MikeD Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 I agree.During the performance one should not see individuals. One should see what the design asks them to see. In the case of cadets 2007, the design asks us to see individuals. therefore in cadets '07 one should see individuals and not see individuals contradiction Lots of corps feature individuals...Madison 2005 and Regiment 2005 come to mind...SCV Phantom of the Opera...many wonderful solists over the years...many Cadet percussion features have been all about highlighting individuals the past few years. Cadets 05 and 06 featured all sorts of individuals. I'm not quite sure what you are getting at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 Right, the goal is to "lose" your individualism, your unique characteristics.Here's a thought. When I listen to the same maestro conduct the same work with two different orchestras, why do they sound different? Is it due to the direction of the conductor? Or, does the player project their own characteristics into the work. Each individual in an ensemble does add a little bit of themselves. I would impossible to remove all the "individualism" from the ensemble. And I think it is undesirable to do so. The personality of each ensemble is made up of the collective personalities of all the people involved. IN most cases, the goal is not to eliminate the individual personalities, but to blend them together to form one. The analogy of a painting does have it's limiations. A painting is a static piece of art. It does not change from day to day. It also is not an ensemble project. The artist is also the interpreter. Not usually so in music or dance. The composer writes the art. The conductor, and to a lesser degree the performers, interpret the art. Without seeing the Cadets, it would be hard to comment on this specific situation. Maybe each performer is presenting their unique story. Maybe this drum corps show has 135 stories, instead of one. Very well put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwscv87 Posted June 1, 2007 Share Posted June 1, 2007 My initial reaction to the original post was how can we possibly consider this when the vast majority of us have not seen the product. Even if I take the post at face value and assume the OP's interpretation of the show is accurate I don't see any paradox or contradiction. I think this is over analysis of something that is really pretty straightforward. There is no fundamental principle that prohibits a designer from featuring individuals at the expense of the ensemble. I prefer to just sit back and watch the show. If I am entertained then I am happy regardless of the underlying premise in the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowbrasswhole Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 The concept is not really new. Countless BOA bands have already done things similar to this. Kennesaw mountain and Avon and many others. The Cadets will put their spin on it and make it their own, and perform it to the max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britdrums Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Having just stumbled on this post can I ask.. is it possible to contradict something that's never been said, confirmed, or written in rules other than in certain peoples mind. If it's simply a "virtue" of drum corps that members lose their individuality then does that not in itself mean the conformity of an individual to a set of principles? Also is the whole loss of individualism not merely an aesthetic thing? So the whole drum corps looks the same? Underneath the shako/aussie/bandana whatever there is a whole spectrum of different individuals all heading towards the same rainbows end? Or am I way off here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 If George Hopkins falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it, will the Cadets still win GE? Hmmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadep66 Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Actually I don't understand this argument at all. Shows used to just be several musical pieces put together, so there was no theme, and many times no continuity. The more recent approach, thanks in part to a judging system that is heavy handed on the GE end and the "Intellectual as well as entertainment value" of a show has led to shows that are based on a theme, idea, story line, etc. How is this different? I haven't seen the show yet (in fact I think very few have) so to say it is paradoxical is a bit premature. What I understand from reading Hop's blog and the YEA website is that it celbrates what is great about drum corps and the values it teaches. How is this a focus on one individual? What about Phantom's Faust? By asking us to focus on Faust, did we forget about the show design, music, or concept? Or Madison's"The Carmen Project". Was it all about Carmen? I don't think the cadets are expecting us to look at each person individually and see them as more important than the unit as a whole. They are simply emphasizing the discipline, creative process, and work ethic that it takes for a corps to be a champion. By asking for this focus and mindset, I don't think I'm going to be thrown off from seeing the corps as I always have. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle z Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 If George Hopkins falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it, will the Cadets still win GE? Hmmmm... The thunder roared. The lightning flashed. A tree fell. A frog got smashed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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