whitewing09 Posted November 17, 2012 Posted November 17, 2012 (edited) I was just listening to some Reagan 2003 and I was wondering, how would marching shows from the past compete against the shows in current years? Would Reagan 2003 have placed 2nd in this year's Gnat's lineup? What are the differences you see between previous shows and recent shows (besides the flashiness of props)? Is there anything musically different? Are shows getting harder? Edited November 17, 2012 by whitewing09 Quote
takigan Posted November 17, 2012 Posted November 17, 2012 It's tough to say....I mean first you have to establish what you mean by "Reagan 2003". Are you referring to the show that they put on the floor of the dome in Finals of that particular day being copied and pasted onto this years GN Finals field? Reagan 2003 is what it was on that very last performance in GN Finals in 2003 on the night it was held. The show might not have worked as effectively with the 2012 calendar (by that I mean how many days between day 1 of Summer Training and Finals Night @ GN), in terms of when the show would peak and what's being added/taken away with how many weeks are left. I mean the differences between the bands in Finals are that small to where something that simple could make a difference. If we're talking more generally though, I would say yes, it is possible. I think Spring 93 would have a little more trouble winning...though I do believe they would still make finals and maybe even Top 5. I don't think design has evolved too much since '03, but a LOT since '93. I don't think kids are working harder now than they did 10 or 20 years ago. Or let me say this...I think the bands at the middle of the pack are working harder and the shows we see even from the weakest bands are more elaborate, are more engaging and have gotten better at hiding their weaknesses. Not so much at the top. I think there's only so good you can get with the time that you have and the bands that have been winning it are kind of at a point of diminishing returns. I do think teachers have gotten better at cultivating results. Teaching staffs are larger for the majority of bands than they were 20 years ago...Schools are larger and wealthier, the bands are larger and there's more resources available to them; instructive and other-wise. More bands are outsourcing their show design to specialists than they were 20 years ago. Every aspect of teaching the band has gotten more specialized...much like drum corps. And those specialists know how to design towards the bands' strengths and have gotten very good at hiding their flaws. I do think show design has gotten very formulaic....Most of the exciting innovations started to crop up in the mid to late 90s and were in full force by 2001. 2001-2007 saw some of the greatest leaps in what marching band shows can give to the audience. 2008 til now....those great innovations have been few and far between. It's like everybody's decided to jump in on the screaming match, and now our hearing has dulled and we all sound the same, regardless of the fact that everyone is screaming REALLY loud! Marching Band contest circuits are relatively new....A lot of the people who were teaching when the first UIL State Marching contest was held and when the first GN contest was held are STILL teaching today (though most are nearing retirement). Those old guys at the forefront have aligned with the designers who've been in this since the beginning (or close to it) and they've pretty much got the system pegged....and the younger guys are getting mentored by these older guys, getting in on the circle and they too have the design pegged....It's all gotten very systematic. I think I remember reading on the Facebook of one of the BOA forum nerds that they laid out the waveforms of a bunch of 8-12 minute mp3 files of marching shows and realized they all pretty much look the same: Rise and fall, rise and fall....quiet in the middle, rise and fall rise and fall, INSANELY loud finish....or something pretty close to it. And the shows don't stop. They used to stop 2 or 3 times and the drum major would reconduct an entrance for each movement. Not any more. No time....you need all the time you can get to convey your element and concept....they've even extended the shows into both the field entrance and exits. I'm jealous of the parents who are just now getting in on this evolving culture with their children getting to play a role in it. Especially the ones who were in band themselves during the 80s and early 90s. It must be absolutely insane to go to a BOA show for the first time and see how much everything has changed. Quote
Bandlover Posted November 20, 2012 Posted November 20, 2012 When I was in Marching Band in the late 70"s and early 80"s, less attention was given to the music and more was placed on the marching; now you hear these incredible musical performances along with the amazing drill designs, plus you have more competitions. Its all great and I hope it keeps getting better! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.