BlueKnightMom

Well, they DO say "boss" these days, but the new wording is "I handled that blank like a BOSS!".

Hmmm. I thought that "world class" was designation for corps that completed a 2-year review and application and satisfied financial and administrative reliability plus broader touring capabilities - and not just about performance and scores... I don't know...probably didn't word that well.

My daughter is with Bluecoats this year...she texts they are sitting on the bus waiting it out. that is 6:58 MT so I guess 8:58 ET???

Yes, And I was pouting the other day because he came by the foodtruck and I missed my opportunity somehow to meet the famous WesP! Still pouting.

Hi Kev's mom, As the cookmom, I have no faves, except he's one of my faves!

Well you have me there. I hesitate to write it, but I think the shows all around are just better this year than in the last few. Don't get me wrong I loved some shows the last several years, but there just seem to be more shows that are enjoyable, entertaining. I always applaud and give the kids the love for their shows, but this year in particular I've seen so many moments that bring me to my feet. As for BK, I left tour a couple of days ago but they're cleaning and changing, changing...maybe that will get us there. We have 35 shows this year -- so many more than last year -- and hardly any rehearsal days.

I nominate WesP as the best honk ever! And I will wear my mom hat and agree that, good grief, the brass judges have had cotton in their ears the last few shows. Everyone, everyone (we get floods of fan mail in the office and on FB) says our brass is mature, dark, nuanced, dynamic this year. What is up?

I was there too, and yes, I'm another mom (our 5th year) so the mom-bias here is also raging, yet tempered by five years of watching my super-vet in this activity and being on tour for weeks at a time watching ours and other corps' shows grow over time. And so...The Blue Knights have their best show ever - I've heard that phrase quite a few times. It hits the marks and it's just plain entertaining. Our hornline is great this year (off night last night, though but they'll be NAILS tonight at Invesco), and of course... the Jim Prime arrangements - hello!!??? The kids LOVE playing his stuff!! Sully and the team came up with a heck of a closer this year that just builds from the ballad swell to the last cymbal crash. The guy next to me sits on a certain board of directors and was viewing our Knights show for the first time this year said "wow" about five times through the closer and turned to me during his standing O to say, "Best Blue Knights ever!" Also have to add - the Cadets blew me away. That is a great show. And I must have said "wow" and "awesome" about 10 times during their show. /end of mom talk.

Refresh. Refresh. I gotta catch a 6:30 flight to Milwaukee tomorrow - that means getting up at 3:30. AM. Ugh. I need some scores though because I am a crazy not-on-tour-right-now cookmom that way.

and the Blue Knights are participating and could use your vote and financial support as well.

I am so going to go listen to Kaval Sviri now since you brought it to mind...

It ain't much but... Just received a text from someone on tour..."Just ended. Great response!"

I'd welcome a live update too! Go Blue Knights and Troop!

I just watched ATB, and the crowd LOVED it! I truly can't see or hear what you guys are referring to at all. The audience also gave a gigantic, ground-shaking "whoop" before and after it was done. So apparently the crowd of tens of thousands wasn't "absolutely appalled" -- just a few people on DCP. Go figure.

I read your post with interest. I appreciate your honesty about your experiences and lingering feelings, and I appreciate your diplomacy by not naming names. I guess the point I want to raise is that you assume that the staff is the same from your time - and that the current members (who may be eight years younger or more than you) have this underdog theme as part of their corps experience. My understanding is that much of the staff for the last couple of years is mostly all new, and the corps this year is made up of dozens of rookies. I even just discussed this OP with my own Knight ten minutes ago on the phone - and she feels that this is a corps that always focuses on "family" and music education (Mark Arnold announced one night that 70% of BK'ers this year are majoring in some form of music study). They also focus on the "team lessons" you'd find in any youth activity - being positive, strong work ethic and everyone doing his/her best , really going for it in their shows. That last bit IS what you say you want in your OP. I see a lot of assumptions about BK and the BK organization on here, that frankly don't mesh with what I have seen and heard firsthand. For example, I see people still referring to all of their shows as "dark" - just like everyone assumes their attitude is dark. I do not agree with this, particularly this year. I think the theme this year was to focus on art (as always now) and that is why they chose contemporary, modern, up and coming composers for two of the pieces (Mackey and Whitaker). That does not strike me as a somber way or an angry way of selecting music. It just seems (to use the other cliche that I see here all the time) "artsy". And I think the move to white guard unis was intentional. The closer is a rainbow of dozens of BRIGHT COLORS (which are incredibly beautiful up close - I wish people could see the hand-painted dye on the silk since it doesn't carry fully over the cameras) and a company front over what many people consider to be one the most hopeful, inspirational pieces of music EVAH written - Amazing Grace. I think what I have a seen a few times on here are postings by people who are former members (or former staff, or volunteers) who have specific issues (personal issues) with particular members of staff. Whether that is the drillwriter or the Director, I'm never quite sure. I would hope that that you would discuss these issues directly with Mark (after finals); get your concerns right out into the open. I do not believe that Mark would want anger or bitterness to be an influencing force in the corps. As a sidenote and I know you know this - you see an entirely new perspective when you're working the administrative and logistical side of running a corps or volunteering in a corps, besides just focusing on what's going on on the field. Finances (unfortunately) have much more influence on a corp's direction than anybody would even think - it affects staff, music, logistics, equipment, quality of nutrition - everything. Thanks for reading.