oldtimedrummer

Entertainment according to who? One person likes the jazz club, someone else likes opera, another person prefers musical theater, and yet another the Symphony. How can you determine which is more entertaining without injecting your personal bias, or current level of understanding within the various genres? There are a lot of movies out there that appeal to the sophomoric instincts of teenagers, that get little critical acclaim because they're not very well produced or directed.

It is just me, or did anyone else think BD bagged their percussion feature tonight. What I heard was a mess.

Bloo was quite impressive. Very sophisticated musical book, and well delivered. Man can they play.

Wow, Music City was quite impressive tonight. great job!!!!

It depends on how you define entertainment. I think both Cadets and Cavs are just great this year (as is Crown and Bloo), but I also find the Devils very entertaining. Every time I see BD's show, I see and hear another reference, or another parody on a previous years. The cadets and Cavs are both excellent. But BD is putting a lot out there. You may have to dig a little, but believe me, it's there.

IMO, we're seeing something special from BD. This BD corps is just fantastic, and it's obvious that their design team went to painstaking lengths to put this deep, intriguing program together. Having said that, the other four big boys are right on their heels. They will all close the gap, and make it interesting. This may be the best top five in drum corps history.

I agree with this. The Arizona Red team is the real deal. They are very, very good. But frankly, I don't see the Academy catching Madison. (The Glassmen, IMO, have a more sophisticated program than Madison, with more room for growth) I like Madison, but I don't quite get their program concept.

I didn't vote because I don't think the Gmen are a lock at 12th. I could see them catching Madison based on the depth of design. IMO, they might have the most room to grow in the next few weeks.

I noticed that, but didn't think anything of it at the time. Great point, and great observation.

In the case of BD, I think it's easy to confuse great execution for an easy book. They're making it look easy.

I can't say enough about all the great corps out there this year. WOW!!! The top five are amazing, as are many of the Div two and three corps. But, IMO, we are witnessing something special this year with BD. This BD corps is going to shift the paradigm. Crown and Bloo are no joke. The quality of ALL the corps is simply overwhelming. As an old timer, I want to thank each and every young person who puts on a uniform, and guts out tour, all those long rehearsals, and those never ending bus rides. I know what you guys go through, and I appreciate it. Thank you performers! To each and every Young person out there, I say Thank You.

1. The formation of DCI in 1971 (first championship in 72) Corps no longer had to answer to the VFW and the American Legion which contained the military style. Color pre, starting lines, finish lines, timing guns, etc all went away. 2. The total show concept .... Corps like Madison and especially Santa Clara in the early 70's changed the way shows were put together from a programing standpoint. Curved drill formations and the Bottle Dance come to mind as innovations in what was called "the total show concept" . 3. The formation of WGI, and the cross genre influence of programing, entertainment, and pageantry. 3.A. The incorporation of Dance into color guard. 4. The involvement of more and more music educators over the years influenced the quality of musicianship and programing. Bands started copying the style of corps. The formation of MBA. (Marching Bands of America) 5. The change in the judging system that partly rewarded the achievement and creativeness of the designers, instead of simply counting errors under the tick system. I'm sure they're are some other reasons, but these come to mind first for me.

Good point.

Good post, but don't be too hard on Bob. BD is putting him, and a lot of others, out of their comfort zone. Bob made some good points, and I understand where he's coming from. While I'm blown away by BD's show, there's still a part of me who would like to hear them blaze through "Love For Sale" or "Time check". Can we really blame him?

I stand corrected.

Time check is old news. BD played Space Shuttle back in 74. They've been there. Done it.

I'll use my earlier example. Stravinsky was booed in 1913, but the Rite of Spring is now considered a classic. Did the Frenchmen think the Rite was Choppy and too dissonant? Probably. Were the french, like you, too far out of their comfort zone? Yes. Did Igor shift the paradigm? You bet. Did Avatar shift the Paradigm? No doubt. Did Fantasia shift the paradigm? Silly question. Is BD shifting the Paradigm? Figure it out.

[ However, you can not deny that the musical arrangements are not connecting with a large percentage of the fan base.....people appreciate the execution of the program, but the program is not connecting with many on an emotional level, especially musically. GB I'll give you this point. To some, the program doesn't connect because they don't know BD's history. Or, they don't like the contemporary/intellectual design approach. I can see where they might leave some fans flat from an emotional point of of view. Point taken. Having said that, we all know that BD will close strong. We know that the performers will elevate the book, connect, and draw the novice fan into their performance. We know that most of the judges have been around for awhile and will "get" it. IMO, this is a VERY special program. If you don't like it, step back and take a deep breath. Rethink your biases, reasoning, and comfort zone. I think we're seeing history in the making. ( BTW I'm no BD homer. Cadets hands down in Pasadena)

BD is shifting the paradigm, which means taking a lot of people out of their comfort zone. Look, I miss them playing Johnny One Note as much as anyone. But the Devs have proven that playing "charts" is passe for them. BD is pushing the envelope this year, both visually and musically. I see Pinball Wizard, Great Divide, and numerous other visual references to previous programs. I hear Laura, City of Glass, and chunks of other past productions, all tied together into a cohesive production. The only thing I ask for is "Love For Sale" at the encore this year in Indy. Come on Devs. LOVE FOR SALE for the encore.

It sounds like things might be improving for this young man. My thoughts are with him and his family.

Agreed. this a very good BK corps this year, with a well crafted musical program.

Thanks, and great post. You pointed out some of the sophisticated musical motifs BD is reflecting that I missed. I have a feeling there's so much in this program, that it's going to take us all a few viewings to really get it all, from both a musical and visual standpoint. It's deep.

I agree. The way they have designed and connected the drill with snippets and motifs from previous productions is "reflectively" ingenious.

You're exactly right. Pride did have intellectual moments and Oynx had emotional moments. The idea is to have the perfect blend of Emotional, aesthetic, and intellectual effects that define and clarify your overall program running throughout. Easier said than done.

No, that's performance effect. The ability to connect and sustain mood and role. But performance effectiveness is only half the caption.