dcsnare93 Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) Any complaints I've had about narration or synth (I'm not opposed to either), is that both tend to detract rather than add to the program. Very few corps have used them effectively (IMO of course), with their use seeming compulsory rather than being used selectively. Edited July 25, 2022 by dcsnare93 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 18 minutes ago, dcsnare93 said: Any complaints I've had about narration or synth (I'm not opposed to either), is that both tend to detract rather than add to the program. Very few corps have used them effectively (IMO of course), with their use seeming compulsory rather than being used selectively. See Bloo. An incredibly cool show basically tainted with narration. The 70's flower children are strong with that group. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFC1905 Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) 13 hours ago, Orwellian Wiress said: it is harder than it looks. No one is arguing this. Well except during basics block, then maybe we are arguing this. Point is, no one is questioning that it doesn’t take a certain level of talent to run synth. We are saying we simply don’t want it in this activity. You have marching band for that. Edited July 25, 2022 by CFC1905 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashontheinternet Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 21 minutes ago, CFC1905 said: No one is arguing this. Well except during basics block, then maybe we are arguing this. Point is, no one is questioning that it doesn’t take a certain level of talent to run synth. We are saying we simply don’t want it in this activity. You have marching band for that. why gate keep players from participating in the activity? and to people who are no longer in high school who still want to participate in marching arts? synth is now vital and something you either love or hate, but must accept. it's not going anywhere so either learn to tolerate it or go home and watch old shows from before synth was mainstream. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRapp Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 12 hours ago, brassboy said: I think there’s just a very vocal get-off-my-lawn minority here who are completely against synth and narration (and other additions of the past decades). I’d wager that most people are pretty much fine with these things in general but find certain implementations to be problematic for other reasons. To your point, there are good and not so good implementations if everything. Narration can be incredibly cool and also incredibly irritating. Personally I don’t think DCI should restrict performances based on personal taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidal28Rdg Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, jjeffeory said: I play euphonium, but there are barely ANY euphonium parts written for orchestra. When there ARE parts written, the euph is sorta a featured instrument picked up by a trombone player or a tuba player... There are trombones, trumpets, cornets, french horns, and many other brass instruments there, but ala, no euphoniums, flugel horns, alto horns, or even mellophones there. So, I have to perform in merry tuba christmas, sousa marches, solo gigs, and brass bands... Heck, even my college instructors for euphonium were tuba players and trombone players. I couldn't even get a euph players to teach me euph. I practiced as much as those other players, and worked just as hard, but I still can't work for an orchestra. Of course, I understand that orchestras are going for a particular sound, and composers haven't written much music for my instrument, but darn it, I wanna be in an orchestra. I don't care... I also think we should let banjos into the orchestra. I don't care if it changes the orchestra sound. Whatever, they work hard. Add in a harmonic and kazoo too. Let's all join the orchestra. Heck, lets add some cow bell into a Violin quartet. Everyone needs a good cow bell.... Anyway, the point is when you change the sound of a musical ensemble by adding different instruments, it changes the type of ensemble you're in and you've loss some uniqueness... In my story, we've changed an orchestra into a concert band. Keep changing the instrumentation in drum corps, and it's just summer marching band. Something cool, but certainly less unique than before. I don’t necessarily agree with this last part though, as many in this forum and many veterans would say that the “difficulty level” “performance level” “variety” is taken up a notch when you move up to drum corps after marching band, especially since it involves nationwide recruiting and audition procedures that simply aren’t seen in the marching band scene, because how could one public school do so? It isn’t “just improved marching band” with further inclusions when you take in those variables. I think even lately we’re seeing people not enjoy much of the bottom 6 of top 12 some years and definitely below that because they’re sounding “the same” and “playing it safe” in arrangements, and hey, the uncertainty of not knowing what your marching membership will be capable of musically when there’s considerably more turnover in those corps is a fair and valid concern. I think DCI diversifying their orchestration capabilities is more of a positive than a negative. Edit: the bottom 6 of top 12 and corps outside of that this year are a very interesting bunch this year, it’s not every year where what I’m saying in them being “boring” is always the case, don’t flame me pls Edited July 25, 2022 by Vidal28Rdg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orwellian Wiress Posted July 25, 2022 Author Share Posted July 25, 2022 56 minutes ago, Ashontheinternet said: why gate keep players from participating in the activity? and to people who are no longer in high school who still want to participate in marching arts? synth is now vital and something you either love or hate, but must accept. it's not going anywhere so either learn to tolerate it or go home and watch old shows from before synth was mainstream. If I could say one thing to the drum corps community, this would be it. Eloquently said 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 Synth question: Can you make the synth sound like a 1970 G-bugle line? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TenHut Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 15 hours ago, Orwellian Wiress said: Hear me out. I know most of you don't like synth and narration in DCI. And I respect that opinion. I'm not shaming anyone who has that opinion. But I want you to hear me out. I played synth in a high school band, and I can say from experience that it is harder than it looks. It's not just "press a button, make a sound". It's not just chords. We have to learn music equally as complicated as a marimba or vibraphone. We have to remember by heart exactly when to change the sound. We have to press the keys with a precise amount of force to achieve a desired velocity. We have to push that cart up and down to the football field, remember how each little piece of the larger system works, and set up all the equipment ourselves. And if we make mistakes, it shows. We have to work ever so carefully to make sure we never set off a sound until the exact moment it's called for. If one little button isn't switched on, it can ruin the whole show. So please, the next time you say that synth players aren't really part of a corps, keep this in mind. We are under just as much pressure as any other member of the band. With due respect, you are not under the same pressure as you are playing your instrument alone and not trying to execute your charts with others. Kind of like if 1 solo snare drummer claimed he was under the same pressure as a 9 Man snare line. No, you aren't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 36 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said: Synth question: Can you make the synth sound like a 1970 G-bugle line? so really really bad? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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