pags

I can't say that it's "good news" or "bad news". To me, it's a "we'll see...". I'm disappointed in the lack of access to purchase something I really like to listen to, but I also understand that they need a certain volume of purchasing engagement to justify it. If they're not getting that, then the best I can do right now as far as "good news" is that this decision means they're trying to make sound financial decisions for the effective stewardship of the activity as a whole, and that is a sign of good management (which we all should want)

Yeah, the problem with "iconic" is that there's no objective standard behind it and you have to have a sense of context, so the idea of "all time" is immediately personal and biased and controversial (though The Borkcoats is certainly an all-timer of a video; hopefully we can all agree on that). I just don't fall into the idea that ONE show can ever be THE iconic show of all-time. 1982 Blue Devils set new standards in excellence based on the judging standard of the time, only to have 1983 Cadets revolutionize drill in a way that forever changed the activity, and 2000-2003 Cavaliers revolutionized the marriage between the music and drill ("I hear what I see and I see what I hear..."). 2014 Bluecoats did something similar but 2014 Blue Devils was pretty darn effective at setting new standards for theatricality and absolutely owning a theme. 2013 and 2016 Crown had iconic horn lines and horn books, IMO. 2017 Blue Devils have my favorite/most iconic ballad, and the entire show was a master class in how to do an anniversary show that honors the past and foretells where the corps is going. But these are admittedly just my thoughts based on my own criteria.

I imagine many of the reasons have to do with the ongoing cost. In other words, it's not the immediate, "one year at a time" cost where they get the rights and do the work to edit and make available performances for THAT season; they have to renew rights and possibly renegotiate rights and licenses with both prior and new inventory on an ongoing basis. If rights/licenses change, they would be expected to either go back and eliminate affected inventory or have to edit it to make it fit the applicable standard or risk losing the whole thing due to the violation. (Again, my limited understanding is that something along these lines is what happened to DCI somewhere around 2014, which is why we all saw a drastic change in the production and availability of in-season recordings, available CD's/DVD's, past recordings, etc.) There's a lot of effort and cost that goes into that and, based on what they're saying, they're not getting nearly enough people purchasing to make that cost worth it. Those of us who seem to be disappointed most seem to be the minority who actually make purchases or are people who like having the option to purchase but don't enthusiastically and consistently do so. With Flo/Box5, they make a point of it being video only, and streaming; your subscription is essentially a license to access, but never own, and your subscription doesn't offer any guarantee that inventory that was there one day will be there the next. So even in the services that offer "something", that draw from a larger base of potential participants and therefore a larger base of money, they still have to limit how the inventory is accessed for the sake of compliance and cost.

As a quick follow up, while I think it is unlikely (for all the logistical and financial reasons DCI is backing out for), I do find myself wondering if this could inadvertently result in some sort of collaboration/partnership between some of the corps to bundle together their shows and make them available for purchase/download. Again, I think it's unlikely because if a corps like the Blue Devils, with all their known recording and production capabilities and past videos, don't release any CD's or individual performance downloads (and haven't for years) then a collaboration with groups who don't have those things seems borderline impossible. Still, wouldn't it be "hilarious" if this gives rise to something like a G7/G8 collaboration amongst the corps most likely to get downloads if they were to work together?

I'm extremely disappointed, but not shocked. This is in line with what WGI and BOA are/aren't doing (as far as offering CD's or audio performance downloads), and both those activities are doing just fine with a medium that can only really be experienced live. More and more the parent organizations are putting it on the individual participating units to comply with copyright and any associated distribution logistics and requirements for any long-term recordings. Considering how those issues almost completely undid the activity a decade ago, I can't really say I blame them. But again, now I have no access to obtain and preserve the recordings of performances I've come to love. What surprised me last year when they did away with the CD's was that they also changed the Digital Downloads database without warning, where it went from having everything from 2014 to the present to just having 2022-2024. A little better heads-=up on that one would have been appreciated because there were some shows I hadn't gotten around to purchasing from the 2014-2021 timeframe. I'm still scouring the internet for recordings of DCI Finals from 2010 and 2011 on CD, among others. Oh well.

I'm not casting an opinion on whether this is a good or bad thing (just where I see it going), but I see DCI transitioning into more of a WGI-Winds or Drum Corps Japan model where the ensembles are smaller and the activity moves more and more indoors. Summer heat and stadium availability issues seem to be rising, leading to performer safety and performance opportunity issues, respectively. Travel costs (# of vehicles, fuel, insurance, etc.) are only going to continue to rise, as are wellness costs (food/beverage, safe place to stay, etc.). I don't see the current model, with the number of performers per unit (not to mention props, etc.) that require so many vehicles and so much maintenance cost being tenable in the increasingly-expensive environment the world currently exists in. It may seem antithetical to a "growth" mindset, but I think it may be necessary to go smaller, and make itself more nimble to hedge against the costs.

Since we're "dreaming" here... Dallas San Francisco Philadelphia Nashville

Now THAT is perhaps the thing that makes me the happiest.

The only thing I can offer to this discussion is the thought (which I will not posture as "fact," but just something to consider based on my own perspective) that the brilliance and curse of great design and superior performance is that it makes what is very difficult appear very easy, lending itself to perspective from others that the design and demand are cutting corners. It represents a different philosophy in auditory and visual presentation, but I don't see evidence it is inherently more or less difficult than the design/demand that came before it. This is true for any/all corps, not just the Blue Devils. I think there is far more coordination and integration (vs. segmentation) than we often give credit for in these spread out "pods." The original poster didn't really address this element, but it is worth noting the impact of increased prop usage. When you utilize props, particularly large ones, it necessarily impacts how you design your movement of personnel. One person's "effective placement" is another's "clutter," so I won't even begin to try to convince anyone which way they should interpret it, but it is an element that impacts visual presentation nonetheless, and if you are looking for an area where a potential "solution" (assuming you identify what is currently going on as a "problem") exists, then the number and/or size and/or amount of movement of props could be starting places visually in terms of how the "corps proper" utilizes the full field for formations and transition drill. As to the "drill v. body movement difficulty" debate, the only analogy I can offer is that it is very difficult to run a sprint; it is also very difficult to hold a plank position. Borth tax you and are difficult, but in different ways, especially when you add in a simultaneous demand of another activity (i.e. performance). Judges (in the recordings I used to hear) typically referred to this as a difference in performance demand and environmental demand. I don't want to go down too many rabbit holes, but I feel compelled to at least mention that the OP could have used a better example than 2009 Blue Devils for the breakdown of musical presentation/demand changes. Yes, there are some soloist and small ensemble moments used in that show, but for the most part it was NOT carried by soloists. You would have had a far better argument with 2004 BD as an example for critique. Further, even if what was written was true of the 2009 production, I find it disingenuous to use one show from one year as representative of what is happening to the activity as a whole, particularly since the way BD designed and performed that show from a musical standpoint was very different than 2010, 2011, 2012, etc. If our tastes cannot allow for variety in musical presentation then I feel the problem is with us as reviewers and not the activity or corps as a presenter. I have other thoughts, but also a job that I must return to...

As a quick tag-on to this, I have to ask....how disappointed do you think you (or other people) would be in the event the Blue Devils don't do anything else with the window/ending? (To be clear, I haven't heard any rumors one way or the other; this is purely a theoretcial question.) I can't help but notice from the tone and vocabulary used in posts this year regarding BD that part of the credit people are giving Blue Devils is preemptive and has to do with anticipation of them doing something more with the ending (i.e. they've "allowed" for what they feel is a placeholder ending all season because they expect something to come of it.), so if they do nothing, what is your take on the show? Does it change the minds of anyone who has called it their favorite BD show of the last x years? I'll offer a response to my own question just so people don't think I'm trolling; For me it changes little. An empty window might need a little more personal interpretation as to why it's there in light of the fact that they make such a demonstrative effort to place it where it is at that moment of the show, but it's also a few seconds out of an otherwise stellar show. Had the window been placed center-field the entirety of the show and they end up doing nothing with it, it's a problem in a show that's about change. Baiscally, my experience of the Blue Devils show will not be "incomplete" or disappointing if they do nothing more with the window/ending, but I am curious if others feel the same considering the notable buildup in anticipation over the last few weeks.

2009 SCV

1997 Blue Devils 2004 Blue Devils (Finals, specifically)

I am still betting on a BDC snare member in 70's uniform, playing the cadence of Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor. It brings them full circle on the current show from a musical standpoint and visually with their history, and it is an ending type (i.e. snare playing last notes of the show) they've used before (2003 show), linking them yet again to one of the championship shows of the past. But maybe I'm way overthinking this...

...except the Blue Devils for a third of the show. Sorry, sorry, with all the commentary I HAD to; it was just too easy. In all seriousness this year's show is just such a superior contemporary homage than the 2007 show. I've been loving it all year.

Okay, I'm going to throw this out there and then retreat back into my Anonymity Corner for awhile.... It's an observation/suggestion for those disagree with the whole G8 concept: I'm not asking you to like the concept, but can you please at least find a way to give it a chance? Let's be honest, DCI needs this to go well. I liken this very much to a Presidential election; you may not agree with the point of view of the guy who got in on several issues, but for the sake of the country you need to hope he does well while he's there because a lack of any kind of success is only bad for the country. I'll throw this out there as a specific example: I'm not an Obama-supporter, but if the guy is going to get his way, then I need to hope that he's right and I'm wrong about what's best for the country because if he gets his way and he's wrong, it's not good for any of us. I'd be thumbing my nose at him from the unemployment line, which wouldn't be anything to take pride in. Same thing applies to DCI and the G8. Many disagree with it, quite a few outright hate it, but for the sake of DCI as a whole we need to hope it does what they advertise it as: an opportunity to open up this activity to new fans, increase the exposure in new ways to existing ones, create interest in more shows, eventually motivate more kids to tryout, and overall increase the brand (and especially the revenue) of DCI so that it maintains viability in a world that is increasingly disinterested in a fine arts-based activity. Do I hope that eventually this activity has built itself to a competitive point where the G8 can be an ever-changing list of corps? Abso-freaking-lutely. How cool would that be if 5 years from now we're writing about how exciting it would be for Blue Devils and Crossmen to be going head-to-head, or Cascades against the Colts. But let's be honest at this point about who casual fans want to see most. If I'm a casual basketball fan and the NBA is going to initiate a new kind of in-season exhibition, I want to see the Lakers, Celtics, Heat, and Thunder pioneer that sucker, because if it is something the perceived "elite" can't pull off effectively, then it's a decent guess the Clippers and Nets don't stand a chance. Would I hope as an ardent basketball fan it would grow into something of equal interest no matter who is involved? Of course, but to start it needs the involvement of the teams with the most recognizable brands and best resources to make it work. Just look at the trouble the NFL has when sending the Bills and 49ers to London for an international match-up. This was longer than intended, but I'm just saying give it a chance. Not "drink the Koolaid" and say this is the greatest things ever, but at least try to recognize that we need this to do well for the sake of DCI so that this activity develops and survives. This concept has already helped generate more shows and a longer schedule, both good things considering some of the criticisms on this very board the last few years.