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Post by MarchingBand4Life on Oct 27, 2021 14:36:38 GMT -6
Ok, so this might be a polarizing topic, but what's your opinion in singing during a show?
Is it just another instrument/texture to you?
Are you more if a purist, preferring traditional wind and percussion?
Should singing be used for any significant amount of the show?
What say ye?
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Post by pocobill on Oct 27, 2021 15:00:23 GMT -6
I prefer live singing to recorded, since this is a live performance.
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 27, 2021 15:10:55 GMT -6
Live vs recorded, absolutely
Vocalizing vs lyrics, or very minimal lyrics
All singing used sparingly
Better than voiceovers
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Post by hewhowaits on Oct 27, 2021 15:31:33 GMT -6
While I would prefer NO singing, the following parameters make it less unappealing:
1) The whole band singing a portion of a movement is preferred to using a soloist, no matter how good that soloist may be.
2) Any singing included MUST be live, not sampled or recorded (exception for pre-show).
3) The show should NEVER be centered on a singer. If the show doesn't work without the singing, it doesn't work.
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Post by paddy on Oct 27, 2021 15:34:51 GMT -6
Only accepted if they are singing Creep or Pure Imagination.
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stix
Full Member
Posts: 29
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Post by stix on Oct 27, 2021 15:38:49 GMT -6
I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other as long as it is used sparingly in the show. But, on the other hand, if it is very prevalent and there is lots of singing throughout the show, I feel it takes away from the overall performance.
On another note, how is singing judged? Voice is an instrument. Are vocals judged just like any other instrument, if the vocalist is sharp, flat, or otherwise out of tune during any part of the performance?
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Post by Shroom on Oct 27, 2021 16:13:43 GMT -6
I really enjoyed the way the Cavaliers put it into their 2016 show, though I've never seen it done that way in a highschool setting unless I'm forgetting something
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Post by LeanderMomma on Oct 27, 2021 16:17:54 GMT -6
Boston Crusaders Wicked Games will forever be my favorite vocal solo in a marching production.
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 27, 2021 16:19:05 GMT -6
Oddly enough I am actually somewhat knowledgeable on this subject (SHOCKER  ). When I marched Colts 2014 for Dark Side of the Rainbow, we were one of the first corps to ever have a singer. She sang of course "great gig in the sky," also a synth player. We got a lot of hate that season from DCI fans blah blah blah for the singing. Our singer (who is a graduate of Panther Creek band and went on to be a music educator herself - she is a very talented classically trained vocalist and pianist). So (from a scientific point of view?), she claimed that it is actually almost impossible to properly sing in tune with a hornline in the marching setting. Too many factors vary from performance to performance, weather, individual tuning ect. - that it is next to impossible to sing in tune with the group- and I believe her. We've have seen so very few pull it off well. Blue Springs probably did it best in 2018. Another one that stands out is Ayala 2019 - that was kinda cringe, loved the rest of the show though. So whether we like it or not, it actually doesn't properly work like setting up a flute or clarinet solo might. Just my two cents |
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Post by MarchingBand4Life on Oct 27, 2021 16:31:16 GMT -6
3) The show should NEVER be centered on a singer. If the show doesn't work without the singing, it doesn't work. Absolutely agreed. I've seen 2 shows this year that don't work without singing. One of those shows is a bubble band for GN finals and the other was a finalist this weekend at STL. |
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Post by sethb811 on Oct 27, 2021 16:32:16 GMT -6
Lake Park 1993
/end thread
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Post by supersound on Oct 27, 2021 16:35:42 GMT -6
Yes. Next Question.
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Post by supersound on Oct 27, 2021 16:38:27 GMT -6
3) The show should NEVER be centered on a singer. If the show doesn't work without the singing, it doesn't work. Absolutely agreed. I've seen 2 shows this year that don't work without singing. One of those shows is a bubble band for GN finals and the other was a finalist this weekend at STL. I cannot hear you over the sound of how great Cedar Ridge 2018 was  |
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 27, 2021 16:44:18 GMT -6
Absolutely agreed. I've seen 2 shows this year that don't work without singing. One of those shows is a bubble band for GN finals and the other was a finalist this weekend at STL. I cannot hear you over the sound of how great Cedar Ridge 2018 was or Cedar Ridge 2013, moon river was so good |
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Post by boahistorybuff on Oct 27, 2021 17:03:45 GMT -6
Lake Park 1993 /end thread Agree. That changed my whole outlook on the subject. Still one of the best. |
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Post by Samuel Culper on Oct 27, 2021 17:43:09 GMT -6
Leander - Choral Works
That's how you use voices
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Post by marchingmaniac on Oct 27, 2021 18:37:38 GMT -6
I don't mind it generally, but if it becomes the focal point of a show then that's too much IMO. If used sparingly though and in the right moments I think it works well with certain shows.
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Post by cp823 on Oct 27, 2021 18:41:59 GMT -6
I’ll see all your vocal soloists and raise you one box full of singing disembodied heads (Flower Mound 2015). Now THAT was awesome.
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Post by abtwitch on Oct 27, 2021 18:55:27 GMT -6
I think the only show to really base their show around a vocal soloist and make it work (striking the perfect balance between with the singer and without) was Bluecoats 2018.
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Post by QuadSquad03 on Oct 27, 2021 19:06:10 GMT -6
I really enjoyed the way the Cavaliers put it into their 2016 show, though I've never seen it done that way in a highschool setting unless I'm forgetting something Bixby did in 2015. Coincidentally also in a show called Propaganda! |
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Post by QuadSquad03 on Oct 27, 2021 19:07:05 GMT -6
Unpopular opinion: Crown 2017 had the best vocal soloist
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Post by abtwitch on Oct 27, 2021 19:33:33 GMT -6
Unpopular opinion: Crown 2017 had the best vocal soloist Quite unpopular, indeed |
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Post by josephbandfan on Oct 27, 2021 19:55:44 GMT -6
Unpopular opinion: Crown 2017 had the best vocal soloist I also became a fan of it overtime |
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 27, 2021 20:03:19 GMT -6
Unpopular opinion: Crown 2017 had the best vocal soloist I also became a fan of it overtime When the mic worked lol. Avon 2012, I think it failed more times than it worked. |
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Post by trombonium on Oct 27, 2021 20:31:50 GMT -6
3/4 of my high school's shows had vocal segments, most of which weren't even sung live; they were easily the low points of all of our shows. While I can appreciate vocals (both voiceovers and singing) done in moderation, the 'play mezzo-piano whole notes while the vocalist carries the show' trope always left a poor taste in my mouth. I think the focus of marching band should be the brass to the exclusion of all else band and color guard. That said there are a few prime examples of vocals used for better and for worse:
Vocals gone wrong: The Blue Devils the last few years. While I love the shows, they have a profound ability to add pop vocals at just the right time to ruin the show's momentum and get me thinking maybe auditory neuropathy isn't so bad after all.
Vocals gone right: Bluecoats 2018 (partly because I had a crush on the vocalist). That or Carolina Crown 2013 because I do love me some Crown QuirkinessTM.
Basically my rule of thumb is that vocals shouldn't be the sole focus of the show for more than ~5 seconds, and even then they pose a risk of ruining the vibe if they're too overbearing.
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Post by Subito Fortissimo on Oct 27, 2021 21:16:40 GMT -6
2) Any singing included MUST be live, not sampled or recorded (exception for pre-show). It actually is against the rules in BOA to have non-live singing during a show, ie. the "one stroke, one note" rule. According to the adjudication handbook the penalty is "at the discretion of the contest director" and as we've seen bands in recent years using things like actual Britney Spears vocals it seems that BOA has made the decision to not enforce the rule. I imagine that if a band came out using pre-recorded singing as the focal point of their show that would be a different matter. |
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Post by Allohak on Oct 27, 2021 21:18:53 GMT -6
2) Any singing included MUST be live, not sampled or recorded (exception for pre-show). It actually is against the rules in BOA to have non-live singing during a show, ie. the "one stroke, one note" rule. According to the adjudication handbook the penalty is "at the discretion of the contest director" and as we've seen bands in recent years using things like actual Britney Spears vocals it seems that BOA has made the decision to not enforce the rule. I imagine that if a band came out using pre-recorded singing as the focal point of their show that would be a different matter. Speaking of the "one stroke, one note" rule... What about multiphonics? Or when a band is playing so in tune and resonating just right with the performance venue that you get overtones? |
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Post by marimba11 on Oct 27, 2021 21:38:33 GMT -6
2) Any singing included MUST be live, not sampled or recorded (exception for pre-show). It actually is against the rules in BOA to have non-live singing during a show, ie. the "one stroke, one note" rule. According to the adjudication handbook the penalty is "at the discretion of the contest director" and as we've seen bands in recent years using things like actual Britney Spears vocals it seems that BOA has made the decision to not enforce the rule. I imagine that if a band came out using pre-recorded singing as the focal point of their show that would be a different matter. WGI used to be very strict on this, not sure if they still are. We had Michael Jackson words for days from palmetto percussion 2013 (Man in the Mirror). Those patches survived for quite a number of years lol |
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Post by srv1084 on Oct 27, 2021 23:46:06 GMT -6
I would be OK with never hearing another live vocalist in a marching band or drum corps show, neither singers nor narrators. I can count on one hand the number of times I felt live vocals truly added something special to a show. That's not at all a comment on the talent of the vocalists we've seen, because there have been a TON of talented vocalists in the marching arts over the years. There are just so many factors working against singers in this activity, including terrible acoustics and balance, equipment quality and malfunctions (tons of times we're getting terrible quality mics/amplification, for instance), and don't even get me started on having to hear performers catching their breath to sing/speak because of poor planning. It will very, very rarely sound "good" on the field no matter how talented your singer happens to be. I swear this isn't a Boomer/anti-electronics hot take, even though it probably sounds like it. In fact, give me those vocals and narration in all their pre-recorded glory instead. Yes, I mean that ... how's that for an unpopular opinion? |
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Post by hewhowaits on Oct 28, 2021 5:32:00 GMT -6
I swear this isn't a Boomer/anti-electronics hot take, even though it probably sounds like it. In fact, give me those vocals and narration in all their pre-recorded glory instead. Yes, I mean that ... how's that for an unpopular opinion? Break out that 8-track srv1084! |
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). When I marched Colts 2014 for Dark Side of the Rainbow, we were one of the first corps to ever have a singer. She sang of course "great gig in the sky," also a synth player. We got a lot of hate that season from DCI fans blah blah blah for the singing. Our singer (who is a graduate of Panther Creek band and went on to be a music educator herself - she is a very talented classically trained vocalist and pianist).
