Birthday Season

Birthday season kicks off today - one a month (including Christmas) until February! I guess this is how we know time ... marches on?

Son #3 began his frantic entry into the world a decade ago today. Each arrival was memorable; his by a cross city run that was somewhere between an "I Love Lucy" episode and the Marx Brothers.

Although like his uncle, whom he is named after, he plays saxophone, he seems to find some strong interest in the parts of a football game that actually take place before and after halftime! I guess I need to start to make a habit of getting my hot dog, nachos and Dr Pepper before kick off ...!

Extraordinary. Lifechanging. Lifesaving.

We use these words interchangeably, but in the cinema at the DCI Quarterfinals I leaned they are not. During the gap between the Blue Devils and the final two scores there was a presentation on the Field Band Foundation in South Africa. I didn’t get the reason for this promotion at first, but by the end I was hooked on the mission and goals of this organization.

When I was with Carolina Crown and we were applying for grants, we were often asked how many underprivileged or disadvantaged kids we were serving. This is a hard question for any world class drum corps to answer, but I was comfortable (albeit not politically correct) when I said our focus was helping ordinary kids become extraordinary through demanding education programs. Even most school marching bands are solid extracurricular programs that can do lifechanging things, but they ultimately respond to their community needs.

The Field Band Foundation is not about this at all. It is, we all learned, about giving some kids the skills to survive. To make it out of extreme poverty and life situations to even attempt at what we probably consider a normal life. Their focus is far beyond music and personal excellence - it is about saving lives. Those are words we don't often used when we talk about music education.

Go to this website and learn more for yourself: www.fieldband.org.za

On the screen, from Bloomington, Indiana ...!

This is a 3 part review of the DCI Championship events.

Thursday, August 7, On the Cinema Screen

I used to be good at estimating attendance, but I think it’s safe to say the theater I was in was about 90% full of drum corps alumni and fans. I complained about the sound last time, and I was worried when the pictures came and the sound did not – or at least the sound that matched the photos. It made for some tense and humorous moments, but all was in order by the time the first corps hit the screen. Some observations of the night:

What’s with the "Summer Music Games" logo? I thought that had been retired. There are too many mixed branding messages out there, and it doesn’t work if you use an old one and then fail to use the new "Marching Music’s Major League" logo and colors. I’ve had long talks with a friend about the marketing efforts. To me, if no one else noticed, we are preaching to the converted, and that audience is getting smaller.

On the plus side, you have to appreciate the humor when we have our own John Madden. We kept waiting for him to telestrate the drill!

Spirit – It was hard to appreciate this show. Most of the problem was the sharp afternoon shadows that were not adjusted to by the cameras. I if this was rapidly discussed in the production booth, the cure never came. It became evident that this problem would continue (to a lesser effect) until the field and the backfield stands (reflecting the sun) were in shadows. As far as the show itself, “4” is not “3”, and the commentators asking us to look for the burgundy guard members was handicapped by the shadows and a lot of high camera that made it hard to pick them out.

Colts – Very nice design and well performed. The baton twirler caught a few audience members off “guard”, but they let it pass. I am a fan of the musical “Song and Dance”, and I like the way the incorporated it into their unique portrayal of New York City.

Madison Scouts – Here’s a tip: if you’re going to show a flash back from the 70s and 80s, use the years they won the DCI championships! After the performance the commentators noted, “The crowd was on their feet!” Well, not in the auditorium. It was a good performance, and it was Madison being Madison. This is one of those boxes corps can end up in, though, when being true to yourself puts you in a design bind. (I noted that in my discussion of the Troopers in Westminster.)

Crossmen – The shadows may be gone, but Bones is still hiding in them. Delucia said half the show lacked “umph”, and my seating neighbor said the show just didn’t grab him or appear powerful. The color I hoped for never emerged. A mixed performance, and as it turns out Madison will squeeze them out of the Top 12.

Glassmen – A nice performance. After years of just not getting the Glassmen, I didn’t feel the urge to run out for popcorn. No major surprises or twists from West Chester. I struck me that with all the balloons they released, they should have attached postcards or something on them to encourage people to go to the cinema tonight! (There's the marketing side of me again.)

Star of Indiana – I mention them because they showed a clip from 1991 when talking about the move to Bloomington. I love Star. I miss Star. But Star has been gone so long that the kids in the audience don’t remember or care.

Blue Stars – This is the new Star (of Indiana, as I hear they rehearse there!). I liked the nice visual sat the end, and of course Delucia was happy they used a real bike! It was better, and it was nice to hear the concept explained, but in the end (to me at least) it was still a nice band show.

Boston Crusaders – Very nice! This show, "Neocosmos", reminded me of their 2000 presentation, when their performance of "Red" (my favorite BAC show!) moved them up three positions from Quarterfinals 7th to Finals 5th. This is a great foundation to build on, and they better re-sign that visual designer before another corps snaps him (or her) up. I am cheering form them to move higher, as I think they down the ability.

It's halftime ... where is the football game?

Blue Knights – What more can be said. My seat neighbor said he doesn’t like high concept shows. I said I don’t mind high concept shows if there is a point to the concept. I’m glad BK is around and has flourished and that they have kids participating. In the end that is what really matters. But as a show, this was my least favorite of the year. The Crusaders should be here.

Bluecoats – In a nutshell, this show really re-energized the crowd! But again, I could not tell if the narration used in Murfreesboro was taken out or “blacked out” by a system failure. This time it was there at the end, but not at the beginning. I wish I could have seen the final product. Nice touch with the boxing uniforms, though!

Santa Clara Vanguard – I liked this show again, and to my neighbor that this is how “high concept” should be executed. The audience will give a lot of leeway if they can follow along, and “3hree” was just wonderfully well done. Band directors (and corps directors) who like high concept should take careful notes.

Cadets – I received a text message a few seconds before the show started to “Watch for a new ending.” There was no new ending. There was an amputation of the previous ending. I texted back: "No no no no no!" Yes, the show was more powerful at the end, but this version just added to the confusion that many complained about with the narration. I liked the narration if the story works. To me the Cadets were almost there ... almost ... and then … sigh. George explained the tortuous process well to the audience, at least. I hope they got it and at least appreciated the attempt.

Carolina Crown – The corps close to my heart just played there own hearts out. Just beautiful sound, well executed visuals, and an inspiration to many. Looking back, they are just focused on doing drum corps as the audience wants it: familiar sounds in a new mix, comfortable visuals with some sparkling delights, and all of it well done. All the “high concept” corps should take note!

Phantom Regiment – I am officially impressed! No, I AM SPARTACUS!! The last half of the show is just utter “wow!” My scribbled notes at the time said if they translate that performance to the first half and sustain it throughout, they will win! And while I love my corps (Carolina Crown), if they cannot win, then this corps is now definately the one that I am pulling for. This may be 3rd or 2nd tonight, but this show can keep going. Will they have enough time is the question.

Cavaliers – How do you argue with the execution (of the show, not the samurai warrior!)? It is clean and powerful but lacks that … well, something. I said it was in 1st tonight, but the other Illinois corps is gaining fast on them.

Blue Devils – In Murfreesboro they were cruising but not coasting. But I think this is going to catch up to them. The top three are very tight. The show is not jazz-boring, but they are playing defense now. I left the cinema wondering if there were just a few Blue Devils tricks up their sleeves, or if they can just hold out for two more days. I actuall put this show in 2nd tonight, maybe 3rd.

Friday, August 8 - On the Computer Screen

I watched snippets here and there throughout the day, hoping Jersey Surf would pull out the upset in Open Class (it turns out that job fell to the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets), which I predicted to a friend with a bit of hope for the evening show as well!). But it is band camp concert night, so we went and then rushed home for the Top 4, which we watched by hooking up the webcast to the TV. (Definitely an argument for the big screen!)

Carolina Crown – Again, dynamic and fun! It seems they are firmly in 4th, happily and deservedly so. Depending on their return rate in kids and staff, and how they extend the franchise of the past two years, this corps can be in the top 3 or at #1 very, very soon.

Phantom Regiment – Can they eeek out a few extra fractions of a point? I think they can. And when this night is over, so do the judges, putting them in second. Tonight’s show was definitely better than last nights, with the corps settling down a bit and giving us non-stop drama (and so much so that the cameras were used throughout the warm up, with no “commercial break” between corps). The anticipation built from the time the conductor was wheeled on the field, and they just never stopped. Never. Stopped. This is why it is called momentum!

Cavaliers – They continue to execute well, but my small living room audience was not nearly as excited as they were after the Regiment. There just isn’t that much juice to squeeze anymore.

Blue Devils – Don’t look now, but the Illinois corps to worry about isn’t the one from Rosemont, but Rockford.

Saturday, August 9 - Patiently Waiting ...

I – AM SPARTACUS! Congratulations to the 2008 Phantom Regiment on your first sole possession DCI World Championship!!

And to think that I just about called this early on ... (see "Melting My Definant Heart" on May 7)!

Go West! (A Review of Westminster, MD)

MP did the Cadets' Music is Cool! event again this year, the shorter (1/2 day) pre-band camp edition. Today is a bit of a sacrifice for them, less than a week before finals with a lot of cleaning to do.

Last year I was a bit of a helicopter parent at the event. This year I had to make myself hang back a bit. However, as before, he seemed to enjoy the experience, although there wasn't as much field time, there were at least more kids ("Twenty mellophones this time, not four").

The show itself featured five corps and a bonus.

The Troopers are America's Corps, and persist at the World Class level. Organizationally, I question if that is the right place for them. I think they need a chance to bring back some of the winning tradition, and creatively what they put on the field was a nice Open Class show. The Troopers displayed some humor, which was unexpected but pleasant to see. This corps faces design challenges just by being, well, the Troopers. There is the iconic image and musical style, and the familiar sunburst and "Ghost Riders", that at least this year they worked into a program about the old west railroads, or "The Iron Horse Express." I guess I lost my senses, though, in scoring. I said 76, MP said 89.65 ("Too generous", he said after the show), and the judges went with a more accurate 81.10.

Although I didn't realize it at the time, I think the Crossmen were the corps that was most "on" tonight. The gentlemen seated next to me - whose story made me appreciate the time with MP even more - remarked on the visual offering of the corps. Even from a few nights ago, the visuals were better, the guard was stronger, and the silks were well used at the end. I thought they improved to an 86, MP said 89.30, and the judges said 85.05 - still better than Thursday but not as good as Saturday. Go figure.

The Blue Stars were our fourth Blue corps this year, having seen the Devils and Knights twice and the 'Coats once already. It looks like 1/3 of the top 12 will be Blue this year, with this one bringing a splash of yellow. I was asked by a friend for an instant impression, and it ws that this was the best band show of the year. Maybe that's a compliment? Although the opening sound and visuals were strong, I don't think the concept was executed as well as envisioned. I could not tell whether it wanted to be literal (which is was too confusing to be) or conceptual (which it was to specific to be). I was actually disappointed in a way, given that the "race" run by the Tarpon Springs HS Band at the Bands of America Grand Nationals several years ago was better executed. Maybe Kevin Ford, who was the designer behind Tarpon Springs (as well as Carolina Crown's "Stormworks" and "Chess ... and the Art of Strategy" that propeled the corps into the top 12), "re-cycled" a bit. My seating neighbor liked it, commenting on the more subtle body movements corps are employing these days. (But he was not a big fan of the Cadets' narration, so sometimes change only goes so far!) I said 89, MP said 91.23 (where he gets the precise fractions is not from me!), and the judges were less impressed: 87.90.

How do you find fault with a 95? How do you find fault when you finally get to see "your kids" win a show outright against top corps? Carolina Crown had a strong Allentown finish, but seemed to try to give this show away tonight. They seemed "off" (was it the lights? was it the sound?) enough that a fan a few seats away commented, "They seemed flat tonight." Maybe they were just tired, and were just getting past releasing some of the pent of tension of the weekend. The sound was clear, but it seemed to me the corps was afraid of the field, as if the corps before them said as they walked on, "Psst - watch out for the divots ... pass it on!"). I marked them down a bit, to 95, MP said 95.2, and the judges went with 95.15. A winner, but not as winning as last week.

The Cadets, as I noted to open this post, made a rehearsal sacrifice for the Music is Cool program. Maybe that had an impact, or maybe, like Carolina Crown, they were just off their game a bit after Allentown and realizing the organization seemed to shift gears to 2009 this past week. Quite frankly, they had a better rehearsal than performance. The impact points the design staff is writing in made better sense - I see even more clearly where they are going - but the timing was off (with another sabre drop that had been hit at every run through I saw that afternoon), and the ending is not quite yet ... "snapping" ... with some lost emotion from before. I suspect they'll get there by Saturday, but "there" is probably not where they really wanted to be. I said 94, MP said 94.50, and the judges said 93.9.

The bonus corps was The Commandant's Own, the U.S. Marines Drum & Bugle Corps. I remember every year they would do a nightly performance at the Texas State Fair, and every year when I went to the fair I would plan to be "on the 50 yard line" of the small performance venue. There were much as I remembered, and with music from Shostakovitch to Souza, from Jersey (Boys) to Malaguena, this corps (also founded in 1934 and celebrating a diamond anniversary next year) reminded us of all of some of the traditions of drum corps.

A quick note about the venue. I must say the Westminster HS Band Boosters were well organized hosts, and this is probably the best high school stadium for watching marching music that I have been to in Maryland!

This is the end of my 2008 live reviews. The corps now go west to Bloomington, but I'll stay home in Maryland. However, I'll get to watch on the big cinema screen on Thursday night, and on Friday at our neighbor's house where they are hosting a big screen webcast. Music is cool - and how cool is that!

A Family Affair (A Review of West Chester)

This is the show the entire family looked forward to attending! "Our" favorite corps, Carolina Crown, was there. We were there when this baby was born, and of course even after 19 years we want to see how our kids are doing!

Also, this show allowed us to see another teenager: Jersey Surf, featuring several teens from the high school band including my neighbor a few doors down. Although the theme of the show is about the "Jersey Surf ... So Far" (in their growth, as they prepare for the 2009 step to World Class), I didn't really get it. But, in this case, that's okay. Whatever they were trying to do, they did it well. The horn line played strongly, and the color guard was engaging with skilled performers. I wrote 87, scratched it and wrote 88, but the judges said 86.35. Whatever the score, if you get the chance, catch the wave!

In 1992 in this stadium on a relative cold and damp July night, this San Antonio, Texas, native boy volunteering on tour with Carolina Crown fell in love again with a group introduced as, "From West Chester, Pennsylvania, The Crossmen"! That year was the first of three exploring planet earth. This year, I came to West Chester to see the San Antonio boys (and girls) take on "Planet X". From the opening notes, it was apparent that the World Class level corps had arrived. The new take on the popular "Planets" of Gustav Holst was unique, and was well performed. The corps seemed a bit compacted in the drill, and until the end it lacked some color. But they ended postiviely (it was evident that was well learned) and the crowd was satisfied. I said 85 and the judges marked 84.60, so no surprises there. Well, maybe one: Bones - guardian of the Crossmen family secrets - did not mysteriously appear backfield in the old home turf ...

The Glassmen then brought their "Carnival" to the field, and for the first time in a long time (probably since the Moody Blues show) I enjoyed what I was seeing from this corps! The show was lighthearted but not done lightly, and the audience (and all my kids) connected with what was going on. (Caveat: The audience also was a good bit of high school band campers.) The show was visually effective, and though the body work did nothing for me, the use of balloons (I won't give it away) was neat and was about as effective as when Suncoast Sound released one (1!) in 1984 without being as cheesy as when the Sky Ryders went over the top with "Over the Rainbow" in 1982. I said 87, and the judges said 87.40. But there was a twist ...

... as tonight, they beat the Blue Knights (given an 85.90 by the judges and an 88.50 by me). I reviewed them nearly a week ago, and nothing much changed except my perspective. Being a bit closer to the field, I saw and heard some really talented kids out there on the field. What they have been subjected to in terms of design, however, really wasted that potential. I thought there were a bit better than the Glassmen because of that, but the judges did not agree.

Now, the feast - Carolina Crown! What was the difference? A week ago they were just staring to hit their stride in performance. Now, they are in it! The kids are clearly enjoying their show and performing it, and they still have room to improve and seem to want to do so to get this show to "Finis" at just the right time - Saturday night, August 9! I am still amazed by the brass line, and look forward to seeing them all over again in just a few days. Yes, I'm partial, but ... if you disagree, at least check them out. A well done classic, with a twist! The judges said 2nd (as did I), and gave a 93.80 (as I nearly did, marking an 93.50). Sentimental favorites, yes - all my kids are Carolinians. But they deserved it tonight!

The Blue Devils performed next, and are clearly in championship mode as well. They are not coasting, but definitely cruising, and expect to knock out a few points here and there. While lacking the audience "wow!" and punch of Carolina Crown, they nonetheless leave you knowing why they are still in the lead to this point. I gave them first with a 1.5 lead over Carolina Crown, but the judges narrowed that gap to 1.05 (scoring 94.85). It will be interesting to see what happens when Phantom Regiment and the Cavaliers rejoin that mix.

The host Cadets (who just announced a "name change" on their website) are better. But they are not their best. The score, 92.90, is closing on Carolina Crown (less than a point) but reflects the relative difference, just as comparing Carolina Crown and the Blue Devils. The impact points are developing, now that the storyline is better told (although someone who had seen an earlier edition in Clifton remarked that it seemed to be "trite" now). There is better use of the guard, and the audience really wants to like the show because of this. (You could tell by the audible "aww" at a dropped sabre - there was a cheer just begging to come out!)

This show is about family, when you get right down to it, but there was a lot of clutter early that is still being refined. I almost would drop the stage (but how can you at this point?) and let the corps and guard (which, as an afterthought, seemed like an afterthought) supplement the narration. I can see and hear elements indicating this show should really kick into gear in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.

Unfortunately, they - and we - have only 1.

It was a nice night for families, corps and neighbors and friends! My kids seemed to enjoy the performances, and I am sure tomorrow (I am posting my own thoughts first at 0200 on 8/1/08) I will have some reactions (and maybe a visual image or two) to edit in.