G7 (part 1) - background and qualifications

This post is "inside ball." If you follow drum corps intently in the off-season, you don't need more in the headline. If you don't, well, some very recent and public "differences of opinion."

On one side, you have the G7 (aka Blue Devils, Bluecoats, Cadets, Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment and Santa Clara Vanguard) position, which you can read at any of their websites; here's a link to one. The position of DCI you can read here; I know the non-G7 have positions that may or may not be official or public.

And ... I guess I have one as well. And ... it is mine alone. But I first need to get out some background and caveats.

I have a deep personal tie to 2 of the G7. I was there in 1990 right at the start of Carolina Crown (though not the original organization, the Charlotte Drum Corps Association). I served in a number of volunteer capacities both in working (occasional driver, show announcer, NightBEAT committee) and in board leadership (Treasurer, VP, President) positions. I have not been deeply involved for about 10 years or so, however; health, family and relocation took my focus. Officially, I am on the advisory board, which is - of course - a very unofficial role.

This corps is close to my heart. I remember early struggles to get into shows, to raise money, to be judicious in our spending, but most of all to judge success on two planes: (1) Did the kids have a good experience?, and (2) Can we - and what can we do to - offer the same or better experience next year? I had the honor of putting the feelings of the leadership into the mission statement. You see it everywhere in the organization. It, and the two items above, are the secret sauce to its success over the years.

The other corps is the Cadets. During the YEA! corps years I served as the Carolina Crown representative to the board. I have kept my relationship with them through the USSBA, where I have volunteered and served as an announcer. I was an early believer in the YEA! corps concept, and believe that it could have been successful if we had been able to maintain our board's focus on non-instructional/creative areas.

For a brief time I also served on the Marketing Committee of DCI, and have long maintained an interest in innovations designed to improve the educational and performance value for the kids, and bring people into the stands. Some may say the evolution of the former has led to the decline of the latter ... I'll get to that.

Now, outside of the G7, I have a son who has a place in a fast rising corps, the Blue Stars. I would never let one of my kids go to any corps that I did not believe had a strong program and infrastructure. In fact, I encouraged him to take a position with that corps over another, even if it is an alternate position right now.

In summary, as background, I believe in Carolina Crown, in the Cadets and their scholastic band program USSBA, and I believe in the Blue Stars. I believe that marching music has an impact on people's lives.

In one of the next posts (probably closer to when everyone meets in the board room and on the competitive field in Minneapolis), I'll give some thoughts.

The Quintessential Eight

Now that fall is over, we can start planning our summer. That's right, the 2010 tour schedule is out! Something to be thankful for!

Since it is Thanksgiving, in addition to food, family, a job, a home, I am thankful for this country, for its music, and marching music in particular - America's unique contribution to music, right up there with jazz. (Well, and a host of composers, too.)

Now that we can start making some summer plans, how do you introduce the wonderful world of marching music to a "newbie"? I like to take them to a drum corps show. And with the schedule now out, you can plan your trips this summer, too!

But what if you can't drag them to a show? What if you had 2 hours to show them what marching music is, and has become since they probably last tuned in. (You know, it's like trying to describe the marvels of HDTV to somehow who last watched on a 13" black and white.)

Accepting the premise (and I don't do that) that drum corps is the way to go, since there are literally thousands of high school marching band shows to choose from a year, and video is relatively accessible, what do you choose?

Here are my Quintessential Eight ... the two hours of drum corps I would use, for better or worse. And I tried to choose a corps only once, knowing that there are probably better shows they have done since the show I selected. That's the beauty of opinion.

So, in date order ...

8. 1983 Cadets - because from then on, the genre changed.

7. 1988 Madison Scouts - from start to finish, the power of the music and the drill, sans props and storylines. It is the building block for not forgetting that "the basics" matter and can carry the day if done right. And, from what I read, it seems that the Scouts are going back to basics now nearly 20 years later.

6. 1992 Velvet Knights - because performance should be fun! (Okay, okay, substitute the 1980 Bridgemen, if you must.)

5. 1993 Star of Indiana - because the genre changed again.

4. 1999 Santa Clara Vanguard - The copycat 90's ended with this championship performance. The musical variety: Philip Glass's minimalist "The Canyon"? Samuel Barber's "2nd" and "1st"? Frank Ticheli's jazzy "Blue Shades"? Oh yeaahhh. This show was just sheer performance - guard, brass AND percussion. The kalidoscopic drill AND body movement. "Vanguard!" Truthfully, SCV isn't my "favorite" corps, but I probably have collectively more favorite performances from them than about any other.

3. 2002 Cavaliers - 99.15. How much closer to perfection can you get?

2. 2007 (or 2009) Carolina Crown - Fans loved these shows. From a storyline perspective, the 2007 storyline was more captivating from the outset. (Typical response from viewers: "That was just 6th place?!") So, select what you will.

1. 2008 Phantom Regiment - Because a champion can come from behind to capture the points as well as the crowd, and because from the moment they stepped out of the tunnel, the performance was on and complete.

What?! I left off the Blue Devils*? Yup. And others. So, your turn.

* (Top 10? Okay - add 2000 Boston Crusaders and Blue Devils ... 1983 ... or 1992 ... or 1994 ... or the risky 1998. Or, what if we have to cut the list to the Top 4 from the 2000s because "I'm only giving you an hour" - oh, never mind.)

Reflections of Brillance

The band did well under Saturday - oops - Sunday Night Lights! They went in seeded 18th and tied for 15th, breaking 85 and earning a bronze level recognition from the NJA-TOB circuit. Quite honestly, I believe they could have done better, but were done in a bit by a later start than they probably needed for a show with technical and musical complexity above what they were used to, and somewhat by the entire seeding and qualifying point spread.

The technical side was interesting for me, given that the show was written by two drum corps veterans, Marty McCartt and Bill Register, that were there with me at the beginning of Carolina Crown (if you want to see and hear a Florida band's version, click here.) and was clinic-ed (not sure that is a word) by a long time drum corps veteran.

Still, maybe it is parental bias, but I am certain the show was well performed - and the duet by MP was near flawless and brillantly played!

Looking at the scores, Chesapeake HS, another (smaller) area band I did not get to see at finals but saw several times throughout the season, didn't get nearly the recognition they deserved, finishing 20th with what really was most likely a top 10 show. This band is small but consistently delivering a good product (and program).

Strangely, I didn't see anything that grabbed me this time, although the better bands demonstrated superior technical marching achievement that goes with repetition and muscle training. Music was good and excellent, but not always spectacular. Among the top 10, the multi-meter piece "The Canyon" by Philip Glass (as brought to the field in 1999 by Santa Clara Vanguard) was attempted three times. My bias is showing - this show is in my "Quintessential 8" of all time, and so it is hard for bands to reach the acheivement level demonstrated by SCV. (Surfing I found his composition "The Witches of Venice" ... will a band try that?)

The season isn't over yet. They have one more event, but it is under the sunlight on Saturday at the USSBA national championships. We'll see how it all ends then.

Finally - Friday Night Lights! (A Review of the DCI Masters in Murfreesboro)

This week it was Friday Night Lights at the DCI Masters in Murfreesboro, Tennessee!

This is my first actual show of the season, and my first chance to attend this "Top 8" event. And, for the first time in this blog, I'll publish a Review that I have given to friends via e-mail. This will be fun, too, as I include comments by my oldest son, who offers his perspective as a (near) 16 year old band member. I call him "MP" as in Mellophone Player!

There are a lot of good seats in this venue. We sat in Club level seats, but if I had to do it again I’d come down to section RR, between rows 15-20. That is just high enough to see, but just close enough for impact.

Performing first were the Blue Knights. MP noticed three drum majors. I noticed – the “band”. The performance was … good. There were nice BK/Ron Nelson licks with the signature silks ("Amazing Grace" was nice and colorful) and some well-done drill, but to me the design was a guard show with horns. MP said 8^th, and as did I with an 86-87. That was generous. The judges gave an 84.400.

After this show I corrected MP’s slip of the purist tongue when he called BK a band. He has been to shows before, but really this was the first time I think he was being discerning. I said, however, that it was my opinion that he had seen “A good band, but not a good corps.” “How so?” he asked. “Just keep watching.” We didn’t have to wait long.

Santa Clara Vanguard brought “3hree: Mind, Body and Soul” to the field. The concept was well integrated and executed, musically and visually. Opening with challenging music and drill and some cool visual tricks with the uniform (mind), they phased into a more aggressive segment with a lot of kinetic movement (body) and then closed with driving yet emotional music (soul). MP got the difference in design and execution.

I had not seen SCV in a while, and it was cool to explain some of the traditions that link the shows. MP’s favorite show he has marched is “Phantom of the Opera”, and we saw traditions connecting 2008 with 1988. I said 5^th with a 91 (.3!), and MP said 6^th. The judges did not share our view – 7^th with 87.475.

The Bluecoats neatly integrated their show into the warm up and Brandt Crocker’s introduction. But they didn’t’ deliver "The Knockout" they were hoping for, because part way through a show heavily dependent on narration, the sound system failed, exposing a weakness in a show that could no longer carry under its own musical and visual power. A single engine fly-over during the choral voices didn’t help. MP commented on the battery’s (particularly the bass drums) integration into the visual boxing ring, saying, “I thought that was unique.” We said 7^th, but the judges said 6th, scoring 88.200 (to my 90).

Unlike SCV’s thematic execution, this Blue (the only one missing tonight was the Stars!) made you focus too much on the boxer, afraid you would miss something, with the end result being that you probably did anyway. By contrast, you keep looking all over the field to see how SCV brings 3hree to you in a new way. I guess that’s my “GE” bias showing; I’m sure the technical aspects are showing up in the recap.

I saw the Cadets practice live, and was looking forward to the performance. However, this seemed "off" from what I had watched earlier this month (see July 6th post). Extensive rewrites were apparent as the script, music, visuals and colors seemed disconnected right from the start. Mr. Crocker even seemed confused (as opposed to when he introduced the Bluecoats) and I think the audience felt the same throughout the first half of the show. By the time the corps clicked (“snapped?!”) into gear with the “Wall Street” section the audience had changed from WCDT to another station, reflected in the flat reaction at the end. The wink was a nice addition, but I almost missed it as there were two focal points. Are the Cadets trying to do too much? I don’t think so. But they have to sort out what they are trying to do. I said 6^th with 91, MP 5^th. The judges about agreed; 5^th with a 90.825.

I really anticipated the Phantom Regiment’s "Spartacus" (see May 7) and I was not disappointed! Sometimes we are let down when something we remember nostalgically (1982, my first show ever) is not relived. Phantom didn’t try to recreate so much as reinvent the show. The design innovations of the last 25 years were clear, and I sense more (color?!) is coming in the next two weeks. This show has not peaked!

MP really got into the show, seeing the difference in design and execution. “I am Spartacus!” he shouted! So did I, and we agreed on a 4^th place and 92. The judges, it turned out, said 3^rd with a 93.200.

And if they were third, and that means Carolina Crown was 4^th. But having been there at the start of the corps 19 years ago, they are always first in my heart! When I heard the on the phone show (see July 6th) I could not quite see where the visual would be going. Now, with the total package, it was just a lot of fun – a classic with a nice twist!

But, okay, maybe fun like cotton candy. Tastes great, associated with nice memories, but not really filling. Regardless, the fans ate it up like, well, cotton candy. MP and I talked about how they followed the classic emotional ride: start and build, slow a bit (the brass choir in the "Clair de Lune" classic with a "West Side Story" twist was angelic and crystal clear), then push on to an “up” finish. I said 3^rd with a 92.5, MP said 2^nd, and the judges said 4^th at 92.625. I didn’t think Phantom Regiment had caught them tonight, but I won’t disagree with the placement.

But, when fans down front unrolled big banner with the words “Oh Yeah Baby!” you had to agree. MP, biased toward all things Carolina, especially this corps, said “I definitely loved it! I loved the way they incorporated 'Finis' into everything they do, such as the ripples where everyone was doing the same thing until it got to the end, where they do something just a bit different!” Yup. He's catching on.

The "Green Machine" took an abstract concept and made it work. It wasn’t a distinct story but a clear theme, Samauri, and was very engaging. I found the audio effects fascinating, but MP said, “The best part was the drill, with the body work and the jumping. I can’t wait to see them again!” I didn't quite feel the same way, but I still said 2^nd with a 93.5. MP said 1^st, and the judges put the second place score at 93.275, a sliver above.

If I say a show was “conventional yet unique” you’d probably say, “That’s absurd!” That’s the Blue Devils, with their absurdity show. Again, an abstract concept well executed, with visual “sparks” throughout. “I don’t know,” said MP, “I liked the guard and the sticks.” But during the performance he whispered a thought to me that showed me his appreciation of how the corps uses the “sound of silence”.

At the end, before the scores were announced, MP said that we should rank the corps that really got people out of their seats. That was great way to think about the show! I said Phantom Regiment, SCV, Carolina Crown and the Cavaliers. MP agreed with 1 and 4, but thought Crown was above Vanguard. (What a homer!)

... ...

We get to see six of the top 12 again in a few days in West Chester, and I will offer thoughts on that show as well as my final live-in-the-stadium event of 2008, Westminister. Is this what was meant by, "Go west, young man!" I hope so!

Hey, but if you haven't been able to get to a show yet, never fear! Click on the link below! And if you don't get to that, never fear. It will be reviewed too!

It's enough to make a grown man cry

Marching music has a few standard descriptors used for the uninitiated (or unconverted!), one being "Broadway on a Football Field." Last night we again scurried up to NJ - four of us on this trip - to snag a train into The City that Never Sleeps to see Phantom of the Opera at its home for 20+ years, the Majestic Theater on Broadway. (No football fields in sight, unless you count my glimpse of the Meadowlands in the distance!)

Phantom has been featured many times on a football field, from Santa Clara Vanguard in 1988 to Severna Park HS in 2008 (see photo far upper right). But occasionally we band geeks need to go back to the source of the inspiration. And I was, well, inspired!

First, Howard McGillin, the Phantom ... ohhhh, my. What -- a -- voice. He made this grown man cry. (Our group had a little connection to the cast, as the current Christine went to school with one of our directors.)

Second, when constrained by an 9 to 11 minute time limit in a show, some music gets left on the design room floor. We band geeks forget that other music is supercool ... I appreciated again Notes/Prima Donna, and on the train home wondered how that sound and music (especially with the 6/8 feel) could be conveyed on the football field.

Third, while shows I've first seen or music I've first heard on the football field (far too many to list) have sent me to the original, there is a reason to return from the familiar to see and hear the original compositions as they were meant to be performed. The visual effects were dynamic! We forget that while our stage is, in essence, a 110 x 55 yard canvas, the limitations of the theater require a lot of creativity as well.

But, really, what struck me was a question asked of a few of the cast members our group was fortunate enough to have some Q&A time with after the show (arranged via our cast connection and a contribution to Broadway Cares). Some of the cast have been in the show almost as long as the kids have been alive, you see; and even those who haven't are still performing the show night after night after night. It was asked, "How do you keep it fresh, night after night, year after year?"

These weren't the exact words, but this is what I remember: "Sometimes it is like a job, and you wake up and you think, I really don't want to do this again tonight. But then you remember that someone in the audience has never seen this before, and someone else may have seen it 12 times. You have to give them what they came for, what they are paying for - a performance, from you. They are giving you something, and you give back. It's all about the performance."

Last fall I told my son, "You guys are hitting the notes, and hitting the sets, but you are not yet performing." I hope, after last night, he "got" what I've been saying. Perform! And one day it will hit you just how utterly cool it is that someone is going to want to actually give you money to perform what you absolutely love to do, day in and day out, for 20 or 30 or 40 years.

Whether it is music or not, when Dads can help sons learn that, well ... it's enough to make a grown man cry.

No sound and pictures with this post

That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
- The Who, Pinball Wizard

This past week I've spent recovering from the wonderful flu bug I picked up during my trip to Tampa. I just wanted to close my eyes. I just wanted to shut my ears.

Unless you're a bot, you're a human, and as a human likely blessed with all five senses, you have probably asked yourself, "Would I rather be deaf, or blind?" Marching music - the with storyboard and soundtracks noted before - how do you choose?

Band and drum corps has opened my ears to all types of music I would not have listened to before, and composers I've never heard of, sending me to the record store in search of "the original" hours after hearing it on the field (Star of Indiana, 1993). My iTunes has some drum corps on it, but if you count the originals, probably more than even I expect.

With ears only I can hear my kids, talk to them, really listen (do we all really listen?), and listen to any future grand kids as they come careening toward me wanting to celebrate, as my youngest puts it, "Hop on Pop Week!"

With my eyes, however, I can see the music that I may or may not know. I may not be able to hear it, but I will feel it in the pulses and rhythms, see it in the kids faces as they suddenly discover the difference between playing and performing, and witness the silent victory at the end of the show of their lives.

Of course, then there was NightBEAT, Charlotte, North Carolina, 1999, after intermission. Carolina Crown. Santa Clara Vanguard. Blue Devils. The Cadets. The performance of a lifetime for one. 98.0, 98.1 and 98.2 for the other three. The memory of the sights and sounds of that night ...

... still render me speechless.