Pushing the Envelope

[longhorn2190]

Marching band is always evolving. Before we had straight military marches and straight lines. Then we got curved lines and played almost exclusively to the press box side. We also now have sound boards, and most notably, props on the field. Props started with a few well funded bands, and now hundreds of bands use props. This year, Marcus experimented with lights on uniforms and on colorguard equipment.

What do you think will be the next innovation in marching band? Videos? Utilizing stadium lights/videoboards? Of course, it will start with high up, well funded and successful bands like Marcus or Avon first, but then it will start to trickle into common usage, just like props did.

[TxRaider13]

  longhorn2190 said:

Marching band is always evolving. Before we had straight military marches and straight lines. Then we got curved lines and played almost exclusively to the press box side. We also now have sound boards, and most notably, props on the field. Props started with a few well funded bands, and now hundreds of bands use props. This year, Marcus experimented with lights on uniforms and on colorguard equipment.

What do you think will be the next innovation in marching band? Videos? Utilizing stadium lights/videoboards? Of course, it will start with high up, well funded and successful bands like Marcus or Avon first, but then it will start to trickle into common usage, just like props did.

 

 

If I had it my way, props wouldn't be used at all, and videos/lighting is something else I would be against, but thats just me I guess I would rather watch the bands and listen than have some oversized prop or the lights going out...How would you judge that?

[Mark9500]

Already thinking how to use large video monitors. Its easy to use projection now, up to Movie Screen size. Just have to make sure it's bright enough to be seen.

[longhorn2190]

  TxRaider13 said:

If I had it my way, props wouldn't be used at all, and videos/lighting is something else I would be against, but thats just me I guess I would rather watch the bands and listen than have some oversized prop or the lights going out...How would you judge that?

GE would just have to weigh more heavily...maybe combine it with marching score for an over all visual score? Of course, this would have to be in a good few years where a majority of bands operated like that.

[king_leonides]

Of course, a good follow-on question may be this: are these innovations a good thing? Not all change is improvement. Are we really better off, because of the innovations? For example, do the soundboards really add to the audio experience? In some cases, perhaps. But in many cases, show designers have come to rely on them too heavily. I can think of several shows I have seen in recent years, where the soundboard effects have ruined the show.

 

And props? I can think of several shows where the props have detracted from the show. They function as a giant distraction, and do not add to the overall experience. You look at the prop, and ask yourself: What the heck is that thing for? Then you spend the next 10 minutes debating this in your mind, while ignoring the rest of the show.

 

Perhaps the best example of both of these problems would be Spirit's 2010 show. It relied heavily on both electronics and props. And it was unbearable. Hate to say it, but that was one of my least favorite DBC shows in recent years. It was a giant disappointment, from a corps that I have come to love over the years. And I can name several other examples, at both the band and drum corps levels, where this is true.

 

In all fairness, there have been decent uses of electronics. I like the Cavalier's use of them in the 2010 show. I actually thought that was the best DBC show last year, but that wasn't the judge's opinion last August. Regardless, their electronics added to the show concept, rather than subtracted from it.

[Bandlover]

  king_leonides said:

Of course, a good follow-on question may be this: are these innovations a good thing? Not all change is improvement. Are we really better off, because of the innovations? For example, do the soundboards really add to the audio experience? In some cases, perhaps. But in many cases, show designers have come to rely on them too heavily. I can think of several shows I have seen in recent years, where the soundboard effects have ruined the show.

 

And props? I can think of several shows where the props have detracted from the show. They function as a giant distraction, and do not add to the overall experience. You look at the prop, and ask yourself: What the heck is that thing for? Then you spend the next 10 minutes debating this in your mind, while ignoring the rest of the show.

 

Perhaps the best example of both of these problems would be Spirit's 2010 show. It relied heavily on both electronics and props. And it was unbearable. Hate to say it, but that was one of my least favorite DBC shows in recent years. It was a giant disappointment, from a corps that I have come to love over the years. And I can name several other examples, at both the band and drum corps levels, where this is true.

 

In all fairness, there have been decent uses of electronics. I like the Cavalier's use of them in the 2010 show. I actually thought that was the best DBC show last year, but that wasn't the judge's opinion last August. Regardless, their electronics added to the show concept, rather than subtracted from it.

[Bandlover]

  king_leonides said:

Of course, a good follow-on question may be this: are these innovations a good thing? Not all change is improvement. Are we really better off, because of the innovations? For example, do the soundboards really add to the audio experience? In some cases, perhaps. But in many cases, show designers have come to rely on them too heavily. I can think of several shows I have seen in recent years, where the soundboard effects have ruined the show.

 

And props? I can think of several shows where the props have detracted from the show. They function as a giant distraction, and do not add to the overall experience. You look at the prop, and ask yourself: What the heck is that thing for? Then you spend the next 10 minutes debating this in your mind, while ignoring the rest of the show.

 

Perhaps the best example of both of these problems would be Spirit's 2010 show. It relied heavily on both electronics and props. And it was unbearable. Hate to say it, but that was one of my least favorite DBC shows in recent years. It was a giant disappointment, from a corps that I have come to love over the years. And I can name several other examples, at both the band and drum corps levels, where this is true.

 

In all fairness, there have been decent uses of electronics. I like the Cavalier's use of them in the 2010 show. I actually thought that was the best DBC show last year, but that wasn't the judge's opinion last August. Regardless, their electronics added to the show concept, rather than subtracted from it.