This year's gold and silver

[Cron]

Many people this year didn't "get" the BD show, or many that did still didn't like it. I don't fall into either category, I got it and I loved it. I would've hated to be a judge though. While I liked Crown's show more (totally personal preference and hometown/alumnus bias), I can see how BD won. Based on the scoring from all three nights, I think you could read the judges' overall statement as, "You both have equally brilliantly designed shows, this will come down to who makes fewer mistakes on Saturday night." Congratulations to these great drum corps for BOTH performing shows that will be much talked about in years to come! In the end, I think it came down to a higher achievement in individual performance that won it for BD, though obviously the gap in percussion score should be noted as well. On the visual design front, BD did some things that were just awe-inspiring to me. I know many folks weren't a fan of this show's mood or construction, but some of the drill design elements are going to change the game. Naysayers will point to "blobs" and "scatters" but it doesn't take much viewing to see that the visual package was far less random than those two words indicate. For example, in the big band swing section (sorry, not familiar enough with the source material to give a title) where the small groups of 3-4 are moving (booking it) at different trajectories creates such a cool effect. The box deconstruction in the opener, the unraveling of the slowly backward moving block containing the whole corps. These tricks and techniques just opened up a whole new visual toolbox that, I think, will bring a lot of fresh new visual stuff to the field.

Now for Crown. Crown developed a program that connected with the audience on an emotional and adrenaline-packed roller coaster. I think the physical demand of this visual program coupled with the extremely difficult musical selections created a total package at least as challenging, if not more so, than anything that has been attempted. The fact that the members achieved this challenge to such a high level is absolutely amazing. Am I disappointed that my home-team didn't win with this amazing production? Sure, why not? But, more than that, I am extremely proud that such an amazing show happened with such extremely talented young people to pull it off.

In closing, thanks to two amazing drum corps for giving us an amazing, nail-biting season that went right to end. AND for leaving us with two productions that will be talked about for a good long time.

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Many people this year didn't "get" the BD show, or many that did still didn't like it. I don't fall into either category, I got it and I loved it. I would've hated to be a judge though. While I liked Crown's show more (totally personal preference and hometown/alumnus bias), I can see how BD won. Based on the scoring from all three nights, I think you could read the judges' overall statement as, "You both have equally brilliantly designed shows, this will come down to who makes fewer mistakes on Saturday night." Congratulations to these great drum corps for BOTH performing shows that will be much talked about in years to come! In the end, I think it came down to a higher achievement in individual performance that won it for BD, though obviously the gap in percussion score should be noted as well. On the visual design front, BD did some things that were just awe-inspiring to me. I know many folks weren't a fan of this show's mood or construction, but some of the drill design elements are going to change the game. Naysayers will point to "blobs" and "scatters" but it doesn't take much viewing to see that the visual package was far less random than those two words indicate. For example, in the big band swing section (sorry, not familiar enough with the source material to give a title) where the small groups of 3-4 are moving (booking it) at different trajectories creates such a cool effect. The box deconstruction in the opener, the unraveling of the slowly backward moving block containing the whole corps. These tricks and techniques just opened up a whole new visual toolbox that, I think, will bring a lot of fresh new visual stuff to the field.

Now for Crown. Crown developed a program that connected with the audience on an emotional and adrenaline-packed roller coaster. I think the physical demand of this visual program coupled with the extremely difficult musical selections created a total package at least as challenging, if not more so, than anything that has been attempted. The fact that the members achieved this challenge to such a high level is absolutely amazing. Am I disappointed that my home-team didn't win with this amazing production? Sure, why not? But, more than that, I am extremely proud that such an amazing show happened with such extremely talented young people to pull it off.

In closing, thanks to two amazing drum corps for giving us an amazing, nail-biting season that went right to end. AND for leaving us with two productions that will be talked about for a good long time.

And folks, THAT'S how you do it with class. Very well written. Thank you.

[3rd Glasgow BB]

Every Corps has "their" own style, some you like some you don't.

Devils executed their style just a little better than Crown executed theirs.

That's why they won.

[NakedEye]

On the visual design front, BD did some things that were just awe-inspiring to me. I know many folks weren't a fan of this show's mood or construction, but some of the drill design elements are going to change the game. Naysayers will point to "blobs" and "scatters" but it doesn't take much viewing to see that the visual package was far less random than those two words indicate. For example, in the big band swing section (sorry, not familiar enough with the source material to give a title) where the small groups of 3-4 are moving (booking it) at different trajectories creates such a cool effect. The box deconstruction in the opener, the unraveling of the slowly backward moving block containing the whole corps. These tricks and techniques just opened up a whole new visual toolbox that, I think, will bring a lot of fresh new visual stuff to the field.

I'm in agreement on all of this. There was footage of a rehearsal run online for several days which I watched over and over. Without uniforms, you could really pick individuals to follow throughout the show and understand the amount of personal responsibility they had. It was tremendous! In effect, it was 150 individual shows, sometimes coming together for unison effect, sometimes relying on individually choreographed performances instead. It was obvious that they were NEVER not doing something that had been carefully planned.

They are also the first corps that I can recall who have successfully broken out of the Opener-Drum Feature-Ballad-Closer model (or some variation). That system has been in place for so long because it works from an effect/engagement standpoint, but it has also grown tremendously stale. Replacing it with another approach that still manages to keep the show moving correctly has never truly succeeded before, but this year it did. There was a constant push-pull of melody against dissonance, strident against soft, flowing against staccato, block agains organic. I absolutely, 100% loved it.

My favorite moment of the season, and probably for years and years now is the transition where the guard enters with the hoops. The way they start to appear, in motion in the back, as the activity in the foreground begins to dissipate side-to-side, accompanied by the building of the Dada explanation (used as a musical texture), perfectly timed, with perfect tone and mood, then building as hoops are thrown forward to others - well that was visual genius. The whole section with the hoops is the most effective, unexpected, and best match of visual feel to music that I can remember since Suncoast Sound used the seagull props in 1989. Total breath of fresh air.

While I think the excellence in the top few corps is so uniform that deciding which is "best," often comes down to personal preference, I'm thrilled that the Blue Devils did get recognized for their achievement. They really, really went out on a limb with this program, and despite the huge talent of the members, it could have misfired (as 2011 did). Instead it was a masterpiece and as you said, will contribute badly needed new ideas to the creative toolbox.

Of course some people hate it. Something really different always upsets/disorients a certain percentage anytime it is attempted. This happened in a huge way with Star '93, but ironically enough the current show that has the most direct lineage to that program, and is now considered a "fan favorite" is Crown '12. Not everything Blue Devils included in this show will show up in other programs, but parts will and eventually be taken for granted. That makes me optimistic for the future.

[MikeD]

Every Corps has "their" own style, some you like some you don't.

Devils executed their style just a little better than Crown executed theirs.

That's why they won.

Yup...BD's apple was just a little better apple than Crown's orange was an orange according to the judges.

[hardlyworking]

Every Corps has "their" own style, some you like some you don't.

Devils executed their style just a little better than Crown executed theirs.

That's why they won.

Well, I can officially stop contributing to the BD/Crown argument. This guy just summed up everything I've tried to say. Bravo!

[IMcomguy]

Based on the scoring from all three nights, I think you could read the judges' overall statement as, "You both have equally brilliantly designed shows, this will come down to who makes fewer mistakes on Saturday night."

I loved your post and completely agree with everything you said except for the above statement.

I think by seeing the separation of 1.05, it says (particularly from 4 of the 5 visual judges who scored a 20.0) "No, you're better, period. And we want to make a statement that this is what the future of the activity should be."

If it was 0.05, maybe I would agree with it coming down to who has fewer mistakes. Even if it was 0.3, 0.5, or 0.7. But over a point is a slap in the face to Crown and that magnificent product they had out there this year.

Otherwise, there is no outright justification that in the course of two nights, Blue Devils were THAT much better that they went from 19.6, 19.5, 19.9, and 19.4 suddenly to 20.0, 20.0, 20.0, 20.0. And gaps schmaps, this was a bunch of guard judges being very dramatic about their stand on Finals night, period. Most music judges are too level headed to do that, unless you're Steve Calhoun. :)

There is a reason why there is a Box 6 in a certain circuit where these Visual GE, Analysis, and CG adjudicators come from. It's because everything has to be over-accentuated and over the top. Always. Forever. And Ever. Amen.

[charlie1223]

Yup...BD's apple was just a little better apple than Crown's orange was an orange according to the judges.

Oranges are harder to master I guess

[IMcomguy]

P.S. A friend of mine summed it up when he said, "I don't know what the #### I just watched, but it was incredible."

I just think that both groups were on another planet this year, and as such, they should have been excruciatingly close together, NOT over a point apart. That is just unfortunate IMHO. Because for as many qualities as Blue Devils had visually, Crown had equal incredible qualities on the music side of things, from the writing to the execution to the engagement with the audience. And no music judge worth their skin is going to give 20.0's. This is obvious when you consider the fact that in history only one corps had a perfect drum score, and only one corps had a perfect brass score (on Quarterfinals, no less). The fact we saw 4 perfect visual captions (and we've seen numerous others in the past) highlights my entire point that visual judges are far too willing to "go there".

Peace out.

[Jeff Ream]

While not a fan of BD's show, Crown had me...until everything after Fanfare.

IMO, from the end of the huge chord til the end, the show didn't grow. and, IMO, it think it is a big reason why they couldn't over take the Devils