Blue Devils Show

[VKMello84]

First let me get one thing straight. My comments are my opinion and I don't even review what I write after I write it. I post it and let it go because its what I'm thinking. I marched four years of drum corps the whole way. 3 years with glassmen 98,99,00 and then my age out year with Cadets in 2001. You can ask anyone I marched with in 98,99, and 2000 I was going to march BD. I loved them for their care free don't give a #### attitude. I was sick of the military type attitude that glassmen had adopted from cadets and I could not waite to be part of such a cocky in your face we don't practice alot drum corps. I went home I listened and watched to alot of drum corps after 2000 glassmen and was a visual tech at the plymouth Canton marching band and really started to understand what being great and acting great was all about. I almost did not even march my age out year of 2001. I had planned on teaching plymouth the whole summer and just not marching as I was becoming more of a teacher anyway, but then in February I decided I wanted to march somwhere that marched hard drill with great Visual GE as Plymouth had the marching band I was teaching so I was going to go to Cavaliers unfortanetely their hornline was full, then i wanted to go to scv and they were full. I did not choose BD because Gino had left their and their hornline along with attitude was the only reason I wanted to march there and since my attitude had changed and Gino was gone I had no reason to march there along with Joe Falvey marching there also. I drove out to New Jersey in March and made the corps and then I moved in late like two weeks into spring training with only two weeks left before our first show in JUNE and it was the best summer of my life and I learned what working hard long hours and a very difficult drill and high demand show is about and that is why I loved marching Cadets and would not have got the same thing from Blue Devils.

As far as being an athlete. I work out 6 days a week and i'm 5ft 8 190 lbs with 12% bodyfat and I bench press 325 lbs and run two miles a day. I could do a blue devil show in my sleep. What drum corps people need to realize is everyone will always think were band dorks if were not aloud to bash other corps sometimes. Its like high competitive sport its only with instruments. To me it does not bother me Cadets got booed because sport teams get booed all the time and they work their ##### off all week to play on sunday. I just hate how everyone picks on one corps. I could thing of many years people should have booed blue devils for their same old show every year routine. Athletes get booed all the time and they work way harder than alot of drum corps. I did both I know. High school hockey, Football and track and college hockey and bodybuilding and personal training. If you suck you get booed thats just the way it is but too many people boo one corps because they don't like the director which is lame because Hopkins is way more active with his corps than almost every other who just sits back and watches things happen. David Gibbs and Hopkins are friends and they are both behind the inovation for DCI of aplification and the Bflat horns I can go on and on. Hopkins just sticks his nose out and Gibbs stays in the background but dont kid yourself David Gibbs is just as much behind it as George and they are both great directors.

I don't like BD because they don't play as hard of a show as I think they can. I don't like Cavies because they way they march technique. I don't like SCV and phantom because they play crasp alot. Yes there is things I don't like about Cadets like how sometimes they over push the envelope with inovation sometimes costing them points and a championship. There is also things I love about every drum corps, just like every pro football team or hockey team.

I'm sorry if I hurt any BD members. That was not my intention and you guys do have a great drum corps with a ton of great talent and great organization. When I was at cadets 01 we had a barbeque with BD in Cali and I felt honored because I knew I was with the two best drum corps in the country. You guys can deny it but its true Blue Devils don't march that hard of drill compared to cavies or cadets and their music yet alot of notes sometimes does not have the timing issues that most cadet and cavi shows have. Example Star of Indiana. They marched with the same technique BD has, but their drill even in today's standards would have been hard as hell especiall in 93 and your telling me they marched it where it did not look hard. It looked hard and was hard and they looked even better than BD so don't give that excuse please.

Again i'm sorry but sometimes admitting your corps does'nt throw it all out their enough is not a bad thing it is a reality just like I wish when Cadets had the talent they did this year they might scale back a little bit of the voice stuff and not try to push the envelope so far

Thanks

Wow, classy.

[leadtrumpet44]

Ok. Ok. Ok. I rarely EVER post on here but..

so, after reading all of the interesting posts about how "Easy" a Blue Devil show is.. I feel the need to chime in.

being a marathon and ultra marathon runner whom has run several sub 2:50:00 marathons around the nation during the off-season and ran the Boston Marathon this past year.. I can honestly say that marching a Blue Devil show is one of the hardest things someone could ever dream of doing.

how do I know?

... I've marched two of them. (2006, 2007)

I went into both seasons in peak-- best case scenario-- condition.. and it wasnt nearly enough to even come close to the physical demands put on the group.

I'd put the difficultly level WAY over any 50 mile race.. which I sincerely doubt that any of the nay-sayers on this board could even dream of doing.

heres an idea folks: put the hard work in.. make the blue devils, and find out for yourself.

More importantly.. I am pretty sure that EVERY show in the activity is just as taxing in its own way. Shows may look easy.. the may look hard.. but, I can pretty much guarantee that not one person comes off the field from ANY corps saying "man.. that was easy.."

you might not like shows because of thier content.. but dont dare think for one second that they are easy.

Edited August 14, 2007 by leadtrumpet44

[13-on-deck]

Well said, brutha.

Wow...Boston. That one's a real ##### ain't it? (so I've heard...I'm old now and the only running I do is to catch a train :P )

[JF_the_Elder]

First let me get one thing straight. My comments are my opinion and I don't even review what I write after I write it. I post it and let it go because its what I'm thinking.

Well for all our sakes, it would be best if you did actually review or at least not let us know what you're thinking

I marched four years of drum corps the whole way. 3 years with glassmen 98,99,00 and then my age out year with Cadets in 2001.

Good for you. Several people on this board did as well. I myself marched 7 years of drum corps the whole way, which includes camps and your comments have been a poor reflection upon both corps.

I was sick of the military type attitude that glassmen had adopted from cadets and I could not waite to be part of such a cocky in your face we don't practice alot drum corps.

Exactly when was this attitude adopted from The Cadets? It was certainly in place BEFORE you started marching with the Glassmen and prior to Brian Hickman in 97

I did not choose BD because Gino had left their and their hornline along with attitude was the only reason I wanted to march there and since my attitude had changed and Gino was gone I had no reason to march there along with Joe Falvey marching there also.

Gee Dan, that's TWO posts where you call out the Falveys, anonymously I might add. I guess we should be flattered that you are consumed with such hatred towards us. I can't recall the last time I thought about you before this week.

I drove out to New Jersey in March and made the corps and then I moved in late like two weeks into spring training with only two weeks left before our first show in JUNE and it was the best summer of my life and I learned what working hard long hours and a very difficult drill and high demand show is about and that is why I loved marching Cadets and would not have got the same thing from Blue Devils.

You don't actually know that since you weren't actually there

I could do a blue devil show in my sleep.

Actually no, you couldn't. Using 2001 as a reference: Two words - TANK TREAD

I don't like BD because they don't play as hard of a show as I think they can. I don't like Cavies because they way they march technique. I don't like SCV and phantom because they play crasp alot. Yes there is things I don't like about Cadets like how sometimes they over push the envelope with inovation sometimes costing them points and a championship.

What exactly is "crasp"? As far as I'm concerned, Phantom and SCV can continue to play crasp until the end of time. I happen to like crasp. I think I'll adopt it as my new motto.

I'm sorry if I hurt any BD members.

This I believe annoyed would be more accurate.

You guys can deny it but its true Blue Devils don't march that hard of drill compared to cavies or cadets and their music yet alot of notes sometimes does not have the timing issues that most cadet and cavi shows have.

DENY DENY DENY. Ah screw it. You're absolutely right, the Blue Devils drill is pure CRASP. They only march between the 40s and stay in front of the back hash and their largest step size is an 8 to 5. I must have been watching some other Blue Devils this year. Certainly not the one that used more of the field than anyone else.

[/b]

Example Star of Indiana. They marched with the same technique BD has, but their drill even in today's standards would have been hard as hell especiall in 93 and your telling me they marched it where it did not look hard. It looked hard and was hard and they looked even better than BD so don't give that excuse please.

If Star had used The Cadets or The Cavaliers style, the show would have looked more difficult than it already was. With those two styles even smaller step sizes "look" more difficult because of the different motions. If The Cavaliers or The Cadets had done the Tank Tread that the Blue Devils used in their 2001 show, it would have gotten a much stronger reaction because it would have "appeared" difficult (which it was) instead of "appearing" easy (which it most definitely was not)

Again i'm sorry but sometimes admitting your corps does'nt throw it all out their enough is not a bad thing it is a reality just like I wish when Cadets had the talent they did this year they might scale back a little bit of the voice stuff and not try to push the envelope so far

Thanks

Dan,

I'd like to thank you for giving me a nice source of amusement on a Monday evening. It would have been much better if you had put your own name on these posts instead having me do it for you. I'm sorry you appear to be bitter towards the Falveys but I don't really care because this is all that matters

You - 4 Finals appearances - 1 Silver Medal

Us - 22 Finals appearances, 2 Bronze Medals, 2 Silver Medals, 1 I & E Title and oh yeah, I almost forgot the "Curse" breaker - 1 World Title

By the way,

World Championships Encores are straight up CRASP!!!!!

Have a Nice day

Jeremiah Falvey

Glassmen

1991-1993 Soprano

1994-1997 French Horn

[13-on-deck]

What's a "Tank Tread"?

[13-on-deck]

What's Dan's last name? I gotta let all my drum corps friends know about this guy! :P

[BD Raggamuffin]

I've wondered the same thing the OP brought up for decades now. What would happen if a Michael Gaines or a Marc Sylvester came in and wrote BD's drill? Would their level of musicianship go down if they were required to do something other than what we've seen of them for years?

No....They would perform the**** out of it, don't kid yourself!!!!!!!!!

[BD Raggamuffin]

Cadets20012001----WOW!!!!

(and thank you- cire- you said it all!!!!!!!!!

[The Line]

What's a "Tank Tread"?

Have you not seen 2001 BD?

Im guessing by your handle/join date that you marched BD 07. C'mon man. B)

[Medeabrass]

oh no Bobert...IT'S ON!!!