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BOA Bans Ensemble Amplification. Is DCI next?


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14 hours ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

There is a small band in my area that I adjudicate that consistently has 15 or less members. Rarely has more than a trombone for low end and they sound fantastic. They are literally textbook small band and they write their shows in a way that work for them. I personally so no justification in the excuse of small numbers. 

 

I'm aware percussion sounds have been used for a long time. I'm stating I don't agree with it. And let me stress again, I'm not against support, I'm against replacement. 

Good for you and good for them. What works in one circuit doesn't necessarily work in another. I've worked with a band with 9 winds, no more than 4 on brass. Literally the textbook of a small band as well, and from the historically poorest region of the country. We did what we had to in-order to stay competitive in the circuit that we competed in. It worked for us. 

Just because you "personally see no justification in the excuse of small numbers" doesn't mean it doesn't help the students be more competitive and have a more successful season on that aspect of competition, and just because you score with your head on your shoulders doesn't mean that every judge does. 

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11 minutes ago, MGCpimpOtimp said:

 

You're both making the assumption that when individuals are miked, that the non miked players aren't playing.

Isn't it more educational to have a non-miked kid playing a part than just cutting parts all together?

We are also forgetting some basic math.

Full acoustic horn line + amplified individuals will be louder/fuller than just amplified individuals

It is still in the group's interest to make their ACOUSTIC sound as big and full as possible, because adding the synthetic on top of a better "base" sound will sound better than the group that doesn't. 

I never made an assumption that non amplified players aren't playing. I'm saying to reinforce certain ensemble members to "better the sound as a whole" is disingenuous to all members of the ensemble and to teaching technique of an ensemble to blend, to play better individually, to achieve and excel. 

At the end of the day, this is performance ensembles and I will defend organic acoustic sound in this arena above all. Because that is literally the point of marching band, concert band, jazz band, drum corps, etc etc. Playing the instrument. 

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I'll throw another item out here:

If DCI followed the "recommendations" of BOA, would Bluecoats have not been allowed to do the pitch bend in Tilt?

Wasn't that a sampled brass sound that was blended with acoustic playing? Just another example of how limiting what can and cannot be sampled is a very grey area.

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43 minutes ago, Lance said:

Yep.  Leaving weaker players off of harder passages isn't anything new in DCI, of course, but it's magnified now that standards of musicianship have gotten so high. 

It's pretty clear to me that DCI corps' solution will be to shrink sections down to a small handful of excellent players and then just mic them up.  It's already being tested more and more every year. Instead of having weaker players go and scatter/dance/move around equipment, just convert them to guard and crank up the amplification.  Duh.   Does double duty with reducing costs, making rehearsals more efficient, and maximizing the visual-heavy rubrics. 

I remember saying that Bloo's onesie/hatless look for downside up would become the norm quickly, and people on here told me I was jumping to conclusions.  I don't think the changes I'm anticipating will happen as quickly as that concept caught fire, but I do think it'll be faster than a lot of people think.  I honestly think most of today's fans and future fans will be perfectly fine with it if/when it does happen.

The member GoPro videos that I have watched on YouTube have shown me how LITTLE some members actually play their instrument during the 11-12 minutes on the field. Shane spent quite a bit of time hiding behind props waiting to come out for his "wink" moment, for example.

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18 hours ago, Lance said:

also, does this mean i've officially become a dino?  is there a special handshake i need to learn?

 

No, there's a secret handshake there for you to FORGET, not learn...

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13 minutes ago, gbass598 said:

I'll throw another item out here:

If DCI followed the "recommendations" of BOA, would Bluecoats have not been allowed to do the pitch bend in Tilt?

Wasn't that a sampled brass sound that was blended with acoustic playing? Just another example of how limiting what can and cannot be sampled is a very grey area.

It was an effect. And as I've said over and over again electronics are useful for effects and other added nuances. Reinforcing organic sound is something entirely different. 

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1 hour ago, Lance said:

Yep.  Leaving weaker players off of harder passages isn't anything new in DCI, of course, but it's magnified now that standards of musicianship have gotten so high. 

It's pretty clear to me that DCI corps' solution will be to shrink sections down to a small handful of excellent players and then just mic them up.  It's already being tested more and more every year. Instead of having weaker players go and scatter/dance/move around equipment, just convert them to guard and crank up the amplification.  Duh.   Does double duty with reducing costs, making rehearsals more efficient, and maximizing the visual-heavy rubrics. 

I remember saying that Bloo's onesie/hatless look for downside up would become the norm quickly, and people on here told me I was jumping to conclusions.  I don't think the changes I'm anticipating will happen as quickly as that concept caught fire, but I do think it'll be faster than a lot of people think.  I honestly think most of today's fans and future fans will be perfectly fine with it if/when it does happen.

You certainly did, and you were correct, and of course there were a host of Blue , er, drumcorps fans on here who dismissed you.  THEY WERE WRONG. You were right!

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21 minutes ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

It was an effect. And as I've said over and over again electronics are useful for effects and other added nuances. Reinforcing organic sound is something entirely different. 

yet this is the highlighted bullet point. Without clearly written interpretation Pandora's box gets opened up. If you have to ask what is acceptable it need to be more defined. Vague recommendations will just cause people to get angry.

  • The use of sampled, prerecorded, or sequenced sounds of woodwind, brass, and/or percussion instruments is not permitted.
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When I read the article, I wondered if the reason had less to do with amplification and more to do with making competition equitable. I do not follow BOA since the shows are not held near my home. I’m familiar with a few of the programs but only in a very limited way. However I do know a bit about high school programs in general, and athletic associations are trying to expand opportunities for a wider range of students. In my area, inner city schools may fare as well on a football field, basketball court, or baseball field as their suburban counterparts, but do they have access to hockey rinks or field houses for indoor track? Do they have the funds for gymnastics, lacrosse, rugby, or field hockey? There are public and private organizations trying to make this happen but in many cases the answer is no.

From what I see, most of the bands in BOA are from public schools. There are a few Catholic high schools and there could be some private schools. For the public schools, my understanding is most are funded by booster organizations and some hail from affluent areas. Some may not have that network. Electronics and amplification can be costly. A well funded program could easily beat an equally good program musically that does not have the funds for the bells and whistles. In drum corps we can say that’s life, but drum corps is not a public school activity. 

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9 minutes ago, Tim K said:

When I read the article, I wondered if the reason had less to do with amplification and more to do with making competition equitable. I do not follow BOA since the shows are not held near my home. I’m familiar with a few of the programs but only in a very limited way. However I do know a bit about high school programs in general, and athletic associations are trying to expand opportunities for a wider range of students. In my area, inner city schools may fare as well on a football field, basketball court, or baseball field as their suburban counterparts, but do they have access to hockey rinks or field houses for indoor track? Do they have the funds for gymnastics, lacrosse, rugby, or field hockey? There are public and private organizations trying to make this happen but in many cases the answer is no.

From what I see, most of the bands in BOA are from public schools. There are a few Catholic high schools and there could be some private schools. For the public schools, my understanding is most are funded by booster organizations and some hail from affluent areas. Some may not have that network. Electronics and amplification can be costly. A well funded program could easily beat an equally good program musically that does not have the funds for the bells and whistles. In drum corps we can say that’s life, but drum corps is not a public school activity. 

Just as with drum corps, high school marching is a battle of the haves and have nots.

Pretty much all highly successful BOA competing bands are in the Have category. As sad as it is, money is what makes the world go round and if your band program has money, it makes your job so much easier.

I don't think the fact its a public school or private matters that much. its all about the community support via money, time and something as simple as volunteer support. There are successful programs in public schools in all kinds of neighborhoods and there are also unsuccessful programs. Same with private schools. This can even occur in the same town/school district. Funding from the public school system only goes so far, it is definitely the ancillary fundraising done by support groups that take it to the next level.

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