Harmonic Journal 07/31/15

Harmonic Journal
Friday, July 31, 2015

"Allentown" by Billy Joel

Harmonic Journal 07/30/15

Harmonic Journal
Thursday, July 30, 2015

"Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, as performed by Pentatonix in "Daft Punk"

Harmonic Journal 07/29/15

Harmonic Journal
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

"Bootylicious" by Rob Fusari, Melissa Hinz, and Beyoncé Knowles, as performed by Destiny's Child

Harmonic Journal 07/28/15

Harmonic Journal
Tuesday, July 28, 2015

"Where in the World is El Chapo?" by Rockapella

Harmonic Journal 07/27/15

Harmonic Journal
Monday, July 27, 2015

"Kill Da Wabbit" from What's Opera, Doc?


Happy 75th Birthday, Bugs!

Honey, I Shrunk Paul Rudd

After a yummy breakfast at Kara's Korner and a short trip to the shops on Manila Way in West Covina, Linda and I saw Ant-Man in 3D.

• "The first thing we need to do is call the Avengers."
• "I know a guy."
• They did a really good job of making a young Michael Douglas in the flashback.
• "It's about time."
• Loved watching all of the training.
• The giant ant reminds me of Antie in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids".
• Do I really need to tell you how much I love Paul Rudd?  And now even more?
• "He's so ugly!  I love him!"
• I'm going to feel guilty when I need to exterminate some ants now, aren't I?
•  Luis' stories were fun, especially the lip synching.  (Hi, Stan!)
• The lamb is shown.  Both Linda and I say, "Uh oh."
• "This isn't a key chain."
• "Playing 'Disintegration' by The Cure."
• "That is one messed up looking dog."

That was fun!  Looking forward to Ant-Man's return.

Harmonic Journal 07/26/15

Harmonic Journal
Sunday, July 26, 2015

"Plainsong" by The Cure

Jupiter One More Time

So Cal Classic

West Coast Open Class Championship

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Bellflower High School

Bellflower, CA

I decided that I needed a break from all the craziness of next week's events, so I joined Jen, her daughter Rebecca, and Rebecca's boyfriend, Colin for the afternoon.  They had an extra ticket, so I contacted Rudy to join us.  When I arrived, Jen said that she was having issue with the will call window, so we would need to bring Rudy's ticket down to him when he arrived later.  That's when I realized that I had forgotten the ticket that I printed.  Oops.  Luckily for me, Jen had yet another ticket, so I got to use that one.  Thanks, Jen!

Seating was General Admission, and we were in the better section of GA, so we were found seats on the 50-yard line, about 20 rows up from the field.  The track around the field was dry and the track dirt kept flying around because they hadn't watered it down.  I felt sorry for everyone down at field level.  I know that we're in a drought, but that couldn't have been good for people's lungs.

CALGARY STETSON SHOW BAND (Soundsport)

They are from Calgary, Canada, and they played quite well.  I'm not sure that I got the complete list of their repertoire, but I did like their music.  

Carry On My Wayward Son (Kansas) -- Love the hat tip!  I love those stetsons.

I Want You Back (Jackson 5)

Then I thought it was ballad time because they seemed to be making a standstill formation.  Nope.  It was time for the drum feature.  

Hey Baby (I Wanna Know If You'll Be My Girl) -- that was fun.  They sang.

Then they played some new song that all of the kids know.  I am old and didn't recognize it.

O Canada

The announcer said that the Freelancers Alumni Corps would perform the national anthem.  They played "America the Beautiful".  S:  "Do they know that this is not our national anthem?"  APPARENTLY, the announcer had read the long line from his script.  Oops.  Then he said, "NOW, the Star-Spangled Banner".  <giggle>

INCOGNITO

Oh, they got their uniforms!  Jen said the tuba was louder than everyone else.  I'm pretty sure this made her happy, because she's always organizing for us to go to Tuba Christmas.  His solo went well, and he got a big cheer from the lady near us.  He even had the cymbals surrounding him during the solo.  Cool.  They finished their show, but I couldn't recognize the last song.  

Incognito Guard

BLUE DEVILS C

The quartet during "Yesterday" was very nice.  I really do like the DM half-tail, and the way it flows in the wind.  A guy near me said the same thing.

We hope you have enjoyed the show

Rudy's here!

THUNDER (from Spokane, WA)

Repertoire: "Lost Generation" -- Hello by A. Lee, B. Moody and D. Hodges; Pocketful of Sunshine by N. Bedingfield; Roar by K. Perry; Poem: Lost Generation by J. Reed

It's like thunder...lightning..

Nice mello duet during "Pocketful of Sunshine".  Their lightning flags remind me of last year's BK show.  Bummer -- narration.  I guess that was inevitable given the fact that the show is based on a poem, but I would have been fine without it.  Just print the poem in the program!  It will make people buy more of them, you know.

IMPULSE

They finished their show!  There's a drum feature and everything.  Funny lead up to the contra solo.  The fugue sounded much better.  Rebecca goes to school with one of the trumpet players.

<Intermission>

I figured I'd spend $5.00 on desserts.  That went a really long way and I had too much, so I made sure that everyone with us had at least one.

WATCHMEN

J (regarding gal that all of a sudden just stood on the sidelines):  She quit.

S: She's isolated.  It's a gift.

Jen is irritated that the horns are using microphones.

"Everything else is something to be endured."  S to J:  "That's like your husband and his brother."  (We used to call them the Brothers Grimm).  

Rudy wants to know if the CG always had sparkly shins

GOLDEN EMPIRE

Great show throughout, especially that opening "Pink Panther theme" by the mello player.  Jen said that the time of day was perfect due to the shadows.  We noticed that none of the soloists were using microphones.  Yay!

Sneaking Away with the Loot

GOLD

They added something: big letters in the background spelling "POP STAR".  Why does the DM use a baton? It's not an orchestral piece at all.  

J:  Did that section just not bring their uniforms this time?  (I informed her that no, sadly, THOSE were their uniforms).  Jen is not a fan of the zebra pants.  Colin said that he would wear them.  Jen is now no longer confident in Colin's fashion sense.  I want that big pink "S" for my house.  Jen thinks we should add sparkles.  I'm just glad that the vagina tarp is gone.  They make a star formation at the end.  Did they always do that?

That S needs to be in my house!

BLUE DEVILS B

They got their uniforms.  Jen said that the orange pant leg is so bright, and some out them are out of sync, that it looks like they're limping.  The pylons are now white on one side.  Were they too shiny?  I like how theCG points up with one arm, and down with the other: it makes a cool green line with the uniform.  Good percussion feature.

Not so shiny pylons

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD CADETS

Nice uniforms!  Go, Brandon!  (He also goes to school with Rebecca).  They now have ladders, but they don't climb most of them.  If they're on Cloud 9, why would they need them?  Great brass and drums!  White flags cover the brass in sections.  I believe they removed their Aussies for this part.  They form the number 9.  The Vanguard yell is during the last song when some are high stepping to get in place.

Mellophone soloist

Encore

Impulse -- they played their show music.

A dude in the lower bleaches was sprawled out on the bleacher like George on the chaise.  I mentioned this to Jen and Rudy and was pleased when they got the reference and giggled with me.  

SCORES

9) 43.50 -- Incognito

8) 46.75 -- BD-C

7) 50.60 -- Thunder

6) 54.10 -- Impulse

5) 55.70 -- Watchmen

4) 57.40 -- Golden Empire

3) 57.70 -- Gold

2) 64.75 -- BD-B

1) 66.05 -- SCVC

Well, that's the biggest margin of a win between these 2 at the top all season!  Go, SCVC!

We waited for Rebecca and Colin to say hi to Brandon, and we met him, too.  I told him that I'd be screaming his name at Finals.

Drum corps drought again until Finals week.  I'm glad I've got a major event to keep me busy until then.  :)

Harmonic Journal 07/25/15

Harmonic Journal 
Saturday, July 25, 2015

"I Get Excited" by Rick Springfield

Harmonic Journal 07/24/15

Harmonic Journal
Friday, July 24, 2015

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" by Janet Jackson

Harmonic Journal 07/23/15

Harmonic Journal
Thursday, July 23, 2015

"Smile In My Heart" by Scott Leonard, as sung by Rockapella

Harmonic Journal 07/22/15

Harmonic Journal
Wednesday, July 22, 2015

"We're All Alone" by Boz Skaggs, as sung by Steve Dorian in the PellaPosse Palladium

Harmonic Journal 07/21/15

Harmonic Journal
Tuesday, July 21, 2015

"That Sunday, That Summer" -- by Joe Sherman and George David Weiss,  as sung by Natalie Cole

Harmonic Journal 07/20/15

Harmonic Journal
Monday, July 20, 2015

"The Dance" by Garth Brooks, as sung by Steve Dorian, in the PellaPosse Palladium

Harmonic Journal 07/19/15

Harmonic Journal
Sunday, July 19, 2015

"Weightless" by Steve Dorian

Harmonic Journal 07/18/15

Harmonic Journal
Saturday, July 18, 2015

"One Day More" from Les Miserables, by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boubil and Herbert Kretzmer

DLR LotD 07/17/15

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Friday, July 17, 2015

"They're trying to turn me into a cupcake!" -- Katie, at Fantasyland Theater

Happy 60th Birthday, Disneyland!

Harmonic Journal 07/17/15

Harmonic Journal
Friday, July 17, 2015

"Feed the Birds" by Robert and Richard Sherman, as sung by Dame Julie Andrews, in Mary Poppins

Harmonic Journal 07/16/15

Harmonic Journal
Thursday, July 16, 2015

"The Road Not Taken" from Frostiana by Randall Thompson

Harmonic Journal 07/15/15

Harmonic Journal
Wednesday, July 15, 2015

"Far Longer Than Forever" from The Swan Princess, by Lex deAzevedo, as performed by Liz Calaway and Howard McGillin

Harmonic Journal 07/14/15

Harmonic Journal
Tuesday, July 14, 2015

"My Maria" by Brooks & Dunn

Harmonic Journal 07/13/15

Harmonic Journal
Monday, July 13, 2015

"Off My Mind" by Scott Leonard, sung by Rockapella

Harmonic Journal 07/12/15

Harmonic Journal
Sunday, July 12, 2015

"Theme from 'The Pink Panther'" as played by Golden Empire Drum and Bugle Corps

Harmonic Journal 07/11/15

Harmonic Journal
Saturday, July 11, 2015

"Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis

Harmonic Journal 07/10/15

Harmonic Journal
Friday, July 10, 2015

"Why" from Tick Tick Boom by Jonathan Larson

Harmonic Journal 07/09/15

Harmonic Journal
Thursday, July 9, 2015

"Frog Went A Courtin'" -- Traditional Folk Song

Harmonic Journal 07/08/15

Harmonic Journal
Wednesday, July 8, 2015

"The Good Life" by Steve Dorian

Harmonic Journal 07/07/15

Harmonic Journal
Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Almond Joy / Mounds commercials as sung by Rockapella

Happy Chocolate Day!

Harmonic Journal 07/06/15

Harmonic Journal
Monday, July 6, 2015

"Concerto for Two Violins, Strings and Continuo in D minor BWV 1043" by Johann Sebastian Bach

Harmonic Journal 07/05/15

Harmonic Journal
Sunday, July 5, 2015

"Jenny Come Away" by Scott Leonard, as performed by Rockapella

Happy Birthday, Jenn!

DLR LotD 07/04/15

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, July 4, 2015

"I heard that they taste like jellyfish." -- Sherry, saying what the donkey is thinking about the chickens, on Pirates of the Caribbean

Harmonic Journal 07/04/15

Harmonic Journal
Saturday, July 4, 2015

"The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key, as played by the 2015 Blue Devils Trumpet Ensemble

Harmonic Journal 07/03/15

Harmonic Journal 
Friday, July 3, 2015

"Your Love Keeps Liftin' Me" by the Mint Juleps

Harmonic Journal 07/02/15

Harmonic Journal 
Thursday, July 2, 2015

"Standing Outside the Fire" by Garth Brooks

Harmonic Journal 07/01/15

Harmonic Journal
Wednesday, July 1, 2015

"The Canyon" by Phillip Glass, as performed by the 1999 Santa Clara Vanguard

Drill shown in Micro Marching League style -- with their uniforms!  Cute.

Sing It On 1.8

Sing It On

Season 1, Episode 8

Season Finale

• The Nor'Easters are still mourning their loss of Kevin.
• All Night Yahtzee is gearing up for the Wild Card video submission.
• No Comment's video is their version of "Bang Bang".  I feel like I'll never hear this song again without thinking of Sing It On.
• Nor'Easters decide that the show must go on, and submit their rendition of "Elastic Heart".  
• A.N.Y. pushes themselves to meet the deadline, and the audio file is lost on their best take, so they just submit their first one.
• Nor'Easters wins the wild card, by a lot of points.  They get to go to finals.
• Nor'Easters pull the last performance slot, and Samantha is convinced that Kevin worked it from heaven.
• GMen set the bar really high with their alien-like sound.
• SoCal Vocals rock "Bang Bang" during their set.
• Voices In Your Head's solo has a soloist with an amazing vocal range.
• Vassar Devils sound great and seem to make Nor'Easters nervous because they've beaten each other previously this season.
• Faux Paz makes the judge smile.
• VirtuOSO does "Uptown Funk", which is kinda too choral-like for me, despite the vocal percussion.
• All the King's Men sings "Proud Mary" and they don't sound British at all.
• Nor'Easters have Kevin with them in their hearts, dedicating their set to him, and saving a space on stage for him.  They sound awesome.  
• John Legend sends a video to encourage everyone.  He was in an a capella group in college.
• 3rd place:  G Men
• 2nd place: Voices In Your Head
• 1st place: SoCal Vocals  -- Congratulations! (See this is why they need to follow the California groups next season if they have one).
• The ICCAs end with all of the groups singing "Sing A Song".

Well, that was fun, but not my favorite reality show.  I think that it had to do with the really strong personalities of the leaders, mostly those of the annoying leaders.  Oy.  Their speaking voices were grating to me.  I guess it wouldn't be as good TV if they were more mellow, but I just wasn't as into it as I would have liked to be.  I would have liked to hear more actual singing, like entire sets.  But that's because I'm more of a music fan than a reality show fan, I guess.