2008 Crossmen February Camp Report

The sun was shining, it was over seventy degrees, and the sights and sounds of Drum Corps filled the air around Ronald Reagan High School this past weekend, as nearly 115 brass and percussionists came together in San Antonio, TX to rehearse with the Crossmen. Because of the beautiful weather, the corps was able to spend much of the weekend rehearsing outdoors, continuing to work on marching, movement, and music for the 2008 production, PLANET X.

As a result of a Winter Storm in the Northeast, many members of the corps found themselves battling flight delays and cancellations, however; thanks to the magic of rental cars and a fighting spirit from our travelers, nearly all were able to make in time for the first rehearsal block on Saturday morning.

By the conclusion of the weekend, nearly 95% of the drum corps was set and the corps was able to work through the musical goals of the weekend, which included all of the exhibition tunes for the summer, and a large portion of music from show, titled simply, Jupiter. Members of the visual staff were on hand to lead the group through extended marching blocks, preparing the corps for Drill Rehearsals that are slated to begin at the next camp in March. Crossmen Drill Writer, Darryl Pemberton has already completed a substantial portion of the opening drill, and will continue to write through until the next camp to ensure the corps is able to get a great start for the summer.

“We are looking forward to being able to take advantage of the South Texas weather, and get a head start on drill for this summer by kicking off the process at the March Camp,” explained Corps Director, Mark Chambers.

Chambers will travel to Las Vegas this week to meet with Music Designer, Aaron Guidry to continue to refine music from the weekend and continue to develop the next major production piece of PLANET X. Look for more information about the show on the web in the coming weeks!

In addition to their 2008 Field Show, Andy Yozviak, Crossmen Brass Arranger, also put the finishing touches on a great arrangement of the Don Ellis standard, Strawberry Soup, which the corps will perform for exhibitions, clinics, and other events through-out the summer. The corps will work on this in March, adding to their repertoire that already includes Grits Ain’t Groceries, God Bless America, The Water is Wide, and the Corps’ Song, Russian Christmas Music.

The Crossmen are in negotiations with several groups regarding possible additional performance opportunities for the summer, including parades and exhibitions, and announcements regarding these events will be posted on the website in the coming weeks! At each performance, the corps hopes to be able to provide a taste of their 2008 production, in addition to their growing repertoire of “Crossmen Standards.”

With Spring Training just under three months away, the Crossmen are actively preparing for the 2008 tour.

“The corps is getting ready to start work on the convoy, ensuring the vehicles are road-ready…we’re making plans with the DCI Tour Event Partners to secure fantastic housing…and, we are locking down final agreements with hosts for our Spring Training sites,” noted Assistant Corps Director, Jarrett Lipman.

What is the missing ingredient in all of the preparations for a successful tour, you might ask? YOU!

The Crossmen are seeking Volunteers for our remaining camps in March, April, and May, as well as to help us travel down the road for this coming summer! More information will be posted on the web regarding detailed needs but for now, visit the Volunteer Information Page to learn more about how you can come aboard with the Crossmen.

The winter of 2008 is officially half over, and the Crossmen are closer and closer to that first performance in Toledo, Ohio on June 21st. Still considering marching for the 2008 season? The Crossmen have a few opportunities remaining for talented Lead Trumpet and Lead Mellophone players, as well as highly skilled colorguard members. If you are interested in possibly audition for the corps, please contact Jarrett [at] crossmen [dot] org ASAP for more information.

The Crossmen will hold their next camp for Brass & Percussion from March 14th-16th at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, TX. All attending camp should RSVP to Maureen [at] crossmen [dot] org.