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2017 PREDICTIONS!


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On 3/30/2017 at 1:50 PM, corpsband said:

I think BK is already out-designing Cavies, SCV, and Cadets.  They just need to execute.  

Musically, maybe, Visually, I don't think so. BK had a very well designed show in 2015. Last year, not so much. Drill wasn't very interesting and not very demanding. There seemed to be a huge lack of readable drill last year, and there was nothing demanding about it. The guard was an afterthought and often in the background - not very well integrated. The backwards Moonlight Sonata was cool and interesting to me, because I'm huge into Beethoven, but musically the rest of the show wasn't very entertaining. Interesting definitely, but not very compelling. It seems to me that BK definitely cares more about what the judges think than what the audience thinks. Honestly, I thought Blue Stars and Phantom both should have beaten BK at finals last year. Huge letdown for me after a great 2015 show.

While I found the Cavies show less entertaining than BK's last year, as a whole it was much better designed. Drill had tones of cool and interesting movements (name one in BK's show) and was much more demanding than BK's, the guard was exceptionally well integrated with much more challenging work than BK's guard gave us last year. The propoganda theme was way overdone IMO, but a well deserved 5th place finish. BK wasn't in the same league as the Cavies last year.

SCV is on another level. Very interesting visually, very dynamic musically, and the guard was well integrated (not was well as Cavies). As a whole, it seemed that SCV's show was more popular than both. Not saying popularity equates to scoring high on the judges sheets, just merely SCV seems to be giving the crowd and the judges what they want.

I think BK is definitely out-designing the Cadets. 

This is all based on last year, who knows what this year will bring. BK obviously has the talent to take the next leap but they are going to need a better design than last year and get their show complete earlier.

Edited by henry7184
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4 hours ago, cfirwin3 said:

That's only half of the picture.  If any corps is going to be working towards making finals.... then they are at risk of not making finals.

But... what if an organization decides to design, construct, and instruct a show that is serious about contending?  Even if the group is young, less experienced, and technically unable to contend, It would be nearly impossible to derail that kind of approach and mentality (unless 6-8 corps were serious about contending... which is also entirely possible).

I get the feeling that Academy is looking more forward than behind... the question remaining: How many others are doing the same?

This was the thinking that changed everything for the Bluecoats about 15 or so years ago.  Someone dared to ask "Who are we competing with?  How high do we want to shoot?".  This mentality did the same for Carolina Crown in even less time.  Star did this (and burned out... or moved on... depending on your favored version of the story).  Even the Blue Devils (in another time and distant culture) pulled this off, and they never went away after that.

The clever design of their show last year, and mature manner in which it was executed reminded me too much of some other quick ascending giants for me to count Academy out as 'fighting to stay in'.  The crowd was/is practically begging them to notch it up.

Like I said, the biggest problem is with the ones ahead of them from last year.  Are those corps thinking about contending as well.  And I think that most of them are.  Heck... in a world with those bombastic/corny/jazz-loving/head-bobbing/hip-swaying/blast-o-ramic Bluecoats can win... why can't anyone win?!  We ought to know by now that contending is much more of a choice than it is a destiny.  It always has been.

Anyone shooting for 6-12 place is at risk.  Anyone with a near-future optimistic eye on 1... watch out for them.

I agree with 99% of this.  Relating it to the ongoing changes to Boston, I can attest to the fact that the goal setting is paramount.  During the time when I was involved with BAC (80's), the goal really was just to "be Boston", which I have concluded looking back in time was a euphemism for simply keeping the corps alive.  (And as we know, that strategy worked).  Later, during the 90's  the unstated goal definitely was evolution (both creatively and organizationally) to get into the top 12...and stay there.  Even with the close call last year, the corps managed to achieve that as well (now 17 years running).

Five years ago, when the BAC Board embraced the "Building a Champion" motto, there were certainly some skeptics in DCI and they are still with us.  However, the BOD at the time said they were going to build the organization first by community outreach and embracing the financial sector and the political forces in the City Of Boston.  Then when the money starting flowing in (which it has) they would hire the very best designers and teachers in the activity.  The Blue Devils model has shown us that  organizational strength must happen first to facilitate the competitive success, especially if you want to avoid being a "one hit wonder".

At this point, it is unknown how successful the corps will be in 2017, and certainly nobody that I know thinks the "Champion" moniker is around the next corner. But, circling back around to the above post, the BOD and Corps Director DO have their sights set on Boston becoming an EVENTUAL and CONSISTENT contender.  This poster is correct about goal setting in terms of placement.  Time will tell, but at this point, it would seem even to the most indifferent onlooker that Boston is putting the building blocks in place.

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 I recall ( pre DCI ) when the Racine Scouts were a World Class level Drum Corps and competed as a legitimate contender most seasons for elite levels TOP 12 status, and achieved such status on a few occasions. Today, their goals at the Racine Scouts reflect a new calling, mission, for its youth that partake of its offerings. Its current offerings to its youth that partake of its services are of course no less enobling an endeavor. It just serves a different mission, different level ability of youth, thats all... but it still serves a worthwhile and beneficial calling. That is unless we define " beneficial " by World Class Div. placements alone.. then one would have no disagreement from me. But I do not see placement success, as important as it is to the Elite Corps, its alums and fans, as the long term  defining benefit, nor the definition of " success " of any particular Drum Corps. As such, I see the Spartans, that have served the youth in its ranks for over half a century as certainly a " success " story for a Drum Corps, and in Drum Corps. Its certainly fairly measurable in " worth " in comparison to Corps that may have placed higher in DCI, ( for far shorter a period of time ) but for one reason or another, no longer serve youth in any music or in any educational capacity whatsoever any more. In that respect, the Spartans are certainly no less a " success " of a Drum Corps, than the different missions and different callings that these once vibrant, but now disbanded and non existent,  elite levels Drum Corps once had for themselves. 

Edited by BRASSO
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1 hour ago, Lance said:

just found out about Bloo's show, and i predict i'll watch it once and avoid it thereafter

and i'll hope my prediction is wrong

Yikes!

I hope they just do a Bluecoats show. I don't expect them to win... But I sure as heck expect them to be the Bluecoats (which as of late should mean that they contend and entertain).

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17 hours ago, Lance said:

just found out about Bloo's show, and i predict i'll watch it once and avoid it thereafter

and i'll hope my prediction is wrong

In 2012 when Bluecoats announced "Unmasked" I tried to figure out the concept, listened to source music, etc., and thought it would be a disaster. Wrong. I was skeptical of bleachers as a prop in 2013, "Hymn of Axcion" would be too sublime for 2014. Wrong twice. When I saw the shows I was amazed at what they did with implausible props, concepts, and music. I think we need to let "Bloo be Bloo" and no doubt we'll be surprised and entertained. 

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On 4/19/2017 at 9:04 AM, Tim K said:

In 2012 when Bluecoats announced "Unmasked" I tried to figure out the concept, listened to source music, etc., and thought it would be a disaster. Wrong. I was skeptical of bleachers as a prop in 2013, "Hymn of Axcion" would be too sublime for 2014. Wrong twice. When I saw the shows I was amazed at what they did with implausible props, concepts, and music. I think we need to let "Bloo be Bloo" and no doubt we'll be surprised and entertained. 

i was skeptical about Unmasked, too, and ended up really enjoying it as well

there's no bigger fan of their 14/15 shows than me, either

i watched 16 once, and i doubt i'll care for a +100000% increase in the things i didn't like

we'll see, though

Edited by Lance
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51 minutes ago, Lance said:

i was skeptical about Unmasked, too, and ended up really enjoying it as well

there's no bigger fan of their 14/15 shows than me, either

i watched 16 once, and i doubt i'll care for a +100000% increase in the things i didn't 

we'll see, though

they got a big "your GE trumps your dirt" pass last season.  imo those sort of passes are only good for one use.  

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14 hours ago, corpsband said:

they got a big "your GE trumps your dirt" pass last season.  imo those sort of passes are only good for one use.  

I believe you are correct.

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16 hours ago, corpsband said:

they got a big "your GE trumps your dirt" pass last season.  imo those sort of passes are only good for one use.  

 Doubt it.

 The trend lines have been unmistakably there ( imo ) for a couple of years now, that the adult created and executed show designs are trending toward more build up points on the revised scoring sheets than the performer responsible side of the ledger. Thats why the  Bluecoats won last season, despite some quite visible and audible performer" dirt " in the Finals performance. As such, the 2017 Bluecoats ( like all other Corps ) will have their fortunes rise or fall this summer, not primarily on performance based elements ( though important ) but increasingly on how well the overall show design works for them within these Corps DCI placement pecking orders.

Edited by BRASSO
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