When does the hype start?

[KVG_DC]

9 hours ago, year1buick said:

For me it started when we learned what music we’d be playing in Regiment’s Alumni Corps. I’m beyond hyped at the chance to play that stuff in front of an Indy crowd. It’s going to be so much fun.

I dunno why my brain keeps forgetting this is gonna happen this year but every time I see a reminder my brain goes, "EEEEEEEEEE! It's gonna happen!" and I flood with dopamine.  

[KVG_DC]

4 hours ago, BG984 said:

Back in the day, there were a handful of Spring Concerts, which were fun for the spectators and gave them a taste of what was coming.  At least in the East, many corps participated in at least one, and some did two or more.  They (concerts)  are not completely extinct......there are some all-age and alum concerts, as well as a few isolated concerts by junior corps (I believe Phantom still does a "band shell" concert).  I will say that many now do a preview show for fans/supporters and some of them are streamed......however, usually not until maybe a week before the first contest.   I actually think that perhaps the corps are missing an opportunity with this.  I know as an arranger, it was good to see how well things went over in those concerts.....what was effective, and what could perhaps be elevated....keep in mind this was strictly the effect of the music on the audience.  Frankly, it was also fun to "spy" on your competitors, too.   Written/verbal hype, IMO, is fairly worthless, as it has always been.  What corps is ever going to publicize "we had a weak recruiting season and are still looking for alot of people to fill blanks".  Back in the day, corps who were 30th the year before would post stories that basically proclaimed they were going to shock everyone......I can probably count on one hand (out of over 50 seasons) the number of those proclamations that were correct.  I get that everyone wants to be positive..........also, with the shorter seasons and late starts, fans now have to wait longer.  I will say that last year I felt that the World Class corps were very well prepared, and many of the open class corps have also improved their preparation.

Boston and Phantom both have traditional "concert in the park" but they're largely pushed back to the start of the Summer season now. I believe Phantom still uses it to debut the show music, Boston did but I believe the last one was more of a shift to "other tunes" and line features. I have a vague memory of conversation here that Boston's concert had become not about the show music less out of 'secrecy' and more out of the fact that it was both a fundraiser and 'thank you' to the big donors and businesses who wanted stuff like Sweet Caroline and "let's see what those rifles I donated money for do" sort of things.  Also, they were doing it on the even of carting everything out west last year as well, so the lack of show stuff there might have been in part, due to that.

[craiga]

It's funny. I had completely forgotten (until just now), about the mini controversy last Spring about Boston's Concert in the Park repertoire.  As had been discussed, it featured essentially encore tunes for the contributors but no show music.  However, the event two days later at Salem State College did feature the show music. 

You guys all know what kind of BAC supporter I have been...for decades.  But for the record, after going to the CIP in downtown Boston once  many years ago, I have never been since.  It is a horrible venue for spectators surrounded by massive sky scrapers, commuter traffic, sirens etc.  It does raise between $600,000 - $800,000 in that setting so clearly Inspire management knows what they're doing.  It's just not my thing.  Speaking for many alumni whom I am in constant contact with, the season seemed to end up just fine.  😀

[Jeff Ream]

2 hours ago, craiga said:

It's funny. I had completely forgotten (until just now), about the mini controversy last Spring about Boston's Concert in the Park repertoire.  As had been discussed, it featured essentially encore tunes for the contributors but no show music.  However, the event two days later at Salem State College did feature the show music. 

You guys all know what kind of BAC supporter I have been...for decades.  But for the record, after going to the CIP in downtown Boston once  many years ago, I have never been since.  It is a horrible venue for spectators surrounded by massive sky scrapers, commuter traffic, sirens etc.  It does raise between $600,000 - $800,000 in that setting so clearly Inspire management knows what they're doing.  It's just not my thing.  Speaking for many alumni whom I am in constant contact with, the season seemed to end up just fine.  😀

and the one year i was literally 2 blocks away, i had no idea it was happening

[KVG_DC]

9 hours ago, craiga said:

It's funny. I had completely forgotten (until just now), about the mini controversy last Spring about Boston's Concert in the Park repertoire.  As had been discussed, it featured essentially encore tunes for the contributors but no show music.  However, the event two days later at Salem State College did feature the show music. 

You guys all know what kind of BAC supporter I have been...for decades.  But for the record, after going to the CIP in downtown Boston once  many years ago, I have never been since.  It is a horrible venue for spectators surrounded by massive sky scrapers, commuter traffic, sirens etc.  It does raise between $600,000 - $800,000 in that setting so clearly Inspire management knows what they're doing.  It's just not my thing.  Speaking for many alumni whom I am in constant contact with, the season seemed to end up just fine.  😀

That.  I remembered that whole kerfluffle among some looking for show information last year.  I did my PhD in Boston and know that area and yeah, it's good for making a noisy loud mess but not nuanced music.

The description of it being a fundraiser for donors and sponsors makes total sense to just do some fun reps for what that crowd wants and take the cash.  It doesn't even have to be played all that well because the acoustic environment will mask all errors.  

When I was a senior in HS our Jazz I band got offered a paid (to the program) gig for a Christmas party for some local business's Christmas party. One of the members' parents worked there I guess and that led to the gig when then wanted some live music.  But they wanted swing tunes from the 50's and Christmas music.  We'd done the Midwest International Band Clinic in Chicago that year so we'd assembled and practiced a lot of tunes for that.  About half from the previous year but a lot of new charts too. We were in the middle of swapping out the old charts for new ones in the coming competitive season and picking up some fairly complicated things like Lyle Mays Sir Gwain and the Green Knight. So the director was loathe to lose practice time.  He hands out the charts the last practice before the gig and we sight read through them.  Sing Sing Sing, In the Mood, and some corny arrangements of Christmas songs.  We take them at a danceable tempo for the party so it was like we were speeding them to make the challenging.  We're not as together as we usually are and ask, "Is this gonna be ok for the weekend?"  Director is "it's an office party with an open bar, it'll be noisy and they won't know. We're there to play anything so as long as they have fun they'll pay us."  He was dead right (and the drunken people were hilariously distracting from playing ensemble parts. One soloist lost it mid solo and we had to come in early because he was going back to his seat laughing."   On the bus back we were like "that was so bad."  Director was, "we got the money, it was good. It'll pay for the bussing to the big invitational in South Bend in January." 

So raking in 600-800k for playing Sweet Caroline in whatever shape it comes out and doing some chords and warmup tricks that echo off the glass buildings seems to follow the same principle.