Recent judging

[lbjazz]

As I understand, the brass performance score is based on individual to individual within the hornline. What a brass judge hears on the field could easily get lost in the ensemble sound that makes it to the stands.

ding ding ding - we have a winner!

Well, I think it should be fair. If you play an obviously easy book cleanly, you get points. However, if another group plays more difficult music cleanly, they should get more points. Difficulty and then execution. If you can't hack the book you're trying to play, why should you get scored higher than someone who plays something easier well? It may be safe, but safe can win when others' risks don't pay off.

exactly

From what I heard back in Dallas and SA, Scouts may have been trying to do more stuff while moving faster, but Crown just sounded better. Judges seem to care more about what you actually accomplish vs what you try to accomplish. Why do think you a lot of corps have been hosing the cool stuff from their books the last few weeks? [Let me add here that I would personally prefer that they leave the books alone. I can handle a little dirt if it's a cool lick.]

Crown's brass is the best I've ever heard them. And I say that as someone who is not a Crown fan in the least.

Edited August 5, 2006 by lbjazz

[Lance]

Well, you're welcome to your opinion.

Thanks for letting me know that I'm welcome to my opinion that SCV jumping 5 points over the same corps in a competition 4 days later is absurd.

[mchromik]

I suppose if you like hearing a lot of unison lines that are not very hard, then you will like Crown. They simply do not play a demanding book that exposes a performer to much risk like the Scouts do every year. At least corps like Madison, Regiment, SCV play fully develpoed music with melodies, counter melodies, multi-layer harmonies that require a performer to tune all sorts of chords that have depth to them. I am so sick of the easy formula music out there and it seems most people don't know enough about music to know the difference. I wish each corps had to show what they wrote so every one could see it. Who else is tired of hearing one unison baritone part and only scoring music in the safest way possible?

OH MY! You need to talk to a decent brass judge about 'exposure' sometime. You should try cleaning some of those 'easy' runs and getting some of those 'formula' contermelodies to line up sometime. Cleaning sixteen mellos playing exposed contermelodic runs is far more difficult then cleaning a bunch of talented lead sopranos on rips played so high and fast that intonation and timing is relative.

So you think Crown's book is easy? Seriously? I think all that higher faster lounder stuff has damaged your hearing.

[I play the baritone good]

I will say that a 5 point jump by SCV in '97 or the Scouts in '88 is way differnt from now. The difference was that both of those corps those years were competing with and had the talent to win a world title that year. Even though SCV was 3rd in '97 they were a world champion caliber program.

I wasn't there, but from what I've been told by alumni, this was not the case. We were told many stories about SCV '97, about how it was an incredibly young corps with very little experience. They were 10-pointed by BD at the first show, after all. They worked their butts off all summer and went on to win quarterfinals. 1997 was an incredible year for SCV and one that will be used as motivation for the corps for many years to come.

My point is that no, the corps didn't have championship talent that year. Not even close. They became the Vanguard that year, and those '97 vets were instrumental in shaping the corps in '98 and '99. Is the same thing happening this year? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not. But you can't rule out the possibility. It wouldn't be the first.

[aatlb25]

OH MY! You need to talk to a decent brass judge about 'exposure' sometime. You should try cleaning some of those 'easy' runs and getting some of those 'formula' contermelodies to line up sometime. Cleaning sixteen mellos playing exposed contermelodic runs is far more difficult then cleaning a bunch of talented lead sopranos on rips played so high and fast that intonation and timing is relative.

So you think Crown's book is easy? Seriously? I think all that higher faster lounder stuff has damaged your hearing.

[wesleyrp]

I wasn't there, but from what I've been told by alumni, this was not the case. We were told many stories about SCV '97, about how it was an incredibly young corps with very little experience. They were 10-pointed by BD at the first show, after all. They worked their butts off all summer and went on to win quarterfinals. 1997 was an incredible year for SCV and one that will be used as motivation for the corps for many years to come.

My point is that no, the corps didn't have championship talent that year. Not even close. They became the Vanguard that year, and those '97 vets were instrumental in shaping the corps in '98 and '99. Is the same thing happening this year? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not. But you can't rule out the possibility. It wouldn't be the first.

Many corps have been 10 pointed by BD, but the point was that every time we were at the same show as them in '97 there was a sense of purpose and a look in their faces that you just knew they were a top notch, top 3 corps. I know, I was there. They were my favorite corps to watch and listen to in both '97 and '98. Maybe they did have young members and maybe it did take awhile to gel, but hey they finished top 3, and just working hard doesn't place you there. You could not take a bunch of "untalented" students and place that high. Sure they picked it up a notch or ten, but then they always had it in them and worked hard to get there, therefore they were that talented. I'l never forget playing on the smurf turf at Boise State having a great show and then watching the Vangaurd take the field and own the place. It was intimidating to say the least. All of those drill moves while not perfectly executed were crisp and agressive, my god were they agressive. So seeing that and thinking about this current installment of SCV I could see how someone might say that this is a young corps that hasn't quite taken ownership over their program and in fact many reviews from throughout the year have basically said this. I just have big doubts that any corps from the Ontario Wooly Mammoths to the Siberian Blizzards could actually gain 5 points in 3-4 days. I see a big diffence in talent this year from the talent of SCV during the years prior. Not saying they aren't good and again I like the show, but I was not impressed with their performance levels when I saw them.

Wes Perkins

BK '97 '98

[dciguy1987]

OH MY! You need to talk to a decent brass judge about 'exposure' sometime. You should try cleaning some of those 'easy' runs and getting some of those 'formula' contermelodies to line up sometime. Cleaning sixteen mellos playing exposed contermelodic runs is far more difficult then cleaning a bunch of talented lead sopranos on rips played so high and fast that intonation and timing is relative.

So you think Crown's book is easy? Seriously? I think all that higher faster lounder stuff has damaged your hearing.

I hear quite well thanks. I think you need to go back to theory classes and take a form and analysis class. You obviously have no clue what you are talking about with regard to Crown's book.

[Nex]

I hear quite well thanks. I think you need to go back to theory classes and take a form and analysis class. You obviously have no clue what you are talking about with regard to Crown's book.

Any particular reason you'd care to back that up with, or should we just take your word for it?

[BoxVSoprano]

i was at the salem VA show and as entertaining scv was i just couldnt see them ahead of crown. crowns book certainly is difficult. one thing they seem to have hit on the head is that most of dci has forgotten about dynamics, its become so much of LOUDER HIGHER LOUDER HIGHER!!!! that so many people dont notice when you go from full volume to melodic piano lines its not an easy task. and then theres the point that there is not a single moment crown stood still. they were either moving, doing body, or both ath once. like i said, i loved scv's show, but kudos to crown