Leaderboard

Regarding home shows, I think for some corps they are critical, others not so much. A number of the shows I’ve attended were hosted by Boston Crusaders. Up until about 2009 or so, I don’t know if I could say how a BAC show differed from Bristol or Beanpot other than BAC shows were not the traffic nightmare of Bristol prior to July 4th and you couldn’t get the Fish n’ Chips dinner at a BAC show that you could get at Beanpot. About 2009 BAC started using their home show as a way to build up support for the corps in the wider drum corps community which was no small feat. In the 1970’s or early 80’s, no one would have imagined North Star alums would sit on the BAC board or 27th alums in the stands cheering BAC to victory! 🙂 Seriously we grow up but what Boston Crusaders did do effectively was convince people that their drum corps, drill team, or parish band may no longer exist, but what you see in Boston Crusaders is a continuation of that legacy. At home shows they build up a donor base. While BAC has other financial resources, they still build that community feel. Cadets used home shows to their advantage though from 2010 onward if you were a certain former director, mingling in the stands was not a wise idea. Crown uses home shows to their advantage too, combining killing you with kindness and Southern hospitality.

George Zingali, spinning a rifle about 5 feet right in front of me on his gravel driveway, looking like he could destroy me if he wanted: GZ: Do you know why our rifles look so intense? Me: No, why George? GZ: Because right now I’m not looking in your eyes. I’m looking at a point 5 yards behind your head.

My guess schedules will allow ST to start later (making getting out of classes easier). Rather than start in early to mid-May, ST can start 3-4 weeks later. This cuts down road costs by reducing actual tour time. Corps are more proficient with virtual camps. This means corps and students function differently year to year, thanks to Covid for forcing that(as well as overall costs for corps). Some corps are in a serious financial position right now and may not make it to the field this year, even though they are listed for your shows. There is a reality of insufficient memberships, poor recruiting results. Conversely some corps are doing very well with excellent audition numbers, contracts issued, camps planned and the shows beginning. It will be interesting to see who gets out on tour but we’ll likely know soon.

I think the corps need to be as upfront as possible. It’s not unreasonable for corps to say without X number of members we can’t field a corps and my guess is more astute kids trying out and vets would know the chances of a corps making it in the summer. I would say weekend camp fees are reasonable if the corps has a shot at fielding in the summer. You always have a wide range of talent and ability, including a good number who may just be curious and those who do not have a reasonable chance. As far as collecting tour fees, they should absolutely be refunded and a corps should announce as early as possible it should be announced there will not be a summer tour.

Let's say your sources are correct. What are the thoughts on these corps holding weekend camps, collecting fees for them, start collecting the tour fees, and hoping to get into the black to have a tour? It hasn't gone well for some other corps who tried to have a tour with low funds.

I’m not pining for 1980 … I’m pining for 2019 Also, I am worried about critical mass. With such a trimmed down season, each show should offer enough corps competing or maybe I should say enough corps with draw appeal to compel fans to travel to them. That is not the case this year.

#TeamBreadHeel

Or it could be like President Lincoln’s “Team of Rivals” lol

.

No idea how close this relates but belong to old car club that lost non-profit for few years due to stupidity. Ye olde “we always did it this way so why check with experts” (sound familiar?). Had one big money maker for the year they paid no taxes on and authorities didn’t check too close. After losing NP status big chunk of money went to taxes and state started checking past business practices. Could corps stand a tax cut out of the budget and (maybe more importantly) someone checking their business practices.

JAM WITH US ON DECEMBER 11TH It’s time for the ultimate holiday celebration! Mark your calendars for our third annual Jingle Jam live stream on Sunday, December 11th at 8 pm ET! Tune in LIVE on Facebook for a special holiday show featuring brand new performances from BAC members, alumni, and friends. This action-packed hour-long program goes beyond the field, featuring familiar faces with all-new music, new choreography, and new talents with a holiday twist. Throughout the show we’ll be showcasing some of our community’s best hidden talents with jazz quartets, original raps, and dance ensembles, all in support of our holiday campaign! Want to support the show? Make a gift towards our holiday campaign and we’ll send you a limited edition gift! https://bostoncrusaders.org/jingle-jam/

I believe there’s the fear that if they become for-profit, it monetizes the student (more than now) and it then puts labor requirements and taxation concerns onto the organization.

I would place at least 6 of the current world class corps in that category.

The 2023 corps has a long and deep history of inspiration to draw from. Looking forward to this season’s Giants.

.

Tarpon has been my favorite band in BOA since 2010. Each year I cannot wait to see what they put on the field. The Tarpon Colorguard is just sick good. Year after year, they have one of the most difficult equipment books on the field.

What do you mean, "another"? All 22 of them were on the tour schedule recently released. Did I miss an announcement?

End pieces are my favirite. Esp spreading PB so it doesn’t shred the bread.

Competitive marching band is pretty sparse in New England. I would estimate there are three times as many bands (and four times as many band kids) in the states of Washington/Oregon/Idaho currently being amputated. Meanwhile, the band scene in Florida is so much larger that we should be staging shows there come hell or high water (so to speak). I think the point is being missed here. Part of the DCI business model is to promote the activity by showcasing its member corps in events all over the country. DCI typically has member corps all over the country, and part of the foundational purpose of the DCI circuit was to establish a logical tour to connect them all. You speak as if DCI should not even be a nationwide operation, but instead cherry-pick the areas of greatest band kid population density and only operate events there. That is the BOA business model. It seems to work for BOA. But BOA is for scholastic marching bands, not summer touring ensembles. And BOA simply offers high-end events for a sufficiently affluent subset of a much larger band activity that has dozens of other circuits all over the country administering events. BOA is not compelled to promote the band activity in every geographic market - others are doing that.

It was also great to see Michigan kick OSU's arse!

Worked at Cavaliers well enough. LaBeouf was 3rd gen Van Doren.... ( lol )

Thousands more than they will in 2023. Not understanding the point of your question. The PNW shows draw better than numerous other shows that remain on the schedule for 2023. They draw well enough to be profitable. And they serve the mission of DCI to promote the activity in that region. I can understand steering the tour away from an area where no one wants to be (not even the corps based there). But amputating an entire region from the continental United States, with existing corps in it, is a very severe measure. Amputation is something you only do when the entire body could die otherwise.

Thank you for such a wonderful show and performance!

It was a tough show with a bunch of rookies that year of which I was one. Loved the closer (Witches Sabbath). Very dark and mysterious.

Just finished binge watching “Wednesday” on Netflix. REALLY GOOD! I know it’s too late now but I would love to see Regiment do a Danny Elfman book. thoughts?

16's growth from San Antonio to finals was only equaled by the Troopers this summer

That 2016 BAC corps literally roared its way into finals, jumping over two corps at seminfinals to do it. That corps has already become legendary.

Quixotic had its flaws but i liked the show overall. This was also the year when, after the regionals, everyone was "i guess this is the year Boston doesn't make finals." Then reports started trickling in from the smaller shows, "Boston is catching fire." They fought for that finals spot and made it!

This is a recording I've been thinking about a lot recently. That 2016 corps is someone current members owe a lot too, as well as many other years and versions of the Boston Crusaders, but I think 2016 stands out the most for me because right before the season I had the chance to talk to the 2016 head Dm, Aidan, and it was also one of the first years I seriously watched drum corps. For some reason throughout the entire season that story and that season always stuck in the back of my mind and I spent a lot of time thinking about it. #CorpsWeLove

So from 2005-2010, I co-produced a band called World Gone Mad. It was essentially an all-age drum corps, except we didn't march and only played arrangements of rock music. Some of it we arranged ourselves (we had a Bluecoats alum who was wonderful at it) and some of it came straight from Hal Leonard. We had a 30 minute set, and the centerpiece of it was "A Young Person's Guide to KISS." At our peak we had 30 brass and 6 drums. We played the Texas Drum Corps Preview for many years, as well as DCI/DCA shows, marching band comps, 10k's (that way the audience marched past *us*), roller derby, demolition derby, tattoo conventions, etc. Also did a Mardi Gras one year that is one of my better travel stories. And we played a club gig once that caused me to meet Chris M at Genesis, who because of him my kiddo ended up a DCI drum major. Don't know if we were good, but we were very loud, and isn't that really the soul of drum corps? Mike

I'm feeling ya!

Deez Nutz. "Deez Nutz, you may enter the field in competition."

The Westshoremen

Dallas Fortworth Texas Krusaders!

A second home swing in Aug! Bloo, Phantom and mandarins coming out for it which is great.

YES. CYO nationals are back right before Allentown. I loved that show so much in 19. Other highlights include first show is at Quincy on the first. No tour premiere. wyoming show and a Colorado show exciting season

I'd curtsie if your insult were less vague. Feel free to enlighten us and turn this ship around instead of complaining.

but the trends are the trends. no matter how much we complain on here, they're gonna do what they're gonna do. and the corps write the sheets, so it's not the judging communities fault

46 years later and still my all time fave.

The first barrier is to beat the only corps Boston hasn't beaten, the BD.

Channel One Suite

Just from what I remember since 2019, this has been the largest turn out that BAC has seen, at least with my time with the corps. A second place finish really helps, especially since BAC has had that hype around them for so long and 22 finally delivered that medalist placement. For that 22 corps almost every day was another record shattered and set and I think that a lot of the excitement that came with that helped persuade people to come in for 23 and potentially break one of the last barriers BAC has never done before.

Ok a youtube safe same, We are definitely NOT The Blue Devils....

The word I am getting from today's first in-person Boston audition camp is that attendance is roughly triple from what it was one year ago. Can anyone confirm?

I didn't say sponsoring was a problem. It IS a problem if you're their band director. THEN it's grooming. Set up a Google News alert: "Inappropriate Band Director". Watch what comes up!

I can agree 1000% with crossing lines that shouldn't be. This isn't even 10 or 20 or 30 years ago when SOME of these things were considered acceptable ( not talking about abuse, that was NEVER acceptable) Now with that said, I usually don't weigh in on a lot of people's personal beliefs but do want to say there has been over the past many who believe students should be involved in many things. A few examples are show design, music, rules etc etc. I think you know what I mean. Well IMO I do believe there are lines not to be crossed and one cannot pick and choose how a line can be crossed. I believe when you blur lines on either side is when guards come down and opens a door for whatever behavior. This can mean many things you just mentioned (your high lights) Again I 1000% agree. There is an abundance of young and new talent, younger by the day BUT there's a time and place when one is a student and one a teacher Blur those lines IMO and a door swings open. This is by no means a put down to a student, quite the opposite but I have been doing this for decades in this activity and the line crossers and not just the adult or staff. YES the staff should know better and if they don't then a good director should know when to step in and draw even a thicker line for BOTH parties. Students also need to know of that line and how NOT to cross it. As a director, designer, staff, judge (the many roles I have had) I have often had to threaten staff of being fired to NOT play with the members and that I hired a staff person not another member and if they wanted to be a member either just march ( WGI WC , no age limit ) or find another job elsewhere. Sorry for the long response but felt maybe I should weigh in a bit, especially because I have had to deal with this very thing many many times over the years.🙂

I've expanded my thoughts on my experiences with the alumni corps. https://medi-nerd.com/2022/08/21/i-am-a-bluecoat/

I suspect more official data will be coming soon but I'm saddened to report that Stacy Lynde has died. She and Shirley Stratton can be credited with utterly changing the way color guard - ultimately the entire activity - communicated through movement. Be it Whoop-di-doos, wings, ribbons or just huge pieces of cloth .... it was HOW it was done, it was WHAT was done ....and it changed everything. We aged out together in 1977....I was a scared rook-out and she was the only guard member who was nice to me and that helped convince me to stay and succeed. When I came back to help with equipment in the 80's it was so much fun to watch her be herself as she taught....and be asked my opinions (maybe twice) as a composer and teacher myself in my normal life. I think I can safely say that they still make them like her - pure Cali Girl in the best way - make them like her today and I'm glad and I know that because I recognize wonderful, talented and classy folks when I see meet them today because I knew Stacey.....and I am ever glad and grateful .....

I don't disagree, but for the record, neither of these two corps are in the top 12.

We absolutely have two examples of corps with bad management, which is precisely why they are allegedly broke. Both of the corps are renowned, in fact for mismanagement, so neither will come as a surprise to anyone.