I will be doing an interview with John Maher soon, the director of this documentary, if you have any questions that you would like me to ask let me know!
There's an earlier Bluecoats doc as well, back from the 90s if you can find it. It's from 1994, and it's simply called The Bluecoats. Thanks for posting this one as well!
Sure, there are "magical" elements to drum corps that we all know-- its heavenly sound, its coming-of-age lessons for young adults, its roaring audiences who come to see large-scale pageant-style productions. But come on. To have a 90-minute documentary avoid any mention of participants' university studies, to avoid mention of related performing arts like professional theatre, dance or opera, or to avoid mention how many of its participants graduate from universities to teach high school bands, or how many continue in some aspect of the professional arts creates a false impression about the activity. This documentary tries to "mystify" drum corps, to detach it from normal thought, to remove it from any social norm or arts category. The result is that the participants appear a deranged and nonsensical. "It was magic." "I don't know if it's magic." The documentary director wants to create a transcendental illusion of a magical, metaphysically-inspired art form filled with fiercely committed, unexplainably musical and physically talented performers. But the premise trips over itself. Everybody knows behind the scenes, they're studying music somewhere. Their tuition bills aren't from a "dream." Their career aspirations are tied to music and the arts. Come on. The truth is that drum corps is a marching band-adjacent activity for young adults. Simple. It features outdoor performances at football stadiums, with a majority of participants who are on summer vacation from their music performance studies in college. Other participants study the other arts, including dance, theatre, and opera. Some participants are non-college bound, but have a passion for live performance and the camaraderie that the activity provides. Why not state it plainly? The problem is none of the participants talk about the specific music they're playing, or the artistic meaning in the visual content they're presenting. They're not talking about their art form, not talking about the production's themes or symbolism, not talking about the meaning underneath the production. That's what professional artists do. After all, in the professional arts, it's not about blindly "performing for a crowd." You're not strippers. You're not at some brainless aerobic championship. Performing artists have something specific to say-- they make an artistic statement with the music they play-- a specific, high-stakes observation about the world. But alas, in this documentary we never see what music they're playing, or why they're desperate to play it. They never utter a peep about the music selections, or their research, or how they're desperate to convince audiences about their point of view that the music and visuals symbolize. The interviews reveal nothing more than a mindless "Up With People" treadmill, where the show content is secondary to brainless physical movement and jumping through technical hoops. The Bluecoats have come along way from the aerobic jukebox featured in this documentary. The Bluecoats' 2023 show boldly wrestled with a thematic argument around religious interference in sexual expression. Now that's a powerful social statement, and proof that the activity has grown since 2006. Having a specific show subject and theme relieves the burden on the poor marching members, struggling to figure out why they're doing this. "I have no idea why I do this." The film's repetition around "not knowing why" and "It not making sense" all revolve around the fact that the content of what the students are performing is vacuous and without meaning. In that 2006 era, the music was secondary. to "performing". The thematic visuals were secondary to "performing." The music lacked a cohesive subject and theme. But the Bluecoats ensemble in 2023 was different. They knew they were making a specific, complex, high-stakes social commentary. And that relieves any filmmaker from having to "mystify" or "metaphysicalize" or magically explain the activity. Designers and corps administrators have come a long way since 2006. And the Bluecoats have come a long way in understanding their artistry. No mystery about it.
I will be doing an interview with John Maher soon, the director of this documentary, if you have any questions that you would like me to ask let me know!
could you possibly make a playlist if not recommend any other DCI documentaries you know of?
what were the biggest challenges to filming while on tour? i know some of those shots in the bus must've been hard to get/set up haha
Were you restricted by music licensing?
Amazing corps, and a great show! Something I hope the mm’s can look back on and be very proud of!
There's an earlier Bluecoats doc as well, back from the 90s if you can find it. It's from 1994, and it's simply called The Bluecoats. Thanks for posting this one as well!
For the algorithm. 💙
Heck yeah ✊️
hey your the statistics guy
@@TBAnimations Guilty. 🤣📈
Thanks for posting! how have I not seen this before?
thank you for uploading this! I have wanted to see this for a long time now (and thank you John Maher for permission)
Whoa this is interesting I can’t wait to finish this
Update: wtf this was insanely cool. I haven't seen a documentary for drum corps in this style.
22:32 "Joe Biden, and Lose Louis are the drum majors."
"Hello Bluecoats!" hh.. Horns are being played!"
Sure, there are "magical" elements to drum corps that we all know-- its heavenly sound, its coming-of-age lessons for young adults, its roaring audiences who come to see large-scale pageant-style productions. But come on. To have a 90-minute documentary avoid any mention of participants' university studies, to avoid mention of related performing arts like professional theatre, dance or opera, or to avoid mention how many of its participants graduate from universities to teach high school bands, or how many continue in some aspect of the professional arts creates a false impression about the activity.
This documentary tries to "mystify" drum corps, to detach it from normal thought, to remove it from any social norm or arts category. The result is that the participants appear a deranged and nonsensical.
"It was magic." "I don't know if it's magic."
The documentary director wants to create a transcendental illusion of a magical, metaphysically-inspired art form filled with fiercely committed, unexplainably musical and physically talented performers. But the premise trips over itself. Everybody knows behind the scenes, they're studying music somewhere. Their tuition bills aren't from a "dream." Their career aspirations are tied to music and the arts. Come on.
The truth is that drum corps is a marching band-adjacent activity for young adults. Simple. It features outdoor performances at football stadiums, with a majority of participants who are on summer vacation from their music performance studies in college. Other participants study the other arts, including dance, theatre, and opera. Some participants are non-college bound, but have a passion for live performance and the camaraderie that the activity provides.
Why not state it plainly?
The problem is none of the participants talk about the specific music they're playing, or the artistic meaning in the visual content they're presenting. They're not talking about their art form, not talking about the production's themes or symbolism, not talking about the meaning underneath the production. That's what professional artists do.
After all, in the professional arts, it's not about blindly "performing for a crowd." You're not strippers. You're not at some brainless aerobic championship. Performing artists have something specific to say-- they make an artistic statement with the music they play-- a specific, high-stakes observation about the world. But alas, in this documentary we never see what music they're playing, or why they're desperate to play it. They never utter a peep about the music selections, or their research, or how they're desperate to convince audiences about their point of view that the music and visuals symbolize.
The interviews reveal nothing more than a mindless "Up With People" treadmill, where the show content is secondary to brainless physical movement and jumping through technical hoops.
The Bluecoats have come along way from the aerobic jukebox featured in this documentary. The Bluecoats' 2023 show boldly wrestled with a thematic argument around religious interference in sexual expression. Now that's a powerful social statement, and proof that the activity has grown since 2006. Having a specific show subject and theme relieves the burden on the poor marching members, struggling to figure out why they're doing this.
"I have no idea why I do this."
The film's repetition around "not knowing why" and "It not making sense" all revolve around the fact that the content of what the students are performing is vacuous and without meaning. In that 2006 era, the music was secondary. to "performing". The thematic visuals were secondary to "performing." The music lacked a cohesive subject and theme.
But the Bluecoats ensemble in 2023 was different. They knew they were making a specific, complex, high-stakes social commentary. And that relieves any filmmaker from having to "mystify" or "metaphysicalize" or magically explain the activity.
Designers and corps administrators have come a long way since 2006. And the Bluecoats have come a long way in understanding their artistry. No mystery about it.