Again, I apologize for the tardiness of these reviews. It's a long story, but the forum just refuses to allow me to post these, so I have had to devise a different method of publishing them. This blog is my solution, at least for the time being. For a lot of reasons, but mainly because I did not record videos of them, I decided not to write reviews for the bands that did not make finals. I believe it is important to give my readers the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they agree or disagree with my opinions. So here are my reviews for the finalists, and for Ryle's exhibition performance. I hope you enjoy reading!
North Oldham - "All In"
When I first heard about North Oldham's show, I was dubious because I kept asking myself, "How many things can you really do to represent Poker?" Alas, I learned a lot of ways from this show. Very nice visual design, with the cards and the stacks of poker chips. I also like how the props are used at various points and in various ways throughout the show; those go so much further with me personally than static props that just sit there. I was amused by the arrangement of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" from Moulin Rouge, complete with a cameo of Madonna's "Material Girl". In comparison with past North Oldham shows, this one is much more ambitious musically and at least as much so visually. I like the drill, because it has good velocity and is always doing something interesting. Mike Z really is working wonders with this band. Their marching was definitely top two at this competition; their excellent posture and technique were a very refreshing change from the norm. Lines broke down during some of their drill sets, and will need practice to be ironed out. There is only one weak point for the band at this moment: musical performance. The featured players were all great for the most part, full of bravado and only a couple of moments where they went out of control. The winds as a whole did a good job, as well, though they will have to iron out the big run in their opener. Their blend will need some work, because there were voices sticking out in just about every sustained note; I think one thing that would help them would be to turn down their overwhelming synthesizer. Continuing to improve their air support will also really help their blend going forward. In addition, the mallet players have their work cut out for them, because their parts are not only very fast and challenging at some points, they're also integral to the energy flow of the show at several of those points. They did a good job yesterday, but will need to really click into place in order to maximize their impact during those important passages. So at this point, this show is a mixed bag of good and needs improvement, but they have over a month left to clean, and I think they'll be turning a lot of heads at semifinals in November. I think they will crack the top 8.
Woodford County - "Beloved"
This band just keeps getting better and better, and so do their marching shows. I like the darkness of this show, which is narrated with passages from the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. The two members who dance in the beginning do a great job of portraying the affection presented between the narrator and his doomed companion. The entire show is very somber and carries with it a funereal air, but not so much so that it bogs down the show's pacing or energy level. The music is not overly complicated, which I think will leave some points on the table once everyone has had time to clean up their shows. But I would not say that it's easy, either, especially since more sustained notes means more responsibility for listening in and blending, which is a very underrated skill. Woodford County is beginning to blend very well on a consistent basis, which will really help them going forward. There were a couple of faster spots that will need some practice to smooth out. The low woodwind feature in their ballad is very haunting, and with more practice, will really have a big impact. I think the rest of the band could add in some visuals at that point to help portray the sadness of the narrator, as well. Their marching is probably the area that has the biggest potential for improvement. Foot angles, leg straightness, upper body movement, all were different from student to student and made their marching look more like just walking around. It's better than it was last year, but they still really need to have a marching boot camp to fix it. Their show was also bereft of things that caught the eye, and their black uniforms don't add anything. More props would help, and a visual interpretation of the poem's text would really help add to this show. Their musical improvement is really giving them an upward push, so the next step is to raise the show's visual aspect to match the level of their music, and then they can raise the bar again going forward. This is another band that could crack the top 8 at AAAA semifinals; they will be very clean by November lst.
Williamstown - "Galaxy"
For the most part, I absolutely love this show. The color guard uniforms are very pretty, the stars on top of their poles that reflect stadium lighting are a really nice touch, the selections are all appropriate, and I especially love their arrangement of Rocket Man. But there are a couple of things with which I'm not thrilled. Their drill has nice velocity and variation of its forms, and I like the circular forms because they remind the viewer of planets. However, their field coverage is still mediocre at best, though that's a trade-off that seems to work for this band. So more power to them. Also, they do a great rendition of Holst's The Planets suite, but I just don't like how they just fly through Jupiter at breakneck speed in the closer. There's just too much thematic material in that song to boil it down to a sub-3-minute piece. Regardless, I was impressed in week 1 when they had almost their entire show on and they still managed to have it all that clean. They have since added the second half of their closer and had a week and a half to clean. They always seem to have a somewhat lackluster prelims performance, which I attribute to the fact that they are always the first band to perform, which means they always have to get up earlier than everyone else. I call this "the Williamstown effect". Their finals performances are almost always a good deal better than prelims, and this competition was no exception. They had timing issues, a couple of voices sticking out, and lines breaking down in prelims; nothing too major, and their performance was still very clean, but it was enough that Beechwood was able to beat them. In finals, many of those issues were reduced or disappeared completely, but their lines still didn't hit perfectly and there were some uncharacteristic mistakes in their music (specifically a massive tempo tear during a quiet part of their ballad that really killed its impact, from which they did not recover for a good 20 seconds) where they lost a lot of points. Yes, this is the same Williamstown that bested Lafayette at Bourbon County; they just encountered some growing pains at Ryle. I know this band, and I know how Chris Hedges bands deal with underperforming. They will be dangerous at Morehead State next Saturday.
Beechwood - "Muse"
What can I say about this show... Well, it's definitely typical Beechwood. Insanely difficult, not watered down at all, tons of music effect, and very little visual design. And it's still very dirty at this early point in the season. And there's no drumline. I am a huge fan of this band because of the ambition of their musical selections, and I think this end of the spectrum of difficulty level should be attempted more often by bands with the level of talent and knowledge to pull it off. The featured performers were all excellent, especially the woodwinds. The brass features were all enjoyable, but the trombone feature that used all the glissandos will need work. If the players don't all move their slides at the same speed, then it sounds more chaotic and messy than it really is. The whole band sounds phenomenal, and if they can ever clean up their music and nail this tough book, it will be one of the most impressive marching band moments to witness. As with past Beechwood shows, however, there is very little visual innovation other than their drill to match their musical prowess. The jagged lines and interval issues I saw were minor, but there were a lot of them. There was also quite a bit of foot phasing, and their upper bodies had a tendency to bob with their footsteps during sets (especially when backward marching). That would be a pretty good amount of work even for a band that didn't have a bunch of reps to do on their music, so Beechwood has their work cut out for them if they want to put anywhere close to a clean show onto the field before finals. If there's one thing you can say about Beechwood (other than the facts that they're immensely musically talented and one of the classiest bands in the state), it's that they are really hard workers. So I'm not worried about them at all going forward... I did, however, think that at this point in time, Williamstown's cleaner performance, problems and all, would have placed ahead of them both in prelims and in finals.
Tates Creek - "Pulling Strings"
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this show, whether it would be innovative or gimmicky. I had also heard rumors indicating that they might struggle this year because of so many band members having graduated in May. I'm happy to report that this is not the case, and that Tates Creek will be just fine this season. I like what they do with the long plastic strips, and while not exactly groundbreaking, it was a really cool effect that added a lot to the show visually. Their drill is forgettable, but it was diverse, moved well, and gave the band a lot of field coverage (which is both a gift and a curse). Their marching was pretty good, but there were a bunch of spacing issues and crooked lines that will need to be smoothed out. I'm not a big fan of their synthesizer being turned up so high and used to augment their low voices; I think it takes away from the band's sound. There was some field coverage phasing at times that will need to be ironed out; remember, kids, light is faster than sound, so follow the field commander and not the other section's sound. Some voices (especially trumpets) were a little out of control during louder parts of the show and need to be reined in. Their finals run was a lot cleaner than their prelims run, probably the biggest difference of any finalist bands. Their visual performance was pretty clean for this point in the season, and because of how dirty Milford was visually, I was sure Tates Creek would have beaten them in both prelims and finals, and was surprised and dismayed when both times Milford came out on top. Oh well. This is a really enjoyable show, and I'm looking forward to seeing the closer when they put it on. They should be a solid semifinalist and a threat for a top 8 finish in their class, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Milford - "A Thousand Stories"
This band reminds me a lot of Louisville Male, because they have a really tough musical selection, they perform it pretty well, they sound like a symphonic band while they're playing, and their marching makes me cringe. Their show title comes from the Arabian story 1,000 Nights, and their musical selections draw from the Rimsky-Korsakov ballet Scheherazade, which is based on the main character of that story. So it's not an Arabian show, but more of a Russian show. For the most part, I like the arrangement, which gives a lot of sections features while still allowing for plenty of full band impact moments; the one thing I was disappointed to hear was that the most technical passage of the flute solo was written into the mallet parts instead, which left me disappointed. Their drill had quite a bit of velocity, and did a very good job of staging featured players, so it was pretty interesting for the entire performance. From a standpoint of show design, I was pretty satisfied with their presentation, though I think some more additions to their visual design would really give it a boost. I'm a big fan of just about any Russian music, so I thoroughly enjoyed the relatively honest rendition of Scheherazade, sans flute solo rewrite. All of the featured performers and sections did a great job; there was a little bit of voices sticking out or not entirely together, but for this point in the season, they're in good shape. I thought the drum line was a bit understated compared to the Kentucky bands, though some may argue that that is a good thing. The bulk of the points I see them gaining throughout the season is with visual performance; a lot of the classic visual performance errors abound. Upper body movement, toe angles, foot phasing, spacing issues, and most of this is probably due to the velocity of the drill. So the kids are going to have to get used to covering that much ground with their steps and maintaining good technique, and then they're going to have to get used to playing their music while doing so. It's going to take a while, but I'm sure they'll look a whole lot better by the end of the season. This was my first time seeing Milford, so I really enjoyed it. I wish them luck in their season across the river.
Lafayette - "Suite Child o' Mine"
This statement does not reflect upon the quality of the show or the band at all, but I cringe whenever I type out that show title. The show itself is shaping up very well, and I'm really intrigued by how that last movement is going to turn out; from what I'm hearing (and no, I'm not going to tell you), it could be a complete disaster or it could be awesome by the time SMBC rolls around. Lafayette just played the first two movements on Saturday, both drawn from the Disney Epcot Center Millennium Celebration. I'm not a fan of starting out a show with a big hit, but two of the top contenders are doing it this year, and it's working for both of them. I'm enjoying their faithful rendition of the Millennium music, but it's not quite up to Lafayette standards yet. Lafayette's usual blast-your-face-off approach to impact moments is backfiring on them at the moment, because their brasses tend to lose control and take away from the quality of their ensemble sound. Their finals performance fixed most of that, but not all. That and a little bit of mud during their opener were probably the only things separating their musical performance from Madison Central's, and they will be working on that in coming weeks. Their drill is pretty typical of Lafayette: steady movement, about the same amount of holds as any other contender, no really crazy fast movement, no exceedingly slow movement. (Its steadiness at that average speed is what I think a lot of people consider "boring".) It does have more forms that are rounded or abstract than Lafayette usually uses, which is also refreshing. For the most part, it was pretty clean. There was some phasing that will need to be ironed out with a wood block, and they were also plagued with spacing issues and crooked lines. I was somewhat surprised when I heard that they had won overall visual, but it made a lot more sense when I learned afterward that they had tied with Madison Central. I liked the huge cubes with murals on them that Lafayette has added to their show, and I look forward to seeing all of their faces when Lafayette puts the rest of their show on the field. I think there is some room for more visual effect, so I hope they continue to add to the show between now and November. In closing, I urge everyone not to overreact here; Lafayette is still a great band and will be a title contender in early November, they're just not as far along right now as they usually are. These kids work just about as hard as any other marching band in the state, and I have faith that they will pull through and make sure this show is the powerful, emotional experience that it can be.
Madison Central - "Vendetta"
I am so glad that I got to watch my alma mater live. I had seen videos and thought they looked and sounded good, but I wanted to see for myself. It looked and sounded even better in person. I was intrigued when I heard their repertoire consisting of Mozart, East of Eden, Sweeney Todd, and The Godfather, and couldn't wait to see how it panned out. After seeing the show live, I think it all works very well together. The drill moves well and provides very good staging for featured players and sections, and I like how there are so many jagged or v-shaped forms to drive home the "vendetta" concept. Like Lafayette, they only marched their first two movements. Their visual performance was at about the same point as Lafayette's, a mostly clean performance riddled with small spacing errors and crooked lines. These kids do march really well, though, and I see those errors shrinking and eventually disappearing in coming weeks. Their music was a real joy to experience. Great dynamics, very controlled, very balanced, and their impact moments were all on point. There was a little phasing that was most likely caused by field coverage, and was more noticeable in prelims. After seeing them in prelims, I wasn't sure how much better they could do it at this point in the season, but they found another gear, which really impressed me. If there's one thing I wish this show had, it would be two central performers representing Mozart and Salieri to really help keep the show concept fresh and tie everything together. At this point in the season, all of the big contenders for the governor's cup in AAAAA have pretty bare shows right now, and one of the factors that will determine who wins in November is how much they add to their show between now and then and how much those additions help boost effect scores. Madison Central will need to keep adding to this show to keep pace with the other contenders, but knowing how their director works, I don't think this will be much of a problem. I can say with no bias that they earned both wins on Saturday, and that if they continue on their current pace, they will be in finals and will be a really tough band to beat.
Ryle - "Face-Off"
Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting that. Ryle's music is maybe the most primal and forceful I have ever seen performed by a marching band. It wasn't bad, it was actually performed rather well... but I had to catch my breath after just watching it. Those kids must be in really good shape! The snare solo at the beginning gives the impression of a duel, and then when the rest of the band joins in, it's very dissonant, jagged, and brassy, giving the impression of violence. Even their ballad, Red Tango, is intense and gives an impression of rivals, lock gazed, circling one another. This band is getting better every year, and their marching band performances reflect that improvement. The low brass has more melody in this show than they normally do, so some added pressure has been placed on them. There were points where they went a little out of control and lost tone quality or the beat, but any issues that appeared were fixed quickly. Their woodwind section is underrated, and they perform their parts with great skill; however, they tend to get lost in the rest of the band's sound. If they could play out more and the brass were to tone it down a bit, then I think their music would sound even better than it does now. They have much of the same early season visual problems that everyone else does: messy lines, interval issues, telegraphing moves, upper body movement. Their show is really intense, and they're just going to have to grow into it as the season goes on. Repetition is this band's friend. I think they, like Madison Central, could use a centerpiece around which the rest of the show tells the story. It would really help portray the show concept, and it would give another visual aspect to their show that would appeal to visual judges and give them something more to focus on. I think this show is going to keep them on their upward trend, and I look forward to seeing it develop and clean up as the season progresses. This is another band that will be a serious threat for a top 8 finish and could push the finalists before the season is over. Thank you for hosting such an enjoyable competition.
Friday, September 26, 2014
My (Unfinished) Reviews from the Bourbon County Invitational on September 6th, 2014
Even though I never finished them because I was unable to post them on the site (I apologize for this), I am going to go ahead and post the reviews I did write for whoever is interested in reading them. Again, thanks for viewing, and I hope you enjoy.
Williamstown - "Galaxy"
This is one of the shows I was most looking forward to watching when the repertoires began to leak out. Star Trek, Moon Dance, Rocket Man, The Planets? Crazy. But high quality musical arrangement really helped pull it all together into a cohesive package (and I was particularly impressed with their arrangement of Rocket Man). Their modest props were just enough to help stage them well. It did limit their field coverage, but that's a trade-off Williamstown is accustomed to making. One of their biggest obstacles is always that they perform so early in competitions, so they have to get started so early on the morning of every competition. For this reason, their prelims performances tend to be a little more lackluster, whereas their finals performances tend to be light-years better. This was the case yesterday, as Williamstown's finals performance was very well-blended and visually clean for this early in the season. Their ability to play lyrical music is one of their greatest assets, because their tone quality and control are among the best in the lower classes, if not the entire state. I didn't even think it would have been possible that they had beaten Lafayette, but I knew they had to be top 3 after an excellent finals performance. What makes this feat even more incredible is that Lafayette performed just one movement, whereas Williamstown performed almost their entire show! Great start to the season for this band.
Fleming County - "In a New York Moment"
This is the kind of review where I have to be careful, because I do not want to insult anyone or burn any bridges. At the same time, though, there was exactly one good thing about this show, and that was the good clarinet soloist during their rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue". Their arrangements were okay, but their musicianship and marching ability completely sabotaged any chance they had to impress the judges. Bad phrasing, no air support, no confidence except for one clarinet player, very little marching technique, themes that are only marginally recognizable at times. This seems like a band program with no ambition at all, and I really don't blame them after all the shuffling around there has been at the band director position there. This is now Allyson Martin's third year there, so maybe she can finally provide some stability to her program and start building it up again. I have my fingers crossed for them; they deserve better than what they've been given in the recent past.
Henry County - "Joy!"
This kind of show is unfortunate in that it has been performed recently by a really good band (North Hardin), and comparisons arose to my mind as soon as I saw the title in the program. I didn't mind their selections, but they didn't really stand out, either. They made liberal use of a synthesizer, which at times overpowered the rest of the band. Their marching technique is going to need a lot of work, because it contributed to a plethora of other issues like audible footsteps and form tears. Their music was a mixed bag, but there were bright spots. They were able to project and blend well with the synthesizer at times and had a couple of pretty nice moments. Their music was much better last year than the year before that, and this year is continuing the trend. They need to work on air support and completing phrases, but keeping in mind where they were at the beginning of last year, this performance was a very good start for them.
Danville - "My So-Called Social Life"
Over the last couple of years, Danville has put together darker, more tense shows, and Dante's Inferno really came together in 2012. However, 2013's Gears of Defiance never did (in part due to staff changes), and it contributed to a vacuum of quality in the class last season. With this show, they have moved back toward the style they had with Band Gab in 2011, giving it a more lighthearted feel and performing more identifiable pieces. I like the touches they've added to the show with band members taking selfies and taking part in various types of social media; later in the season when the show cleans up, those little things will really start to add up. Right now, though, their show is just rough. Inconsistent energy level, togetherness issues, phasing in both the music and the drill. Typical stuff for Danville, since they opt not to use a field commander; I still say they need to cave and elect one so that they don't always have to fix these issues before they can start cleaning. However, I digress. They're at about the same point where they have been to start the season for the last few years, and it's just a question of how quickly it all comes together for them. I believe they will be back in contention for finals this year.
Lewis County - "How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse"
I won't lie... I cringed when I saw this title for the first time on the boards a couple of months ago. After seeing this show for the first time, though, it's not nearly as cringeworthy as it first sounded; however, it does seem to me like the show leaves a lot of bonus points on the table from a standpoint of show design, especially with the color guard. First, there were no zombies. Second, there was no makeup. Third, the color guard was all drest in dark and olive green colors that seemed militaristic, and I'm guessing that made them the survivors, but wouldn't it be more effective if they were the zombies? Also... and this is where my opinion would probably diverge from those of many other marching band fans, but I believe this is the kind of show that NEEDS voice-overs (perhaps in the form of survival tips) to tie everything in together. Anyway, I digress. The show itself was decent, but pretty forgettable. Marching Technique and projection of sound are both key points that they will need to improve to boost their performance scores throughout the season, but I think their #1 priority should be adding more stuff into the show to make it memorable.
Garrard County - "From the Ashes"
I should be sighing and rolling my eyes at yet another appearance of The Firebird in a marching band show, but you know what? It suits this bold, brass-heavy band, and I think it's going to sound amazing by the end of the season. After seeing Garrard's shows progress over the last few season, I can say pretty definitively that their show design is not yet complete; they will probably be introducing props, guard uniforms, and maybe even more / better flags into their show in the next few weeks. This was just the rough draft of their show, and already it was really high quality. They did not have as many problems with tone control in prelims as they usually do, but those problems did pop up a bit in finals. I like where the drill is going, because it has a lot of organic movement and forms and provides great staging for soloists and the color guard, and other than the aforementioned tone quality issues, there was not much musically to hold them back. Listening in and blending will be their #1 point of improvement going forward, and their show design will really help separate them from the pack visually. This is a good start, and unless other contenders in the class step up, this band could end up destroying the rest of class AA in November.
Estill County - "Nevermore"
Before I start this review, I would like to admit that I am completely biased. I love this band, I have for a long time, and I am very proud of the effort they gave in Class AA last year. Prop failures or not, I believe they should have been in finals with a chance to win it all, and I really felt for them when I heard they had received 5th because of their props malfunctioning. This year's show is dark like last years, but there are a couple of key differences that I believe will hold them back in the beginning and then put them in a very good position at the end of the season. First, the only real props they have are a big door and a chair, both of which can easily be anchored. Much less risky, which should eliminate the possibility of history repeating itself. Second, their show is tougher both visually and musically than it was last year. It maintains the dark, brooding style introduced last year, but has more velocity and excitement, which will serve them well by the end of October. Like last season, they have opted to put their whole show on the field now, which means it's all going to be rougher than other shows right now. However, as they clean it up, they will catch up with and surpass other bands. There are a couple of specific issues that will need to be addressed going forward: I spotted a couple of awkward staging moments when people march in front of soloists, which I think could probably be fixed easily enough. They will also need to improve their physical endurance going forward, because their sound production dropped whenever they marched while playing. However, regardless of whether or not they made finals at this competition (which I still think they should have), they will clean up as well as any other band in this class, and they will be a big threat for finals and maybe even the governor's cup in November.
Paul G. Blazer - "Jazz"
Wow. So this is what marching band looked like 40 years ago when Jaws came out. No front ensemble, no props, 4 color guard, very simplistic drill, music that was popular around that time. I'm not saying their show was bad (in fact, it was performed rather well for the beginning of the season), it was just extremely dated and had very little effect or show design. The color guard all looked adorable and did a good job of being just about the only eye-catching part of the show. They need to keep a death grip on those yellow cloth sheets, though; they had a tendency to lose those things in the wind. The field commander's trombone part was a highlight of the show, and played very well into her duet with the baritone player and the rest of the band. You could tell from listening to them play that they are all very good musicians; I just wish they would turn away from the West Virginia style of super-old-school bland marching band and join the rest of the state with a visually appealing show that is designed to hit all of the caption sheets. If they would make that change, then I believe they would do very well in their region and be a consistent semifinalist, if not more than that. However, if they don't, what's the point of going out to competitions if you're just going to be a show band?
Mercer County - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
This band is always an enigma nowadays. You never know exactly what you're going to get out of them. Last year, they were about 2/3 of the size they usually are, and they sounded maybe half as big. I lamented both of those traits last year, and rooted for them to bounce back. This year, they seem to be doing just that. Their numbers are back up, their sound production is way up, and their musical selections are unique and bold. They still don't sound huge, but they blend well, and they provide good dynamic range throughout the show, which are both at least as important as sound projection. The show itself is a return to the introspective, motivational style of years past, and it actually gives the viewer the feeling of doing a workout. The smaller ensembles who performed throughout the show all did a great job, and I was especially pleased to hear a bass clarinet (very underrated instrument) featured in one of them. The last movement, which was actually an arrangement of Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger", is a bit frenetic and will need to be cleaned up going forward, but I like the direction in which it is going. The drill is pretty blocky and could use at least a couple more unique sets that are challenging, but look really good. I believe this band is capable of contending for a finals spot this year, but they will have to take their show's theme to heart and practice up a storm in the next couple of months.
Boyle County - "Fixation"
Because of the retirement and subsequent reemergence of Tim Blevins, the last two years have been pretty crazy for the Boyle County band program. Now that they have re-adjusted, they are getting back to where they were before Mr. Blevins retired. Interesting, original show designs, great sound projection, and an air of bravado that I have not seen from this band since 2011. The show itself is very amusing (and at the same time very identifiable), narrated by a wife who is lamenting her husband's addiction to his television. The props are appropriate, eye-catching, and utilized very well throughout the show. The selections reflect the narrator's frustration, anguish, and even fear for her husband very well. Visually, the show seems designed to "fixate" the viewer on the narrator, because while that part of their visual performance is great, other parts seem to be lacking. The drill in particular is a little bland and could probably use some more velocity and variation. They definitely sound as big as they did in 2011 and earlier, though sometimes voices (especially trumpets) stuck out and lost tone quality. It's really amazing how just a few runaway voices can ruin an otherwise really good performance. They will also need to work on their marching technique going forward, because I heard some footsteps in a couple of voices. Overall, I like where they're starting this season; I think it will put them a great deal ahead of where they ended up last season. Finals? Maybe. If they can rein in their renegade voices and add more visuals to the show, then they have a great chance.
Corbin - "The Matador"
It wouldn't be marching band without a Spanish show, would it? It's good to see this band doing a show where they can feature the talented guitar players they have had since James Cornn took the reins in 2006. I absolutely love the acoustic guitar solo in the beginning. Fantastic staging, great performance, and it helps set the stage for the show itself. The red screens in the front and back are very eye-catching and add color to the show, though they limit the band's field coverage and I worry that they will collapse or fly away in the wind. Because of the screens, the drill is a little compact and that limits what all can be done with it. They will need to add more visuals into their show going forward, but that doesn't ever seem to be a problem by the end of the season with this band. I like their musical selections, because there aren't any cliche pieces; it's all pretty unused material. The trumpets tended to have a pretty shrill tone quality and overpowered the low voices and the woodwinds a lot. There were intonation issues in their finals performance, as well, which were likely caused by temperatures that were lower than expected that night. If they can balance out the sound, find the upper limit of where they can play loud but with good tone quality, and continue to add to the show, then they will be a contender for finals again by the end of the season.
Woodford County - "Beloved"
This is the season I've been waiting for Woodford county to have ever since they started competing again. This is pretty easily both the best band and the most complete show they've put on the field to date. It is a dark, sad show narrated by a recitation of the poem "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe. The band gives their selections a very somber tone, giving it a funereal feel while at the same time refraining from becoming too heavy and bogging down the energy level of the show too much. Their blend was very balanced and was well maintained throughout their performance. The drill is very expansive, which I think is risky, but will reward them in the end. Judges tend to like seeing band fill up as much of the field as they can. Their marching technique is better than it was at the beginning of last season, and I would like to see it improve further over the next couple of months. There were some timing issues because the drill covered the field so well; those will need to be ironed out going forward. This is a good start from them, but they will need to build on it in order to improve on their eighth place finish from 2012, the last year they were in class AAAA.
West Jessamine - "Walking With Heroes"
I apologize for being blunt, but I'm just going to come out and say it now. After having their budget slashed and replacing their head director, this will likely be a rebuilding year for West Jessamine. They have about 10-15 fewer total members than they usually do, though their color guard does seem to be growing. Their show is sort of patriotic, but takes on a darker approach with Mars from Holst's The Planets, and dissonant, tense arrangements of Taps and Caisson Song (commonly known as the theme song of the United States Army). It seems to imply more of the dark, haunting nature of war, which is a new and interesting approach. However, for some reason, I'm just not a big fan of this show at the moment. I hope they put in more visual cues or some sort of voice-overs that will give the show more direction going forward. The performance level was okay, but was nowhere near where it has been in the past; their sound output was anemic, their energy level needed to be higher than it was, and their marching technique needs a lot of work. I think they still have much of the musical ability that they had before all of the changes, they just don't seem to have that fire that pushes a band forward and makes them all want to practice as hard as they can to make the show great. Maybe they're just still getting used to the new director. I hope they can turn it around during the season and make a strong push to the finish.
Williamstown - "Galaxy"
This is one of the shows I was most looking forward to watching when the repertoires began to leak out. Star Trek, Moon Dance, Rocket Man, The Planets? Crazy. But high quality musical arrangement really helped pull it all together into a cohesive package (and I was particularly impressed with their arrangement of Rocket Man). Their modest props were just enough to help stage them well. It did limit their field coverage, but that's a trade-off Williamstown is accustomed to making. One of their biggest obstacles is always that they perform so early in competitions, so they have to get started so early on the morning of every competition. For this reason, their prelims performances tend to be a little more lackluster, whereas their finals performances tend to be light-years better. This was the case yesterday, as Williamstown's finals performance was very well-blended and visually clean for this early in the season. Their ability to play lyrical music is one of their greatest assets, because their tone quality and control are among the best in the lower classes, if not the entire state. I didn't even think it would have been possible that they had beaten Lafayette, but I knew they had to be top 3 after an excellent finals performance. What makes this feat even more incredible is that Lafayette performed just one movement, whereas Williamstown performed almost their entire show! Great start to the season for this band.
Fleming County - "In a New York Moment"
This is the kind of review where I have to be careful, because I do not want to insult anyone or burn any bridges. At the same time, though, there was exactly one good thing about this show, and that was the good clarinet soloist during their rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue". Their arrangements were okay, but their musicianship and marching ability completely sabotaged any chance they had to impress the judges. Bad phrasing, no air support, no confidence except for one clarinet player, very little marching technique, themes that are only marginally recognizable at times. This seems like a band program with no ambition at all, and I really don't blame them after all the shuffling around there has been at the band director position there. This is now Allyson Martin's third year there, so maybe she can finally provide some stability to her program and start building it up again. I have my fingers crossed for them; they deserve better than what they've been given in the recent past.
Henry County - "Joy!"
This kind of show is unfortunate in that it has been performed recently by a really good band (North Hardin), and comparisons arose to my mind as soon as I saw the title in the program. I didn't mind their selections, but they didn't really stand out, either. They made liberal use of a synthesizer, which at times overpowered the rest of the band. Their marching technique is going to need a lot of work, because it contributed to a plethora of other issues like audible footsteps and form tears. Their music was a mixed bag, but there were bright spots. They were able to project and blend well with the synthesizer at times and had a couple of pretty nice moments. Their music was much better last year than the year before that, and this year is continuing the trend. They need to work on air support and completing phrases, but keeping in mind where they were at the beginning of last year, this performance was a very good start for them.
Danville - "My So-Called Social Life"
Over the last couple of years, Danville has put together darker, more tense shows, and Dante's Inferno really came together in 2012. However, 2013's Gears of Defiance never did (in part due to staff changes), and it contributed to a vacuum of quality in the class last season. With this show, they have moved back toward the style they had with Band Gab in 2011, giving it a more lighthearted feel and performing more identifiable pieces. I like the touches they've added to the show with band members taking selfies and taking part in various types of social media; later in the season when the show cleans up, those little things will really start to add up. Right now, though, their show is just rough. Inconsistent energy level, togetherness issues, phasing in both the music and the drill. Typical stuff for Danville, since they opt not to use a field commander; I still say they need to cave and elect one so that they don't always have to fix these issues before they can start cleaning. However, I digress. They're at about the same point where they have been to start the season for the last few years, and it's just a question of how quickly it all comes together for them. I believe they will be back in contention for finals this year.
Lewis County - "How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse"
I won't lie... I cringed when I saw this title for the first time on the boards a couple of months ago. After seeing this show for the first time, though, it's not nearly as cringeworthy as it first sounded; however, it does seem to me like the show leaves a lot of bonus points on the table from a standpoint of show design, especially with the color guard. First, there were no zombies. Second, there was no makeup. Third, the color guard was all drest in dark and olive green colors that seemed militaristic, and I'm guessing that made them the survivors, but wouldn't it be more effective if they were the zombies? Also... and this is where my opinion would probably diverge from those of many other marching band fans, but I believe this is the kind of show that NEEDS voice-overs (perhaps in the form of survival tips) to tie everything in together. Anyway, I digress. The show itself was decent, but pretty forgettable. Marching Technique and projection of sound are both key points that they will need to improve to boost their performance scores throughout the season, but I think their #1 priority should be adding more stuff into the show to make it memorable.
Garrard County - "From the Ashes"
I should be sighing and rolling my eyes at yet another appearance of The Firebird in a marching band show, but you know what? It suits this bold, brass-heavy band, and I think it's going to sound amazing by the end of the season. After seeing Garrard's shows progress over the last few season, I can say pretty definitively that their show design is not yet complete; they will probably be introducing props, guard uniforms, and maybe even more / better flags into their show in the next few weeks. This was just the rough draft of their show, and already it was really high quality. They did not have as many problems with tone control in prelims as they usually do, but those problems did pop up a bit in finals. I like where the drill is going, because it has a lot of organic movement and forms and provides great staging for soloists and the color guard, and other than the aforementioned tone quality issues, there was not much musically to hold them back. Listening in and blending will be their #1 point of improvement going forward, and their show design will really help separate them from the pack visually. This is a good start, and unless other contenders in the class step up, this band could end up destroying the rest of class AA in November.
Estill County - "Nevermore"
Before I start this review, I would like to admit that I am completely biased. I love this band, I have for a long time, and I am very proud of the effort they gave in Class AA last year. Prop failures or not, I believe they should have been in finals with a chance to win it all, and I really felt for them when I heard they had received 5th because of their props malfunctioning. This year's show is dark like last years, but there are a couple of key differences that I believe will hold them back in the beginning and then put them in a very good position at the end of the season. First, the only real props they have are a big door and a chair, both of which can easily be anchored. Much less risky, which should eliminate the possibility of history repeating itself. Second, their show is tougher both visually and musically than it was last year. It maintains the dark, brooding style introduced last year, but has more velocity and excitement, which will serve them well by the end of October. Like last season, they have opted to put their whole show on the field now, which means it's all going to be rougher than other shows right now. However, as they clean it up, they will catch up with and surpass other bands. There are a couple of specific issues that will need to be addressed going forward: I spotted a couple of awkward staging moments when people march in front of soloists, which I think could probably be fixed easily enough. They will also need to improve their physical endurance going forward, because their sound production dropped whenever they marched while playing. However, regardless of whether or not they made finals at this competition (which I still think they should have), they will clean up as well as any other band in this class, and they will be a big threat for finals and maybe even the governor's cup in November.
Paul G. Blazer - "Jazz"
Wow. So this is what marching band looked like 40 years ago when Jaws came out. No front ensemble, no props, 4 color guard, very simplistic drill, music that was popular around that time. I'm not saying their show was bad (in fact, it was performed rather well for the beginning of the season), it was just extremely dated and had very little effect or show design. The color guard all looked adorable and did a good job of being just about the only eye-catching part of the show. They need to keep a death grip on those yellow cloth sheets, though; they had a tendency to lose those things in the wind. The field commander's trombone part was a highlight of the show, and played very well into her duet with the baritone player and the rest of the band. You could tell from listening to them play that they are all very good musicians; I just wish they would turn away from the West Virginia style of super-old-school bland marching band and join the rest of the state with a visually appealing show that is designed to hit all of the caption sheets. If they would make that change, then I believe they would do very well in their region and be a consistent semifinalist, if not more than that. However, if they don't, what's the point of going out to competitions if you're just going to be a show band?
Mercer County - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
This band is always an enigma nowadays. You never know exactly what you're going to get out of them. Last year, they were about 2/3 of the size they usually are, and they sounded maybe half as big. I lamented both of those traits last year, and rooted for them to bounce back. This year, they seem to be doing just that. Their numbers are back up, their sound production is way up, and their musical selections are unique and bold. They still don't sound huge, but they blend well, and they provide good dynamic range throughout the show, which are both at least as important as sound projection. The show itself is a return to the introspective, motivational style of years past, and it actually gives the viewer the feeling of doing a workout. The smaller ensembles who performed throughout the show all did a great job, and I was especially pleased to hear a bass clarinet (very underrated instrument) featured in one of them. The last movement, which was actually an arrangement of Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger", is a bit frenetic and will need to be cleaned up going forward, but I like the direction in which it is going. The drill is pretty blocky and could use at least a couple more unique sets that are challenging, but look really good. I believe this band is capable of contending for a finals spot this year, but they will have to take their show's theme to heart and practice up a storm in the next couple of months.
Boyle County - "Fixation"
Because of the retirement and subsequent reemergence of Tim Blevins, the last two years have been pretty crazy for the Boyle County band program. Now that they have re-adjusted, they are getting back to where they were before Mr. Blevins retired. Interesting, original show designs, great sound projection, and an air of bravado that I have not seen from this band since 2011. The show itself is very amusing (and at the same time very identifiable), narrated by a wife who is lamenting her husband's addiction to his television. The props are appropriate, eye-catching, and utilized very well throughout the show. The selections reflect the narrator's frustration, anguish, and even fear for her husband very well. Visually, the show seems designed to "fixate" the viewer on the narrator, because while that part of their visual performance is great, other parts seem to be lacking. The drill in particular is a little bland and could probably use some more velocity and variation. They definitely sound as big as they did in 2011 and earlier, though sometimes voices (especially trumpets) stuck out and lost tone quality. It's really amazing how just a few runaway voices can ruin an otherwise really good performance. They will also need to work on their marching technique going forward, because I heard some footsteps in a couple of voices. Overall, I like where they're starting this season; I think it will put them a great deal ahead of where they ended up last season. Finals? Maybe. If they can rein in their renegade voices and add more visuals to the show, then they have a great chance.
Corbin - "The Matador"
It wouldn't be marching band without a Spanish show, would it? It's good to see this band doing a show where they can feature the talented guitar players they have had since James Cornn took the reins in 2006. I absolutely love the acoustic guitar solo in the beginning. Fantastic staging, great performance, and it helps set the stage for the show itself. The red screens in the front and back are very eye-catching and add color to the show, though they limit the band's field coverage and I worry that they will collapse or fly away in the wind. Because of the screens, the drill is a little compact and that limits what all can be done with it. They will need to add more visuals into their show going forward, but that doesn't ever seem to be a problem by the end of the season with this band. I like their musical selections, because there aren't any cliche pieces; it's all pretty unused material. The trumpets tended to have a pretty shrill tone quality and overpowered the low voices and the woodwinds a lot. There were intonation issues in their finals performance, as well, which were likely caused by temperatures that were lower than expected that night. If they can balance out the sound, find the upper limit of where they can play loud but with good tone quality, and continue to add to the show, then they will be a contender for finals again by the end of the season.
Woodford County - "Beloved"
This is the season I've been waiting for Woodford county to have ever since they started competing again. This is pretty easily both the best band and the most complete show they've put on the field to date. It is a dark, sad show narrated by a recitation of the poem "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe. The band gives their selections a very somber tone, giving it a funereal feel while at the same time refraining from becoming too heavy and bogging down the energy level of the show too much. Their blend was very balanced and was well maintained throughout their performance. The drill is very expansive, which I think is risky, but will reward them in the end. Judges tend to like seeing band fill up as much of the field as they can. Their marching technique is better than it was at the beginning of last season, and I would like to see it improve further over the next couple of months. There were some timing issues because the drill covered the field so well; those will need to be ironed out going forward. This is a good start from them, but they will need to build on it in order to improve on their eighth place finish from 2012, the last year they were in class AAAA.
West Jessamine - "Walking With Heroes"
I apologize for being blunt, but I'm just going to come out and say it now. After having their budget slashed and replacing their head director, this will likely be a rebuilding year for West Jessamine. They have about 10-15 fewer total members than they usually do, though their color guard does seem to be growing. Their show is sort of patriotic, but takes on a darker approach with Mars from Holst's The Planets, and dissonant, tense arrangements of Taps and Caisson Song (commonly known as the theme song of the United States Army). It seems to imply more of the dark, haunting nature of war, which is a new and interesting approach. However, for some reason, I'm just not a big fan of this show at the moment. I hope they put in more visual cues or some sort of voice-overs that will give the show more direction going forward. The performance level was okay, but was nowhere near where it has been in the past; their sound output was anemic, their energy level needed to be higher than it was, and their marching technique needs a lot of work. I think they still have much of the musical ability that they had before all of the changes, they just don't seem to have that fire that pushes a band forward and makes them all want to practice as hard as they can to make the show great. Maybe they're just still getting used to the new director. I hope they can turn it around during the season and make a strong push to the finish.
Welcome to My Blog
Hello, and welcome to my blog.
Since I have many friends who are not fans of marching band like me, I will use this first entry to explain my hobby, why it is so important to me, and what to expect from future entries in this blog.
As many of my friends know, I was in marching band in high school. What you may not know is that in high school, I had some very fresh emotional scars from the 2 years I spent in the inner city school systems in Charleston, West Virginia before I moved to Richmond, Kentucky. It's a long story for a different blog entry, but basically, my brother and I had to deal with a lot of bullies who terrorized us for the entire time we were there, and it caused us to close in on ourselves. So for much of our time in high school, we were both withdrawn and guarded. However, the music programs at the schools I attended in Richmond were so good that they helped heal those wounds and mold me into a much better person. After seeing the impact the activity had on me, I fell in love with it, and I made it a point to be involved with it from then on, no matter what.
In my efforts to remain involved with high school band, I found a forum that discusses just that. It focuses mainly on marching band, which happens generally during football season. This forum has allowed me to express, share, interpret, and refine my views regarding marching band. Since the state is such a big place, there are many fans of the activity who live in all corners of it; some of us, especially those live closer to the eastern or western tip, cannot get over to the opposite side of the state just to watch some marching bands, so members of the forum tend to write reviews of their experiences at marching band competitions they attend. I started to do this myself, and over time, my personality traits bled into it: my reviews have become very meticulous and detailed. I love writing these detailed reviews, so I try to do so every time I go to a marching band competition.
In the last few weeks, however, recent upgrades to the marching band forum (possibly added by the site's web host) have prevented me from posting these long, detailed reviews there like I usually do. Therefore, I have started this blog so that I can have a place to post my reviews. Occasionally, I will also get an idea about a topic related to marching band, or something will happen in the marching band world about which I have a strong opinion. I will be writing about all of these things in this blog.
Thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope you visit again soon as I add more stuff to it.
Since I have many friends who are not fans of marching band like me, I will use this first entry to explain my hobby, why it is so important to me, and what to expect from future entries in this blog.
As many of my friends know, I was in marching band in high school. What you may not know is that in high school, I had some very fresh emotional scars from the 2 years I spent in the inner city school systems in Charleston, West Virginia before I moved to Richmond, Kentucky. It's a long story for a different blog entry, but basically, my brother and I had to deal with a lot of bullies who terrorized us for the entire time we were there, and it caused us to close in on ourselves. So for much of our time in high school, we were both withdrawn and guarded. However, the music programs at the schools I attended in Richmond were so good that they helped heal those wounds and mold me into a much better person. After seeing the impact the activity had on me, I fell in love with it, and I made it a point to be involved with it from then on, no matter what.
In my efforts to remain involved with high school band, I found a forum that discusses just that. It focuses mainly on marching band, which happens generally during football season. This forum has allowed me to express, share, interpret, and refine my views regarding marching band. Since the state is such a big place, there are many fans of the activity who live in all corners of it; some of us, especially those live closer to the eastern or western tip, cannot get over to the opposite side of the state just to watch some marching bands, so members of the forum tend to write reviews of their experiences at marching band competitions they attend. I started to do this myself, and over time, my personality traits bled into it: my reviews have become very meticulous and detailed. I love writing these detailed reviews, so I try to do so every time I go to a marching band competition.
In the last few weeks, however, recent upgrades to the marching band forum (possibly added by the site's web host) have prevented me from posting these long, detailed reviews there like I usually do. Therefore, I have started this blog so that I can have a place to post my reviews. Occasionally, I will also get an idea about a topic related to marching band, or something will happen in the marching band world about which I have a strong opinion. I will be writing about all of these things in this blog.
Thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope you visit again soon as I add more stuff to it.
Tim
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