NewArpege Posted March 2 Posted March 2 13 hours ago, Metalbinky said: Show theme- it isn’t clear to me but I have my own ideas based on the titles of the movements. The conductors (design staff or from majors) clearly articulated the titles of the movements, but I can’t provide that info. Full ensemble vs sections - yes, and this was surprising. There are moments where it feels like the different sections layer on each other to contribute to a whole ensemble sound, instead of featuring individual sections. There WAS a small trumpet section where the designers experimented with different effects on that ensemble. The drum break that I heard was more integrated within the movement AND it was so many notes, (a lot of notes!) I knew none of the music, though each movement gave me a different feeling. The opening was very new, fresh, a signal that BD is trying something new (for them). Movement 1 was dark, (murderous). 2 very different more happy. Each movement felt like full piece instead of a snipet. Recognizable Music - probably if you listen to music written for wind ensembles. The pre-music may have been pop music, I’m not certain. But the 2 movements after the opening I didn’t recognize BUT to me they were both written for wind bands. Controversial. Even with my idea of what I think the show theme might be (based on movement titles - which are probably titles of the pieces themselves), I can’t see anything so far as controversial. The biggest surprise is in instrumentation, but it’s more like - oh cool! rather than WTH? Sorry being cryptic in what I can say, I gotta respect the corps for having an open rehearsal and allowing parents/fans to view the process. Edit: I had one of the song titles incorrect. I have zero idea about theme, but knowing the title does open many more questions as to the “why” use the song, which may be controversial Do you think they are doing a story show or abstract theme? Your choice of words murderous then happy sounds like it could be story-formatting. 1 Quote
theonlyfizzle Posted March 2 Posted March 2 21 hours ago, Metalbinky said: Daygo and I took a trip up the 15 to catch the Blue Devils' rehearsal. We spent about four hours listening to brass sectionals before they finally joined up with percussion for the first full ensemble music runs of the year. Because they were rehearsing on a basketball court, there wasn’t a great spot to actually see or hear the ensemble—unless you climbed the steep hill right in front of it. So, that's exactly what we did. Another adventurous soul followed us up the hill and introduced himself as Jaime Holly, BD's Visual Caption Head! I had a million things I wanted to ask him, but I decided to hold back and not interrupt his creative process. Eventually, a few other dedicated parents and fans scaled the mountain with us to get their first glimpse of BD 2026. So… how did they sound? The staff spent the night fleshing out ideas for each section of music. They would chunk it down—playing Movement 1 from A to D, for example—then the designers would discuss, make tweaks, and have the ensemble run it again. This process went on until the piece was finished, culminating in a full run-through. They did this for both movements we heard, ultimately finishing the first two movements in their entirety. I’m sure they’ll continue to tweak things, but the foundation for the front half of the show is essentially done. The Musical Takeaways The sound was undoubtedly "BD-esque," but noticeably different. Here is what stood out: • Elevated Difficulty: The book feels significantly more challenging compared to any of BD's recent shows. • Return of the Runs: There are demanding runs from the high brass and mellophones that have definitely been missing from previous productions. • Dense Chords: The chords in the first movement were incredibly thick. It sounded like each section was broken into four different parts instead of the three we are used to. • Experimental Instrumentation: There was one section in particular that signals a major experimentation with sound and a very big departure from traditional BD instrumentation (and no, I’m not talking about woodwinds!). • A Shift in Style: Also, I didn’t hear any jazz, but again, I only heard the first two movements. I’m so excited for this iteration of BD and think everyone is in for a surprise. That's great News, I'm Super Excited! Thanks for briefing and giving us some off season hype. To the Blue Devils Design team.. We Love You! 💙 2 Quote
theonlyfizzle Posted March 2 Posted March 2 5 hours ago, NewArpege said: Do you think they are doing a story show or abstract theme? Your choice of words murderous then happy sounds like it could be story-formatting. Could be, but not necessarily. It could be anything bro Lol.. One thing with BD you just never know what they are doing until announcement unless you're in the loop, and we can say so for other groups too. Different types of theme shows do emote ranges of emotions, moods without it falling into a story format. So the adjective "murderous" is just to described his interpretation of how dark one movement came across to him, in contrast with how "happy" the other sounded. 2 Quote
NewArpege Posted March 3 Posted March 3 51 minutes ago, theonlyfizzle said: Could be, but not necessarily. It could be anything bro Lol.. One thing with BD you just never know what they are doing until announcement unless you're in the loop, and we can say so for other groups too. Different types of theme shows do emote ranges of emotions, moods without it falling into a story format. So the adjective "murderous" is just to described his interpretation of how dark one movement came across to him, in contrast with how "happy" the other sounded. It’s just fun to guess and hypothesize. My brain went to something Film Noir from the description and music like Danse Macabre. Can’t wait to see what it is. Dark murderous Blue Devils is a vibbbbeeee. Methods of Madness reboot, anyone? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 5 Quote
theonlyfizzle Posted March 3 Posted March 3 (edited) 19 hours ago, NewArpege said: It’s just fun to guess and hypothesize. My brain went to something Film Noir from the description and music like Danse Macabre. Can’t wait to see what it is. Dark murderous Blue Devils is a vibbbbeeee. Methods of Madness reboot, anyone? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 An absolute vibe i dig. Don't forget 1996 ''Club Blue: A gangster chronicle.'' I went digging for Film Noir sound track and there's a plethora of them but i select this entire 13 minutes suite i think would be perfect for a Noir murderous, cinematic BD vibe show. Maybe a Dark Felliniesque part due, with a Method of madness/A gangster chronicle crossover type show, (or maybe this show idea is too much lol). The Suite is a killer though and just perfect. Film Noir-L.A. Confidential | Soundtrack Suite Edited March 3 by theonlyfizzle 2 1 Quote
NewArpege Posted March 3 Posted March 3 20 minutes ago, theonlyfizzle said: An absolute vibe i dig. Don't forget 1996 ''Club Blue: A gangster chronicle.'' I went digging for Film Noir sound track and there's a plethora of them but i select this entire 13 minutes suite i think would be perfect for a Noir murderous, cinematic BD vibe show. Maybe a Dark Felliniesque part due, with a Method of madness/A gangster chronicle crossover type show, (or maybe this show idea is too much lol). The Suite is a killer though and just perfect. Film Noir-L.A. Confidential | Soundtrack Suite Very down for this approach for BD! Honestly, I’ve loved their shows the past few years so can’t wait to see what they bake up. 2 Quote
waliman4444 Posted March 4 Posted March 4 Lynn's Bedroom at 8 minutes reminds me of what PACIFC CREST did with the CHINATOWN theme..could be just as cool..peace 3 Quote
Jeff Ream Posted March 4 Posted March 4 On 3/2/2026 at 7:34 PM, NewArpege said: It’s just fun to guess and hypothesize. My brain went to something Film Noir from the description and music like Danse Macabre. Can’t wait to see what it is. Dark murderous Blue Devils is a vibbbbeeee. Methods of Madness reboot, anyone? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 i'd kill for a return of 95 like dark 3 Quote
Rylan Posted March 17 Posted March 17 On 3/2/2026 at 4:05 AM, DAYGO said: I'm sure updates will be slow coming in for a while. There is no March camp and April camp is in NorCal so Metalbinky and I won't be there. I'm just hyped because everything I heard was great and totally unexpected. I'm not predicting any particular placement based on that, but loved the bones of what this vehicle can become. I'll most likely make it to one of the days for NorCal camp. If I can make it happen, I'll be sure to report back. 1 3 Quote
Yorkvillain Posted March 17 Posted March 17 On 3/4/2026 at 9:14 AM, Jeff Ream said: i'd kill for a return of 95 like dark Mid-1990’s BD - my favorite corps era. Mid-80’s Cadets are a close second. 1 Quote
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