Will a 2009 Blue Devils Title win signal a change ?

[HPUEuph]

What I'm enjoying about BD's show is that they are adding height to the field by standing on the chairs and etc., it's a new dimension. Cavaliers did this as well with the ladders in '06 with My Kind of Town and you could even say Boston this year to a lesser extent with the guard holding up members of the corp. To use height along with the field is a great way to add new effects and visual dimension to a program and not to mention an added degree of difficulty. While innovation is difficult to accept at the onset it matures over time and sometimes becomes accepted i.e. radio and the telephone, now how strange would it have been to adapt to audio when communication prior to the telephone had been the telegraph. We're just going to have to give this time and see what developes, it could be pretty interesting.

[BRASSO]

We are already there, IMO.

Some other interesting points.

As someone else mentioned, winning doesn't have an impact on the move forward with a new approach, like his example of Star '93 shows. Good example of innovators are:

1. Cadets in the 80's really changed the visual game. High velocity, asymmetric drill is introduced.

2. Phantom introduced the complete show theme concept (1982?)

3. Star introduced minimalistic style of drum corps shows.

4. Cavies unique style of drill (which many corps still today are mimicking)

5. BD (and cadets) revolutionizing the drum breaks, with body movement and attitude. You see this from every corps now.

Anyways, I think drum corps revolutionizes on it's own. Not with some corps winning it. Did we get electronics from some corps winning, by using it? No. Did we get synths the same way. No. Voice? No.

If one looks at all the creative, innovative things that were first done in DCI over the last 35 years, invariably they were introduced by one of the top finishing Corps in that time frame. Not all of the creative things. But certainly the vast majority. And once those creative changes take place they ALWAYS filter down to the lower placing Corps in future years for use. You partial list here, crfrey71, demonstrates this. It is rare indeed that we see a creative idea first introduced by lower placing Corps staffs. Anyone that thinks that should the Blue Devils win this year with this use of chairs that we won't see more props used in stationary positions next year is kidding themselves. I predict that out of Cavs, Cadets, SCV, Crown, that 2 at minimum of these Corps will utilize lots of props on the field next year AND that at least 2 of these Corps will have less high velocity drill formations compared to this year. I guess we'll just have to see. But you watch. We will. I'm pretty confident of this.

[euponitone]

I disagree on the premise that the other "top 4" corps will change next year. First of all, SCV already is doing slower drill, but I think can include phantom as well, since their drill is still pretty phrenetic. As far as props go, I dont think props would signal a bd inspired change at all. Take cadets for example - last year they had a major prop, and 2 years earlier we had 16 tables that were moved all around the field. I dont think if the cadets use props, that you could honestly say it was subconsiously inspired by bd. Now if cavies start doing it, i'd start to agree with you a little more, as theyve never really been into the use of props. I think if they fall to 4th this year (possible but not likely), they may start looking in a new direction.

[BRASSO]

I disagree on the premise that the other "top 4" corps will change next year. First of all, SCV already is doing slower drill, but I think can include phantom as well, since their drill is still pretty phrenetic. As far as props go, I dont think props would signal a bd inspired change at all. Take cadets for example - last year they had a major prop, and 2 years earlier we had 16 tables that were moved all around the field. I dont think if the cadets use props, that you could honestly say it was subconsiously inspired by bd. Now if cavies start doing it, i'd start to agree with you a little more, as theyve never really been into the use of props. I think if they fall to 4th this year (possible but not likely), they may start looking in a new direction.

The high velocity, frenetic paced, drill days are coming to an end. Once it is seen that these once considered innovative drill moves no longer lead to a Title, then other Corps will change. I applaud what the Cavaliers have brought to the activity in terms of fast paced visual drill moves. I really do. But watching them this year, those moves seem somewhat stale now. The Cadets ( my opinion ) are doing some of the most fast paced, high velocity drill moves I 've ever seen in DCI. If these type of visual shows no longer win a DCI Title, then you watch, the Cavs, Cadets and others will begin to adjust themselves to the new reality. The " next big thing " in Drum Corps will NOT come from the fast paced, high velocity, frenetic, visual side of things. It will come from the use of added instrumentation. And this exploration into the instrumentation side will in my opinion begin to slow down the high velocity drills we've come to expect the last decade. This is why in my view the Blue Devils brilliant use of the stationary chairs in their show this year will be a harbinger of things to come over the next few years. I think the 2009 Blue Devils are simply ahead of the curve on this. And I do agree that Drum Corps will begin to go vertical more on the field with props. All this will make the Cavs, Cadets high velocity drill moves we are watching now seem increasingly outdated.

Edited August 4, 2009 by BRASSO

[Cavie74]

I have often said that the high velocity Visual Age would not go on indefinately. I said a few years ago, that Drum Corps would at some point begin to slow down the high velocity movements and that there would be a new age ushered in where the instuments ( or props ) used on the field would signal in the birth of the new era. I also told friends that the beginnings of the new era would, as they always do, come from the design of the show from the winning Corps at Championshiips some year. I also said that this Corps would NOT win with a demanding drill, but they would do so with a unique style that would be highly controversial because it will be seen as " not as demanding " as the other Corps. But I said that this Corps will slow things down with a decidedly slower pace of marching, and with creative visual moves done in place with precision and with unparalleled uniformity and precision.

Little did I know that the 2009 edition of the Blue Devils may be issuing in a new era so soon. But it just might have all the hallmarks of a new era : The Corps starts their show with a highly unusual slow cadence. They use stationary props ( chairs ) in a manner that the marchers use ( I know I'm going to catch hell with this, but it is how I view it ) in a brilliant... yes... brilliant manner. The marchers movements on and off these stationary chairs is by no means easy. If not done in unison, the effect misses it's intended goal. The Corps has the talent in brass and percusssion and particularly the guard to pull off the difficult and make it all seem so easy. Making something difficult look easy is exactly what the Blue Devils are doing this year ( my opinion ). And they execute the hell out of their show. If the Blue Devils win the Title this year, this controversial show we may look back years from now and acknowledge that 2009 was the year that Drum Corps began to slow down their high velocity marching shows just a bit and began a new era where balance was struck between the Visual and the Musical, and where many of the most creative visual moves were done in place, not in high velocity field movements. Thoughts ?

Your observation makes me think back to the Cavaliers show several years ago with the ladders. Perhaps the Blue Devils were "inspired" to use chairs this year because of the "inovation" by the Cavaliers. Perhaps the Cavaliers were "inspired" by picnic tables that were used by the Cadets. The main difference is the Cadets hauled those things all over the field rather than artistically plant them in one spot.

I might agree that the Blue Devils may have taken the visual presentation to a new minimalistic high point by slowing down the drill and keeping the movement close to the ground. The high velocity drills exhibited by the Cadets and the Cavaliers while performing death defying (remember the facial taken by the Cadets guard member on the picnic table) aerial maneuvers or exposed ladder climbing may be passe in your new model of knock-em-dead (or at least asleep) visual presentation.

Discuss amongst yourselves!

I'm wearing a new Nomex Saville Row tailored suit. Fire away.

[Pinwiz]

The " next big thing " in Drum Corps will NOT come from the fast paced, high velocity, frenetic, visual side of things. It will come from the use of added instrumentation.

I think that the "next big thing" is Storytelling. Faust, Spartacus, The Grass Is Always Greener. The story adds that extra level of GE to a show.

[marchedmanymoonsago]

It looks like the first years where corps really moved while playing (mid-80's) arose out of necessity to create the pictures, and not necessarily the need to be "more demanding." "High velocity" seems to have changed - now it is geometric collapsing forms and pass-throughs, instead of large fluid forms that moved and morphed quickly.

The designs created demand to move quickly THEN, and NOW the need to be demanding drives design.

I hope the pendulum has swung as far as it will where the quest for demand at all costs is concerned. Visually, though I appreciate the difficulty in moving quickly and playing, I prefer to watch something less chaotic with melodic musical phrasing.

[Phantombari1]

I have not read any of the previous posts but I'll just restate what I believe even if my BlueDevil friends disagree. If the current system allows for the use of manipulative field markers then that's what it allows. (IMO only) Walking on lines or walking to chairs put in strategic positions on a field doesn't demand the same skills as say what the cavaliers or cadets are doing. It's not even close.

What they do is masterfully done but it's not revolutionary or cutting edge and definetly doesn't have the same difficulty level as others and should not be judged the same. In the end, corps can adopt this practice or continue working harder to get the same scores.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Phantombari1

[Todd Tanji]

If history tells us anything it tells us that a corps that tries to copy another corps' style

in order to win will ultimately fail. BD didn't look or sound like SCV when they won

in '76, nor did Cadets look or sound like BD when they won in '83. Same for Star in

the 90's, Cavies in the 2000's, and Phantom 2008. Each corps developed their own

uniqueness in order to win. And that's exactly they way it should be.

I am particularly impressed with SCV this year. They obviously designed the show to

use the SCV style, yet take it to a higher level. And they are now reaping the

rewards of that decision.

Madison should take heed of that. They have historically had a great and unique style

and they should use it to its full advantage to advance competitively.

BTW, this is a great thread! Kudos to all of the posters.

Edited August 4, 2009 by BDUFLS

[Todd Tanji]

With regards to demand:

Shouldn't demand be somewhat hidden? If you look at a show and say "Wow, that

looks hard!" doesn't that mean that the demand is a distraction from the artistic

idea that is being portrayed?

Maybe that is the real innovation that BD has developed. Cavies are also very good at

that. You watch either of these shows and all you get are the aesthetic designs without

any distractions.