Jump to content

RCC+Blue Devils?


Recommended Posts

After watching the RCC performance at Grand Nationals for BOA, I started thinking.

I have said many times that I am a relative newcomer when it comes to DCI compared to most other people on here.

So here's my question:

How is Riverside City College related to BD?

I've heard many people joke in the past about them being Blue Devils College, but is there any official connection? Do I have my information completely wrong and is RCC just a good college marching band?

Anyways some help on this subject would be great, I'm just curious as usual. I was blown away by their Les Miserables show, its up on the Music For All Fan Network if anyone has it I'd recommend checking the RCC show out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After watching the RCC performance at Grand Nationals for BOA, I started thinking.

I have said many times that I am a relative newcomer when it comes to DCI compared to most other people on here.

So here's my question:

How is Riverside City College related to BD?

I've heard many people joke in the past about them being Blue Devils College, but is there any official connection? Do I have my information completely wrong and is RCC just a good college marching band?

Anyways some help on this subject would be great, I'm just curious as usual. I was blown away by their Les Miserables show, its up on the Music For All Fan Network if anyone has it I'd recommend checking the RCC show out.

Same area of california. And many of the percussionists and staff in the RCC's winter drumline are also / have been also BD's members and staff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same area of california. And many of the percussionists and staff in the RCC's winter drumline are also / have been also BD's members and staff.

Actually, they're about 400 miles apart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same area of california. And many of the percussionists and staff in the RCC's winter drumline are also / have been also BD's members and staff.

Hm... Same area of CA in the sense that NYC and Pittsburgh, PA are the same part of the country. Riverside and Concord are 425 miles from each other. That said, there's been a good number of BD members and staff who have spent their academic years at RCC. No formal relationship, though.

RCC's performance style probably has most to do with the fact that Gary and Sheila Locke, long LONG time directors, have roots in drum corps. Another huge factor, though, is that Wayne Downey arranges and instructs for the band.

You can see all the connections with BD at their website... http://www.rccband.org/

Gary Locke is probably one of the most influential people in California marching band history. He took over John North High School Band in the late '70s at a time when drum corps had relatively little influence on the Southern California high school band scene. Under his direction, JN became a powerhouse in their division almost overnight. (How well I remember since I marched in a neighboring HS band that had dominated the division to that point but suddenly found itself consistently losing to John North.) At a time when many if not most SoCal HS's were still wearing fur shakos and using Big 10 high step marching technique, Gary infused a drum corps approach at JN and saw quick success with it. Though it may not seem like a big deal now, it was truly revolutionary at the time. They became not only a huge competitive success but a fan favorite too. What was even more remarkable was that he only spent five years at JN but the program continued to be successful long after his departure. I'm not involved in the SoCal band scene any more, but I hear JN continues to be very competitive. It's pretty impressive that he was able to build that solid of a foundation in just five years.

He left in 1984 to take over a brand new band program at RCC. At the time, I couldn't imagine why he would want to take on this challenge. RCC was (and really still kind of is) an after thought in the CA community college system in a service area that is a LONG way from the cultural hub of LA. To put it kindly, Riverside is kind of Cow Town, California-style. (Sorry if you're from Riverside. I'm from the Inland Empire too, so I'm not criticizing from the outside.) But just like John North, he almost immediately built a winner.

I don't know that I would call Gary or Sheila visionary from a creative standpoint. They borrow heavily from a variety of other performing groups. I would say they are visionary, though, from an organizational development and management standpoint. What they've accomplished in their professional lives is truly amazing. And they're good and nice people too.

I'm definitely a fan, as you can tell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After watching the RCC performance at Grand Nationals for BOA, I started thinking.

I have said many times that I am a relative newcomer when it comes to DCI compared to most other people on here.

So here's my question:

How is Riverside City College related to BD?

I've heard many people joke in the past about them being Blue Devils College, but is there any official connection? Do I have my information completely wrong and is RCC just a good college marching band?

Anyways some help on this subject would be great, I'm just curious as usual. I was blown away by their Les Miserables show, its up on the Music For All Fan Network if anyone has it I'd recommend checking the RCC show out.

That's my band!

Yup, lot's of cross-pollination in terms of staff, and that includes brass, not just battery. It's not "just" teaching either, depending on the level of the staff involvement, the staff can develop strong relationships with Gary.

Also, having been around the people who march at RCC, a lot of them will aim for (and some will make it) BD because it is one of the more "local" corps. Even if it's in northern california and RCC is in souther california. It's still closer than the cadets or crown!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Riverside Community College = Fantasia

World Class Winterguard ,WGI Independent World Class Champions

2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008

Fantasia = Karl Lowe, Jay Murphy (Blue Devils staff)

(the years Karl and Jay teach... The guard is top 3 every year.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He left in 1984 to take over a brand new band program at RCC. At the time, I couldn't imagine why he would want to take on this challenge. RCC was (and really still kind of is) an after thought in the CA community college system in a service area that is a LONG way from the cultural hub of LA. To put it kindly, Riverside is kind of Cow Town, California-style. (Sorry if you're from Riverside. I'm from the Inland Empire too, so I'm not criticizing from the outside.) But just like John North, he almost immediately built a winner.

During a concert I was introduced as being from Chino. When I gave the correction of Riverside as my hometown, the MC replied, "It's all cows to me."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW! The look like the "Burnt Orange" Devils! Very cool for sure!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW! The look like the "Burnt Orange" Devils! Very cool for sure!!!

Uhh... They (the uniforms) look a lot more like the early to mid-80's era Sacramento Freelancers to me. Is it possible that those are actually the old red and white Freelancer uniforms, and the video color distortion is making them look orange?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...