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CAVALIERS!!! OMG!!!! **** YES!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!! YES! SPLOOIE!

Segmentation: How DCI Has Gotten More Complicated... And Less Difficult Of all the changes DCI has undergone so far in the 21st century--any key brass, amplification, electronics, generalized body movement increasingly replacing marching/drill, the move from corps-specific uniforms to show-specific costumes--the change that has affected my enjoyment of the activity the most has been the increasing segmentation of show design. This is a reward-based activity, so if a change doesn't boost the score (when utilized correctly) it will fall by the wayside. So perhaps my argument is that the DCI sheets are due for another overhaul. Perhaps I think that the sheets aren't rewarding the correct aspects of the performance in the correct proportion. And, like anything else in this activity, my opinion is as subjective as anyone else's. For every person that comes onto DCP and shouts "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG" at DCI there is someone else who thinks they are doing it right, and they eagerly dive into that day's monkey slap-fight in Thread X. And, of course, it goes without saying that these are concerns regarding show design and scoring, not performance caliber or effort from the kids. I try REAL hard not to slide into dinosaurhood with regards to drum corps, but the bottom line is drum corps is about the performers NOT the fans. Some fans have strong issues with this, but the simple fact is that the time and money we put into this activity as fans doesn't come close to outweighing the time and money put into this activity by the performers. So, with the usual caveats in place, here's what's bothering me about DCI as of 2017... 1. SEGMENTATION OF MUSIC To this day I consider the 2009 Blue Devils' show "1930" to be the easiest ensemble brass book to win DCI in the modern era. Visual, guard, and percussion were all smoking in that show, but the brass was carried by a small handful of extremely skilled soloists while the full ensemble played long tones and not a whole heck of a lot else. The show was almost at the level of a Concerto for Brass Soloists and Drum Corps. And when it scored 99.05 at Finals, we were off to the races with regards to musical segmentation (specifically brass). I say specifically brass due to the relative limitations of segmenting the percussion section. The field battery has a limited number of both performers and pitches. They might break into smaller ensembles a time or two during the show, but one really skilled snare drummer can't carry the whole snare line: the way percussion is written doesn't really allow for it. The front ensemble has a few more options, but again their limited numbers require more cohesiveness to be effective in the full ensemble sound. Brass, on the other hand, you can slice and dice a million different ways: soloists, duets, ensembles of 6 or 10 or 20, high instruments, low instruments, concert instruments (like trombones and french horns), the possibilities are endless. By creatively breaking apart the ensemble over and over again, you can have your 10 or 20 strongest players carry the entire difficulty load of whole brass book, lessening the impact of your "weakest" performers and making cleaning the ensemble sound a whole lot easier. I'm not saying solos and small ensembles should be banned. Nor am I saying they don't present their own unique challenges to perfect. But it's also a bit of a smoke and mirrors act with regards to difficulty. Let's say you have an 80-member horn line. The top 25% play challenging music for 10 minutes of the show, the 2nd 25% play challenging music for 8 minutes, the 3rd group for 6, and the bottom 25% for only 4. Your brass line has 560 "player-minutes" of challenging music in the book. Now let's say there's another 80-member horn line that focuses more on a whole (large) ensemble sound. Their top 50% plays challenging music for 10 minutes, and their bottom 50% plays challenging music for, 6 minutes of the show. They have 640 player-minutes of challenging music. It's hard to combine subjectivity and analytics, but the second group has arguably a much harder brass book for the ensemble as a whole. I do not think the DCI sheets and/or judges currently reward/consider this at appropriate levels. Cleanliness is--and always has been--king in DCI. And it is far easier to clean an ensemble, match intonation, address tone quality problems, etc. when there are only 10 or 20 performers as opposed to 80. In modern DCI, the MORE your whole ensemble is playing the harder it will be to get a good score. That doesn't seem correct. 2. SEGMENTATION OF VISUAL My realm of knowledge in music is far broader than in visual, so this won't be quite as in depth. Also, I don't want to repeat myself too much and a lot of the same principles apply: cleaning four batches of 20 is far easier than one batch of 80, particularly when the four batches of 20 are spread across seventy yards and their movements are not interconnected or uniform. Sure, it adds wonderful layering. And complexity of a sort. But since drum corps has gotten to this point it also largely eliminated the single-most difficult part of visual design: transitions. No need any more to write a challenging drill move to maneuver the right instruments to the right positions for the next segment. Just have Pod 1 finish their body movement and do a flutter/scatter drill twenty yards to their left where they will join half of Pod 3 for the next body movement segment. Meanwhile Pod 6 is still on the back forty doing completely different movements because Pod 6 is jerks. Oh look! All the pods have joined together to form one large ensemble that... does 32 counts of follow-the-leader or jazz running before breaking up and fluttering away to their next pod/body movement assignment. The warning sign, in retrospect, came a few years ago when visual ENSEMBLE became visual ANALYSIS, and musical ENSEMBLE became music ANALYSIS. The ENSEMBLE aspect of drum corps just doesn't seem to matter a whole lot any more, and that makes me sad. 3. COORDINATION OF ELEMENTS I'm sure we've all seen the 2017 Blue Devils by this point. They play very, very well. They move very, very well. And they almost NEVER do both at the same time. There's what, ten or fifteen seconds at the end of Flight of the Bumblebee where the brass is trucking with both fingers and feet simultaneously. Otherwise, all the difficult movement occurs by performers with their horns down, while the hard music is performed by small groups stationed and immobile on the staircases. And then there's the park and bark. Oh sure, you can throw in a few lunges and leans, maybe a stanky leg or two, just so you aren't COMPLETELY immobile while you're playing, but come on. It's still park and bark, just "new" park and bark. I pick on the Blue Devils, but they're just THE BEST at it, they're not the only ones doing it. I like Vanguard's show better this season, but their design definitely seems to have been of the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mindset. SCV is going to have their best finish in almost 20 years essentially by performing a Blue Devils visual book. I guess that's both a compliment and a criticism. I look back over the past five or ten years, and almost all my favorite musical moments do not have WOW visual moments accompanying them. And vice versa for the great visual moves. The Bluecoats seem to be the best at maxing out visual and musical effect simultaneously these days, but look where that's gotten them in 2017: 4th place. They just can't get clean enough to match the BD's and SCV's who aren't trying to do so much all at once. Which, if I recall, was the whole point of moving away from the tick system in the first place. The tick system was only about error. Doesn't matter what you're doing, just don't make mistakes. The build-up scoring system was introduced in 1984 to allow for more creativity. And yet, over the course of about 30 years it has slid back into the same trap as the tick system: doesn't matter what you're doing, just don't make mistakes. Be creative, but not TOO creative. What you are doing and how well you are doing it, except the "how well" is about 90% of the emphasis seemingly. And that's how we got to where we are today. Avoiding ensemble difficulty (because it's much too hard to clean). Breaking drum corps shows into pieces so we have COMPLEXITY shifting the full weight of the show's difficulty onto a small portion of the corps' most elite performers. The criteria and judging rewards this, encourages it. This isn't what I want drum corps to be. And in THAT regards, I guess I am part of a very large ensemble.

Hey SCV Alumni Corps: You all deserve a special thread to say thank you for the special thrill you gave all of us drum corps fans tonight (Friday) in Indy. You touched many hearts with your fantastic performance. THANK YOU!

Just an FYI, I will be in this thread all night. Don't make me have to do work while watching the stream.

Well that's vague. You could judge Effect for dci with comments that nonspecific.

Ohhhhhh my God. We may have just witnessed the best Boston Crusaders performance of all time. Absolutely fantastic Finals performance.

BOSTON... YOU JUST KILLED IT!!!!!! WOW!!!!! I am so PROUD...what a performance tonight....ELECTRIFYING!!!!

SO FREAKING PROUD of BOSTON with their 6th place finish...and 3RD in GUARD again! 12th to 6th in one season...BAD AZZ...

I finally get it, they're deconstructing her vocals.

If you're offended, then stop looking for reasons to be offended. It's just a drum corps show.

Wow. This thread is off to a great start. We have a huge time between this year and next year we can ##### and moan about the state of the activity starting tomorrow.

My prediction: 12. The Scouts won’t win because they couldn’t max out their score 11. The Crossmen won’t win but no one can figure out why 10. The Blue Stars won’t win because they were fated for tragedy 9. Phantom won’t win because they couldn’t keep it real 8. The Blue Knights won’t win because they took their i off the ball 7. The Cadets won’t win because they couldn’t get to the church on time 6. Boston won’t win because they got too hung up on the details 5. The Cavaliers won’t win because they wouldn’t ask anyone for directions 4. Bluecoats won’t win because they couldn’t straighten out their show 3. Crown won’t win because they couldn’t get it (back) together in the end 2. Santa Clara won’t win because they spent too much time this season chasing their own tails 1. The Blue Devils will win because they won’t stay in place long enough for anyone to catch them

Well, Boston and Cadets have a 2018 thread.... and I am also excited gor the 2018 season! GO CAVIES!! HAPPY 70TH!

I agree with this completely. It's time to take a step back from the use of electronics. I don't suggest removing it completely, but some restrictions are certainly needed

My boys come through once again. Congrats BD!!

I dont have a problem with BD winning, but that margin is ludicrous

She needs to empty her spit valve.

The Season has ended. Go in peace.

Cadets DM crying during the closer. That got me.

There is not a way in the world you can convince me BD is over a half point better than Vanguard in GE and Visual.

Okay, SCV beats BD in music but BD wins in visual? I am not sure what the judges were seeing, but I saw a much lesser visual package in BD's show than I saw from SCV.

First Medal in 14 years. Good job Vanguard!!!!!!

I'm not sold on this show. Some good musical moments, but doing it with displacement and visual velocity?

Just spotted in the stands... posted from the DrumScorps app

From up here, I love the color scheme of the corps uniform. Crowd up on their feet before the final chord! Man, I love a Finals where the crowd can't wait to show their approval!

Soloist was ON! And she knows it, that's fun.

Dear BD, When I was 16 I saved up and traveled to Madison to see my first finals along with my older sister and brother. I had seen the PBS broadcasts and a DCI South show in Birmingham. It was during that week in Madison that I fell in love with the Devils..............the swagger............the jazz..........the drumline............just everything about that corp is flat out awesome to me. Over the years I have fallen even more for the magical corp otherwise known as Concord Blue Devils. There have been years that I may not have loved their show but I always had the utmost respect for the difficulty of each one of those shows. Two of my favorites were 2008 and 2015 and obviously 2014. However, no show has ever pushed 1986 off the pedestal. With a heavy heart 1986 is now in second place. This show has unbelievable music and just so many incredible MOMENTS. I still can't believe the fans that don't realize how incredibly hard that opening drill is. The ballad should just be renamed THE BALLAD. I actually love the ending and I expect to love it even more after tomorrow night. For all the people that slam BD and their supposed lack of movement. I was on Michael Boos live chat tonight. This is a direct quote from Michael Boo "I want to address something that people seem to keep mentioning regarding this corps, and that is the alleged lack of movement. My heavens, just look at their step size, their speed of marching at times, and how their feet move, sometimes in opposition to what the torsos appear to be doing. They move like crazy, but they do it with such astounding fluidity and ease (because they're so well trained) that they make it look easy. It would be like hearing a famous stage actor recite Dr. Suess. Of course he would make it sound easy and he could be accused of not really working hard at it. But you'd remember the performance and you'd admire the panache. Blue Devils have panache to spare, and when it looks like they're taking it easy, it's because the drill writing of Jay Murphy is so perfectly staged that it seems un-human, and sense it seems un-human, it must be something we can't fully comprehend and therefor it gets the banner assigned of being easy." I am so proud to support this group. Do it up Devils!

Don't go bringing the Cadets into this.

If I were a program director, moving forward I wouldn't hire a drill writer. I would hire a staging director and a choreographer.

BD Wins Guard on finals night!!!! Perfect 20 in visual analysis. Sweeps GE judges, with Mike Stone giving them a perfect 20. Prosperie gave BD percussion a 99 (1st) in achievement. Wow! BD knows how to bring it on Finals Night!

Herd judging mentality strikes again. See ya all next year.

I THINK this is the Spirit delta the Crossmen tubas made on the field. posted from the DrumScorps app

I have watched drum corps since 1975 and that Blue Devils ballad has to be one of finest performances I have ever witnessed in drum corps.

It's still amazing to me just how effortlessly BD performs especially under pressure. Just another day at the office. Outstanding job Blue Devils, y'all brought a tear to my eye.

and tonight's biggest loser ... Flo Marching. Thanks Flo! Loved watching DCI finals with horrible bit rate and a blocky picture.

BD just won HIGH BRASS tonight IMO...no doubt whatsoever...

The fans told SCV to bring it... and their response... posted from the DrumScorps app

This is modern drum corps at its best.

Hey Crown, you know who doesn't have mic issues during their singer's solo in the ballad? Corps that don't use singers. Or mics.

You did it your way Cavies. We loved every second of it.

"Hey, Indianapolis! I've got the 2017 DCI Finals results right here! And the winner is...*sad trombone*...Star of Indiana?!?" OK, THAT was a joke worth waiting for.

I don't understand this criticism. It's not like they were trying to hold an actual Mass, or even trying to convert anyone. It's a drum corps show based on musical theatre work. Personally, I go to a drum corps competition to see a variety of shows. Unfortunate you didn't like it, but different strokes and all...

Cadets did a great job bringing a complex and long piece to a short field show. It was controversial when Bernstein did it, and it's controversial now (people just react, and don't even take the time to check out and understand the original material, sheesh). The way good art is, in my opinion. Nice job, Cadets; kudos to you for daring.

Joking aside, I can't blame anyone for using religious themes. Christianity has inspired (or commissioned) some of the most beautiful music ever composed.

Its so gratifying to look at the 2017 Finals Night Appearance schedule today and learn that the Boston Crusaders are slated to now go on AFTER Intermission here on Finals Night. They fought thru every conceivable " bad draw " this season, and the last few seasons to get to this place. They moved up in placements AND did it with an audience friendly and compelling show.. fantastic all around for them!

I think I just realized what the final Cavaliers joke will be.

Agree. From day one when I saw them at the first Massillon show in June I felt Bluecoats' show was full of GE. Initially I didn't think anyone would touch them but Blue Devils. But as we know seasons can take on strange twists. Cleaning the feet took longer than perhaps they thought. There were side to side timing issues due to the stage and also some of the spread-out features they challenged their performers with. The tenor feature is one, but there are others. The visual program is a LOT more challenging than people think. It also took them a while to make up their mind on the ballad, staging, solo, and ultimately they made it work, but I feel they were not able to milk that music for everything it has. That section alone is likely hurting GE. Having said that, your second sentence is so RIGHT ON. It is not easy to program entertainment into a show, especially complex shows that are also designed to be competitive. For a 4th straight year Blooo has programmed one of the most effective show designs from top to bottom. The crowds have reacted all summer. Standing ovations everywhere, and they are achieving this popularity and fan approval with shows that are not "cookie cutter" as you noted. These shows are perhaps the most unique shows in the activity over the last 4 years. I still think a lot of drum corps out there will continue to look at Blooo's formula as a model. Competitively it works, and everyone wants to have a fan-friendly show. To me this Bluecoats corps (the 2017 version) reminds me of Madison Scouts 1995. High energy, massive audience appeal (maybe not quite like that Madison corps), excellent performance, and somehow the judges have it sitting in 4th place.

Go Vanguard cause the upset bring it HOME