Santa Cavaliers Cadets

[Snapettes Mom]

Random thoughts here...

I think moving Cassella into the Cavies is the best thing to happen to them in a long time. I have thought to myself after watching the Cavies that they are so clean (in a mechanical sort of way) that all they need to do to go to the next level is have Cassella write their book. Dreams do come true.

One of my favorite things I can say about SCV's percussion book over a majority of the years is you can listen to them play through the show without the horn line and it sounds absolutely beautiful all on it's own.

Speaking of dang good lines this year I listened closely to Phantom's battery play their opener in the lot and I thought the quality of the arrangements were on a level I have not heard many lines have the opportunity to play. I did notice the snare line had high tap hieghts but it was uniform across the line. So the sound quality was on the money.

Wish I could have seen Blue Coats and Cadets live. From what I watched in the theater looked like both of these lines were on fire. Actually it looked like the Cadets were white hot.

Ralph and Murray will give Capital Regiments superior confidence in their playing ability backed by a very unique and musical book. IMHO.

Dennis

[I Like Drum Corps]

Did it ever occur to you that Scott S was a little mad that the corps Madison helped get back on its feet beat his beloved Madison horn line?

That didn't happen.

[drumcat]

How does one person pretend to know so much?

[Jeff Ream]

Hannum did write for Troop and Star, he also wrote for Boston and Star, and Crossmen and Boston. This is what I am talking about it didn't work for Troop or Boston. So what makes people think doing this kind of thing brings any forward progress to a program? How many years in a row did Thom write for these programs? One and then they had to make a choice either get someone in there to build the program or continue with the band-aid and still eventually get someone in there to build the program. That was the downfall of the Troop percussion program last year after Pete left and they used a NAME to try to band-aid the problem. It just doesn’t work.

The Zingali question: I see your point but I am trying to keep this on percussion. I understand a lot of guys write multiple drill and horn parts and that is not right either. It is the same thing that we are talking about here.

I am glad we have the Internet to voice our opinions about the way the band directors I mean show designers are leading the activity. It is healthy for the activity not to be able to sit in a corner and hide anymore.

Devin

I thought up a few topics. "Does the Corps instructor teach bands or are the Band Directors teaching Corps"

"Drum Corps an activity for the rich and educated"

I will start these soon

Hannum didn't work for Troop because, IMO, the performance was not up to a level to get the book the credit it could have acheived. he wrote a nice book, but they were ticking like a Timex at semis.

the year he wrote for Xmen and Boston, If i recall, they weren't all that far away from each other in drum scores.

the downfall of the Troopers percussion program is quite simple...didnt matter who wrote it, they couldn't play it.you can write a great book, but if you cant perform it, you wont get credit for it. it's that simple.

if you are just writing, it's not a huge deal, especially when you look at all of the examples you keep listing, you're trying to compare apples to oranges. different corps, different music, different approaches.

you want to even it out...get the top players at the "b team" line that these ( according to you) evil people wrote for.

[Jeff Ream]

That Star show is still a standard today 12 years later. It took drum corps about 10 years to really see what happened that year. There are things marching percussion wise in that show that still haven't been matched in quality in 12 years. Crossmen came close in 1998 to achieving that type of sound quality. Glassmen in 2001 started to until the warped technique started to show.

I know what bored drummers do they work on a bunch of notes and have no fundamentals or technique. They can ram a bunch of stuff but can't play eight on a hand with a good sound quality to a metronome. That’s what bored drummers do.

Then don't write anymore-just hire a drum corps guy to do it for you. Because then you will have the best program. Right?

Devin

Crossmen 98 had maybe the 5th best quality of sound in the circuit. your bias for hannum shows here....sorry, they weren't in Cadets, BD, Cavies and SCV's league.

and you miss my point. you have to write to fit your show...not just ram notes, and not be the 8 on a hand cadets of legattoville.

these guys have a track record of writing what works.

but again you have to perform it....if the performance isnt there, you will only get so much credit for the book.

it isnt these guys faults if the lines cant play it...they're just writing. if they refuse to make revision or allow the staff to make reisions, ok, but just cause you put notes on paper doesnt make you the anti christ

[Jeff Ream]

Maybe if all the top guys would stick to just one corps and quit writing for people they don't work for there would be some opportunity.

GET OVER IT!

they arent killing the activity doing so, and IMO, trying to propose a rule to stop this will only make you a laughing stock.

it's happened since before you and me, it will continue to happen, and again....

WRITING THE SHOW DOESNT GUARANTEE FAILURE. HAVING GOOD STAFF AND PLAYERS WHO CAN PLAY IT GUARANTEE SUCCESS.

IF YOU DONT HAV THE STAFF TO CLEAN IT OR THE PLAYERS TO PLAY IT, JOE SCHMO IDIOT COULD WRITE IT AND IT'D STILL SUCK.

WHY CAN'T YOU GET THIS?????

[Jeff Ream]

Did it ever occur to you that Scott S was a little mad that the corps Madison helped get back on its feet beat his beloved Madison horn line? Then the Southwind brass and management never came back. The brass staff went to SCV and Pat went to Phantom. Then a few years later Madison just dumped everyone it was helping out. This is the most extreme example of what I am talking about and it failed.

Hands

oh yeah thats it 100% so according to this theory, when Xmen beat cadets, you're saying YEA will dump the Bones and staff will go to the west coast too?

[Jeff Ream]

You're trying to sound all knowledgable and stuff, but when you say something like that, your "clue" credability suffers greatly, btw.

Also, it sounds like you're a bit of a frustrated drum guy that can't seem to get gig. If you're any good you'll get some good gigs or bad, prove yourself, and work your way up........"cream always rises to the top".

Let's take Mike Jackson for example. Here's a guy who taught H.S. for years and did some great things with Mission Viejo and others, and now gets a shot running SCV. Serious moxie paying off.

I say, get off the comp and go start teaching and you do marching percussion the way you invision it. It's really that simple some times, and if you can't start out teaching some HS gigs, then well, that's your problem.

There have been some very cool/great things coming from Drumlines the past 5 years, it is a shame you are not able to appreciate them.

exactly. show us how to do it and be devoted to your program and only your program. show us how to write it better, teach it better, clean it better the whole works.

[chopsforever]

exactly. show us how to do it and be devoted to your program and only your program. show us how to write it better, teach it better, clean it better the whole works.

Bottom line, top tier instructors writing for lower six and below corps is bad for the activity.

Don't try to tell me they care as much about that program as they do their primary corps. They don't, and would be horrified if the second tier corps threatened them score-wise.

Examples of long term, successful relationships between major names and lower corps are few an far between. Much more common are one-year and two-year stints by major names ghost writing for lower corps.

Do you think that turnover is good for the activity?

It's one thing to have a major name come in to advise, it's another thing to have someone call the shots from the satellite view. Thats why businesses have CONSULTANTS. Why would you have Mike McIntosh write your book? Aren't you supposed to be COMPETING against him???

OK, I have an idea, instead of Santa Clara hiring jackson lets get Tom Aungst to write the parts but keep the old SCV staff. Now wouldn't that be Ridiculous?

Regards,

cf

Edited October 12, 2005 by chopsforever

[RickCogley]

...

One of my favorite things I can say about SCV's percussion book over a majority of the years is you can listen to them play through the show without the horn line and it sounds absolutely beautiful all on it's own.

Speaking of dang good lines this year I listened closely to Phantom's battery play their opener in the lot and I thought the quality of the arrangements were on a level I have not heard many lines have the opportunity to play. I did notice the snare line had high tap hieghts but it was uniform across the line. So the sound quality was on the money.

Wish I could have seen Blue Coats and Cadets live. From what I watched in the theater looked like both of these lines were on fire. Actually it looked like the Cadets were white hot.

...

Totally. There was a time a few years back when things were getting a bit bland but in the last few years we've seen quite a pleasant swing of the pendulum back. I agree with what Dennis is saying about SCV's book being recognizable as that piece - that's so true, and Phantom, 'Coats and Cadets were just smoking this year.