MikeRapp
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Posts posted by MikeRapp
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I didn't see the show as innovative per se...just a joy to watch and very exciting to listen...and I've never really liked electronics....I cannot deny though that the Bluecoats used electronics so masterfully...other corps need to seriously go to Bluecoats use of electronics school...they do it right IMO...
I did sit next to a Bluecoats hater in Chester, PA this past season...he kept incessently telling me that he didn't get what all the excitement was about....I told him bluntly with no uncertain terms that he was crazy...of course that didn't go over too well as you can imagine...he switched places with his wife after that...LOL
You can go back and pick out elements of their 2016 show that other shows used, but few if any of those won Gold medals. And none, not one, used uniforms the way they did.
I really hate to say it, but when people purposefully sit on their hands and say they don't get something that 15,000 other fans are cheering for...that to me is the surest sign of codified change. It was not all that long ago that fans literally booed Blue Devils at finals for so aggressively implementing dance and props into their concepts. Today, it's silly to even consider a potential medalist show not including both, prominently.
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I think things change gradually, with small (and sometimes unintentional) changes leading to bigger ones. You can always go back and say that a corps introduced something earlier, but there are moments in which, looking back, things changed in general. And like it or not, gold medals signify the solidification of change.I'm not sure I see history the same way as the original poster.
For one thing, Garfield Cadets show in 1983 was excellent, but George Zingali's drill that year built upon what he did in 1982 and what he did with 27th in 1979-1980. Some would even argue that SCV's drill in 1980, a 7th place finish had an impact on Cadets' design.
The development of the pit came from a rule change regarding allowing some percussion instruments to be stationary rather than carried on and off the field.
Regarding Bluecoats, did we really see all that sudden a change? I saw 2016 as something Bluecoats have been doing since 2013. The musical book of 2013 was similar to the arrangements of previous years but the use of the bleachers on the field and the constant movement led to "Tilt" in 2014 and "kinetic Noise" in 2015. While 2016 had a different look with the uniforms, I saw the show as more similar than different to recent years. Even with regards to the uniform, it may have been more necessity than adopting a so called "WGI" style uniform. There is no way the uniforms of 2015 could slide down the ramps. The head gear would have fallen off and the coats would have been a hazard. The uniform design (yes every musician Eorevthe same thing and every guard member eorevthe same thing so they were uniforms, not costumes) may not have been intended to be innovative as to make the show clean.
Blue Devils really changed the activity when they started WINNING with their performance and concept direction. Did everyone follow their lead? Of course not, but there is no denying that most corps incorporated many of the ideas they codified when they started winning medals by doing it.
We would like to believe that history and tradition will dictate change, but it never is that way, anywhere. Success dictates change.
Will more corps go with the Bluecoats style of uniform? Absolutely, and especially at the high school level. Those uniforms are more comfortable, cheaper, and make show design easier to create and execute. That's a three part win in my book. Throw in the increased emphasis on guard performance, and it's really a no brainer.
Will the so called traditional corps do it? Probably not immediately, but eventually, I suspect they will incorporate some of the ideas more quickly than we might now predict. Will Cadets ever take the field in uniforms that look like Down Side Up? Probably not. But I would not be surprised if Crusaders walk out with a totally new uniform concept. It's the quickest path to buzz, and I suspect it will be a recruiting magnet.
As far as ramps are concerned, you cannot really do something that specific twice. But I absolutely believe there is a trend toward show concepts that depend on one prop concept, and in fact we have seen that many times, including Crusaders and even Scouts this year.
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Blue Devils and their use of props changed the ways teams do things. Since they did the show with the chairs more teams have used props and re-staged the way they do.
If anything, I think blue Devils changed the way the activity approaches guard staging and performance. They were really the first group to say both the guard and the marching members are equals in show design. Props had a lot to do with that, but they were used as a part of the overall idea
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Imagine Puttin' On The Ritz!
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Good question. I think Cadets going back to traditional colors is huge. There are many kids thst want to march Cadets and that will help.
Talent does follow successful programs so percussion will be fine. Guard, Kristy snd Joe just won their second consecutive guard trophy at DCA so hopefully their Cadets program continues to develop. Cadets brass? Still not sure on that one. I guess it's up to Cadets to create a buzz as we approach auditions.
Talent follows successful programs, but also successful teachers. I doubt we have ever seen so many elite educators leave one corps in the offseason for other world class corps. We haven't seen this scenario before, especially with BAC and Crown so geographically close to Cadets.
I think it would be naive to think it won't effect at least some marching talent that would have otherwise stayed with Cadets. It may have a bigger impact on corps like Crossmen, Scouts and Blue Stars, who could see experienced members leave for Cadets. Who knows at this point.
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Sports forums are typically the worst. Other than political ones which are at another level. I own 9 active forums currently and have literally seen it all
The hate directed at Hopkins and or cadets is the act of about 20 individuals and is a unique dynamic in my experience
FWIW, I see zero hate for Cadets. Literally none. In fact, quite the contrary.
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But it sure would be cool!
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Don't let the door hit your ### on the way out.
BYE!
(G7).
Was the G7 ever alive?
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I was once a co-owner of an SEC college sports online community on the Rivals network, and FWIW DCP is consistently more thoughtful, more informative, more "encouraging," and less knee jerk than anything I ever saw on Rivals. Yes there is negativity, anger, personal attacks and rumor mongering, but that literally comes with the message board territory imho.
The only thing that I find unique to DCP versus Rivals is those who feel it is important to maintain the right spin on "their" corps' talk. The "defenders" of X corps, really bring little if anything to a community like this.
Other than that, I consistently marvel at how people who love a certain corps can also love the activity more. That, to me, is very cool and unique.
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I'm thinking this is the next big thing: Coats?
https://www.facebook.com/transsiberianmarchband/videos/10153516014921230/
For some reason I am thinking SCV...
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Why doesn't Blue Devils field a DCA corps?
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I honestly didn't know that was happening, or even legal? Why would that be legal? I am guessing the other DCA corps can and do do the same thing, but still, it feels...unfair?
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Question: How many members of Cadets switched to Cadets2 at the end of the DCI season?
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Was about to say.
Maybe meant Blue Stars? In which case it was just the arrangers and not the caption head.
Sorry, did mean Blue Stars. Heart attack officially a false alarm!
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1. Bluecoats 2. Blue Devils 3. SCV 4. Cavaliers 5. Crown 6. Cadets 7. Phantom
8. Blue Knights 9. Crusaders10. Academy11. Blue Stars12. Crossmen
The popular, emotional pick will be Vanguard, for obvious reasons. Would love to see them at least medal.
Most intrigued to see how Blue Knights emerge from the end of their three part concept, especially with the loss of their percussion head. I keep thinking they are the next corps to medal for the first time in modern history. With Cadets struggling and Crown possibly regrouping a little, it's possible, but they need a great concept that isn't so esoteric that no one gets it.
Of course, all eyes and ears will be on Cadets and Crusaders. Much at stake this offseason for both corps.
Would love to see Scouts and Oregon make finals, but when push comes to shove it's hard to bet against Crossmen (who I believe are due for a monster program) and Academy right now.
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1.Bluecoats
2.Blue Devils
3.SCV
4.Crown
5.Cavaliers
6.Cadets
7.Blue Knights
8.Crusaders
9. Phantom
10.Blue Stars
11.Crossmen
12.Academy
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Did not matter how many times one watched that show, it was simply impossible to look away. Fascinating and so emotional on every level. It's one of the shows that I would love to see go up against Filliniesque, Ink and Down Side Up...just to see what judges thought comparatively.Agree. It certainly evolved and grew, but the winning component (genius drill from Jeff Sacktig) was there from the very beginning. And make no mistake -- he single-handedly won that year. I still shake my head when I watch that show. Everything was so seamlessly crafted. A joy to watch.
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So, wise guy, what was the least?
Since you've admitted that my perspective as a fan in the stands may have been correct, why not fill us in on the show that was, in fact, the least changed from season-beginning to season-end. Since you've been on the inside with Cadets for so-o-o long you ought to have the single definitive answer.
And how can my perspective be wrong if you agree that it may have been right? Forget it - I don't even want to hear your explanation.
OK, before we start THAT thread, let me just try to redirect and say:
Perhaps A&D demonstrates what a great show concept can do for a corps' morale and energy. When you KNOW you have an awesome show in the works, and all it will take is hard work and creativity to get it to its best condition, there's no #####ing and moaning about changes. That was a brilliant concept the first night they put it on the field. It didn't need cleaning or rewrites to make it brilliant.
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Silver Medal. Most corps would be envious. The past 2 years were perhaps the most competitive for the top 5 that I've seen in years. The past 10 years for BD...6 Golds, 4 Silvers. Add 2006..Bronze. Incredible.
Two seasons ago, it took a near perfect score to win the Gold, over a corps that had the most talked about show of that season. I didn't hear Bluecoats complaining that somehow they were judged differently than BD.
This year, it took one of the greatest drum corps shows of all time (certainly from a design standpoint) to win the Gold over a BD show that, in most years, would have won Gold by a half point.
One thing I really respect about BD is that their organization never breathes one syllable of sour grapes when they don't win the Gold. I know it didn't used to be that way, back in the Proverbial day, and I sure hope it never returns. Don't need it, don't want it, and the kids don't deserve it.
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The Cavaliers have hosted a pair of Chicago area shows for several years. One at Michigan City and one in Lisle. Usually around July 4, but sometimes a week earlier or later.
While you may borrow the Green Machine for perhaps one season, we want them back the year after. Deal?
Well, Chicago is obviously a hometown show for them. I'm wondering if DC I will send them west this year to tour with blue Devils and Academy. I'd personally like to see a bit more variety in terms of who performs with whom. It seems as if Crown sort of went through much of the first two thirds of the season having performed relatively few shows head to head with the other top four or five corps. Same with BD.
Would make a lot of sense to have Crown go west and do the entire run with BD and SCV.
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Based on their finish in 2016, should we assume Cavaliers will be on sections of either the east or west coast runs as a de facto headliner?
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Can someone perhaps give some insight into how DCI is likely to organize next year's tour as it relates to who performs with whom?
This year, we had a ton of shows that featured both Bluecoats and Cadets. Crown seemed to be a bit of an outlier, often being the sole top tier corps on a show. Of course, BD and SCV often appeared together, I would assume due to geography.
Based on the results of Finals, should we expect to see a different "mix" next year?
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Started arranging "An Ideal of Hope" the other day to see how it sounds for corps instruments - an opener with an empty field but for a soloist, with the rest of the corps entering in groups as the music builds.
Thing is, a corps has to trust the music to make the impact on its own, and not try to splice into pit ensemble moments, or extraneous runs to add difficulty. How many corps will trust the emotional import of music that isn't inherently complex?
That's a great question, especially this offseason.
Perhaps the best "trust the music" show we've seen in recent history was the Scouts' tribute to New York City. One of the longest spontaneous standing ovations I've ever seen. But that didn't sniff a medal...if that matters...which is the point, I guess.
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no. it sounds to me like indoor is their true passion and calling, and want to devote their energies to that
After several years of following this closely, I've just come to the conclusion that DCI at the world-class level is just a very very uniquely compressed timeline for every single thing you do. Three years in a world-class corps is equal to 6, maybe 10 years in any other similar job. and as the activity gets more competitive, you can succeed in your corps and fail within the activity.
I have no idea whether the docudrama will be any good or not, but being on tour with a world class corps really is the perfect setting for such a show. Too many creatively driven people in one place, with absurdly high goals, hyper competitive, with financial issues thrown in...and that doesn't even address relationships between the corps members, staff members, and between members and staff.
I guess I might liken it to being in the Southeastern conference in football. You might be one of the 20 best football teams in college football, but in the SEC, you might be the 10th or 11th or 12th best team. You can get better next year, and finish worse—and be replaced as a result. So the pressure on everybody, and especially within the coaching staffs, is astronomical.
If I loved the essence of the activity, and knew I could control the outcome more directly, and have more time at home...yeah, one might think WGI would be a significantly better opportunity.
Blue Coats DCI Champions '16: Paradigm Shift?
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted · Edited by MikeRapp
I'm personally not on the electronics bandwagon to the degree that Bluecoats are using it. I am all for ear monitors and micing soloists, but micing the entire corps with added speakers all over the field just flies in the face of what "band" is at its core. (It is cool, though, that I won't deny. And their sound check...flat out cooler than cool!)
I tend to be "for" change because I trust creatives in general. Everything that became standard at one point was revolutionary. What concerns me most about electronics is the simple fact that very few bands/corps can afford to stage electronics at that level because they cannot afford to hire someone who worked on Cirque du Soleil. The only thing worse than artificial sound is poorly designed artificial sound. Just because you can write drill or arrange brass doesn't mean you have a clue how to produce a live amplified show. Just feel like we may be heading down a path where (ironically) George's original vision of haves versus have nots is here, and unwittingly executed by a corps that now employs several ex-Cadets.