QUOTE(noah nuthein @ Jan 28 2007, 12:46 PM) 377949
Actually, one of the most impressive groups there has not been mentioned. There were at least 23 people from Chula Vista in the audience. Driving 5 hours round trip and NOT even competing deserves some kind of trophy......xxx
thanks for the love dad. although only 10 of us from bonita came to watch and support, in addition to our school day & spending 5 hours round trip on the road, we also had our winter formal (i specifically was nominated for court and won ...still " border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> ). its ok though i know some people like us out there. i hope " border="0" alt="ermm.gif" /> . as for chula...i love you guys ill be rooting for you guys all the way from brea (also, another 5 hours round trip on a school day). this is only for mr noah caca face...so no one else should be offended. lol.
I completely disagree with you. Go to youtube.com and type in any choir from the midwest or east and you will see crazy dance moves , over the top showmanship, and spectacular shows with BIG vocals and usually a larger combo band. Arcadia is an amazing singing group but the word "show choir" is only being half emphazised, and its not the word SHOW.
Then again, what show choir would actually WANT to compete with any school from the east coast.
QUOTE(jasonpepperboy @ Jan 29 2007, 11:00 PM) 378589
Arcadia...I wish I could say more. You always have the best vocals....but your style just isn't for me. You guys would fit into the midwest quite well....in fact, even better back east.
I completely disagree with you. Go to youtube.com and type in any choir from the midwest or east and you will see crazy dance moves , over the top showmanship, and spectacular shows with BIG vocals and usually a larger combo band. Arcadia is an amazing singing group but the word "show choir" is only being half emphazised, and its not the word SHOW.
P.S.
You compliment burroughs so much in that post and you seem to know a LOT about them , i almost start to wonder that if you are from burroughs!
"I just had a Chelsea from Serrano message me. So yes..."
ok because i am hosting them at the Brea Classic and i am going to make goodie bags... however i needed to know what things they might want in it.... so i just wasnt sure if they even came on here anyways... but t thanks
QUOTE(jasonpepperboy @ Jan 29 2007, 11:00 PM) 378589
entertaining,
oppulent,
Ouindjian,
proximity
Christian
digress
reiterate
Showmanship
Of all the $3.00 words used in that post, I believe only one of them was a REAL word... " border="0" alt="shifty.gif" /> :\\ . The rest are countries or something... " border="0" alt="ermm.gif" />
Major major props to Serrano for being the most entertaining group of the night......sometimes it's nice to just be able to have fun watching a set.....reminiscent of Burroughs 2005 show or Burbank in 2004. So seriously Serrano, even though you guys don't have the best vocals, you do have a myriad of freakin' hilarious, entertaining, oppulent, well costumed, and in the end, satisfying elements. And ya know what?? No matter what anyone says, I will always be a proponent of the idea that it's called SHOW CHOIR....people want to see a show.....they want to be entertained. So ya know what?? You wont beat Burroughs or Burbank.....or Arcadia....but you got the only standing ovation of the night....and almost all of Burroughs stood up. That's saying something. Oh, and props to the Bird girl and confetti (reminiscent of Burroughs Superman show).
As for Burroughs....you guys are still the most innovative choir in the entire country....every year it's interesting to see what you will roll out with next.
And you guys...I love you all I really do.....but uh....I think the tribal idea might need to take a break next year. It was really fresh when Burbank Out of the Blue sang "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (which was very good by the way). It was semi-fresh when Burroughs incorportated a very earthen feel to their set last year, showing it in their costumes, their choreography, and then of course in their Shakira. But this year....holy crap....three Shadowlands??? Serrano's spirit song?? Something tells me choreographers really wanted to get in on this......hahahaha....freakin' Jen Ouindjian, they all wanna be you.
Everyone from the east coast and especially midwest always bag on us, but no matter, we're ALWAYS the most innovative....but now we're copying our own ideas. Let's keep it fresh folks. Hart, Los Al, Celebration, I hope you guys are cookin' up somethin' good....cuz that was one too many Shadowlands performances to sit through.....particularly after that actress from "The Young and the Restless" knocked it out of the freakin' park (haha...gotta love the Burbank schools and there proximity to Hollywood).
Another example of this would be the religious/gospel/christian thing. Now....for anyone who knows EL rancho, they know that they've ALWAYS done Christian music. There's nothing wrong with that...it's kinda like a show choir trait, just like we always know Burroughs is gonna do that clap at the same time thing as you step touch step touch. But this year, just like the tribal theme....everyone's got the Jesus-lovin' goin' on. Most do it very well.....in fact, none of it was disappointing. But I digress.....at least long enough to reiterate the fact that we need to keep it fresh people.
Arcadia...I wish I could say more. You always have the best vocals....but your style just isn't for me. You guys would fit into the midwest quite well....in fact, even better back east.
As for Brea and Diamondbar....wow....talk about role reversal huh?? I gotta say Diamondbar....I respect you even more now....sometimes Willert has a habit of going overboard on showmanship. Admit it.....many of us have been at these different shows over the years....Diamondbar takes the Showmanship award, and then doesn't even place in the top three.....I always wanted to just say "Why do you guys really need sixty people on stage at once??" I particularly remember when Redlands East Valley's guys group took down Diamondbar's mens group at the now defunct RCC comp and it was once again the same thing....but there are many examples in our storied Cali past.
So Willert went to Brea, inherited better singers (let's face it you guys have always known your music, you're old school show choir), and brought his zany showmanship along......but to be honest......I felt the Diamondbar vibe way more at Aztec. You guys meanwhile stepped up your vocals, you guys are back down in the forties....your choreography and showmanship shows the full range of emotion, not just riddlin-filled fun on the beach (no offense Brea, I'm not saying it isn't good....I know how incredibly hard what you do is, and how hard it was when Diamondbar did it, but I just don't see the range of emotion that you get out of a Burroughs show.....which can sometimes seem like you're watching a group of proffesional actors.) So anyway, props to both schools....maybe this teacher switch was just what you guys needed.
I've heard the word on the EEE and Clinton shows this year....and tentatively speaking....I don't think we'll be taking any grand championships this year....unless Burroughs complete set really pulls something out of the bag (I heard rumors of a Panic at the Disco song....but this could be mere speculation), because even though Burbank is solid, the guys in the group look to be in a rebuilding stage.
That being said, Hart really does have the open door to step in and do something.
Oh, and Los Alamitos!!!! You guys are consistently the most entertaining show choir to watch in almost any year. You guys did Wild Wild West....you had a Stomp show, you did the hot chocolate song from "Polar Express", you brought out Napolean Dynamite and Hip to be a Square......even in down years, you guys always leave the crowd going crazy.....but watch your backs.....Serrano has seriously stepped it up in that department.
Zane, we started working on the show January 4th, music and all, and finished it on January 20th. Remember that we choreograph our Christmas Show, so can't start our competition set until after the holidays.
Our tone is the same that it always is. I have the kids sing in the style that is best suited to the song. Sometimes the girls have more vibrato than other years, but it is almost always under control.
Dynamics is a difficult issue to discuss. We aren't as loud as most groups for two basic reasons: a) we are smaller (33 members) than most of the other groups and I don't teach "belt" and don't believe in forcing the sound at all. We basically have a studio sound. Most of our performances are at close range to the audience and in smaller venues. If we threw out more sound, the audiences would be holding their ears and our blend , balance, and intonation would go out the window. I like to hear the sound most of the groups put out there and , in most cases, it fits the song they are singing. It just isn't our concept. We do very well in the "dynamics" category at every competition because it's about how you use dynamics, not how loud you sing.
It's funny, I kind of sound redundant in my other post, and I haven't even seen this one yet. I hope my comments didn't put down your other groups, I was comparing that last 4 years and I've really noticed an amazing improvement each year. Last year was no doubt one of Chantuers best years, but I look at the quality of your singers and it still progressively improves each year.
As for the septermber comment I should have said, "If I didn't know any better." I've asked you this question once before, and I still stand flabberghasted. The show is EXTREMELY polished for such an early performance, I commend you.
I also think people have a distorted definition of "Dynamics", and it is possible they only see it as how loud you can get, which is what I think they were referring to. Stick to your guns, I know you will.
Can't wait for "Mom and POP" Show, 2007. (you made that one up) but I'll put it on my calendar....WHEN IS IT??? " border="0" alt="blink.gif" />
If I understand this post correctly, I think that the only logical deduction that can be made is, well... that you were beaten by an intermediate choir. Congratulations!
Also that they were beat by a choir that was "un-impressive."
Arcadia won because they sang better than any other group and performed what they learned musically better than any group and although as unimpressive as they were still managed to have cleaner dance moves than at least HALF the groups that where there. I haven't seen the Showmanship scores so I can't say they danced better than every group. Just not Brea.
Z-
P.S. Score sheets don't have a "Wow Factor" category, or "Entertainment Value" category. Those would be opinionated scores. Judges aren't supposed to have opinions other than their professional opinion. More props less props is a non-professional opinion. The scores sheets aren't supposed to let the judges judge on how impressed they were. Sometimes they may go overboard in the "Difficulty"or "Overall Effect" category, but its only 1 or 2 of 15 categories and 4 lost points can be made up by 9's and 10's in precision of movements, and perfection of music skills. Which Arcadia performed well in, without seeing the score sheets.
To Arcadia:
Your first song has a great soloist and your group vocals are fantastic. When the guys are singing by themselves it sounds great - like real men. Your choreography is cool, however, for the entire song you guys just stand in one place. You never move more than two feet from your initials spots. But you know what... that is the way all the other groups are too so I just might be surprised because it is just that this might be the first time I have seen Arcadia do it. Your A Capella was fantastic. I think tenors were a tad bit off key. To those that say you had major vibrato: I did not hear it and that must mean either I was not listening (which I definitely was since you are my Alma Mater) or that you were not really doing it enough for it to be disturbingly noticeable. I will put my money on the latter. I think what I enjoyed most was the greatness of your closing number. It was fantastic! The dancing was great. The vocals were better than anyone else. Even the “box people” did awesome. Therefore, in the end, you disserved what you guys got and I would be surprised if you did not get first at every competition considering how all the other groups did last night.
To Burroughs:
I am so happy you opened with the Muse! I think you should have gotten second just for that. However, you guys have awful vocals and your soloists must have been super nervous or really out of breath (it was the first song though...hrmmmm). Very good bass parts on the A Capella. Nevertheless, the last half of the song was a mish-mash of notes that was not pleasant for me. You have a good dynamic range but what it did not include was dynamic flow, and by that I mean your progression from softs to louds was poor. Your closer is just a bunch of YELLING and out of tune yelling, at that. Anyway good job and I hope to see those problems fixed by the next competition.
As far as arcadia is concerned. You can listen to the songs on the youtube, including the ballad and the vibrados. It's throughout most of their set. I also agree on the staging of most of their songs, but it just depends on the choreographers. Burroughs is guilty of this too, I watched people during formation changes march in place, and I laughed inside. Burroughs closer is a good example but, I really don't think they were singing out of tune. Shouting, not really ,belting, surely, which if you've ever listened to a gospel choir, is what they do. I listened to the parts OVER AND OVER, and they sound amazing to me, the girls in each section have incredible blend for such a powerful choir and no the sounds were not pure, but clean and well trained and thats what I liked about it. So if they were off, they were all singing the same off note because they have great intonation or pitch retention, but being out of tune contradicts that. Lets just say they all sang the same notes per section.
But I guess its what you are used to from Rollie, if I can remember you had a very light and pure sound from your solo your senior year, which matched the groups sound tremendously. But there really isn't a proper way to train a choir other than to tell them to sing. Some choirs don't even do that. Thank god they weren't at Aztec.
Just cause I like to hear myself type,
Burroughs and Arcadia are very different in their singing style, they both have great vocals, Arcadia's vocals, in my opinion, are much more strategic, which is what a well trained choir can do, learn not to sing as a soloist but as a member of a group. I think Rollie realizes that most high school students don't have a mature sound until their senior year or later, which is very smart, why force it? So I don't think he stresses the BIG BURLY sounds that groups like Burbank have but more the vocal blend that a regular high school group would have and the group seems to blend 5 times better than any group. I ridiculed him on this way back when I first heard his womens group sing "The Rose". I though Bette Midler was a strong singing woman, and the womens group, I said, "Sound like little girls". But I think they took all 1st and 2nd place trophies that year, behind La Mesa or Bonita Vista. So what did I know? I've also heard his groups do tremendous jobs on a capella pieces college directors wouldn't even dream of giving their choirs. It really made me think twice before ridiculing a director again.
Burrough's is named Powerhouse for a reason. Big songs, big dances, big sound, big group. I think the director this year really spent time with his singers to try to get each member to develop a certain way of singing. It sounded like some of the members, (Possibly the soloist) haven't mastered the breathing technique it takes to belt songs like their closer. I heard the group warm up with the gospel song, which is possibly why the soloist sounded strained on the lower notes. Not to put him down, but he sounded like me when I belt a song in my car then try to sing later in the Vocal Ensemble and I can't hit any chest notes cause I strained my vocal chords singing too loud. So in trying to understand why he sounded scared, I figure was just bad technique, He sounded great in his upper range, he's gotta be a good singer, he wouldn't have had that solo otherwise. I think with the talent in Powerhouse the director did a great job with the Musicianship of the closer. Minus the dynamic flow. I agree on that too. But hey, theres 4 more months for them to fix that minor technicality. Judges probably mentioned it too.
Point is, different directors, different techiniques. I learned from my high school days that you can't expect every group to sing the way your group does. You learn this by studying with other directors, and realize that each has a different concentration and a different method. Right now my director is looking for (besides, sight reading ability and pitch retention) overall blend. No vibradoes, no forward singing ( like an actor in a musical might sing) and an overall italian choral sound. He studied italian opera for 20 years, it's the sound he's come to appreciate. It's different that what I am used to, but you adapt and don't ask questions. These teachers are directors for a reason, because they have their BA's and BM's and Master's and Doctorates in Music, they spent there whole lives to get to where they are. Why question them? Maybe question yourself? Understanding these things I find to be fun. Or sometimes sad. But I accept it.
Again, I really love both groups so no hard feelings for either.
mannnn!!! everyone is raving about brea, so now i really want to see you guys from somewhere other than backstage! haha im really excited to see it now, thank goodness for the next couple of weeks.
we got to see all of the behind-the-scenes stuff for your set, and i must say, you guys mustve been working just as hard backstage as you were on stage. by the way, it was so gratifying to see you guys so thankful for something that wasn't even a real biggie. it says a lot about the goodness of your character; i love you guys! be my friends. im kevo. nice to meet you.
to everyone else, i must say HOW PROUD i am to be in a show choir region that could start off the season so strongly, and i'm ecstatic knowing that it gets even better from here.
to the choirs that werent at aztec, im so looking forward to getting your songs stuck in my head, too
I think this Aztec Sing has to be one of the best I have gone to.
Burbank-I loved your show and I can't wait to see you again later in the year. I really enjoyed the costumes in the opening number and you had the best acapella that night in my opinion. I also liked the 60's little medley and every song in it.
Glendora- I have never seen or heard anything from Chorus Line but I really enjoyed it when you did it. I liked your acpella because it reminded me of the Notebook and it made me sad. Well you guys changed quite a bit in all the years I have seen you and it was a good change I think.
Arcadia-Another flawless show like always. I enjoyed your acapella and you guys sing so well I am jealous of you.
Mark Keppel- I thought you guys were good and with some more work you can do better in the year and good luck.
Burroughs-I am mad I didn't get to see you because we were warming up but I saw a tape of you guys and I loved it. Also thank you for letting us use your risers.
Diamond Bar-I am glad I ran back to my seat in time to see you guys. I enjoyed every song you guys did and it was a really good show put together.
Serrano-I think this was one of the favorites of everyone. Wonderful choice of songs it got me going and I mad we can't see you at TOC because you are before us.
Brea-This was probably my favorite show of the night. Dave Willert is amazing and so good. I knew you guys were going to be great this year but you guys just blew me away. I can't wait like alawys to see you guys and I might go to you Spring Concert again this year because last years was so good.
Mikey!! i didnt realize it was you when i was reading the comment, i was going to reply and say u didnt mention El rancho! lol but now i know y
Azusa Aztec Sing XXXII 2007
" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> ). its ok though i know some people like us out there. i hope 
" border="0" alt="ermm.gif" /> . as for chula...i love you guys ill be rooting for you guys all the way from brea (also, another 5 hours round trip on a school day). this is only for mr noah caca face...so no one else should be offended. lol. 
" border="0" alt="shifty.gif" /> :\\ . The rest are countries or something... 
" border="0" alt="phone.gif" /> 
" border="0" alt="wacko.gif" /> 
" border="0" alt="weeping.gif" />
I don't teach "belt" and don't believe in forcing the sound at all. We basically have a studio sound. Most of our performances are at close range to the audience and in smaller venues. If we threw out more sound, the audiences would be holding their ears and our blend , balance, and intonation would go out the window. I like to hear the sound most of the groups put out there and , in most cases, it fits the song they are singing. It just isn't our concept. We do very well in the "dynamics" category at every competition because it's about how you use dynamics, not how loud you sing.
" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />