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The Judge's Box |
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Question: Personally, I
don’t think electric guitars, keyboards, etc. should be considered
“marching band”. My biggest concern is the keyboards. Even many
bottom-of-the-line keyboards can be programmed to play entire
ensembles. What steps do judges take to make sure what they are
hearing is the marching band and not some pre-recorded “boost” to a
band’s true playing capabilities? |
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Answer: Change is inevitable. If this activity
had never evolved, we’d all still be playing Sousa marches with kick
lines or a corps of baton twirlers as the primary visual
enhancements. The entire electronic genre has created a wider
variety of musical textures and has been instrumental (pun intended)
in the development of musical nuance. I can understand your concern
regarding bands using the electronic media to “mask” their own
musical shortcomings. In some circuits, there are guidelines as to
what needs to be “performed” vs. “pre-recorded”. I think both the
music as well as the percussion judges closely sample to determine
the extent at which the electronics are utilized. If the dominate
the show, it also presents a balance problem (similar to lack of
woodwind exposure). Most judges want to hear the ensemble
vs. 8 minutes of a soloist. |
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the Staff, Students, Alumni, Parents and Fans of
Kentucky School Bands. |
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