maybe that new performing arts center in carmel that they're building would work...
um. that PAC will be too um...how do we put this....nice?! Its suppose to be as fancy as the Met or something close. and its a concert hall. not a stage like Emens or Clowes so that plays a large factor. im still thinking emens is fine. i mean its not a big ordeal. there are worse places to perform, and the only stage you are going to like best is your schools if you think about it. thats were you feel the most confident and comfortable.
there's a venue in downtown indianapolis that is just now being renovated that would probably do the issma state contest well... Seating capacity at about what Emens has, but the stage is Much Much Smaller... Highschool auditorium size... we had a Barbershop quartet contest there and acoustically the hall was AMAZING. i'm pretty sure issma could get it for a steal and it would work very well... though i'm not sure about rooms for staging or Homerooms... hmm...
Carmel was not recognized for vocals (winning a caption award for best vocals) until State. At all their other competitions they won best visuals. The "white and gold costumes" were part of the Rio theme and fit the song. They definately won best visuals because their costumes were amazing, fit the song, and their choreography was strong enough that the costumes didn't consume them. If you think their costumes were too much, what about those certain choirs (not naming names) that have elaborate sets with light-up risers or plexi-glass boxes with a lift inside. Its all relative. Instead of having an elaborate set, Carmel spent their money on elaborate costumes instead.
i know i'm really late on commenting here but... i was catching up and this really made me giggle. Anyone whos ever lived in indiana, or like myself has lived in carmel... KNOWS that those kids could afford everything Center Grove, Teays Valley, Clinton Attache, Huntington North, John Burroughs, and Sullivan have EVER Put on stage as a "set", PLUS their Giant crazy cool costumes... and none of their wallets would be worse for wear...
CONGRATS CARMEL AMBASSADORS
when are you going after clinton??? they'll have to Presell tickets
To my knowledge, State was not held on a weekday that year because Clowes was booked, it was actually because ISSMA did not leave enough time in their own schedule to have it on a weekend.
I think we need to put that to a vote before they declare themselves ambassadors of indiana.
And the first year of ISSMA it was at Butler...not sure why they decided to move it. Seemed like a good place to perform to me.
I believe ISSMA moved it for two reasons to my knowledge; Even though Indpls is the capital city, Muncie and BSU seemed a more centralized location in regards to what schools were attending the ISSMA State Show Choir Competition. Also, when it was held in Indpls that first year, they used Clowes Memorial Hall and that was VERY costly for them to do that. It seemed they were interested in spending the designated money for the competition on more than the venue rental which is completely understandable. Also, that first year, State was held on a weekday b/c Clowes is SO BOOKED for so many different things every year. Emens seems to be both cheaper and more accesible but I do agree that something has to be changed to make the stage better for the competing choirs!
I think BSU is a perfect place to host ISSMA (noting the fact that I have not performed at Emens). For the simple fact of Ball State University Singers are the Official "Goodwill Ambassadors" of Indiana. Just a thought...
Yeah, I'm sure it'd be better if they took the curtains down, but personally I hope they change the venue next year. Maybe something a bit closer to Indianapolis. Would Butler be able to host something like that?
It's possible to get more sound out of emens auditorium. I performed a bass(instrument) concerto there once with the Muncie Symphony, and the group sounded totally fine, w/o anything being amplified. That's because a shell was used on the stage instead of the huge black curtains. If some groups didn't have gigantic props that needed lots of room to get in, we could use the shell for the show choir competition, too. The acoustics and projection would be a lot better that way. Huge curtains= a dead stage.
the problem is that there is such a large group of people at state that they (ISSMA) find it hard to find another venue with just as much seating, plus easy accessibility like Emens has. It something that you just have to work with. Something that you have to figure out. That what makes competition fun right?
Word on the street is that the ISSMA board (some directors, I guess) is trying to change the location of State, so the acoustics aren't so terrible.
I wouldn't say Emens auditorium is awful! I personally think the stage is "dead" and is rather large for even the bigger choirs to really work with. I mean LC and NC probably had the two biggest mixed choirs there and truth be told we (LC) felt like we didn't do anything with that stage. The stage is built for large productions (like BSU Singers Spectacular) and it's just hard to fill it up with sound and choreography even with a group with 50 singer/dancers! I like Emens but maybe not for ISSMA State!
Does anyone know what company recorded finals, or was it issma? regardless If someone could post the info for purchasing the ISSMA DVD, that would be SOOOOO appreciated!
It was KI, they can be reached at the phone number the guy gave above, but the video is totally crappy quality--at least ours was. The acoustics on that stage were so crappy that you can't even hear the band for most of the time on our DVD. It blows. :<
Indiana State Competition 2007
