Bossop

Enjoy this brief take on a Christmas classic. http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/vxaU2YT9OcpVl0L3J5Nn

I wrote a review for Drum Corps World, but from the perspective of a participant. I was able to see all the corps except for St. Kevins, but I was able to write some stuff about them since I heard some of their tunes after their golf tournament a month earlier. The review will be in the January edition which will be mailed in a week or two.

May your potato latkes be crisp.

Be careful lighting your menorah! http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/T4HZnr6PqC7OF4nGjNDQ

Back in the sixties, many of the corps were comprised of tough inner city kids, and once in a while their rivalries got out of hand. Today, inner city kids don't even join drum corps, and every day, the newspaper tells of the tragic ways they settle their differences. As for alumni corps members, we are older, smarter, and have a more worldly view of things. Plus many of our members were never even part of the old rivalries. Of our 50 horns, only five were ever in the Crusaders junior corps. And most of them have played with the SKEK folks in Legends. Modern drum corps people are part of a kinder, gentler nation!

This is bound to be the most unbelieveable news to hit this forum in many a day. No, I don't mean the fact that an ice rink will be built in the middle of fabled Fenway Park- home of the Red Sox, and that the Boston Bruins will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers on New Year's Day. The unbelieveable part is that the Crusaders Senior Corps of Boston will join forces with the St. Kevin Emerald Knights to perform a selection as an intro to the Drop Kick Murphy's who will play their hit, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." BAC and SKEK were great rivals in the 1960's but have grown closer as a combination of maturity and senility has inflicted their members. The corps now actually like each other! It should be a memorable event and we'll have to see if the temperature has an effect on the valves of the brass players. For me, personally, I'll have to miss it because I previously had made plans to be in Pasadena to watch the Rose Bowl Parade. It's tough giving up an exciting January day in frozen Fenway to smell the roses in sunny California, but like they say, someone's got to do it! Reminder, the Crusaders Senior Corps' first Open House is this Sunday (Dec. 6) at 1:00pm at the Malden VFW on Crystal St. Malden.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the folks you love, and remember our military who can't be home, but are close to our hearts. http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/ey8LR7jb7JSFPUhmFg4m

Those of you who saw us in Plymouth and said, "Someday when I have more time, I'm going to get back and join, well, THIS IS SOMEDAY! You are never going to be younger than you are right now. You'll never have more free time! And you'll never have more fun than we have in the Boston Crusaders Senior Corps. Join while we are starting the new music so you don't have to play catch up. See you on Dec. 6th.

Perhaps the Lancers are good luck, bringing good weather for the parade in the morning. Temperatures are expected to be in the balmy 50's, far different from the frigid temperatures of recent years. Last year, it was so cold-- I saw a politician with his hands in his own pocket! Anyway, you'll enjoy the Plymouth experience. Lots to see, lots of great restaurants, and you can always find a drum corps party. Enjoy!

In 2010, the Boston Crusaders organization- (Most Precious Blood, Hyde Park, and Boston) will celebrate its 70th year as an organization. This storied corps has a rich tradition of pride, tenacity, and excellence, and its symbol, the spilt-tail lion affectionately known as Waldo, is one of the most easily recognized icons in drum corps. The Crusaders Senior corps has plans to make this year a very special one, and will be playing some of the favorite songs Crusader fans have come to love over the years. Tentatively, the corps will start off with "Captain from Castille", and then go into a full and more dramatic version of "Conquest". "Man of LaMancha" is next, and then "Hatikva" will serve as an intro to "Havah Nagilah". The concert will please fans as "Mondo Cane" will feature all the tricky tonguing from the entire soprano section. "Time to Say Goodbye" will be the bye bye with a reprise of "Conquest". If you would like to be part of this special year, check us out at our first Open House: Sunday Dec. 6th 1:00-4:00 Malden VFW (Our alternative practice facility when the Prince Post in Melrose is unavailable) Crystal St. Malden, MA corps phone 617-448-0556

Dan, I covered a few of their Eastern Mass. shows for DCW. In one show, they had no horns, so they took a snare player and had him honk away on a soprano so they could compete. In three shows, I think I saw a different person playing a soprano horn, but only one per show. I told their director that if they all showed uo at once, they could experience a chord. He didn't see they humor in it.

I would hate to see DCA become "DCI Light". Keep them as seperate entities with different philosophies and perspectives. I'd like to see DCA keep more traditional drum corps elements to satisfy us "older enthusiasts". Perhaps DCA could be "Drum Corps Classic" and DCI could be "Drum Corps Free Style." Then maybe there'd be something for everyone.

Drum corps performers are obviously, not in it for the money, since participants as individuals are not paid. The reality is that as an organization, it's impossible to function without income. Most instructors are paid at least a stipend; some corps pay rent on practice facilities; instuments are bought and maintained; there are uniform expenses that some corps pick up; travel to some shows often costs units money. To function as an active corps, it takes money. (By the way, congrats to SKEK on a successfull golf tournament. Hopefully it was as profitable as it was fun for the participants.) Parades are the major source of income for many corps. I doubt many units would march in 10 parades a year for nothing.

I think it would be great to rekindle the drum corps flame in Western Massachusetts. Some of my fondest memories in my junior corps days with the Peabody Musketeers were competing in the Yankee Circuit with Western and Central Mass, Conn., NY, Eastern Mass. and NH corps like the Pittsfield Cavaliers, Monarchs, Skyhawks (or was it Skylarks?), Auburn Noteables, Lithuanian War Vets, Olympians, Enfield Sabres, Charter Oak, Rochester Graniteers, Portsmouth Golden Eagles, Milford Spartans, Claremont Cavaliers, Manchester Muchachos, Gatesmen, St. Rocco's, and others.

In July, I'll celebrate the 15th anniversary of my 50th birthday. I can't believe the years have gone by so fast. But I'm still marching with the Boston Crusaders Senior Corps. In Feb. I'll be back in Venice, so I hope to visit you folks again. Art K.

The Annual Drum Corps Reunion Concert in Plymouth MA on November 21, will be upon us before we know it. Plymouth is known as America's Home Town, pulsing with history on every corner, and the weekend before Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make a visit. And of course, drum corps enthusiasts can get their final fix before Winter. This year's lineup includes local favorites Boston Crusaders Seniors, St. Kevin Emerald Knights, and the Defenders. Returning popular units are the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, Park City Pride, and Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni corps. Making their Plymouth debut are the Hanover Lancers and the Reilly Raiders. With Mission Drums (DCA), the East Coast Classic (DCI) and this alumni reunion Concert, the Boston area will have hosted the spectrum of drum corps.

An idea that perhaps sounded cool- but wasn't..... I asked my cousin who is a dermatologist, what the most unusual case was that he ever treated. He said that one patient had a tattoo done with luminous ink, so that it would glow in the dark. Not only was it dangerous healthwise, but the fact that some of the ink migrated, made it unsuccessful esthetically. My cousin was asked to remove it.

The split-tailed Lion, Waldo, has to be one of the most recognizeable drum corps icons in existence, and many members of my Boston Crusaders Senior Corps wear it proudly as a tattoo. One of our members. Gil McDonald, claims to have been the first to sketch it as the corps symbol in the early 1960's. (Adapted it from Lowenbrau sign at a Boston bar) I had an artist friend create a cartoon rendition of Waldo, looking similar to the Pink Panther, but striking the classic Karate Kid pose, and I had it imprinted on coffee mugs which I gave to the corps members as Christmas presents two years ago.

I'm glad you explained that. One year my Boston Crusaders corps followed Hawthorne's Alumni corps in performing. I noticed that many in the stands left as we entered the field. I though it was something we did. Now I realize it was Hawthorne's competing corps exiting after their alumni corps performed. The last few years, attendance at the Alumni Spectacular has increased to the point that it is not so obvious- plus, Hawthorne's Alumni corps going on last avoids any mass exodus prior to another corps performing.

In my drum corps experience in the early 60's, there were band kids, and there were drum corps kids. Very, very few kids did both. The band folks considered drum corps folks as musically illiterate, and pseudo musicians who played primitive instruments; and who could only sound half way descent after learning a piece by rote and practicing it a gazillion times. Drum corps kids thought that the band kids were geeks, studied all the time, had no discipline, pop, snap, and no testicular fortitude. In terms of evolution, todays' drum corps kids are band kids. It's virtually impossibe for a kid to come off the street and join a drum corps without having some band experience.

Holy Name, Garfield, Bergen County, or simply The Cadets, are all fine with me. The only thing I fear that they will be someday called is "a band."

Perhaps you are not, nor never have been the afore mentioned person, but does that preclude you from ever being such person?

Last week we went to see Paul McCartney at Fenway Park. What do you think of $35.00? Not bad, but that was just to park. The tickets, after paying the convenience fee (legalized scalping) ended up costing $151 each. The beer was $8.25 for a watery light, with the tip jar prominantly displayed. Without the giant screens, you couldn't even tell which performer was McCartney. The seats at Fenway were built with early 2oth century tushes in mind- very confining to say the least. But still, we enjoyed the experience of a McCartney concert. I consider $20 for a DCA show a good entertainment bargain.

"I'm Shippin' Up to Boston"- more like the Boston Pops version than the Drop Kick Murphy's. Perfect for the guard (especially with so many former Light Brigade members now Crusaders) to do their Irish dance. Check it out on youtube.

What was all the kvetching about when it was decided to limit the event to 20 units?