Geneva Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Blue Devils 2012 Wow, one thing that I think there is little debate about is whether their program has engaged the minds of the audience. The question is whether this has been in a negative or positive sense. Although tomorrow at Allentown will be my first (and only) live viewing, I have viewed them many times on the Fan Network. Alas, I am in the negative camp for some of the following reasons. Dada as an artistic premise for their production is a polar opposite to the traditions of a drum corps performance. I am sure this is what the creative staff of the Blue Devils intended and that is fine. But for me, it is iconoclastic in an unenjoyable way. It is almost as if their staff is bored with the drum corps that many (I would say most of us) enjoy and have come to drum corps shows to experience. Take the MGM fanfare as an example. This is my favorite moment of the show. What a grand sound! Perhaps they have come to their senses and will give us drum corps we can sink our teeth into...but NO! It quickly dissolves back into Dadaist cacophony. I get what they are doing, but I just do not enjoy it. For me this is a waste of one of the best performing units in drum corps. What BD is doing this year is dabbling with performance frontiers just as the Cadets did for several years. I just hope that like the Cadets they find their way back towards the mainstream. Last year's show seemed like a move in that direction, but I thought it was a miss as well with completely non-compelling "elevator" pop music. I yearn for the days when they sounded like a movable big band. I look forward to seeing them live, but I doubt that it will affect my level of enjoyment. I feel that in drum corps if you have to reach this deeply or view this many times to get it then you have already missed the key elements of what makes a drum corps performance pleasurable. I am sure that if Allentown was my first viewing and I did not have the collective benefit of your observations, I would be saying to myself WTF was that. This reminds me of when I bought season's tickets to the local symphony orchestra. I would pore over the program notes to try to understand some of the more obscure compositions. I learned and in some instances developed an appreciation, but visceral enjoyment would be a stretch. I come to a drum corps show to be thrilled by electric (not in the amplified sense) brass and percussion moments with stunning visual staging. That is not what I am getting from 2012 Blue Devils. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Rott Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Blue Devils 2012 What BD is doing this year is dabbling with performance frontiers just as the Cadets did for several years. I just hope that like the Cadets they find their way back towards the mainstream. Not if they win... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) whether we like 1 particular program or not, to stifle a corps into reverting back ( unless its what they want)or conforming would be awful IMO....it would not allow corps like BD to explore new things as well as other corps exploring what's the next level of the activity. It would also eventually stifle corps like Surf from doing what they chose to do this year.....where is it written that we have to like every show... Edited August 2, 2012 by GUARDLING 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneva Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Not if they win... Needless to say, I would not be happy to see Blue Devils rewarded with a championship for this type of show. I just believe that there are about five other corps with well performed shows who are more deserving. Crown in particular has a brass book and performance which has taken things to the next level. Of course, there is the little problem of the spread in percussion, but in my view, Crown's horn line more that offsets that. I have the utmost respect for Crown's brass performance. This is a book with unreal amounts of ensemble exposure which is performed very well. Edited August 2, 2012 by Geneva 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 1343925968[/url]' post='3192100']whether we like 1 particular program or not, to stifle a corps into reverting back ( unless its what they want)or conforming would be awful IMO....it would not allow corps like BD to explore new things as well as other corps exploring what's the next level of the activity. It would also eventually stifle corps like Surf from doing what they chose to do this year.....where is it written that we have to like every show... I agree totally. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamMan Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Needless to say, I would not be happy to see Blue Devils rewarded with a championship for this type of show. I just believe that there are about five other corps with well performed shows who are more deserving. Crown in particular has a brass book and performance which has taken things to the next level. Of course, there is the little problem of the spread in percussion, but in my view, Crown's horn line more that offsets that. I have the utmost respect for Crown's brass performance. This is a book with unreal amounts of ensemble exposure which is performed very well. By percussion and visual are awful. I'd rather a corps win that's strong in all captions (BD). Moral of the story: We're not judges and have no influence over the results. What you like, others may hate and vice versa. Isn't the world great? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 whether we like 1 particular program or not, to stifle a corps into reverting back ( unless its what they want)or conforming would be awful IMO....it would not allow corps like BD to explore new things as well as other corps exploring what's the next level of the activity. It would also eventually stifle corps like Surf from doing what they chose to do this year.....where is it written that we have to like every show... Makes me wonder... I guess judges could technically not like BDs show but still give them high scores in effect. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Makes me wonder... I guess judges could technically not like BDs show but still give them high scores in effect. Right? Correct. Likes and dislikes should not have any bearing on tapes, spreads or scores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasgre2000 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 whether we like 1 particular program or not, to stifle a corps into reverting back ( unless its what they want)or conforming would be awful IMO....it would not allow corps like BD to explore new things as well as other corps exploring what's the next level of the activity. It would also eventually stifle corps like Surf from doing what they chose to do this year.....where is it written that we have to like every show... A - freakin - MEN!!! Let them do their thing, and if you don't like it go get a hotdog. I don't understand this need people have to try to force BD to do shows they like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Correct. Likes and dislikes should not have any bearing on tapes, spreads or scores. Well yeah I know that but I'm talking about effect. Where you would think a judges opinion of whether he likes it or not could have an effect on the effect score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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