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I'm an American living in Lecco, and was very excited to hear that the Blue Devils were coming here. My reasons and (tenuous) connection are mentioned on http://www.straughan.com/vlog/050702.html (the Keith mentioned is Keith Snodgrass, who was in the corps until around 1981; his nephew Dan is a current member, he tells me).
Reading your blog, I'm a little surprised that there's been controversy about the corps touring Europe instead of concentrating all their energies on the DCI competition. I applaud your decision to travel. Whether you planned it that way I don't know, but the Blue Devils are great PR for all the things that are good about America. As soon as I saw a few of them gathered in a parking lot, even without their full uniforms on, I knew they were Blue Devils. Why? Because they are such a racially diverse group. Nowhere in continental Europe would you see such a mixed group of people doing anything together, let alone making beautiful music. As an American, I've had a lot of reasons in recent years to be ashamed of my country, and worried about where it's heading. Seeing this amazing group of young people working together to create something huge and complex and beautiful reminded me of what still is good and can be great about America. I hope some of my European neighbors drew the same lesson. At any rate, the lesson was there because the Blue Devils were here. Keep travelling. Better yet, next time find a way for the corps members to stay with families - then they'd really get to know their host countries, and vice-versa.
So thanks for coming to Lecco. Though I certainly hope that won't be my last chance to see the Blue Devils!
best regards,
Deirdré Straughan |
