Blue Devils

[danielray]

But they never really push the activity. SCV, PR, Cadets, Cavs... These guys are consistent innovators. BD...not so much.

Not innovators? Don't push the activity?

Hmm...

Of the long list of innovations from the organization that have pushed the activity, near the top of that last would be innovations like...

- running a financially solid organization so that you can pay your staff well and on time (pushing the rest of the activity to do the same or lose all their best staff to BD)

- treat the kids professionally, with excellent meals, plenty of downtime, safe transportation (pushing the rest of the activity to match a similar level or lose all their best members to BD)

- offering consistent opportunities for international travel (pushing the rest of the activity to integrate performance opportunities other than a single 11 minute program into their season)

- sleeping in hotels for finals... that's kinda innovative

- traveling by train... definitely an innovation

- 3 drum corps, 2-3 winterguards, a Wind Ensemble under the same organization... no one else can claim that

- first group to create an ensemble dedicated to corporate events...

There is certainly quite a long list of innovations that the organization has pushed over the years... and definitely enough of those performance related... but the impact of the innovation in the way in which the organization is managed and operated has had an extremely significant impact on the rest of the activity. The only organization to come close to this level of influence in this way has been Star of Indiana.

(P.S. - generating $50M in gross revenues with an operating budget of $18M... um... that's kind of innovative B) )

[rut-roh]

Innovation, as you rightfully point out Daniel, amounts to more than just what takes place on the field of competition. That being said, I think what people were talking about in this particular instance is and was on-field design/performance. I know that's what I was speaking about, and none of the facts you stated (as impressive as they are) have changed my mind.

Still, an amazing organization. One of DCI's best.

[eightyonepointthree]

That's exactly what i meant, too! and i agree with your SCV/Cadets/Star/Cavies assertion as well...all those corps made MAJOR innovations in a one or 2 year span and cleaned people's clocks (Garfield being a great example).

BD tends to let others take teh greater risk and sees where the chips fall, then they eventually catch up....which is why you DON'T wanna see them in your rear-view mirror.

They don';t always do this, of course....they and Cadets were the first to go Bb in 2000 and they had the BEST amp setup and usage in 03...but in both cases they weren't alone in using the new rules or ideas.

Amps in 03? Pretty sure 04 was the first year amps were allowed.

[liebot]

How many marching bands do you think did the monkey arm visual in their drumline after they saw BD do it in 94? I've seen quite a few do it, and I've only been around marching band since '01.

I think most corps just knew they'd be labeled as copycats if they stole that. It's a pretty trivial thing, but it was definitely innovative and copied by tons of bands everywhere.

[DAvery]

are you serious? bad individual technique? never clean? remind you of freakin' BOA?!?!?! you compared BD to a BAND?!?!?!

Oh, and every corps has NO margin for error in their show.

You know there is a difference between stating your opinion and stating a bunch of BS. You sir have stated a bunch of BS.

Just my opinion...What I notice alot about BD is visual differences from member to member. Now mostly this has been created by the designer and not adressed my the tech people. If you watch a move, you will see many different individual motions. Another thing, watch the DVD and stop at points along the show. I know this is a bad word now, but BD's transitions are poorly designed. Watch when they go from a linear to solid form. The exact point where the linear form stops and the solid form begins is almost always murky. Usually not so with Cavies, PR and SCV. And yes I'm serious.

[Jared_mello]

In my opinion, no one moves better than BD. Absolutely no one.

youre far from alone.

from what ive seen, no one has, can, or will.

i have no idea where that poster could have gotten his opinion from. upper body, lower body...easily the best and most uniform in dci, on pretty much a yearly basis, for decades now.

[rut-roh]

youre far from alone.

from what ive seen, no one has, can, or will.

i have no idea where that poster could have gotten his opinion from. upper body, lower body...easily the best and most uniform in dci, on pretty much a yearly basis, for decades now.

While I generally agree, I think the past few seasons they have slipped a bit in terms of their excellence in this area. They still move very well, and better than most. But I don't think they're nearly as good as they used to be in the mid-late 90's from a pure marching standpoint. That's a testament to the standard their staff has set for themselves if anything. Most corps would kill to look like BD on their worst days.

[Jared_mello]

Just my opinion...What I notice alot about BD is visual differences from member to member. Now mostly this has been created by the designer and not adressed my the tech people. If you watch a move, you will see many different individual motions. Another thing, watch the DVD and stop at points along the show. I know this is a bad word now, but BD's transitions are poorly designed. Watch when they go from a linear to solid form. The exact point where the linear form stops and the solid form begins is almost always murky. Usually not so with Cavies, PR and SCV. And yes I'm serious.

watch the ending of their show this year, specifically when theyre in a block doing unison turns. youre incredibly wrong. honestly, im not trying to call you hypocrite here, but i was admittedly surprised to see that its a fmm of the cavaliers saying this. go on jolesch, look at pictures of both of the corps during random shows during the season, and tell me which corps looks like they have more members with lazy posture and marching technique (referring to slides, horn angles, body projection, etc.) outside of their specified visual program.

[Jared_mello]

While I generally agree, I think the past few seasons they have slipped a bit in terms of their excellence in this area. They still move very well, and better than most. But I don't think they're nearly as good as they used to be in the mid-late 90's from a pure marching standpoint. That's a testament to the standard their staff has set for themselves if anything. Most corps would kill to look like BD on their worst days.

for the most part, i agree. i consider the corps that they fielded from 94 to 00 as the most consistantly excellent series of drum corps in the modern activity's history. i still dont think the marching has slipped anywhere near a level below anyone else in dci. years like 01(especially considering the difficulty), 03....shows like those set standards for visual performance even now.

[rut-roh]

Well, I think these days, it's arguable. Wheras then, it was not.