That Dan Band Show

In this episode of That Dan Band Show, Dan delves into artistic interpretation, criticism, their histories, and how they apply to art and drum corps

Time Stamps:

00:00:00 - 00:02:06 - Intro

00:02:07 - 00:03:22 - Interpretation & criticism and what they mean within the marching arts

00:03:23 - 00:04:56 - Artistic interpretation and you find meaning

00:04:57 - 00:06:02 - Criticism

00:06:03 - 00:06:52 - Comparison

00:06:53 - 00:07:58 - Analysis

00:07:59 - 00:09:33 - Interpretation

00:09:34 - 00:12:02 - Evaluation

00:12:13 - 00:14:45 - Summary and putting it in the perspective of drum corps

00:18:09 - 00:19:21 - Historical deep-dive: Formalism

00:19:22 - 00:21:34 - Marxism

00:21:35 - 00:24:00 - Psychoanalysis

00:24:01 - 00:28:37 - Structuralism

00:28:38 - 00:33:28 - Post-structuralism & post-modernism 

00:33:29 - 00:35:07 - Queer theory

00:35:08 - 00:37:04 - Post-colonial theory

00:37:05 - 00:39:59 - Bringing it back to today

00:40:00 - 00:43:38 - What does this mean for the marching arts? 

00:43:39 - 00:46:38 - There is no "right answer" when it comes to critiquing art

00:46:39 - 00:49:11 - What we hear is subjective when it comes to drum corps

00:49:12 - 00:51:16 - Dan's favorite shows this season and his analysis

00:51:17 - 00:53:14 - Evaluation within drum corps & subjectivity

00:53:15 - 00:58:24 - Critique within drum corps

00:58:25 - 01:00:06 - Try to look in places you haven't looked

01:00:07 - 01:00:50 - Positive takeaways of everyone having different opinions and perspectives

01:00:51 - 01:01:48 - Outtro

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In this episode of That Dan Band Show, Dan breaks down the scores from the 2023 DCI Southeastern Championship and makes predictions for Allentown & Finals

Episode Time Stamps:

00:00 - 02:04 - Intro

02:05 - 03:47 - 13th place; Music City

03:48 - 04:55 - 12th place; Madison Scouts

04:56 - 05:59 - 11th place; Spirit of Atlanta

06:00 - 06:56- 10th place; Pacific Crest

06:57 - 08:22 - 9th place; Blue Knights

08:23 - 10:15 - 8th place; Troopers

10:16 - 12:16 - 7th place; The Cavaliers

12:17 - 14:04 - 6th place; The Cadets

14:05 - 15:09 - 5th place; Phantom Regiment

15:10 - 17:41 - 4th place; Bluecoats

17:42 - 19:00 - 3rd place; Boston Crusaders

19:01 - 21:42 - 2nd place; Carolina Crown

21:43 - 23:19 - 1st place; Blue Devils

23:20 - 25:41 - Putting the scoring and caption races in perspective 

25:42 - 27:32 - This is judging done right and it is exciting

27:33 - 29:23 - Who are you loving this year? Sound off in the comments + outtro

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In this episode of That Dan Band Show, Dan breaks down the DCI/DCA partnership and what it will mean for all-age drum corps.

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Following the conclusion of World Championships, Dan talks about his takeaways from the 2023 WGI season.

Episode Timestamps

0:00:00 - 0:04:46 - Intro

0:08:21 - 0:14:04 Takeaway #1 - Every season is an emotional rollercoaster, and you should expect that. And why it's important to "outlast the battle"

0:14:05 - 0:19:35 - Takeaway #2 - Consider what the members are going to feel/think/say/how they're going to respond, every step of the way. A conversation about costuming

0:19:36 - 0:24:38 - Takeaway #3 - There's no ideal judging panel for any single group

0:24:39 - 0:31:47 - Takeaway #4 - Variety across captions and sub-captions is healthy

0:31:48 - 0:37:25 - Takeaway #5 - "Effect" isn't entertainment

0:37:26 - 0:40:20 - Takeaway #6 - Stress the craft (according to your instincts), not the outcomes

0:40:21 - 0:44:28 - Takeaway #7 - My tastes are not your tastes

0:44:29 - 0:47:00 - Takeaway #8 - Focus internally

0:47:01 - 0:50:37 - Takeaway #9 - Keep going and be resilient 

0:50:38 - 0:55:15 - Takeaway #10 - Be yourself

0:55-16 - end - Outro

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With less than a month before WGI Percussion World Championships, Dan sits down with his friend Tommy Roam of The Bluecoats and Kettering Fairmont High School. They discuss holistic approaches to percussion education, how Tommy has built the culture between his middle school and high school programs, and their current outlooks on 2023 Percussion Independent World. 

Episode Time Stamps

00:00:00 - 00:03:34 - Intro

00:03:34 - 00:07:30 - How's it going at Kettering this season?

00:07:31 - 00:09:51 - Beefing up your middle school program as a feeder for your high school programs

00:09:52 - 00:11:05 - Are you training your students in a certain style of drumming or more rhythmic concepts?

00:11:06 - 00:14:50 - "There's no one correct way to do things [when it comes to teaching]" and how you're going to learn from other people and it's going to be different

00:14:51 - 00:19:55 - Knocking down the walls percussion sections sometimes put up between each other and teaching with the intent of making the ensemble better holistically. "I see it all as music."

00:19:56 - 00:22:23 - Zooming out your lens so you can better help the kids be successful

00:22:24 - 00:24:33 - Being a hybrid percussionist and the qualities of a great drummer

00:24:34 - 00:26:04 - Exposing the students to more than just one kind of instrument to help them be a better overall percussionists

00:26:05 - 00:31:21 - Embracing discomfort and how to be a reliable member

00:31:22 - 00:32:38 - Being okay with being terrible before you're able to develop your skills, both as a member and a percussionist. "It's all about just how much you care about it."

00:32:39 - 00:33:53 - We're nothing without passion for what we do

00:33:54 - 00:40:05 - Embracing the grind but also embracing having fun with your fellow members

00:40:06 - 00:42:08 - Creating culture intentionally within a program

00:42:09 - 00:44:02 - Being authentic

00:44:03 - 00:45:46 - Showing up every day as a teacher who makes your students better, and being okay with the members checking you when you're not

00:45:47 - 00:49:45 - How do you get your membership to believe in what you're doing? 

00:49:46 - 00:53:10 - Focusing on the craft rather than the outcome

00:53:11 - 00:56:47 - How you Tommy's experiences of teaching the Bluecoats vs a high school/middle school group inform your teaching philosophy?

00:56:48 - 00:59:42 - Seeing members you've taught from a young age go on to instill your teaching in their students

00:59:43 - 01:04:15 - What makes a bass drummer ready and equipped to audition for a top DCI group?

01:04:16 - 01:06:28 - Make yourself a machine backed by consistent skills

01:06:29 - 01:11:20 - What is your take on members reaching out to staff members ahead of DCI auditions?

01:12:20 - 01:18:20 - Tommy's take on the 2023 PIW landscape & what shows he's seen

01:18:21 - 01:28:51- Why you should lean into your own group's style and try something new rather than emulating someone else's style

01:28:52 - End - Outtro

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The 2023 indoor season has officially begun as groups roll out their shows locally and video clips of lots and shows start to populate across social media. With WGI Percussion Regional season kicking off this weekend, Dan sits down with his friend Teddy Mascari, a Music Effect judge for Winter Guard International and an educational leader in Upstate New York. They discuss approaches to judging and how to give great feedback, a judge’s relationship to the programs they adjudicate, ways of interpreting the sheets, and various trends within indoor percussion and the marching arts.

Episode Time Stamps

00:00:00 - 00:05:10 - Intro

00:05:10 - 00:08:15 - Leaked shows online and keeping the judging objectivity

00:08:15 - 00:12:18 - Understanding judging critiques and how to take in that information

00:12:18 - 00:16:45 - Approach to commentary and feedback for ensembles in Independent World vs other classes

00:16:45 - 00:22:16 - "Checking the boxes" on a scoresheet vs giving feedback that's appropriate based on the time of the season

00:22:16 - 00:25:46 - Does a show need to make sense for a judge?

00:25:46 - 00:30:43 - The talent disparity between the top groups and those on the cusp of making Finals

00:30:43 - 00:34:28 - Broken City, George Mason, and how they've developed a "style" that people can identify

00:34:28 - 00:38:42 - The trap of emulating the top groups

00:38:42 - 00:40:30 - Crowd reactions and video leaks immediately following performances

00:40:30 - 00:53:35 - The cost (literal and figurative) of introducing higher production value shows through TVs, lights, etc.

00:53:35 - 01:03:19 - How to make your local judges better judges through education

01:03:19 - end - Outtro

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Dan catches up with his friends Mike Fantini and Evan Worrell from the Aged Out Podcast. They discuss their outlook on 2023 DCI percussion, the recent rule proposals from the DCI Rules Congress, and what they expect to see this year in WGI percussion. 

Show Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

00:04:00 - It’s a weird time of the season

00:05:00 - How are you feeling about the DCI percussion game?  

00:06:40 - Cavaliers last year vs this year

00:08:10 - Disparity between the top 1-3 vs everyone else

00:08:30 - “Crown is the group that I’m the most curious to see what happens”

00:12:50 - Pacing, show segments, and integration

00:14:15 - Jannuals rule changes concerning brass & percussion

00:16:35 - Staff changes with Cadets, Blue Stars, RCC, Blue Devils

00:17:10 - Cadets staff focus & predictions

00:20:00 - Dan’s argument with Cadets predictions posed

00:22:30 - The Cadets and how their staff members are able to delegate 

00:23:00 - Rhythm X and the Cavaliers this season?

00:24:00 - Percussion “hot takes” for the 2023 DCI season

00:28:30 - Jannuals rule proposal #1 deep dive - Addition of “Brass Ensemble” judge at Regionals and Championships; Removal of additional “Music Analysis” judge

00:35:50 - Jannuals rule proposal #2 deep dive - Competition Times

00:45:15 - Uniforms and props then & now

00:47:00 - “The ticket for entry is so expensive now,” marketing, and sponsorships

00:51:05 - Jannuals rule proposal #3 deep dive - Change the Captions “General Effect 1” and “General Effect 2” to “General Effect Music” and “General Effect Visual”

00:53:10 - Jannuals rule proposal #4 - Pacing of Evaluations

00:53:35 - Jannuals rule proposal #5 deep dive - Brass Amplification Parameters

00:56:40 - “Are you gonna pay or get paid?” 

01:00:18 - DCI vs other “entertainment” models

01:01:20 - “I have a feeling that change is afoot” - do the economics no longer support the current touring model?

01:03:45 - WGI show release chat

01:06:00 - Pulse 2022 and their success vs what can we expect in 2023

01:07:00 - Dance & visual ensembles in the WGI Percussion space

01:10:00 - “We have to check the boxes”

1:11:20 - Visual ensembles of 2022

1:12:05 - “Having a Broken City style show” and predicting what’s going to be big when

01:15:00 - Making shows that are memorable and cohesive

01:17:00 - Shows that appeal to the masses while groups stick to their “thing”

01:20:23 - Judges tapes frustrations

01:21:00 - 2023 WGI season predictions

01:26:25 - Closing story

01:28:30 - “Back in our day…” + outtro

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On this episode, Dan sits down with Sergio Bravo, Co-Creator and Operations Manager of the online platform Marching Vlogs. They discuss the origins of MV, what Sergio learned through building his online brand, and the role content creators play in the marching arts.

Show Timestamps

00:00:00-00:02:54 - Intro

00:02:55-00:03:42 - MV hit 1K followers on Instagram. Talk about that

00:03:43-00:05:39 - What about the last six months has specifically gotten things pop off

00:05:40-00:06:18 - Is Marching Vlogs your full time job? Or something you're trying to work into a full-time gig?

00:06:18-00:08:01 - Are you self-taught? How did you learn these skills you apply to MV?

00:09:09-00:12:33 - Editing & using Marching Vlogs as a way to document someone's summer experience

00:12:33-00:17:59 - How did you come up with the idea for IG takeovers for Marching Vlogs?

00:18:00-00:25:40 - What are you doing on a daily basis and during the "slow times" in the season?

00:25:41-00:28:33 - How do you manage MV?

00:28:34-00:30:48 - How does Marching Vlogs make a profit?

00:30:49-00:36:26 - Do you see yourself being able to grow your content in terms of its breadth in terms of getting outside of the marching arts?

00:39:27-00:39:27 - Are you currently doing long-form documentary-style videos? Is that something you're looking into?

00:39:28-00:46:24 -Do groups like being mic'd up? Pros and cons of it?

00:46:25-00:50:14 - Allowing people to see the best drummers as human is a good thing

00:50:15-00:53:54 - Are drum lines always playing clean? 

00:53:54-00:55:40 - What do you like and dislike about social media?

00:55:41-01:00:01 - What makes a good content creator in your eyes?

01:00:01-01:04:22 - How do you deal with backlash for stuff you post?

01:04:23-01:05:46 - On "representing a brand"

01:05:47-01:11:32 - Lot video culture is huge. Why is it not the same for front ensembles?

01:11:33-01:15:12 - Boston's 2022 season & judging drum corps

01:15:12-01:19:31- Outtro

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Dan sits down with Vic Lee, one of the 2022 Bluecoats drum majors, to discuss best practices for preparing and auditioning for drum corps.

Episode Timestamps

00:05-2:00- Episode intro

2:15-3:13- Vic introduces themselves

3:30-3:46- Was Vic ever cut from a drum corps?

4:21-5:29- What was the process of arriving at wanting to audition for DCI?

7:35-How did Vic land at Cadets?

10:10-What did Vic learn marching at the Open Class level?

12:18- How did Vic know they wanted to ultimately end up at Bluecoats?

14:08- What were the auditions like when you got cut?

15:41-How should a new auditionee approach auditioning mentally so that they are prepared?

16:30-What does “preparation” mean?

20:10-How does someone prepare mentally for a high-stakes audition?

22:58-What qualities are world class instructors looking for in an auditionee?

29:30-What is the environment like at Bluecoats?

38:51-What was the experience like being drum major at Bluecoats?

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Dan sits down with one of his best friends Andrew "Monty" Monteiro, the Front Ensemble Arranger & Sound Designer for George Mason University Indoor Drumline, Reading Buccaneers, and as of 2023, The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. They discuss their storied history designing together, how Andrew learned and honed his craft, and where he sees himself heading as we enter into a new year of design.

SHOW TIMESTAMPS

00:24-4:07 - Intro

4:07-4:27 - How did you get into designing/writing?

4:27-6:05 - Andrew’s response + what prompted him to write, in spite of his degree in something non-music related

6:05-7:22 - How Dan and Monty came to work together at Cadets Winter Percussion 

7:22-9:00 - The beginning of Monty’s design journey at Cadets Winter Percussion

9:00-12:10 - How did Monty learn how to teach himself difficult platforms like Logic and Mainstage?

12:10-16:11 - Monty’s response to how one learns new technical skills

16:11-23:20 - How has your perspective changed 10 years into designing?

23:20-28:30 - What is your favorite thing about WGI?

28:30-32:00 - Working on different teams and remaining flexible and open

32:00-34:25 - What Andrew wants for the Cadets in 2023

34:30-41:45 - The future of the activity and what do we need?

41:45-43:25 - The entertainment aspect of what we do

43:25-56:16 - From member to instructor 

56:16-59:05 - What is the current outlook for GMU’s pit going into 2023?

59:05-1:05:30 - Cadets then and now and the "East Coast Teams"

1:05:3-1:10:57 - Outtro

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