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Why don't more people emulate the Cavaliers design concepts?


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Why don't more people try to copy the way the Cavaliers design a show?

5 championships in 7 years with no finish lower than 2nd proves that they have the system mastered. Their integration of visual and music is second to none. It seems like the Cadets are trying that route and were able to beat the Cavaliers at their own game last season but failed with it this year. Perhaps the visual presentation for the Cavaliers is actually more important than the musical repetoire.

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like most corps design their shows with music in mind, then try to place visual prgrams along with it. Basically making visual a secondary thought of their design process. PR and Blue Devils seem like examples of this.

I even see WGI percussion groups designing shows in a similar fashon as the Cavaliers and they tend to be top finishers as well. I know that Tim Fairbanks w/ Centerville HS and Rhythm X actually designs the visual program first, then places music to it. His shows tend to have the most complete package in WGI.

Discuss.

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Just one question for the Cavies design team: how the #### do you play an emotional ballad when the title of your show is "Machine?" While sitting there watching the show all I could think about was robots making out or something, which made me feel all weird inside.

The only thing the show had going for it was its visual gimmicks. Give me Phantom or BD's shows any day of the week.

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Perhaps the visual presentation for the Cavaliers is actually more important than the musical repetoire.

I'm no music educator, expert, or any of the sort. Just an ardent alumni and fan of drum corps, and I'll tell you why I HOPE that more people don't emulate Cavaliers design concept.

I thought their show was a well executed, impressively designed, visual masterpeice. Their hornline sounded terrific, guard was great, feet were great, all the stuff you expect from a championship corps. Throughout their show I though to myself...wow, neat trick...or...that was cool...or don't they sound great. And then I stood up and gave my applause at the end of their show.

During PR(especially), SCV, Devs, plus a few more, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I had goosebumps. I cried during Ave Maria, snarled with their drumlines, and jumped up screaming with my fists pumping in the air...couldn't help myself. Thats the emotional piece of a music centered show that, IMHO, was not there for me for Cavs. My friends 6 year old thought Cavs were funny. I prefer my drum corps to make me feel rather than make me laugh.

Just my thoughts.

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I enjoy what Cavaliers do as much as the next guy, but I'm glad that no one is trying to emulate them. I'd rather see corps maintain their unique identity than "play the game" to win every year by trying to become more like each other. And here I'm thinking of Madison Scouts and how (IHMO) they've sold out and become "just another corps with dark pants".

On an unrelated note, did anyone else notice that out of the top 21, only 5 corps had light pants? Southwind, Crown, Bluecoats, Cadets, and Phantom. Everyone else had either black or green.

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I know that Tim Fairbanks w/ Centerville HS and Rhythm X actually designs the visual program first, then places music to it.

The Cavaliers do not, as a rule, do this, according to the Cavaliers.

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Maybe that was true 20 years ago, certainly not today.

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like most corps design their shows with music in mind, then try to place visual prgrams along with it. Basically making visual a secondary thought of their design process. PR and Blue Devils seem like examples of this.

Discuss.

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Cause the Cavaliers are unique.

I for one wouldn't want every corps to emulate what the Cavalier's are doing. Cause then it would get old really quick. The visual concepts wouldn't be as fascinating as they are now. If you went to a show and the drill designs were all the same, then people would start saying, "You see one corps, you've seen them all." I wouldn't really want that. It's nice to watch the designs from corps to corps. Yeah, the Cavalier's have been a power house for 6-7 years now, and I believe it'll continue for a very long time. It's up to the other corps to out design them. It's a hard task, but if you've payed attention this year, both BD and Phantom aren't far behind. And who knows what will happen next year. Cadets, SCV, and Bluecoats could pull something too. We just have to wait and see.

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I even see WGI percussion groups designing shows in a similar fashon as the Cavaliers and they tend to be top finishers as well. I know that Tim Fairbanks w/ Centerville HS and Rhythm X actually designs the visual program first, then places music to it. His shows tend to have the most complete package in WGI.

Discuss.

Actually, at Centerville and RX we usually write the front ensemble score first (the 'music'), then stage the visual program, then add the battery parts. Like almost any group, we may change music to enhance a visual concept or change our staging to enhance the musical package. I agree that the Cavaliers have the most comprehensive design process/team that currently exists. Congrats to them on a great season and to all of the fabulous drum corps shows of 2006! Well done.

Tim

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