The wind ensemble brass approach

[Row 25]

The Cavaliers' horn line has the best blend, intonation, tone, and just plain lack of errors of any horn line this summer in my opinion, BUT (also in my opinion) the most impressive thing a horn line can do OUTDOORS is play loud. If I were listening to them indoors while they were seated on a stage I am sure I would LOVE them. But I do not love them outdoors. They actually made me mad at their encore performance Friday night when they started Stars and Stripes mezzo piano and brought it home mezzo forte. I'm getting mad again just thinking about it.

The judges seem to agree that this is the best approach. I don't really care who wins, but I do care that rewarding this approach will make drum corps less appealing to me and I would guess at least 95% of drum corps fans.

Thank you to all who at least TRIED to blow my face off this year!!!

[Hrothgar15]

I think that the best approach combines the best of both worlds: a loud, in your face, glorious drum corps sound combined with the tone quality of a wind ensemble. Cavaliers (at least this year) seem to be doing just that.

[justanopinion]

...and thanks to all that teach quality as well.

cheers.

[Lance]

All of the things you mentioned about the Cavies helps make a hornline louder. Sounds like you just want them to use more dynamic contrast, i.e., make the fortes much louder and the pianos much softer. If that's the case, then I agree about that with the Cavies, and lots of other corps.

[ShortAndFast]

I agree that the lack of volume is a problem for the Cavies' horns. But otherwise, as you seem to agree, they are playing extremely well. It's no wonder that the judges think they are the top brass line. The judges are also rewarding the Blue Devils horns, who play quite loud indeed. So it's not that they're penalizing loudness. It's just that some very loud lines also have a lot of other issues with their playing.

[BD_Fan]

I thought that playing at a lower dynamic level with good support and sound is more difficult than at a higher one?

[tubacurt]

I thought that playing at a lower dynamic level with good support and sound is more difficult than at a higher one?

This is true, especially when you are doing the drill that drum corps do, and cavies do have the best brassline in DCI this year because of blend, balance, tone, etc.

But playing loud is still way cooler ^0^

[HornlineDiva]

I think they are accused of being too quiet is because they are not *as* loud as the corps that go on before and after them.... especially BD. BD sets the gold standard for a loud sound WITH intonation.

And they ARE loud this year, especially compared to 2001-2003. It seems that they've gotten louder every year since 2004, so maybe they're integrating more volume into their brass technique? I watched some of their pre-tour, and I remember thinking "yay, they're a little louder this year!"

But you know, that's the Cavalier sound. I wouldn't want them to sound like PR or BD or Cadets.

[geluf]

Balance, blend and intonation trumps ALL.

Bravo Cavies.

[rmurrey74]

I've watched Blue Devils rehearse and saw them last night in Columbus. I really didn't think they were that loud. If I would have to rank them last night for volume, it would have been

1. Crown

2. SCV

3. Blue Devils