Galen Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Troopers The sentimental favorite. It should just be written somewhere that you are not allowed to say anything bad about the Troopers. The drum major carries a gun for crissakes. And it's loaded too. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 He also carries a sabre. And apparently he knows how to use it, too. (At least to salute... :P ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Not last night he didn't... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93Bluecoat Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 This phrase is often tossed about -- and not only in reference to the Bluecoats, but to describe the horn books of any number of corps. (I guess it depends on who's counting.) Though I think I understand its application and what posters are implying when they use it, I'm not sure the "most notes" is a measure of anything other than the number of notes. "Most notes" doesn't necessarily indicate demand and, certainly not quality. Have you seen the Bluecoats show? If so, then you clearly understand that when anyone refers to them have "most notes" it means its a challenging book and its obviously being done well. I think we all know that a page full of black notes doesn't equate quality. This just in, water is wet too. DW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93Bluecoat Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 True. And it doesn't automatically give you a championship either. Nor does playing an easy book. Demand is on the sheets in every caption, therefore it is certainly germane in discussing what seperates the wheat from the chaffe in these forums. DW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Nor does playing an easy book. Demand is on the sheets in every caption, therefore it is certainly germane in discussing what seperates the wheat from the chaffe in these forums.DW Easy is not determined by a lack of black notes...would you call Elsa's (the wind transcription) easy???? It sometimes is harder to play something with longer note durations de to the need to maintain sonority, balance, and blend AND create the musicality needed to bring the piece to life. A problem with today's sheets is it almost requires fast technical passages in order to earn points. (It reverses the trend in the last generation to water down the books to increase technical scores and lock in the demand scores. Now you add ink in order to score.) Velocity is the king these days; and God help the corps who tries to stay true to a certain piece or idiom without adding technical fireworks. This is not the corps' faults. They are doing what they have to in order to stay competitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Not last night he didn't... :P I guess he didn't need it. You know, you don't bring a sword to a gunfight... :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93Bluecoat Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Easy is not determined by a lack of black notes...would you call Elsa's (the wind transcription) easy???? It sometimes is harder to play something with longer note durations de to the need to maintain sonority, balance, and blend AND create the musicality needed to bring the piece to life. A problem with today's sheets is it almost requires fast technical passages in order to earn points. (It reverses the trend in the last generation to water down the books to increase technical scores and lock in the demand scores. Now you add ink in order to score.) Velocity is the king these days; and God help the corps who tries to stay true to a certain piece or idiom without adding technical fireworks.This is not the corps' faults. They are doing what they have to in order to stay competitive. You are correct in correlating this to general music genre, however the drum corps activity has dictated that "notes" equal demand. This isn't MY idea cheif! 15 years ago, front ensembles played to balance the percussion section first and the horn line second, now, its runs runs runs runs runs...from 1st place down to 21st. Drum writers used to write to make the percussion parts fit the music, now they ram in as many notes as possible. If a horn line comes out and places all white notes, they have no shot. Its not to say that this kind of music wouldn't be good, but a corps would get murdered if thats what they played. Again, this isn't my idea, this is what the activity has dictated and I'm right. DW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93Bluecoat Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 (edited) Easy is not determined by a lack of black notes...would you call Elsa's (the wind transcription) easy???? It sometimes is harder to play something with longer note durations de to the need to maintain sonority, balance, and blend AND create the musicality needed to bring the piece to life. A problem with today's sheets is it almost requires fast technical passages in order to earn points. (It reverses the trend in the last generation to water down the books to increase technical scores and lock in the demand scores. Now you add ink in order to score.) Velocity is the king these days; and God help the corps who tries to stay true to a certain piece or idiom without adding technical fireworks.This is not the corps' faults. They are doing what they have to in order to stay competitive. Just one more thought on this....if a drum corps (lets say the Troopers for arguements sake) comes out and plays cleaner than anyone else in the activity with a substantially easier book than another corps (lets say Phantom Regiment) with a difficult book and the 2nd corps is acheiving quite well but maybe not as precise. The corps with more demand will get the credit. Take the Troopers show from this year. Take the PR show from this year. If the Troopers play THAT show cleaner than anyone else in the activity and PR plays THAT show and its not as precise.....PR still beats Troopers in music. Again, I'm not saying right or wrong here, thats the way the activity is....notes equal demand. DW Edited July 4, 2007 by 93Bluecoat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hey Bloocoat...we are basically in agreement. (I'm not suggesting 11 minutes of Elsa's either. Even THAT would get boring. ) I think insofar as programming goes a lot of corps either have to write original in order to get the right 'ingredients' for the shows, program with enough variety in order to cover the formula that DCI judges for; or take things out of context to add the fireworks. I do think the corps are doing a much better job of combining the ingredients this year than in the recent past. And the width of the pack proves that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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