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Corps do parades for the money. Simple as that. The thing is that around the 4th of July no high school or college bands are available. Corps can make out pretty good. If they are fortunate to have a group of parades that are close together, that's where they really make out. Very profitable and maybe they can get use of a local school and field. I remember doing 6 parades around the 4th of July back during the bicentennial. The corps i marched with made over $10k. Good chunk of change back then. Now I think a corps can get $3,000 or more for a parade.

Boston filled out a lot of guard work over the last 2 days. Looks like it helped. They are going to catch others very early this year. They are only 2 shows in so far.

Scores in Carolina 80.5 Bluecoats 79.9 Phantom 77.5 Boston 77.4 Spirit 69.7 Crossmen 68.1 Surf 63.7

Do you also do rankings for the NCAA BCS? So how does a corps who has had one show, scored a 75, get a 74.75??? You use terms like "appeared", "would have". I just don't get this ranking.

Many things are different for this corps especially from a show programming standpoint. Don't even get me started about the scoring aspect in 2005. I think they will show a lot of good progress this year.

Nice to hear Boston did well. Great start. I think this may be their best starting score in years. Watch this show growI will predict they will be catching PR very soon and possibly Bluecoats too. This is going to be a fun year to watch.

Thanks for the teaser Super fan. The corps is impressive. BTW you did a nice job at the Fling as always. Who thought of the ear plugs? See you soon.

Can't wait to see a whole show of that. Eat em up Boston.

Why would it matter if there's no profile. Are you busting chops? I don't have a profile either. Love your prediction for BAC though. I see them as being dirty at first but quickly cleaning up. Musically the show has a ton of stuff going on and from what I hear so does the drill. At the very least they move up into the next tier. Oh, but that would be slotting and we know that doesn't happen. No lower than 6. If they clean it and sell it, 4th.

Back when I was teaching I'd watch other corps rehearse to learn how to teach better. Y0ou can learn a lot by watching good rehearsal techniques. My faves were: SCV - rehearsing the performance every time. No "run" throughs. BD - efficient, relaxed and still very focused Garfield - intense, precise. Plus Sylvestri and Zingali were a kick to watch and talk to (and a little crazy which was actually their passion for the show and performance). I miss George. 27 - precise. WHAT! They paint their sets on the parking lot? PR - about to go to finals and they were concerned with emoting not spatials or alignment

I have to admit that I don't know all the specifics of this G7 deal but if I dare to assume I would assume there is a tremendous amount of elitism here. I will withdraw my support for any of these particular groups without feeling any remorse. I hope my disdain for this elitism ins't derided by making me seem like I am not supporting these kids. The bigger issue would be, to me, why arent the G7 directors more supportive of the non G7 corps and kids? I smell hypocrisy here. No other way to describe it. They must truly feel they are a better class of DC than the rest, even a charter member of DCI like the Crusaders. I am ashamed to think DCI supports this. I feel iy is very shortsighted and certainly limits the longevity of this activity. Is this headed to be an arm of BOA in the future? To the G7 proponents - shame on you now that we know how you truly feel about all the hardworking instructors, directors and volunteers in all the DCI member corps - They are just not as good or smart or as cool as you. And for the G7 corps with less history than Bluestars, Boston and Madison at least have the decency to thank them for paving the way for your success before you kick them to the curb. And let's not further insult everyone by tryng to justify this is good for the activity. You only want it to be good for yourselves.

Well there you go. No one is quite "done' yet. But all are comfortably on theior way to being "done" so no reason to think anyone is behind. Also "done' is a relative term and refers only tot heir show in whatever form it is in for the first performance. The first performance should be significantly different from the show being performed in Indy. Cleaning notwithstanding. Good luck to ALL corps this year. Hopefully there will be fewer rainouts and more sellouts. Safe travels to everyone going to and from shows. Make good choices.

I read a note about BAC's camp and the concern they haven't got their entire show done. So who in the top 12 has their full brass book written and taught; full percussion book written and taught and visual book written and taught. In other words who, if anyone, is done? I personnaly don't see the need for such concern becasue it is a long way until everyone's first show. I'm sure many corps, like BAC, haven't had "move-in" yet when they start working the show full time every day for 3-4 weeks before they hit the road. So everyone...Who's done? If not "done" How far along?

C'mon, no vote for Manning Bowl in Lynn, MA? Lynn, Lynn the city if sin, you never go out the way you went in? Manning Bowl is a tribute to down and dirty drum corps shows. Filthy small place with a terrible backfield echo. The most disgusting bathrooms and usually lousy food; although you could run down the street to Burger King after the show, Oh yeah did I mention the worst parking in all of drum corp? But there was also no place for corp equipment to park either. What's not to love. All in all some iincredibly exciting shows went on there. It was the home of the world Open for years and the venue for many early drum corps recordings. Complete with planes overhead. The flight path to Logan airport was dirctly above the stadium. They finally tore it down a few years ago and rebuilt it sort of. It is smaller with new stands and bathrooms. There is a show there this year (Beanpot). Parking still stinks. There is no doubt thoughh it will be a great show as old school Boston area drum corps folks will come out of the woodwork.

Why do we now always want to rename things? Have we gotten too lazy to explain things to people who may not otherwise know of an activity (the "clueless"). Is it really so hard to explaining the difference between drum corp and band? Wow "they always think I play a drum and I have to tell them I don't". Life is soooo hard. Why are we creating arguments that aren't necessary or help to resolve truly problematic issues or explain a lack of clarity about this activity. Well I guess maybe there is a need for some people to feel as though they are moving the ball forward on such intellectual ponderances. Really folks! Simplify it. And it can be simplified. Drum Corps is an activity with a long history that has eveolved but can still be viewed fairly understandable by calling it Drum Corp. Whether is is not techniocally bugles. It is not only drums either! It is certainly not a "SIGHT & SOUND EXPERIENCE"! Fishing is a sight and sound experience too. It would lose some specialness if the nomenclature were to be watered down to Percussion and Brass and Dance in Motion ensemble. Doesn't roll off the tongue very well. Keep it simple stop the silly talk about name changes and continue to call it what those who involve themselves in it call it...Drum Corps. Call Bands; bands, dance troupes; dance troups, orchestras;orchestras, and knuckleheads who want to call something different just to call it something different can happily continue to be knuckleheads.

OK can we stop the BS right now. It is not and never really was Boston "area" Crusaders. If you think it was, you are fooling yourselves. It WAS for many, if not all, alumni and still IS, Bad "###" Crusaders. It is definitely a holdover from long ago (from the 60's, not so much from the 70's although there remained a bit of it) that is held onto, mostly like folklore and with an odd affection. The term "area" was plugged in so it would not offend those who are easily and illogically offended. And it has nothing to do with elbows making them Bad ###. The elbows were reminder to just get ouf and stay out of the way. And if you ever broke the ranks you would do so at your own peril. That wasn't becasue they were jerks so much as the trespassers were disrespectul to the corps. This would be true for any corps. I do know for a fact that sometimes trespassers intentionally would attempt to cut the ranks to incite the very reposnse they inevitably got. They were stupid to do it and ended up still stupid and now bruised. So once and for all BAC does stand for Bad ### Crusaders. And I for one am OK with that.

Love the Chucks Dale. I was trying to find a photo of VK wearing them. I work for the company and had told people here about VK wearing Chucks as part of their uni.

Wow 55 pages of blah blah about the difference between band and drum corps! My POV is that the distinction is instrumentation. Simply put. Historically there was more clarity in the difference between the two prior to the development of 2 and 3 valve instruments. Before the 3 valves came about, the instrument now called a trumpet was called a bugle. Things became blurry by calling bugles, trumpets and contras, tubas. But until units, historically considered to be drums corps, have flutes, clarinets, saxophones and trombones as part of their instrumentation, they will be and should be considered Drum and Bugle Corps. There is a physical difference between the two, but it seems the clarity issue that arises, is more philisophical in nature maybe? Maybe I am oversimplifying it but it really does seem simpler than all the commentary I have seen here makes it out to be.

BAC is having a good year. They have a great, fun and entertaining show, not to mention it has a lot of complexity and difficulty. a\They also have gotten great fan support and are working hard to improve the show and performances. Their focus is for fans to enjoy their show. The members are very very excited about the show. Crowd responses hve been trmendous and judges response has been pretty good too even though that isn't what they are after. They have been building toward this and their goal is to continue to improve. Where that ultimately takes them is anyones guess and is out of their control. They are good, they love to perform and entertain the audience as well as themsleves. They do love competing but competitive siuccess is not the be all end all.