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Carolina Crown 2023


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The corps ran through the Opener for their show this weekend. I think Mike Jackson is taking after Thom Hannum really well with writing for Crown. The beginning with the front ensemble and battery was very Broken City-esque, but when the actual hornline came in, it was a hit-the-####-drum, sexy metric modulation, big front ensemble impacts that Crown is known for. (I think there's six bass drums as well). Any worries that the new percussion team wouldn't match Klesch and Crown's style can be dispelled, although it will still be different in some areas (but so was last year). The brass worked on Part 2, as well.

Edited by Sholeo
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9 hours ago, Sholeo said:

The corps ran through the Opener for their show this weekend. I think Mike Jackson is taking after Thom Hannum really well with writing for Crown. The beginning with the front ensemble and battery was very Broken City-esque, but when the actual hornline came in, it was a hit-the-####-drum, sexy metric modulation, big front ensemble impacts that Crown is known for. (I think there's six bass drums as well). Any worries that the new percussion team wouldn't match Klesch and Crown's style can be dispelled, although it will still be different in some areas (but so was last year). The brass worked on Part 2, as well.

Anything you can tell us about the hornline music, obviously without spoilers?

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14 hours ago, Sholeo said:

The corps ran through the Opener for their show this weekend. I think Mike Jackson is taking after Thom Hannum really well with writing for Crown. The beginning with the front ensemble and battery was very Broken City-esque, but when the actual hornline came in, it was a hit-the-####-drum, sexy metric modulation, big front ensemble impacts that Crown is known for. (I think there's six bass drums as well). Any worries that the new percussion team wouldn't match Klesch and Crown's style can be dispelled, although it will still be different in some areas (but so was last year). The brass worked on Part 2, as well.

The challenge for ANY percussion writer at Crown is to be given enough leeway by the rest of the music staff to write stuff that is competitive.  The focus at Crown is always about the musicality.   While I love this approach (and I wish DCI judging rewarded it) ,  it has limited the competitiveness of the percussion writing.  Not since Lee Beddis have they actually fielded a truly competitive percussion book.   Klesch/Harloff & Co.  need to let the percussion book have the freedom it needs to be competitive.   And yes that means percussion for percussion sake at times, playing cool #### even if it's a stretch to call it "musically appropriate".  It's how DCI judges want it so if you're gonna play the game,  shut up and let them write what it takes.

I will say that (so far at least) things seem to be heading in that direction.   

The other off-season concern (ie. bringing in enough talent) -- yeah that turned out not be a problem at all.  

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Ok so my untrained ears wouldn’t really know what good drumming vs meh drumming sounds like but I see a few vets of other corps in the comments that like what they heard so I’m excited! 

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19 minutes ago, crownisking said:

Ok so my untrained ears wouldn’t really know what good drumming vs meh drumming sounds like but I see a few vets of other corps in the comments that like what they heard so I’m excited! 

I read that has ‘meth’ drumming, which I suspect is a different thing. 

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3 hours ago, karuna said:

The challenge for ANY percussion writer at Crown is to be given enough leeway by the rest of the music staff to write stuff that is competitive.  The focus at Crown is always about the musicality.   While I love this approach (and I wish DCI judging rewarded it) ,  it has limited the competitiveness of the percussion writing.  Not since Lee Beddis have they actually fielded a truly competitive percussion book.   Klesch/Harloff & Co.  need to let the percussion book have the freedom it needs to be competitive.   And yes that means percussion for percussion sake at times, playing cool #### even if it's a stretch to call it "musically appropriate".  It's how DCI judges want it so if you're gonna play the game,  shut up and let them write what it takes.

I will say that (so far at least) things seem to be heading in that direction.   

The other off-season concern (ie. bringing in enough talent) -- yeah that turned out not be a problem at all.  

I don't think focus on musicality hinders competitive percussion writing. I think the overemphasis on the horn book has limited the percussion writing. I think percussion is easier in a lot of ways to emphasize musicality with the various colors available to them. They just need the space to do it. Maybe we are saying the same thing in different ways.

I saw an instagram video of the battery playing an exercise. I'm so excited for Mike Jackson's writing to be back in drum corps.

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22 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

I read that has ‘meth’ drumming, which I suspect is a different thing. 

I’m pretty confident that “meth drumming” is very much a thing already. Decades old, I’d even venture to say. 

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Mike Jackson with BK was the epitome of percussion writing that meshed with the musicality of the horns in creative ways.  If they went after him with that in mind, I'm sure the others were on board.  I can't wait to see what they do together.

Edited by KVG_DC
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2 hours ago, gbass598 said:

I don't think focus on musicality hinders competitive percussion writing. I think the overemphasis on the horn book has limited the percussion writing. I think percussion is easier in a lot of ways to emphasize musicality with the various colors available to them. They just need the space to do it. Maybe we are saying the same thing in different ways.

I saw an instagram video of the battery playing an exercise. I'm so excited for Mike Jackson's writing to be back in drum corps.

We’ll agree to disagree ( if we do disagree and I’m not sure we do) .  Percussion by its very nature is supportive and subservient to the wind ensemble.   Klesch is always respectful of the original composition.  Hannum fit this writing like a glove but there’s no way his writing can be competitive in today’s DCI.  Anyway I agree 1000% that Jackson’s approach is very musical. But it’s not me you need to convince!   
 

As a long time crown honk,  I’d gladly have traded a few Otts for a few rings. The rest of the corps deserved it multiple times but the musical design and its impact on the score made it seem like the percussion was letting the corps down.   Frequently that was not the case at all. Off my my soap box.   Let’s give this new team a chance!

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