Did the Bluecoats challenge your thinking?

[HornlineDiva]

um, no, since i'm pro-amp. but i didn't really find it surprising - there's been an increase in tabla-speak and things of that nature in percussion recitals i've seen (both at my school and others) so it's not surprising that the fad found find its way into drum corps.

i've said this before, but most high school bands are not BOA. i have seen maybe 1 or 2 amped bands in my life, and i'm fairly active in the (downstate) illinois bands curcuit. i go to shows, and even help host one. so if i associate amps with anything, it's going to be drum corps. i actually was at a bar the other day, and walked past an amp. drum corps actually came to mind, solely because of all the drama over it. i smiled, because it was kind of funny - all the anti-amp fervor has actually had a reverse effect for me.

[Carl306]

Yes. Personally, I liked that segment of the show and thought it added a bit of extra flavor to the ethnic feel they were trying to get from the show. It wasn't the main focus of the show like Boston, Crown, Cadets, etc... but then again it wasn't just a small snippet. I also think the manner in which they used their amps in general has been the best thus far. They aren't cranked up so high so that they come out to be obtrusive (BK '04), nor do they come off as annoying to me (BD '05).

[randomguy]

I'm sorry- you are welcome to your opinion.

Edited October 8, 2005 by randomguy

[monoemono]

One may expect me to have a positive bias, but no, this was to me the one blemish on an otherwise excellent show.

I am of the opinion that it is distracting (in all corps using it) for this reason: it doesn't fit with the ensemble sound, destroying the sound bubble. It is the same in many situations where acoustic/amplified elements coexist. I think it's difficult to blend the two together very well--I think you either amplify everything or nothing.

[dcifan2002]

no.

[scouttimp]

and if you had said that sitting next to me i would have said

"who is talking? i cant hear the drum corps... Oh. Its a scouts alumni being overly bitter about the competition"

First: I'm not bitter. Go Bluecoats. I aged out frikkin' 15 years ago for petes sake- theres no competition for me anymore. I couldn't care less how any corps score as long as shows remain entertaining.

Second: the conversation was internal. I don't like talking in the stands either.

Last: I was and am a fan of the activity first and Scout (and Colt) second. I'm allowed an opinion without personal attack.

Have a nice day!

[Triple Forte]

I'm still anti-amp in general, but as I've said all along, DCI corps staff members will do a pretty good job of using it. I also understand why you would want to amplify keyboard instruments. I even think that it's a good use to, as someone else said, "amp your udu". This isn't what I'm hear to talk about.

Initially, and to this very day, I do not like the fact that human voice can be amped. That's the one caveat with the amplification rule that makes me very, very scared. I think it's turned out to be a well-founded fear. To date, the implementation has very real, very practical problems left unsolved:

• Quality of sound
  
• Who judges what
  
• etc. etc.
  

After seeing every show with amplification live this year at least twice, and having listened to every amped show several times, I've come to an interesting observation. The Bluecoats had a legitimate use of vocals. They didn't speak anything other than percussively. They used a known and common method. They also for the most part used good quality without overdriving their headmics. There was one notable exception. (9:07)

I can tell you that I have a personal distaste for everyone elses use of amped vocals. Seattle handheld me through their show, but at least it was done pleasantly. The Blue Devils intertwined their vocals very heavily; in fact they couldn't have had a show that made any sense without them. The Cadets... well, sometimes you have to let art just be art. B)

So I can say that most definitely the Bluecoats challenged my thinking. I'm still of a mind that we'd be better off with a vocal amp moratorium for a few years at least. I don't think it fits. There are still 525,600 reasons that it shouldn't be allowed. But for the sake of argument here, did the Bluecoats use of amped vocals challenge anyone else's belief about eliminating amped vocals?

Did not change my view of amps or amplified voices. I think it was totally unecessary and un-original. I am really hoping that this is a fad and will be gone very soon. 1985 was the first time that the corps were allowed to sing......and you guessed it....a lot of corps that year had shows with singing in it........

PS I have nothing against the Bluecoats......I think there pretty cool and if I had to pick a favorite show from them it would be their 1989 show....

Triple Forte

Edited October 8, 2005 by Triple Forte

[drumcat]

Sounds like as a majority haven't been challenged. Interesting. It still seems like a very polar issue.

[shawn craig]

No it didn't.

I did enjoy the show overall.

Drum speak or chant are fine, just not amped. It's the same affect as if the show announcer were to interupt a show to tell us someone's left their lights on. It's out of character with the acoustic ensemble. It jumps out at you from no where.

[ContraRich77]

I think all amplification sucks.

but, I'm starting to learn how to watch a corps show that uses it without ending up hating the corps show. However, let me pose this question:

Having amplification, just HAVING it in any shape or form turns off hundreds/thousands of fans. Whether or not they're the "old farts who are having trouble accepting change" or not is irrelevant.

NOT having amplification, however, does NOT alienate fans. That may sound confusing, let me clarify that the LACK of amplification in and of itself is NOT an alienating factor.

The ADDITION of it is.

Roll the dice if you must.