Marching- get back to basics

[txquietone]

Why can't we get back to basics on marching band shows. It seems like everything now has to be a Broadway production. let's get back to good old precision marching without all the extra cheesy glitz.

[longhornsax]

Might as well get back to military style while we're at it

[TxRaider13]

  txquietone said:

Why can't we get back to basics on marching band shows. It seems like everything now has to be a Broadway production. let's get back to good old precision marching without all the extra cheesy glitz.

 

 

I agree, but thats b/c I'm not a prop person. I like the guard and music telling the story or painting the pictures, not some over sized prop that shrinks the field, but I guess if it works why change. But I think the days of no props, and always moving/playing/changing forms is going away. But thats me, I like the old school always changing forms while playing

Edited November 4, 2010 by TxRaider13

[NickRC]

First of all I don't get why UIL puts more emphasis on Musicallity when its MARCHING band.

I'd rather see amazing marching with good music than horrific marching and great music

*cough* Queen City *cough * cough *

[king_leonides]

  txquietone said:

Why can't we get back to basics on marching band shows. It seems like everything now has to be a Broadway production. let's get back to good old precision marching without all the extra cheesy glitz.

 

If you take that mentality, and design a show for BOA, you would get creamed. You would end up with virtually no scores in GE. You could still do well in visual and music education, but in general effect - you would get smoked.

 

Since most of the top programs in Texas compete in BOA, they have to put on "Broadway productions", to use your terminology. What you saw the past 5 days at the Alamodone is, by and large, the result of the BOA/DCI/DCA scoring system, which weighs heavily on GE. We can debate all day about the merits of that scoring system, but until the scoring system changes, the shows won't.

 

I personally think that some show designers have indeed gone too far, in order to earn GE points. I agree with you there. I think that GE should be part of the scoring sheets for all contests, including UIL. (Right now, it is included implicitly, not explicitly.)

 

But can a show designer overdo it, in his attempt to win over the GE judges? Absolutely. And I think that is what you are concerned about.

[NewMexicoBandsman]

I think anyone would prefer amazing marching and good music to horrific marching and great music, but that's not a fair statment. I would prefer amazing music and good marching to horrific music and great marching. (I've heard it before. Oboe soloist sharp as a tack .) overall its also marching BAND. I think that music is at least as important as marching, and I feel that most of the students on the field are musicians first, atheletes second.

  NickRC said:

First of all I don't get why UIL puts more emphasis on Musicallity when its MARCHING band.

I'd rather see amazing marching with good music than horrific marching and great music

*cough* Queen City *cough * cough *

[mrwood69]

  txquietone said:

Why can't we get back to basics on marching band shows. It seems like everything now has to be a Broadway production. let's get back to good old precision marching without all the extra cheesy glitz.

 

 

Okay well, when people start having more orgasms at Phantom Regiment 1956 than Phantom Regiment 2008 maybe we'll talk.

[takigan]

I don't think I've ever heard an amazing marching band that marches terribly, but if a band could sound like Marcus and get, say, a 3 in Marching, it would still be a very enjoyable show. I'd probably enjoy it more than a band that got straight 1's but couldn't make Area finals.

[mrt0106]

  NickRC said:

First of all I don't get why UIL puts more emphasis on Musicallity when its MARCHING band.

I'd rather see amazing marching with good music than horrific marching and great music

*cough* Queen City *cough * cough *

 

because you are in band to make music, you just happen to move at the same time. its marching BAND, so music should always be the most important part. Having good marching fundamentals and forms is important but music should always come before visual. bands that make great music generally do either well or great in the visual category also anyways

[NickRC]

  mrt0106 said:

because you are in band to make music, you just happen to move at the same time. its marching BAND, so music should always be the most important part. Having good marching fundamentals and forms is important but music should always come before visual. bands that make great music generally do either well or great in the visual category also anyways

 

No doubt music is important and it should be most important but the point I'm trying to make is that there are too many bands that get away with having great music and okay marching, and more so in the lower classifications like AA and A. Nonetheless the bands that win it all have the best of both and I think that's the most important to be able to be consistent with both marching and musicality.

[drummerjoe]

Society changes, and since Marching Band is supposed to be for the enjoyment of the public, it must also change to conform to the public's demand.

 

And the topic of Left-wing and Right-wing marching band is as simple as BOA vs. UIL.

[takigan]

  drummerjoe said:

Society changes, and since Marching Band is supposed to be for the enjoyment of the public, it must also change to conform to the public's demand.

 

Uh....if the "public" had their way all marching bands would look like this:

 

[mrt0106]

  NickRC said:

No doubt music is important and it should be most important but the point I'm trying to make is that there are too many bands that get away with having great music and okay marching, and more so in the lower classifications like AA and A. Nonetheless the bands that win it all have the best of both and I think that's the most important to be able to be consistent with both marching and musicality.

 

oh ok I get what you mean now. I totally agree with you on that

[drummerjoe]

  takigan said:

Uh....if the "public" had their way all marching bands would look like this:

 

 

Ok, that's taking what I'm saying a little to literally. I mean the "public" as in the modern educated band fan.

[TxRaider13]

  takigan said:

Uh....if the "public" had their way all marching bands would look like this:

 

 

That is only in the dirty south...Besides that area os the public has no clue what music actually is..here's a clue, NOT rap

[NewMexicoBandsman]

  takigan said:

Uh....if the "public" had their way all marching bands would look like this:

 

 

Nah, it'd just be endless repetition of the first four chords of Cannon in D on electric guitar. That's all pop music is, isn't it?

[mrwood69]

  takigan said:

Uh....if the "public" had their way all marching bands would look like this:

 

 

 

um, I would LOVE band if it was like that.

[TxRaider13]

  mrwood69 said:

um, I would LOVE band if it was like that.

 

 

LOL, are you trying to start a fire on here?

[katie.maiers]

  TxRaider13 said:

LOL, are you trying to start a fire on here?

 

I'm dead serious, if band was like that, I'd absolutely love it. And I'm not even black.

[NickRC]

  katie.maiers said:

I'm dead serious, if band was like that, I'd absolutely love it. And I'm not even black.

 

Why? Its cool yes for a movie, but its not marching.

[TxRaider13]

it's a way to get a bunch of people shaking their butts in the stands while playing rap!!! Not music, but RAP!!!!

[NickRC]

  TxRaider13 said:

it's a way to get a bunch of people shaking their butts in the stands while playing rap!!! Not music, but RAP!!!!

 

You know that being said I use to like that when I first saw Drumline but now that I'm in Marching band I realize now that, that is crap and goes against everything Texas Band Directors try to teach.

[TxRaider13]

I understand in the deep south and MEAC/SWAC conference it's tradition, but it is stupid...

[The Brass Messiah]

edit: oops forgot my main post, anyways, I like how marching band is right now, I think we should let the artists put as much work and money into it as they want.

 

ummm on a side not I counted 26 tubas in that band, the only band I can think of with close to that many is Allen. lol

Edited November 10, 2010 by The Brass Messiah

[mrwood69]

  TxRaider13 said:

it's a way to get a bunch of people shaking their butts in the stands while playing rap!!! Not music, but RAP!!!!

 

 

Exactly.