because while it is over narrated, at least the narration was done LIVE. That to me is the difference. Cadets 2007 narration was at least being performed by the performers on the field. 

[keystone3ply]

6 hours ago, Lance said:

if you don't like it, then don't pay for content anymore.  all you can do unless you lead some sort of rebellion, but that's probably not going to work either.  back when this same thing was going on with a&e, some of the most passionate and amazing people you'll ever meet got organized and even got an audience with dci bigwigs...it changed nothing.  

i dislike singing a lot more most of the time, and actually despise mics everywhere, synth, megaprops, and non-brass and percussion instruments blasting over speakers, but none of it is going anywhere. 

but yeah, i'd love it to go away.  

also, please put the stopwatch away.  

 

 

 

Call 'Dan the Man'? 

 

 

[Continental]

I noticed that Bluecoats are getting positive feedback for their narration and Cadets are getting bashed.

When I watched both shows I didn't quite understand the difference in reaction.   IMO, the effect is the same for both. 

[FTNK]

Most drum corps is very bad. Narration is just an extension of that