Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[scheherazadesghost]

I remember Ruben Alvarez III and others who have shared shameful stories with me. How many other alum out there do too?

Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[Zanjero]

On 12/13/2022 at 1:41 PM, Terri Schehr said:

You’re not pollyanish.  My kid marched in a Division 2 (open) corps for five years and I loved that they trained kids and took exceptional kids and taught them to be contributing members of the corps.  It was very satisfying to see and I enjoyed it far more than his four seasons in the world class corps. Those Cap Sound kids stayed with it.  Because they loved the experience for what it was. This casting performers bulljive kind of nauseates me, TBH. 

Yank everybody's chain and just call them "participants". 

[Zanjero]

8 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

given that most boards have people with financial world backgrounds this astounds me. and seeing some bios on the Vanguard board, that they didn't look to diversify income streams is astounding

The pandemic seems to have killed their pull tab/instant bingo revenue.

[Mello Dude]

8 hours ago, gbass598 said:

Amplification allows the players to play with proper technique. They are big and they are expensive but corps get them cheap (or possibly even free for the season), return them to the manufacturer, and then the manufacturer resells them. 6 marimbas balanced with 75-80 member horn lines is balancing the acoustic instruments on the field.

Not completely how this was sold when amplification was introduced.  "Proper" technique is an interesting term not fully understood by most that use it.  Technique will vary depending on your surroundings or needs.  This is for every instrument FWIW.

 

8 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

and those marimbas get resold each year and practically pay for themselves

Not every corps (not even close) is able to do this.  This falsehood has been used so much anymore that people think every corps get these deals..they do not.

AND they don't move themselves down the road.  IF they did that you might have a point.  From a strictly musical perspective and ensemble note,  6 marimbas are overkill in the extreme.

Generating revenue is a lazy approach to a serious issue.  Yes you can throw more money at it, but more corps will fold because not everyone are the Blue Devils etc...  You aren't serious about the issue if you aren't looking at the main causes and are willing to make the big boy decisions that will need to be made soon if the activity is going to do more than just survive.  Change or die right?

Edited December 15, 2022 by Mello Dude

[Old Corps Guy]

8 hours ago, gbass598 said:

Amplification allows the players to play with proper technique. They are big and they are expensive but corps get them cheap (or possibly even free for the season), return them to the manufacturer, and then the manufacturer resells them. 6 marimbas balanced with 75-80 member horn lines is balancing the acoustic instruments on the field.

I hope you realize that one microphone and amps can amplify a single singer in a 75,000-seat stadium.

🎤

Edited December 15, 2022 by Old Corps Guy

[Terri Schehr]

21 minutes ago, Mello Dude said:

Not completely how this was sold when amplification was introduced.  "Proper" technique is an interesting term not fully understood by most that use it.  Technique will vary depending on your surroundings or needs.  This is for every instrument FWIW.

 

Not every corps (not even close) is able to do this.  This falsehood has been used so much anymore that people think every corps get these deals..they do not.

AND they don't move themselves down the road.  IF they did that you might have a point.  From a strictly musical perspective and ensemble note,  6 marimbas are overkill in the extreme.

Generating revenue is a lazy approach to a serious issue.  Yes you can throw more money at it, but more corps will fold because not everyone are the Blue Devils etc...  You aren't serious about the issue if you aren't looking at the main causes and are willing to make the big boy decisions that will need to be made soon if the activity is going to do more than just survive.  Change or die right?

 

. 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Terri Schehr

[gbass598]

33 minutes ago, Mello Dude said:

Not completely how this was sold when amplification was introduced.  "Proper" technique is an interesting term not fully understood by most that use it.  Technique will vary depending on your surroundings or needs.  This is for every instrument FWIW.

 

Not every corps (not even close) is able to do this.  This falsehood has been used so much anymore that people think every corps get these deals..they do not.

 

 

24 minutes ago, Old Corps Guy said:

I hope you realize that one microphone and amps can amplify a single singer in a 75,000-seat stadium.

🎤

Amplification allows the players to player their equipment by now pounding the crap out of the bars like they used to have to do. I don't care how it was sold to you but as someone who is a percussionist and teaches an ensemble with a sound system I'm trying to understand real world use. They can play with more appropriate technique. It allows for much more musical expression and dynamics to be used.

Additionally, it's not as simple as "let's use 1 marimba and just turn the volume up." Multiple players play different parts for depth of composition similar to why groups have 3 trumpet parts. Additionally, the last time I checked no corps, especially the Bay Area's own SCV is out there recreating the Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound" to project their electronics and acoustic instruments. A drum corp's sound system and what a rock band uses in a stadium is comparing apples and oranges. It's not even the same ballpark.

Maybe every corps doesn't get those deals, mostly Open Class don't but I'm pretty sure most World Class do, especially the top 12 and most certainly SCV does with Dynasty.

[Veritone]

I am saddened by this news. One of the greatest corps, and one of the most historic. Santa Clara holds the honor of the only corps to be a finalist in all 50 seasons of DCI. That streak will be broken, I suppose.

This has happened before though. Early 80's Bloo was inactive for two separate years because of money problems, and they made it through that. Praying that SCV can do the same.

[Old Corps Guy]

47 minutes ago, gbass598 said:

 

Amplification allows the players to player their equipment by now pounding the crap out of the bars like they used to have to do. I don't care how it was sold to you but as someone who is a percussionist and teaches an ensemble with a sound system I'm trying to understand real world use. They can play with more appropriate technique. It allows for much more musical expression and dynamics to be used.

Additionally, it's not as simple as "let's use 1 marimba and just turn the volume up." Multiple players play different parts for depth of composition similar to why groups have 3 trumpet parts. Additionally, the last time I checked no corps, especially the Bay Area's own SCV is out there recreating the Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound" to project their electronics and acoustic instruments. A drum corp's sound system and what a rock band uses in a stadium is comparing apples and oranges. It's not even the same ballpark.

Maybe every corps doesn't get those deals, mostly Open Class don't but I'm pretty sure most World Class do, especially the top 12 and most certainly SCV does with Dynasty.

I don't want to get into an argument that has been covered multiple times.  As a professional musician, director and arranger, I can also appreciate playing different parts.  However, three people playing the same part and amplifying it is different than playing multiple brass or snares on the field that isn't amplified.

I have sung the national anthem at multiple NFL & MLB stadiums over the years with a single microphone and everyone heard me just fine in every one of them.

The issue here is $. The square/cubic footage that each marimba takes in a truck is more than any other instrument on the field. This creates the need for more vehicles, drivers, etc.  The same can be said for the increased use of props. Expenses are what has removed SCV from the field this year and has done so to many other corps over the past couple decades.  

We are getting close to DCA numbers of competing corps. They don't have a real need for prelims anymore other than order of performance at finals. Is this where we want the activity to go?

Edited December 15, 2022 by Old Corps Guy

[DAvery]

1 hour ago, Mello Dude said:

  Technique will vary depending on your surroundings or needs.  This is for every instrument FWIW.

True, but proper technique doesn't. Proper technique on a trumpet is the same no matter the surroundings. Do you have to change your technique in some surroundings? Sure, but then it is not exactly proper technique.