Jeff Ream Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Still not buying it. The Blue Devils are talented people. I have a great deal of respect for them. They perform very well. They are a fantastic organization. but Their shows aren't that hard. They never push their members to the fair reaches of their ability. So AShy! well.....no. Not the biggest fan of BD's recent offerings, but here is what you and many other don't get. They don't beat you over the head with a skill a zillion times. They show you they can do it, do it well, and move on. You can write the most rediculous show on earth, but if you never get it clean, why bother? BD shows you they can do the skills well, and enough of the skill, then add another skill to follow it or layer on it. Speed and running around a playing a bazillion notes at a 2 to 5 is not the only demand out there. And that's what people refuse to get. Granted, as I said, I haven't been a fan of their recent shows, but Irealize they do it enough to show you they can and move on. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amadorj Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 was Wayne Downey a Navy Seabee? No, just a SCV sop ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 No, just a SCV sop ;-) I saw him do his solo at State in 71. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMichael1230 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 true it is an opinion, but compare BDs visual book to Cadets and Crown, and it becomes a prevailing opinion. Not really Colby. You happen to like the "ooh and aah" aproach to visual design, the wow factor is what excites you so therefore you think it has got to be harder to master and present...the BD, on the other hand have a more laid back, esoteric approach where the different elements of the design interact on a much more subtle, and exposed, level.....taking longer to develop and offering more than the "wow" as a reward.....Its alot harder to keep ones interest without hitting one over the head than to slowly and deliberately develop a program that also delivers but in a different, les bombastic level. Geoffrey 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyUechi Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 well.....no. Not the biggest fan of BD's recent offerings, but here is what you and many other don't get. They don't beat you over the head with a skill a zillion times. They show you they can do it, do it well, and move on. You can write the most rediculous show on earth, but if you never get it clean, why bother? BD shows you they can do the skills well, and enough of the skill, then add another skill to follow it or layer on it. Speed and running around a playing a bazillion notes at a 2 to 5 is not the only demand out there. And that's what people refuse to get. Granted, as I said, I haven't been a fan of their recent shows, but Irealize they do it enough to show you they can and move on. The layering of multiple responsibilities on the performers is much less and less demanding than other groups. I am not saying that harder is better. They perform very well. A University student would also do very well on a 9th grade test. So AShy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 The layering of multiple responsibilities on the performers is much less and less demanding than other groups. I am not saying that harder is better. They perform very well. A University student would also do very well on a 9th grade test. So AShy! I honestly believe you don't have the first clue what layering and simultaneous responsibilities even are, much less able to identify what's demanding and what isn't. I think you believe that faster=better. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddyt Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 No, not at all, that would be lame. Everything you're citing is usually a BD fan's defense against the charge that their shows are easy. You don't see people saying the same thing about other corps because you don't usually see the other corps getting the same criticism. Taken out of context, those comments seem remarkably lame, but in context, they make sense to me. Personally, I don't have a fetish for hyper-difficulty. What's the point if -- as is often the case with the Cadets, for example -- you have members falling on their tails during finals week? What's the point if -- as is often the case for most corps -- you reach finals night and still aren't clean? That's exciting for you guys? That's not exciting for me. I'd have loved to see Crown win in '09 for example, but not with that visual performance. I love the Cavaliers' "Four Corners" show, but... let's be honest. Why not just arc it up and play music then? Does "clean" excite me? Sure. But only if it's something that makes me go "Holy ####, how they hell did they ever get THAT clean?" I get the argument against "difficult for difficult's sake", but I'd rather see a corps attempting something difficult and almost getting there than a corps that does something easier because it can be clean for championships. Easy doesn't excite me. Exciting things excite me. :) That's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraFart Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Not really Colby. You happen to like the "ooh and aah" aproach to visual design, the wow factor is what excites you so therefore you think it has got to be harder to master and present...the BD, on the other hand have a more laid back, esoteric approach where the different elements of the design interact on a much more subtle, and exposed, level.....taking longer to develop and offering more than the "wow" as a reward.....Its alot harder to keep ones interest without hitting one over the head than to slowly and deliberately develop a program that also delivers but in a different, les bombastic level. Geoffrey I understand that BDs difficulty comes from exploring concepts that honestly takes a much more mature performer. I understand the performer has to be able to make the concept work and translate it to the audience, and that is no small task, but it seems to be that the show designers have taken a much more WGI approach with every element down to the on field drill. Its like comparing the first movement to Folk Song Suite, to Irish Tune....they are both grade 4's but which one is easier? Folk Song Suite is technically harder, but Irish Tune take more maturity and more control.....I do understand that concept. If we were talking about the music alone, this whole discussion would have no basis because BD always has one of the most demanding horn books,however movement is as much a part of drum corps as the music is, and while conceptually there is alot to a BD show, just following the contra section, you can see that there is a substantial difference in the physicality of the corps compared to Crown and Cadets on many levels. Its much easier to hit dots when you are marching in closer intervals with smaller steps, and much easier to do very difficult moves when not playing. I am not saying BD is not an elite group, but what I am saying is that their difficulty comes from concept and not application. I think this entire line of thought goes away if they do a show with more conventional drill. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I am not saying BD is not an elite group, but what I am saying is that their difficulty comes from concept and not application. I think this entire line of thought goes away if they do a show with more conventional drill. Which would be stupid. Why do you want them to be like everyone else? I sure as heck don't. I find whiplash drill to be pretty boring. It's the same, year after year after year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skajerk Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 So, you're saying that whiplash drill is easy? *ducks and runs* hehhehheh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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