7th Regiment, the third corps I saw last week

Here's what I wrote about the corps' program in Mythology, horror and fantasy among show themes for the 2018 drum corps season.

7th Regiment is playing a show that may be even stronger in science fact than it is in science fiction. This should come as no surprise, as the show description references physics and a famous physicist.

Our eyes see by letting in light. Altering the light changes the way we see objects, people, and places. The light also influences our perception and perspective. This is why we can “bring something to light,” “shed some light on a subject,” or “see things in a different light.”

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” This quote from Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Planck is the focus of 7th Regiment’s illuminating 2018 show. Nowadays, people increasingly see things in black and white. But to really know the truth, one must see all the shades of all the colors.

The music reflects the show's emphasis on science fact over science fiction. Yes, "The Abyss" is a science fiction film, so this show qualifies as having a speculative fiction element. Science fact takes over with "Serenada Schizophrana"; the composition's Wikipedia page states that parts of it were used as the soundtrack for the 2006 IMAX film "Deep Sea 3D." Finally, both "All Love Can Be" and "A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics" come from the soundtrack for "A Beautiful Mind," which is a true story. Yes, it's about mathematics, not science, but scientists use game theory, too.

It was a beautiful show with lovely music. The individual execution wasn't as good as Raiders, but the content was much better and the judges gave the corps credit for it. I thought the corps would earn a 67. I was close, as the actual score was 66.2.