Carolina Crown’s 2014 production, “Out of this World,” follows Major Tom on his journey away from Earth into the far reaches of Space, his loneliness when communication is lost, and his happiness when returning home.
Evaluation
Overall Score: 95.45
General Effect: 37.00
This show tells its story very well. Through the use of electronics in the front ensemble imitating futuristic weapons and rocket launch sounds, the use of trampolines to create a “zero-gravity” feel to the show, and very Space-like and triumphant music, Major Tom’s story is told very well. However, the main thing missing from this show was visual representations of Space travel. Not many of the forms made by the performers explicitly represented space travel, and I think if more of these forms were utilized, the show would have been better.
Visual: 19.30, 19.60, 19.50 – 29.20
Color Guard: The main issue I had with the color guard throughout this show was that they did not catch my eye. This is not entirely their fault, for the drill being performed by the rest of the corps was very eye-catching because of its difficulty. However, the job of the color guard is to add color and flare to the show, and I do not believe they did this as well as they could have. Their flags were bright and shiny, and some of their work was difficult, but overall, I was not wowed by their performance.
General: As mentioned above, more could have been done to visually enhance this show. That does not mean that what was presented was bad. In the beginning of the show, the corps is spread out haphazardly on the field, and as ground control counts down to launch, the corps forms a uniform block. This effect is great as it shows the myriad of moving parts that go into a shuttle launch, as well as shows everything that could go wrong during a launch. Despite these possibilities for failure, launches occur very seamlessly and orderly, as evidenced by the drill. I also mentioned the high level of difficulty of this drill. The performers are running throughout the entire production, and their stamina is very impressive.
Music: 19.70, 19.80, 19.00 – 29.25
General Music: As mentioned before, the electronics used in the front ensemble add a very space-like tone to the show. Also, the music played by the whole corps is very reminiscent of a journey through Space. During the launch and travel to the far reaches of Space the music is very triumphant. At the time of the show where Major Tom is lonely and hopeless when communication is lost, the music wonderfully reflects these feelings. Also, ensemble voices were paired very nicely. For example, in the first movement, the tenor drums played with the mid brass (mellophones and baritones), the snares played with the trumpets, and the bass drums played with the tubas. This pairing of instruments highlights their respective ranges very nicely, and is pleasing to the ear.
Hornline: The hornline does a phenomenal job throughout the show of not letting their drill affect the way they play their instruments. Despite running almost the entire show, it sounds as if the hornline is standing still. The balance from player to player is incredible, and the sound is very pleasing. However, I feel that the hornline could have showed a little more dynamic contrast to add to the emotion of the show. In the ballad (the section where only the hornline and front ensemble play), I feel like varying volume would have packed a stronger emotional punch, especially at such a pivotal part of the story.
Percussion: The percussion was the worst of the five corps that I have evaluated so far. Granted, they are still performing at a very high level, but there were a lot of times where it sounded as if more than one person was playing. That being said, the percussion did a lot to add to this show. One of my favorite moments is when the battery plays on mufflers and metallic plates. This section does a great job of representing Major Tom drifting through empty Space, heading into an unknown world.
A nice little video of a snare drummer’s drum falling off during the finals performance. Luckily, the judge was there to save the day. This video also gives you a good view of how many fans there are in attendance at finals.
You always amaze me with the performances that you find. I would have never thought about using trampolines for a Drum Corps show, but it seems like the use of those are very effective. I think that it’s incredible that people continually push the envelope and try to complete new and exciting tricks to enhance their performances. That being said, I think that the music still has to be the main focus of the performance. I agree with you that it is distracting if it sounds like there is more than one person playing the same instrument. When people are in sync, the musical quality just increases so much. I like that you pointed out that these performers were running during the show, so not only did they have to play their instruments, but they also had to run around! Talk about good stamina! Keep up the good work.
Your posts are always so interesting! I feel like I learn more and more about Drum Corps each week. I would’ve never thought to incorporate electronics into a Drum Corps performance, but I guess I still have a lot more to learn about the subject, and the creativity and detail that go into each show. I thought the use of trampolines was really neat and gave a nice effect to this show, plus the space theme was creative and original. Great job again this week!