New band director, now we have another good, off season topic, lol....

[urkillnmesmalls]

This nails it. I am a professional musician that marched in college. If you attend a DCI show most of the audience will be former band people. I have never really cared for DCI. I think that the former band crowd forgets that the band is there to entertain 70,000+ people, not just the former band folks.

Having said that, I haven't attended a DCI event since HS 30 years ago.

And to add to it, a great deal of your musicians that would be considered 4* and 5* never see the marching field. Ex-Trumpet and myself would be rare exceptions.

For that matter, DCI is nothing like it used to be.  There's more junk on the sidelines now than I ever thought possible.  Amplified guitars, singers singing through a PA, and 50 different unnecessary percussion instruments.  The hey-day of DCI was back in the late 70's through the 80's.  After that...it got to be ridiculous in many respects, and more about the pageantry than music and good field drill.  Give me the 1980's Blue Devils over anything out there now... 

[CattleCorn]

Heh.  Nerds.

[Inhogswetrust]

Heh.  Nerds.

I bet most people work for one..................

[Ex-Trumpet]

For those of you not familiar with DCI, it is a completely different animal than what most people associate with marching bands--even band folks!

Below is a clip from last year's Blue Devils show...the musical performance of this chart is quite impressive.  Those of you that are not band folks, you may have a hard time imagining not only playing this chart--but doing it while moving around!

I don't expect Dr. Lorenzo to put forth a product like this at half times...nor should he.  Like I said, DCI is a completely different animal.  Enjoy nonetheless!!

[opineonswine]

Maybe he'll kill the go hogs spell out at halftime.

OMG we can only hope!  that is the W  O  R  S  T...just embarrassingly horrid.  Shoot in the head...PLEASE.

[Uncle_dad]

OMG we can only hope!  that is the W  O  R  S  T...just embarrassingly horrid.  Shoot in the head...PLEASE.

I can't hear you!

[Inhogswetrust]

For those of you not familiar with DCI, it is a completely different animal than what most people associate with marching bands--even band folks!

Below is a clip from last year's Blue Devils show...the musical performance of this chart is quite impressive.  Those of you that are not band folks, you may have a hard time imagining not only playing this chart--but doing it while moving around!

I don't expect Dr. Lorenzo to put forth a product like this at half times...nor should he.  Like I said, DCI is a completely different animal.  Enjoy nonetheless!!

If a band person doesn't know what DCI is then they aren't truly a band person. As far as the Blue Devils are concerned they are without a doubt the overall best DCI organization with a whopping 16 World Championships including last year. The next closest is the Cadets with 10. Don't we all wish the brass and percussion for the Hogs could sound even halfway that good. Heck the hog band can't even form an "A" with straight lines. The young folks in theses groups are the best of the best. My favorite Champions though is the year before last in 2013 with the Carolina Crown taking the crown (pun intend). Their theme was E = mc2. They performed it in WMS in LR and I am privileged to know someone in my family that knows some of the directors with them. We were able to watch them perform from the pressbox and I wish I would have been in the regular seats like we were while watching them practice. The sound, the precision, the choreography, etc that these groups do while riding busses all summer all over the country practicing and performing while these young folks are PAYING to be in it is simply amazing.

[Ex-Trumpet]

If a band person doesn't know what DCI is then they aren't truly a band person. As far as the Blue Devils are concerned they are without a doubt the overall best DCI organization with a whopping 16 World Championships including last year. The next closest is the Cadets with 10. Don't we all wish the brass and percussion for the Hogs could sound even halfway that good. Heck the hog band can't even form an "A" with straight lines. The young folks in theses groups are the best of the best. My favorite Champions though is the year before last in 2013 with the Carolina Crown taking the crown (pun intend). Their theme was E = mc2. They performed it in WMS in LR and I am privileged to know someone in my family that knows some of the directors with them. We were able to watch them perform from the pressbox and I wish I would have been in the regular seats like we were while watching them practice. The sound, the precision, the choreography, etc that these groups do while riding busses all summer all over the country practicing and performing while these young folks are PAYING to be in it is simply amazing.

Re-rite of Spring (Blue Devils) was my favorite show in 2013...Crown was awesome too! 

[Inhogswetrust]

Re-rite of Spring (Blue Devils) was my favorite show in 2013...Crown was awesome too! 

The score in 2013 was VERY close separated by only 0.25. One slip-up by the Crown and the Devils win it. I simply liked the choreography and theme better for the Crown that year. My overall favorite of all-time though was one of the Santa Clara Vanguards but I honestly don't remember the year or theme. It has been a while back though.

[Ex-Trumpet]

The score in 2013 was VERY close separated by only 0.25. One slip-up by the Crown and the Devils win it. I simply liked the choreography and theme better for the Crown that year. My overall favorite of all-time though was one of the Santa Clara Vanguards but I honestly don't remember the year or theme. It has been a while back though.

Blue Devils' Re-Rite of Spring was received very similarly to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring back when it debuted in 1913...some folks absolutely hated it!

[Ex-Trumpet]

Sorry, no more thread jacking...back to your regularly scheduled UA Band bashing...

[ricepig]

Sorry, no more thread jacking...back to your regularly scheduled UA Band bashing...

It's still early in the summer, we've got plenty of time for that, and uni's, and WMS, and BA, and........

[Inhogswetrust]

It's still early in the summer, we've got plenty of time for that, and uni's, and WMS, and BA, and........

How about aggie jokes?

[ricepig]

How about aggie jokes?

There's always time for them.

[TomasPistola]

Blue Devils' Re-Rite of Spring was received very similarly to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring back when it debuted in 1913...some folks absolutely hated it!

Count me in that group. I didn't like the Blue Devils show in 2013. I was at the Southeastern Championships in the GA Dome and watched Crown nail it with E=MC2. Also almost busted my eardrums when Santa Clara came out with their awesome (loud) brass. I go to the show at the GA dome every year. One of my summer highlights for sure.