Mandarins 2023 || Aged Out Reacts w/ TJ Choquette

The hosts of the Aged Out Podcast react to the Mandarins 2023 Drumline from DCI finals week (2023).
Original Video:
• Mandarins Drumline 202...
Podcast Links:
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Apple Podcasts:
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Patreon:
/ agedoutpodcast

[@falc0n717]

We now have public confirmation that TJ has touched grass

[@SallyJFox]

Coppell’s 22-23 bass 5 was Mandarins’ bass 5 this year. Brought that fire to Sacramento!

[@ehhhhwassupdoc]

TJ! LETS FUCKING GOOOO

[@Tendura1993]

Grass rating is super important. Don't sleep on having solid grass.

[@timothychoquette456]

this guy just gets it.

[@jpgagaza]

Actually, it would be preferred to sleep on solid grass.

[@ChristianBanas]

Shout out to the good grass

[@grandprairiehsdrumline4730]

9:49 “I love grass” God I love TJ 😭

[@mk_u11tra2]

Marched snare in 99 when we were just a baby corps (albeit a winning one). This is the coolest thing to see. Thanks for the breakdown.

[@cooperwiethoff2416]

thank you for paving the way for the mandarins to be what we are today

[@rifle2563]

You guys were fucking badass, great uniforms, white premier hardware!

[@trieutan5931]

Thank you for your time and wisdom, TJ!

[@harryballsonya]

i also appreciate some good grass.

[@timothychoquette456]

I'm glad we agree, Mr. Ballsonya.

[@danjordan2625]

5:15 Oh it was very good for me TJ

[@phobass]

This was a fun lot. I love seeing Mandarins thrive..it's been a long journey to this level of success and execution. Shout out to all the dudes that put in the hard work on the line, and shouts to the staff for helping the vision manifest.

[@phobass]

p.s. .....the best grass I marched on was DCI 2008 Columbus OH. It was at their MLS field. 10/10

[@JonnyHcutt]

Crew Stadium! I miss having shows there.@@phobass

[@garylagstrom3864]

I love the fluidity of the tenors not only here but with the Cavies and the Cadets too of flowing around the drum heads like painters using their brushes to add flair to their palette!

[@garylagstrom3864]

I’m all for giving the sheets to the judge! Judge’s decision definitely need to be based on an understanding of what the sheets require the members to do and sprinting across the field while they do it!

[@TeamIslas]

Yeah I couldn't agrre more about the quality of bass lines being stronger than ever. Another great vid guys!

[@garylagstrom3864]

Can you send me the sheet on THESEOLETS AND THOSEOLETS?!?! LOVE THAT NEW RUDIMENT VOCABULARY!

[@garylagstrom3864]

The tenor with the white sunglasses 🕶 is like just rolling along to his beats 🎧😎👏🏻

[@noahcole6622]

Re: basslines. I do think basslines have gotten remarkably cleaner. However: 1) they often are cleaner as a subsection, but not aligned with the upper battery, in comparison to a decade ago. 2) since bass drum has really become an instrument for itself, we have many different approaches towards sound quality. Unlike say, 2002, we don’t agree anymore on what good sound quality is. This isn’t a bad thing, it just means that the Mandarins bassline sounds and looks way different than Boston, for instance. 3) we have gotten so good at splitting that many bass drummers unintentionally approach unisons and splits as different skillsets, you can often hear this difference. 4) writers are getting craftier. When writing is better we forgive dirt more, or we give more credit for demand because it sounds sick. None of this is directed at Mandarins btw, they were dope. Just a lil bass drummer perspective you feel me. I think with how rhythmically solid basslines are getting we will start seeing more emphasis on sound quality again as opposed to pure connectivity

[@paradiddle5664]

Much knowledge and wisdom here^

[@gavin_bigred]

I feel like it number 4 balances itself out cause when it’s easier we expect it to be piss clean. Cavaliers 2023 is a good example, although the space they have between notes throws a wrench into that as well lmao.

[@tnorri25]

We ❤ Teej! Also, the best grass is found in the burbs of OH.

[@jmerriam27]

Nothing like that LCC grass

[@gmiller598]

Love Ben Pyles writing and the whole late 90's/early 00's SCV Casella vibe going on. Do we know the extent of what Jim did to consult for them?

[@cooperwiethoff2416]

Jim was with us for about 3-4 days before tour, helping out with staff primarily

[@stevenmartin176]

I don't remember who it is, but Ben Pyles is no longer the percussion arranger, he was our ensemble coordinator this year, he was great!

[@cooperwiethoff2416]

@@stevenmartin176 nah ben wrote the battery music too, andy wrote the pit parts

[@tanabananadrum]

We love TJ

[@timothychoquette456]

the greatest form of love is auditioning at Atlanta Quest and Mandarins for the 2024 season.

[@tanabananadrum]

@@timothychoquette456 I definitely will

[@timothychoquette456]

Please comment below with your favorite kind of grass: I would say a nice bluegrass found in Ohio is my favorite. Nice and green, thick and lush. Don't get much of that in GA, so I'm going to vote for Zoysia in my area. Just a little thicker than Bermuda. What's yalls?

[@scottyt5918]

Carl Spackler hybrid

[@patrickdalton5411]

I’m allergic to it all. But I can tell when a crude blade has cut the grass and it always looks ugly.

[@colinsullivan2847]

Have you guys ever thought of putting the reaction vids on streaming services? I know you have for some but was wondering if you guys have considered making it a routine thing

[@rbass311]

Yeah, I wish the reaction videos had audio versions. Makes it easier for me listen to.

[@garylagstrom3864]

Man those basses are playing TASTY TASTY TASTY beats under Tenors during snareline rolls!!!!! Bass drum parts and playing execution has gotten head and shoulders better this year than in years past!

[@tebby24]

14:19 Yesss! I’ve always wondered why they don’t do this. To me it seems like the difficulty of a book is not arbitrary. In other words you could determine the theoretical physical demand and rhythmic complexity of a drum book by some sort of analysis of the sheets.

[@garylagstrom3864]

Gotta miss the full marimba and marching tympani’s circa Blue Devils 76!

[@mcgrud]

For the algorithm. 🤙

[@paulangiegriffith7910]

I appreciate the “blabber “…

[@lokineverfolds]

Need a grass rating every video 🫵🏻

[@blackhavoc618]

(CHECK ALL OF MY COMMENTS BEFORE DECIDING TO ARGUE WITH ME. I COULD STILL BE WRONG BUT YOU CAN AT LEAST SEE WHERE I’M COMING FROM) The tuning tends to be low because I know a couple universities on the west coast keep them lower and the mandarins share equipment with sac state so they might just decided to not change from their tuning

[@thekid675]

That's not quite true, my dude.

[@cooperwiethoff2416]

Nah, Taha just likes the lower tuning on the snares. We got brand new drums this season and kept them the whole time, no sharing. It is possible sac state uses the Mandarins equipment but not the other way around.

[@rifle2563]

That is definitely not true at all

[@blackhavoc618]

@@cooperwiethoff2416 mandarins only operate for 3 months out of the year. I went to a mandarins clinic and we literally pulled equipment out of the sac state music hall

[@blackhavoc618]

@@thekid675 I’ve spoken to Santiago sabado who used to be the director of bands at sac state and is on staff with the mandarins and that is very much the arrangement