Bluecoats 2014 = Garfield Cadets 1983...maybe

[Lincoln]

Just because the Bluecoats have been the first in DCI to implement electronics/amplification integration in the show that's been done by many high school bands over the last decade, doesn't make them Garfield 83. Not even close.

Let's contextualize a bit - back in 83, no one, I mean NO ONE from high school to college or DCI was doing what Garfield did for the activity in every area - non-symmetrical drill, backwards marching (or should I say running?), non-militaristic and dance-oriented guard, brass book full of innovations, from chromatic scales divided between instruments, to integrated and fully staged visual design, and on and on.

And another comparison - 93 Star was innovative, but nothing nearly as new and influential on the activity as what the Cadets did a decade before. People tend to exaggerate the impact of Star because they left the activity and became something of a legend or myth. Like all the rock stars we lost at age 27 - they seem even larger than life because they died so young, and their legend continues to grow, which is part of the reason why it seems a couple of them actually wanted to part ways with the world at that age.

After 83 everyone was designing and writing and marching (demand took center stage) to a greater or lesser degree like the Cadets. After 93, everyone wasn't following Star. And much of what Star featured wasn't new either. Eg. Body movement took more prominence after Star, yes, but that wasnt anything new. We saw a good amount of body movement in Cadets '89 (remember the Les Mis slow-mo sequences), or the crazy antics of improvised body movement in Fancy Free Ballet in '90 (a piece that the judges even in July were saying was unplayable and unmatchable and were encouraging wholesale changes).

Maybe, just maybe the reason we haven't see a shift in show design equal to Garfield '83 (actually it started with them in '82) is because many corps out there are too afraid to try new things because it will potentially mean a drop in placement if it doesn't work.

This is why I grab onto shows like Blue Knights '12 and Boston Crusaders '14. Thank goodness they took/take the risk.

[cowtown]

Behold the revolution of the synthesizers!

Interesting premise but not buying it

A revolutionary synth show, in my mind would be a Yanni /Industrial/ DJ show with a small brass ensemble, pit and a massive guard –it’d win and everyone would copy it

After 5 years, finally coming up with 1 good use of synth a game changer? Reeks of setting a low bar and being bored with the offering mixed with some shameless hometown pride

I’d admire the enthusiasm; but every year, we have people call the game changers like ‘Cadets and Star’ (BD 12, Crown last year…etc)

Why so desperate for a game changer, why not perfect the game we have, so much slop on the field, a clean show would be a game changer at this point

[George Dixon]

I'm probably going to be shot for saying this but I still feel Cadets 2011 is the standard when it comes to incorporating electronics seamlessly into the music. Amazing effects:

Here's just the pit opener from that year:

http://youtu.be/mV8gUC05o6c

Edited June 30, 2014 by George Dixon

[amusicman]

I mean no disrespect to the Bluecoats this year, I love their show. But, not all but I believe most of the synth territory has been discovered and used to great effect by marching bands from 1995-2008. By the time synth and electronics came to DCI most were just repeating things done for over a decade in the marching band world. Bluecoats have some great electronics in their show but nothing groundbreaking, just incredibly well designed and integrated.

Edited June 30, 2014 by amusicman

[superOOk]

I think the OP has succeeded in trolling BD & Cadets fans :)

[perc2100]

I'm probably going to be shot for saying this but I still feel Cadets 2011 is the standard when it comes to incorporating electronics seamlessly into the music. Amazing effects:

Here's just the pit opener from that year:

http://youtu.be/mV8gUC05o6c

That was some cool stuff, thank's for sharing! That is some awesome design, but to me that's more of a good example of how to reinforce front ensemble acoustic instrumentation with electronics. I suspect all of the top percussion programs (Blue Devils, Cavaliers, Cadets, SCV, Bluecoats) arrange in this manner. I suspect that there might be a TON of cool stuff out there that the average person doesn't notice: far more subtle than the (what do people call it, thunder goo or something?) more obvious piano solo or big-hit low voicings a lot of people critique. Bluecoats synth pitch bend is a great effect, and a cool gimmick to design a "moment" around, but I agree that arranging styles such as Cadets 2011 above, and a number of front ensemble-only videos of Bluecoats and others, are a better gauge of front ensemble/music design trends.

Edited July 1, 2014 by perc2100

[actucker]

That was some cool stuff, thank's for sharing! That is some awesome design, but to me that's more of a good example of how to reinforce front ensemble acoustic instrumentation with electronics. I suspect all of the top percussion programs (Blue Devils, Cavaliers, Cadets, SCV, Bluecoats) arrange in this manner. I suspect that there might be a TON of cool stuff out there that the average person doesn't notice: far more subtle than the (what do people call it, thunder goo or something?) more obvious piano solo or big-hit low voicings a lot of people critique. Bluecoats synth pitch bend is a great effect, and a cool gimmick to design a "moment" around, but I agree that arranging styles such as Cadets 2011 above, and a number of front ensemble-only videos of Bluecoats and others, are a better gauge of front ensemble/music design trends.

Yeah, this is what I'm getting at. A lot of corps have figured out how to write sounds that fit, but corps like Bluecoats and Cavaliers have started to figure out how to add to the program. Mad World comes to mind from the Cavaliers. A lot of the sound design that existed in the gaps set up a sound scape that you might not notice (as if its a movie soundtrack).

[jordsterr]

Jeebus. If this is so innovative, then I guess Texas High School band is the biggest innovator in DCI.

Well....that actually may be. And that can actually be a good thing.

[jjeffeory]

And another comparison - 93 Star was innovative, but nothing nearly as new and influential on the activity as what the Cadets did a decade before. People tend to exaggerate the impact of Star because they left the activity and became something of a legend or myth. Like all the rock stars we lost at age 27 - they seem even larger than life because they died so young, and their legend continues to grow, which is part of the reason why it seems a couple of them actually wanted to part ways with the world at that age.

After 93, everyone wasn't following Star. And much of what Star featured wasn't new either. Eg. Body movement took more prominence after Star, yes, but that wasnt anything new. We saw a good amount of body movement in Cadets '89 (remember the Les Mis slow-mo sequences), or the crazy antics of improvised body movement in Fancy Free Ballet in '90 (a piece that the judges even in July were saying was unplayable and unmarchable and were encouraging wholesale changes).

I ABSOLUTELY disagree. Star '93 influenced many aspects of everything that came after it, not just the body movement, but programming and how pieces of music were arranged for effect. There was a dearth of good DCI shows from '94 - '98 because the shows either became so darned esoteric, or the arrangements became choppy and effect ridden, and not even some of the top corps could do esoteric well. It's where Chop and Bop was introduced, and it's where many shows followed Star's lead. This period of time is what I've penned the "Dark Ages" of DCI for quite a long time.

Visually, Star '93 took over from Suncoast Sound's 1988 Symphonic Dances for the Contemporary Child shows, and the 1990 Magic of Orlando's Walt Disney's Fantasia shows. Maybe even with some of the same visual (guard) staff. I seem to remember this being the case.

My little list of what I feel are Star influenced shows are as followed:

Blue Devils '94 - My Spanish Heart ( Compare this to everything that came after and everything that came before. Compare BD '93 to BD '94), Yes, BD experimented with this new type of arranging in their '91 Conversations in Jazz show show, but it didn't do well for them competitively (5th place, I know drums helped lower their success too) so they backed off that arranging style a bit for a couple of years until someone else ( Star '93) was successful with esoteric a few years later. After that, BAM! BD reels of 4 championships in 6 years doing abstract and esoteric, yet jazzy shows.

Cavalier '94 - Rituals

SCV '94 - The Red Poppy

Magic '94 - Cirque

Blue Devils '95 - Carpe Noctem

SCV '95 - Not the Nutcracker

Crossmen '95 - School for Scandal

Crown '95 - Stormworks

Magic -95 - Danse Animale

Blue Devils '96 - Club Blue

SCV '96 - La Mer

Crown '96 - Chess

Cadets '97 - Celebration

Cadets '98 - Stonehenge

SCV '98 - Copland - The Modernist

Cavaliers '98 - Traditions for a New Era

Now, I'm not saying that esoteric shows are bad, only that it took a while for more designers to figure out how to do abstract and esoteric shows well, and it did improve, but Star helped change the activity in more than body movement.

Now, back to this being a Bluecoats thread.

[NYCFan]

Blue Devils also do an amazing job of integrating the electronics & amplification into their shows, and I would argue more effectively into their horn line.

That is what he said.

That is what John F. Kennedy said.

:-)