ilon Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 I am going to try to present my observation in a respectful manner. You may agree. You may not. Please do not try to find an exception and consequently disregard my opinion. There are exceptions to everything. I am stating this for the benefit of drum corps. Thank you. OBSERVATION When reflecting on the greatest drum corps shows of all time (not mine - everbody on this site and everybody I have ever talked to - THEIR FAVORITES) - I find that those shows are the ones with the greatest music. There are other factors at play. BUT - The music was accessible and understandable. It was GREAT music - performed well. It was music that was arranged relatively close to the original composition. The reason being - great composers are known because their music is great. Let their music speak as well as it can. This is what has made great drum corps show. (counterargument - "So you are saying that original compositions of drum corps today are horrible and the arrangers do not know what they are doing? You jerk!") Well if you think that I am a jerk, then OK. BUT - Bernstein, Copeland, Beethoven, Dvorak, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the 007 composers, the Latin composers... they are known for a reason. Their music is good. I would like to hear it. If it has been so cut and pasted and had so many liberties taken that I cannot recognize or find it pleasing - it is not their music anymore. It is just poor music. Difficult to get into. COUNTERARGUMENT - "But it is the visual side that has evolved and is so exciting." "Visual has made the best drum corps shows." Ok - some like to reference 84 Cadets or others (again the Z-pull later etc. Cavies - every single possible geometric or wave-like design conceivable) BUT - these are not what made the greatest drum corps shows THE GREATEST. Examples: 80 Spirit, 86 BD, 87 SCV, 87 Cadets, 88 SCV, 89 PR... you know where this list is going you've seen it a thousand times in this forum. Usually included are also several Scouts shows including 95 Scouts. - This is where I may lose some of you. If you do not agree with Scouts or do not agree with what I am about to say, then just respond to what I have said so far and ignore the rest. - 95 Scouts is something reflective of how a drum corps show should be. Of most importance through the entire show was the music. "But what about the visual of the rotating company front?" YES. I totally agree. It was awesome, but not MOST important. When we reflect on these greatest drum corps shows - even to the most recent years - the best shows are with the best music AND the music most true to the original. Enough. Let me catch my breath. PLEASE - I would love to hear your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NR_Ohiobando Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Agreed. :) It is easier for a corps to be more entertaining when the music is much more appealing to the audience. However, there are times when music that's not geared toward the audience and/or not easy get into gets regarded as one of the "favorites". Off the top of my head Star 93, Cavies 2002, & BD 2002 are some of my personal favs that do this. It's still possible to do music that is harder to get into or that is "cut and paste" and be freaking awesome; it's just easier to be freaking awesome with appealing music. Both types of shows can be "gotten into" by the audience, one just takes a little more thinking (I'm with you all the way though. I'm sick of cut&paste stuff for now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarVoyager Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Well I would agree that some of the best shows were from'84 '86 and the '87-'89 years. Musically, those are some of the most pretty and accessible pieces ever played on the field. I've believed that for many years and that will not change. Then every once in a while we get an OLD SCHOOL show that blows our minds. '95 Madison was one that comes to mind and who could forget Phantom '96?!?!?!? That was the show that proved to me that OLD SCHOOL could still win it all. With all of that said, it seems to me like most corps last year and this year are starting to get back to more recognizable and more accessible music. This is a great move if you ask me. I think that entertaining the crowd once again needs to be a TOP priority with EVERY corps especially with the activity moving to "The Deuce" and reaching millions more people starting this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baritoneguru Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 to make the music become the main point of drum corps again.. you need to do away with the whole competition aspect of it.. 80's.. music was great, 90's music was still good.. but you need harder drill to win now.. cavaliers skyrocketed this idea with hard drill and have done well in the 2000's. you can't have amazing drill at the rate its going.. and still have amazing music to go with it.. thats why most people will say that they're favorite music comes from the 80's and early 90's.. most importantly.. with corps that WIN!!.. corps that don't win but have great musical programs usually finish up 3rd at best... tempos are going up, music is going down, if you had dci do away with scores, you'd have better music to sell on your cd's, i hate hearing feet in the sound these days.. and although that is what they teach you to avoid.. its inevitable with the more and more demanding visual design is required for corps to have a chance to win. most people listen to drum corps more than they watch it.. this is just a problem that cannot be undone .. and you can thank the evolution of drum corps for that.. and you can CERTAINLY thank the cavies for taking it past the point of return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarVoyager Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 You know it's interesting you would say that because I would have thought back in '96 that you have needed harder drill to win it all. Phantom that year by far did not have the most demanding drill but they were CLEAN with their formations, feet, etc. They won it with their hornline and a clean but maybe not as demanding visual program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tez Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 (edited) I totally agree that music is the most important part of any 'marching arts' show. The most memorable and usually best shows are the ones where all the visual elements complement exactly what the music is saying. Studying drill design as a profession myself, I know that the most important thing for a drill to do is to serve the music. Madison 95, Phantom 89....... How many drill moves are really that innovative?... not that many, but how well do they fit the music?..... Edited July 12, 2005 by Tez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Interestingly, one of the most beloved shows on DCP had probably the worst visual package of the year. Suncoast Sound 1985 Oh yea...it was the FIRST to have all-original music too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Well, it is hard to hum a drill move. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VHornBoy Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 You make a good point, and I agree, music now is hard to to grasp and drill has made leaps. But i know that corps are having trouble getting rights to play the beloved music of great composers. SCV had to scrap half of a show 2 years ago because they couldn't get the rights. Some corps don't go to the trouble but recently a lawyer has been going after high schools. colleges and a few corps for not having rights to play the composers music. Anything up to 10 years ago. That's got to be scary for corps today.... But back to what you were saying. Bring back the old... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tez Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Well, it is hard to hum a drill move. :) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But apparently it is fine to whistle one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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