Recycled Music and The 2006 Caballeros Alumni

[elphaba01]

But thats the point. You will never hear an alumni corps play un-performed music. So what you are saying is, in your opinion, you no longer like the criteria of alumni corps and would like to see them move in to uncharted territory? If this is so, i would guess you would see far less alumni corps out there. Most of the people who perform in them or watch them are there to relive i.e. rehash the old days and the old songs they played when they competed with or watched said field corps. I understand it may be mondane to some but to others it is refreshing to hear the old stuff. With the direction that competitive DCA corps are going, following the path of DCI and such it was no coincidence that the Cabs alumni were well received at DCI 2005 and the Madison Prodject in 06.

"Cabs @ DCI & the Madison Project":

"Well recieved" is an understatement. "Blew down the house" is a bit closer to the truth. Caballeros Alums got at least five "Standing O's" at Boston, while Mad City's Alums had the crowd on it's feet the entire time.

Encore!!!!

Elphabe

WWW

[JimF-LowBari]

Most of the people who perform in them or watch them are there to relive i.e. rehash the old days and the old songs they played when they competed with or watched said field corps. I understand it may be mondane to some but to others it is refreshing to hear the old stuff.

Agree up to a point. True some Alumnis like Cabs, Sky, MSJ, Westshore have the library of past "hits" to draw on but not all Alumnis can do this.

Having said that, I have yet to play anything original in an Alumni corps.

And the one piece we did in competative corps that no one else played. Well... there was a reason no one else played it. :sshh: ("Time Machine" 1978 - piece of slop from the guy who did disco "Star Wars" the year before)

[ech2os]

Ok. Clearly I am stumbling here. Here is what I am saying. Last night I was flipping through files on my laptop while watching that atrocious Jets Dolphins game. As I said originally, I have the first few minutes of Cabs Alumni from the Spectacular this past year on my laptop. So I watched it a few times and had goosebumps. And then I said.......what the hell are the names of those tunes. So I went to Corpreps and deduced that the first 2:26 seconds of their show might be made up of Espirito Del Toro, Zabumba, and Cachita. I then thought to myself.........man......those are great. I then thought to myself.........how is it that the Caballeros were playing something like this years ago and when I go to DCAs today.......I don't walk away thinking......man.....I am going to be listening to that at Alumni Shows someday. And if I am........I doubt I am going to be anymore impressed than I just was. According to Corpreps......Nobody (save the Wind Gap Blue Eagles performing Espirito Del Toro) has performed any of the 3 songs above other than Hawthorne. And I am saying........when I see corps announcing their books for 2007, I don't know that I see the next Zabumba or Cachita. That is just my opinion. And my point is.........why? If Hawthorne could pull these tunes out of the air 40 or 50 years ago.......why can't or don't corps come up with something their own. For the record.......Bush is the only corps of note to have performed Rocky Point other than Garfield. So I don't know where all the rehashed Rocky Point charts are. Over 30 different corps have performed Malaguena.

Jkatz.........I LOVE Cabs Alumni and I love the whole Alumni concept. Hope it never goes away. I think its apparent to most that Hawthorne and Sky are the crowd favorites each year at the Alumni Spectacular. If you look at both corps books from this past year you'll see that most of their book is comprised of music only they played. Sure there is Mac Park and Victory at Sea, but there is also Espirito Del Toro, Zabumba, Cachita, Serenata, Espana Cani, How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You, Little Old NY, Elks Parade, East Wast Fanfare.........Basically nobody besides these two corps........Sr. wise that is........have played these pieces. So what I am saying is this........where are today's signature pieces. Maybe its just my selective perception :) Ok. I'll give the nod to the Renegades......some of their first stuff is, to me, theirs.

Eric Watters

Atlanta, Ga.

[audiodb]

For the record.......Bush is the only corps of note to have performed Rocky Point other than Garfield.

So Blue Knights and Mandarins aren't noteworthy enough corps?

[JKatzmellophone]

Ok. Clearly I am stumbling here. Here is what I am saying. Last night I was flipping through files on my laptop while watching that atrocious Jets Dolphins game. As I said originally, I have the first few minutes of Cabs Alumni from the Spectacular this past year on my laptop. So I watched it a few times and had goosebumps. And then I said.......what the hell are the names of those tunes. So I went to Corpreps and deduced that the first 2:26 seconds of their show might be made up of Espirito Del Toro, Zabumba, and Cachita. I then thought to myself.........man......those are great. I then thought to myself.........how is it that the Caballeros were playing something like this years ago and when I go to DCAs today.......I don't walk away thinking......man.....I am going to be listening to that at Alumni Shows someday. And if I am........I doubt I am going to be anymore impressed than I just was. According to Corpreps......Nobody (save the Wind Gap Blue Eagles performing Espirito Del Toro) has performed any of the 3 songs above other than Hawthorne. And I am saying........when I see corps announcing their books for 2007, I don't know that I see the next Zabumba or Cachita. That is just my opinion. And my point is.........why? If Hawthorne could pull these tunes out of the air 40 or 50 years ago.......why can't or don't corps come up with something their own. For the record.......Bush is the only corps of note to have performed Rocky Point other than Garfield. So I don't know where all the rehashed Rocky Point charts are. Over 30 different corps have performed Malaguena.

Jkatz.........I LOVE Cabs Alumni and I love the whole Alumni concept. Hope it never goes away. I think its apparent to most that Hawthorne and Sky are the crowd favorites each year at the Alumni Spectacular. If you look at both corps books from this past year you'll see that most of their book is comprised of music only they played. Sure there is Mac Park and Victory at Sea, but there is also Espirito Del Toro, Zabumba, Cachita, Serenata, Espana Cani, How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You, Little Old NY, Elks Parade, East Wast Fanfare.........Basically nobody besides these two corps........Sr. wise that is........have played these pieces. So what I am saying is this........where are today's signature pieces. Maybe its just my selective perception :) Ok. I'll give the nod to the Renegades......some of their first stuff is, to me, theirs.

Eric Watters

Atlanta, Ga.

Its all good. But you do make a good point here. Signatures are what some corps are built on i.e. the Rumps. But we also used to play Don't Cry For Me Argentina which for many season was used as our closer. But in this case the rights to play it are very hard to come by if at all. So if this is what you meant i understand.The corps may no longer be able to secure the rights to certain songs any more.

[ech2os]

So Blue Knights and Mandarins aren't noteworthy enough corps?

Garfield put that piece on the map. When you say Rocky Point........neither of these two corps enter my mind.

Eric Watters

Atlanta, Ga.

[bumo27]

and we put it on the map in DCA. I know what ya meant, Eric. :)

[Skylinersop16]

Are you saying that the field corps need to continue playing signature pieces or are you saying that you are waiting to see if any new songs played by a corps become signature pieces?

[ech2os]

Are you saying that the field corps need to continue playing signature pieces or are you saying that you are waiting to see if any new songs played by a corps become signature pieces?

The latter. I suppose the fact that its almost unheard of anymore to play a piece more than one year in a row probably has something to do with my perception that there is a lack of signature pieces.

Eric Watters

Atlanta, Ga.

[jondgrant]

Just a thought....

1) For DCA Senior Corps it seems to me it is alot easier to get a show off the ground when members are familiar with the pieces they are playing. Especially when the members have a life outside of drum corps (family, jobs, church and other social commitments). If they could practically play the music by sight after the first couple of runs, you are several steps ahead of pulling out a chart that no one has heard before.

2) As far as recruiting and retaining membership, it seems that it is easier to get someone excited about a show when it is something they know. Like "We are playing XXXX, you know like XXXX did in 19XX". It is really easy to get excited about something you have always wanted to do.

3) As far as the audience, except for a few kick ### rips, I find it a lot more dificault to watch a original show then a standard. Maybe I am a lazy or uncultured fan, but when it is a standard you know how it "should sound", you know if it is good or bad and you can sing a along. (In your head please!!!). On original shows I find I spend most of the time trying to figure out what the show is and not looking at the details of the show to see if it technically good.

I do understand that things can be played too often, but there is a reason for that people want to play it :)

Thanks

Jon