LoveKathyG

In terms of innovation, that's inherently obvious. You can boil innovation into two types. Innovating within a system (first order, thank you Peter Senge) and innovating outside of a system (second order). Devils bread and butter, since my earliest recollections dating back to '72, has been to do what's already well established but do it better. Corps like the present-day Bluecoats (and Cadets, SCV, Star, Cavs in other eras) are doing things that haven't been done. So yes, Devils are and always have been behind the innovation curve. Are they excellent? Sure are. Do they outperform their competition most year? Sure do. But are they innovating in the second order? Nope.

Can you imagine what tour fees would be if the season ran that long now? Yikes!

Madison

Finals in Jackson MS. 1993 I think. There were fireworks at the end of awards, which were set up on the visitor side of the stadium. It rained off and on that evening with quite a bit of wind. No one saw that at least one of the fireworks stands had fallen down, and when it was set off, the rocket flew not in the air but directly into the field where the corps were still in formation. Thankfully, no one was hit, but it was close. It landed between two corps. In my mind, it came closest to Cadets, but I wouldn't swear to it.

I don't know why they couldn't. They finished 15th in 2014 and 2016.

So much better than Paris. LA, hope you were taking notes. That's how to do an opening ceremony.

Because I'm incapable of independent thought beyond writing AI prompts these day, I asked ChatGPT to: "Create a drum and bugle corps show from the Broadway musical Ragtime. Ragtime feels very relevant to today's conversations about immigration and class struggles. How might you be able to mash up Ragtime with some more modern music that would feel fresh and relevant?" What it came up with isn't terrible... 🎺 Title Idea: “Ragtime: The American Dream Remix” Concept: Juxtapose early-20th-century America’s hopes and struggles with today’s — showing how the rhythms of progress, pain, and perseverance repeat themselves. Brass and percussion become the “heartbeat of America,” moving from ragtime syncopation to hip-hop and modern cinematic soundscapes. 🩶 Act I: “A New World” — The Promise Ragtime Source Material: “Prologue: Ragtime” (that layered ensemble opener is iconic) “Journey On” (immigrant hope motif) Mash-Up Ideas: Blend ragtime’s syncopated rhythms with Anderson .Paak’s “Come Down” or Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You” brass riffs — re-harmonized to reflect optimism. Use snare and pit to morph from Scott Joplin–style piano syncopation into a contemporary groove. Visuals: Costume evolution: Edwardian immigrants → modern dreamers. The field could literally “build” into a modern city skyline. 🔥 Act II: “Collisions” — The Struggle Ragtime Source Material: “Till We Reach That Day” (the emotional heart of the show) “Coalhouse’s Theme” (tragic determination) Modern Mash-Up Options: Fuse with Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” — re-orchestrated for brass, percussion, and choir (wordless but powerful). Add subtle quotes from Billie Eilish’s “My Future” or Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” to bridge eras of injustice and hope. Pit feature: minimalist marimba and metallic sounds transitioning into an explosive drum break symbolizing social upheaval. ✨ Act III: “We Will Reach That Day” — The Dream Endures Ragtime Source Material: “Wheels of a Dream” and “Make Them Hear You” Modern Mash-Up Ideas: Overlay with John Legend’s “Glory” or Andra Day’s “Rise Up” — arranged instrumentally. Hybrid finale: “Wheels of a Dream” modulating into a triumphant Lin-Manuel Miranda–style orchestral hip-hopcloser (think “My Shot” energy without lyrics). End with the full ensemble reprising the Ragtime motif, now harmonically modernized — symbolizing that America’s rhythm keeps evolving. 🎨 Visual and Design Opportunities Color palette: sepia → grayscale → full color to represent progress and inclusion. Props: newspaper clippings, train imagery, scaffolding that becomes a skyline. Guard: early immigrant costumes transforming into modern urban fashion. Narrative arc: 1906 → 2025 in 11 minutes.

I didn't appreciate this show enough in 2006. The drill is spectacular. Can you imagine if they'd been able to clean it? I can't imagine it wouldn't have been top 3.

Pretty sure they're backward masking Resurrection Symphony.

Please no more SCV theater productions. I loved them in the '80s and '90s, but the activity has moved on, and wisely, so have they.

I'm ready for many more odd years. I don't hate BD, but I'm excited for some much-needed competition.

Devils feel a bit like a Blackberry. Bluecoats and SCV are taking the activity in a different direction and are executing at a high enough level to elbow Devils out of a medal. Devils need to retool this off-season or risk being on its heels again in 2026. Yes, BD being on its heels can still place high (and I wouldn't be surprised to see them pull out 3rd by finals night, it's going to be neck-and-neck with Vanguard), but they're not going to win championships anymore with their current formula. They rode that horse a little too long.

My pleasant surprise is that at least three corps are giving Blue Devils a run for their money. No BD hate here, just nice to see some actual competition.

Agreed on BD. Their shows are typically super measured per the BD winning formula, which is often uninteresting to me. This one doesn’t even feel like it’s up to BD’s formula. I think they have a better than 50% shot to medal, but it’s hard to imagine enough mid-season correction to win. There’s almost no chance of Mandarins passing Vanguard, though. You may not be a fan of the show, but the judges have pretty firmly weighed in that they are. That said, I suspect their chances of medaling are less than 50%, but if they can get into medal position, I think anything’s possible.