DrumCorpsRadio

I'm not sure if I count as a legacy fan yet. I aged out in 2002 which really seems like it was much more recent that 40% of DCI history ago. Since becoming a member of "Friends of DCI," I have felt more like a member of the appreciated club. Granted, it costs me something, but I pay that to get access to the best tickets for Indy and I'm fine with that. I've been a member of the review committee for Volunteer of the Year for the past two years and have found that to be really rewarding and a nice way to help DCI celebrate the kinds of people this thread is about.

https://dci.org/news/traditions-dci-on-tv-pt-1-field-pass-podcast https://store.dci.org/50th-anniversary/

June 27 Run-Down Sunday looked a lot like Saturday which looked a lot like Friday only more blue. Gold completed a strong first weekend with the greatest score increase of the night (+1.750) to draw within two points of Pacific Crest. With two and three shows under their belts, this first group of competing corps established pretty solid relative placements without much in the way of movement. We now go nearly a week until any of these corps return to competition and even longer in the case of Mandarins and the Open Class corps. So instead our attention shifts to Detroit where Blue Stars, Bluecoats, Boston Crusaders, The Cavaliers, Crossmen, and Phantom Regiment debut on June 28th with the theater broadcast. All six of these corps were finalists in 2019 so this head to head match-up will give us a good sense of things. After Tuesday, the only 2019 finalists left to debut will be Carolina Crown (July 1) and The Cadets (July 2). 2019: 2 - Bluecoats 5 - The Cavaliers 6 - Boston Crusaders 8 - Blue Stars 11 - Crossmen 12 - Phantom Regiment

June 26 Run-Down Blue Devils joined the competition circuit and won the show by 1.400 points over Santa Clara Vanguard. Impulse saw the biggest score increase from Friday to Saturday (+3.550 points). Pacific Crest was the only corps to see a decrease. (-0.400). A developing storyline to watch is the gap between Pacific Crest and Gold. When the two corps first saw each other in 2019 (June 28), Pacific Crest led by 7.200 points. Less than 3 points separate the two corps now. The other big question regarding Gold's strong debut is where the corps stacks up against Blue Devils B and Vanguard Cadets. We won't get an answer to that question until July 8th when the corps meet up in Sacramento. The same line-up repeats this evening before an off day Monday and the debut of several additional World Class corps on Tuesday.

Welcome to DCI 2022! It's been far too long since I've been able to post the daily run-down. For those who may not remember or who joined in the last three years, I keep careful day-by-day statistics of show results and compare how things are going today to how they went on the same relative day of competition last year (or in this case, in 2019). Does it mean much? Probably not. Does it give us something to ponder as the season moves along? Absolutely! I will be traveling quite a bit early in the season including stops at two west coast shows (Camas, WA and Stanford, CA) so my posting schedule may be a bit delayed from time to time, but I'm excited to be back! June 25 Run-Down The season opened on the West Coast for the first year in awhile so the year over year comparisons for first day of season don't align this time around. My analysis always compares relative day of the season. So 6/24/22 aligns with 6/21/19 - the first Friday of the competition season. This allows the regional Saturdays and Indy to line up for direct comparisons that matter more later in the season. Santa Clara Vanguard is on top, same as this time in 2019, although that year included head-to-head competition with Blue Devils. We don't have to wait long to answer that mystery as Blue Devils will join these seven corps in competition tonight. Year over year scores are down for the four corps with comparisons to make. Mandarins is down the least (-1.80) followed by SCV (-2.40), then Golden Empire (-2.90), and The Academy down furthest (-3.15). Although a significant drop from 2019, these scores are more in line with where things started in 2018.

Should've started this way... Blue Devils calendar names a specific show site in Clovis, CA. https://www.bluedevils.org/events/index.php?programID=1&month=7&year=2022

Anyone know where in California this show is going to be? Generally speaking? A region at least....

Good catch! Corrected.

OPEN CLASS Key Match-Ups The top 3 finishers in 2019 were Spartans, Legends, and Gold, in that order, without Blue Devils B or Vanguard Cadets participating. In 2018, Vanguard Cadets and Blue Devils B were #1 and #2 with Gold, Legends, and Spartan filling out the top 5. Blue Devils B and Vanguard Cadets are running an identical schedule in 2022 with head-to-head competition beginning on July 5 in California. Neither corps will meet reigning champion Spartans until DCI Open Class Finals in Marion, IN on August 8. Gold will meet up with Blue Devils B and Vanguard Cadets several times in the first half of the tour while in California beginning on July 8 in Sacramento, CA. Legends and Spartans match up a few times late in the season beginning with Legends’ debut performance on July 29 in Sheffield, PA. Year-Over-Year Comparison The 2022 DCI Tour kicks off Friday, June 24, 2022 in Oceanside, California and concludes Saturday, August 13, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In between, there will be 32 days with Open Class corps in competition, a decrease of one day from the scheduled 2020 tour. 2020 2022 Days with Open Class corps in competition 33 32 # of times when 14+ Open Class corps compete on the same day 8 (7/10, 7/11, 7/12, 7/31, 8/1, 8/3, 8/6) 7 (7/16, 7/17, 7/23, 7/24, 8/6, 8/8, 8/11) # of Open Class corps competing at Indy 15 14 (minus Heat Wave & Shadow, plus Vanguard Cadets) There is much less of a decrease in show participation among Open Class corps compared to World Class corps. Six corps increase their number of shows in 2022 over 2020 - Blue Devils C (+2), Columbians (+4), Golden Empire (+1), Les Stentors (+3), Phenom (+3), and Vanguard Cadets (+3). Seven others remain the same. Just one corps decreases by a significant number - Heat Wave (-7). Heat Wave will perform the fewest times (6) and Colt Cadets will perform the most times (17). Scheduled Competitions (including Day 1 in Indy) 2020 2022 Difference between 2022 and 2020 7th Regiment 11 11 0 The Battalion 10 10 0 Blue Devils B 12 12 0 Blue Devils C 7 9 2 Colt Cadets 17 17 0 Columbians 6 10 4 Gold 18 15 -3 Golden Empire 10 11 1 Guardians 11 11 0 Heat Wave 13 6 -7 Impulse 10 9 -1 Legends 11 8 -3 Les Stentors 9 12 3 Louisiana Stars 13 10 -3 Phenom 7 10 3 Raiders 9 8 -1 River City Rhythm 15 15 0 Southwind 14 12 -2 Spartans 14 14 0 Vanguard Cadets 9 12 3 Vessel 10 9 -1 Watchmen 11 9 -2 There are some notable changes in how early in the season given corps are entering the fray. Those entering significantly earlier than scheduled in 2020 are - Les Stentors (11 days), Phenom (10 days), Gold (7 days), Impulse (7 days), Vessel (7 days), and Watchmen (7 days). Given that all of these corps are either in California or opening the season in California, there is probably a show schedule effect at play here. On the other side of things, several corps will be waiting longer than last time around to begin - Raiders (22 days), Legends (16 days), Blue Devils B (11 days), Blue Devils C (11 days), Vanguard Cadets (11 days), and Colt Cadets (7 days). Days after season opening show when first competition occurs 2020 2022 7th Regiment 8 8 The Battalion 21 19 Blue Devils B 0 11 Blue Devils C 0 11 Colt Cadets 1 8 Columbians 14 14 Gold 7 0 Golden Empire 0 0 Guardians 24 24 Heat Wave 17 15 Impulse 7 0 Legends 19 35 Les Stentors 32 21 Louisiana Stars 19 20 Phenom 10 0 Raiders 7 29 River City Rhythm 9 8 Southwind 18 20 Spartans 8 8 Vanguard Cadets 0 11 Vessel 7 0 Watchmen 7 0 I was curious whether COVID protocols would lead any corps to build in more “down” time between shows. Here are the longest stretches without a show this year compared to the 2020 schedule. Most of the changes are insignificant or can be attributed to other causes. The Cadets decrease from 8 “no show” days to 4 is likely due to administrative changes and corps management that occurred for the 2020 season. The increase from 2 to 14 for Jersey Surf reflects the early- and late-season tour approach the corps takes this year. Longest stretch of “no show” days 2020 2022 7th Regiment 19 19 The Battalion 10 13 Blue Devils B 18 12 Blue Devils C 19 4 Colt Cadets 13 11 Columbians 1 4 Gold 11 12 Golden Empire 11 8 Guardians 4 6 Heat Wave 12 12 Impulse 10 18 Legends 11 2 Les Stentors 2 7 Louisiana Stars 7 12 Phenom 10 12 Raiders 23 4 River City Rhythm 11 13 Southwind 10 5 Spartans 12 13 Vanguard Cadets 18 12 Vessel 10 18 Watchmen 11 18 The master schedule grid I keep is available here.

WORLD CLASS The 2022 DCI Tour kicks off Friday, June 24, 2022 in Oceanside, California and concludes Saturday, August 13, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In between, there will be 41 days with World Class corps in competition, a decrease of four days from the last pre-COVID tour in 2019 and three days from the scheduled 2020 tour. Key Match-Ups Blue Devils, Bluecoats, and Santa Clara Vanguard were the top 3 finishers in both 2018 and 2019 with Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown, and The Cavaliers rounding out the top 6 both years. When these corps begin to meet head-to-head should provide some insights into how the top of the competition field will look this year. Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard get things started on day 2 of the season, meeting head-to-head at Pasadena, CA, and then again in their next seven shows. Bluecoats join in on the top 3 action on July 19 in Broken Arrow, OK. Boston Crusaders and The Cavaliers kick it off in Detroit, MI on June 28. Carolina Crown and The Cavaliers face off in Muncie, IN on July 1. All three won't meet for the first time until Broken Arrow, OH on July 19, for a full Top 6 competition. The 7-12 spots have been filled with Blue Knights, Blue Stars, The Cadets, Crossmen, Mandarins, and Phantom Regiment for the last two competitive seasons. All of these top 12 corps will meet for the first (and only) time prior to Indy in San Antonio, TX on July 23. The corps on the cusp here are likely Spirit of Atlanta (#13 in 2018 and 2019) and Pacific Crest (#20 in 2018, #14 in 2019). The earliest gauge of their chances likely come on July 9 for Spirit of Atlanta in Lexington, SC when they meet both The Cadets (#7 in 2018, #9 in 2019) and Crossmen (#12 in 2018, #11 in 2019). Pacific Crest should get an early indication of things with back-to-back-to-back competitions with Mandarins (#10 in 2018 and 2019) on June 24-26 in Oceanside, Pasadena, and San Bernardino, California. Year-Over-Year Comparison Jersey Surf is engaging in a more traditional two-phase tour in 2022. As a result, the corps will not make its way to San Antonio. Combined with the alteration to what was the DCI Southeastern Championship in Atlanta this year, all 22 World Class corps do not compete on the same night until they arrive in Indianapolis. 2019 2020 2022 Days with World Class corps in competition 45 44 41 # of times when all World Class corps compete on the same day 4 (7/13 - DeKalb, Denver, Memphis; 7/20 - San Antonio, 7/27 - Atlanta; 8/8 - Indianapolis) 4 (7/12 - Denver & St. Louis; 7/18 - San Antonio; 7/25 - Atlanta; 8/6 - Indianapolis) 1 (8/11 - Indianapolis) It probably comes as little surprise to see fewer shows on the calendar and corps planning a less strenuous tour in 2022. The reasons are many and beyond the scope of this schedule analysis. Only one corps increases its number of shows in 2022 over 2020 - The Cadets (+1). Seattle Cascades stay even. Bluecoats decrease the most by 8 shows from 28 to 20. Jersey Surf will perform the fewest times (14) and The Cavaliers will perform the most times (26). Scheduled Competitions (including Day 1 in Indy) 2018 2019 2020 2022 Difference between 2022 and 2020 The Academy 26 25 25 21 -4 Blue Devils 24 25 23 18 -5 Blue Knights 27 23 24 22 -2 Blue Stars 28 29 29 24 -5 Bluecoats 30 29 28 20 -8 Boston Crusaders 30 25 26 20 -6 The Cadets 29 30 20 21 1 Carolina Crown 27 25 26 19 -7 The Cavaliers 29 28 29 26 -3 Colts 29 28 28 23 -5 Crossmen 28 24 27 21 -6 Genesis 24 21 23 21 -2 Jersey Surf 20 20 21 14 -7 Madison Scouts 26 26 27 21 -6 Mandarins 25 25 26 24 -2 Music City 21 24 25 21 -4 Pacific Crest 23 21 22 19 -3 Phantom Regiment 30 28 28 23 -5 Santa Clara Vanguard 25 25 24 20 -4 Seattle Cascades 20 18 21 21 0 Spirit of Atlanta 27 24 26 20 -6 Troopers 27 26 24 20 -4 The scheduling of an opening weekend in California prior to the Tour Premiere in Detroit changes the calculation a bit on when corps are opening up their seasons although a few changes jump out. Carolina Crown will not participate in a season-opening show, instead entering competition on Day 7. Madison Scouts, Music City, and Spirit of Atlanta are all waiting until the second week of competition to take the field on Day 8. Troopers won’t see the judging community until Day 14 of the tour. On the other end of the spectrum, Jersey Surf takes the field a few days earlier than usual on Day 8 and Pacific Crest will begin its season with the other California corps on Day 1. Days after season opening show when first competition occurs 2019 2020 2022 The Academy 1 1 0 Blue Devils 1 1 1 Blue Knights 8 8 8 Blue Stars 0 0 4 Bluecoats 0 0 4 Boston Crusaders 0 0 4 The Cadets 0 8 8 Carolina Crown 0 0 7 The Cavaliers 1 0 4 Colts 3 3 7 Crossmen 3 0 4 Genesis 8 8 9 Jersey Surf 12 12 8 Madison Scouts 3 2 8 Mandarins 1 1 0 Music City 4 4 8 Pacific Crest 8 8 0 Phantom Regiment 0 3 4 Santa Clara Vanguard 1 2 0 Seattle Cascades 15 14 14 Spirit of Atlanta 4 5 8 Troopers 1 3 14 I was curious whether COVID protocols would lead any corps to build in more “down” time between shows. Here are the longest stretches without a show over the past three scheduled full seasons. Most of the changes are insignificant or can be attributed to other causes. The Cadets decrease from 8 “no show” days to 4 is likely due to administrative changes and corps management that occurred for the 2020 season. The increase from 2 to 14 for Jersey Surf reflects the early- and late-season tour approach the corps takes this year. Longest stretch of “no show” days 2019 2020 2022 The Academy 5 4 5 Blue Devils 5 5 5 Blue Knights 2 3 2 Blue Stars 3 3 2 Bluecoats 3 3 5 Boston Crusaders 4 3 3 The Cadets 2 8 4 Carolina Crown 5 4 6 The Cavaliers 4 4 2 Colts 2 2 2 Crossmen 3 2 4 Genesis 4 3 3 Jersey Surf 2 2 14 Madison Scouts 2 2 2 Mandarins 4 4 8 Music City 2 2 2 Pacific Crest 4 8 7 Phantom Regiment 3 3 3 Santa Clara Vanguard 4 4 5 Seattle Cascades 6 2 3 Spirit of Atlanta 4 2 4 Troopers 4 5 2 The master schedule grid I keep is available here.

Fuller analysis to come soon like I've done each year since 2018...some quick stats Average # of shows (including day 1 at Indy) is 21 down from 26 (2018) and 25 (2019, 2020) On average, corps decreased by 4 shows from 2020 Bluecoats decreased the most at -8 Just 1 corps (The Cadets) increased from 2020 to 2022

FWIW, DCI also received PPP support in April 2020 for $324,000 and February 2021 for $303,200. (Source - https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/search?q=drum+corps+international).

August 11, 2002, 2:25pm ET Newark, NJ I have a few minutes here in Newark Airport so I thought I’d write a little about finals day/night. We woke up for stretch like usual and then had breakfast, which was open to family, friends, and fans of the corps. Speeches were given by various staff members throughout the day so it was an emotional rollercoaster as I expected. We did a full 5 hours of rehearsal, but focus was scattered early on. We got things together to have a strong full ensemble. After we finished our last rehearsal I packed everything I had left because I was leaving straight from finals. We had a really strong preshow warmup in the horn arc and there was an electricity throughout the hornline. While I would have liked it to have been a bit darker, performing in DCI Finals was great! The crowd really got into our show and we had another emotionally charged performance. I have some mixed feelings about whether it topped semifinals or not, but it was a performance to remember either way. The meeting outside the gate following the show was emotional. We all began to hug each other and cry tears of happiness, sadness, and relief. I’m sure everyone felt differently about the season coming to a close, but we all realized that this group of people would never perform together again.It was time to say goodbye, forever in many cases I suspect. Thinking about all that Crossmen went through in 2002, the evolution of the corps, the highs and the lows...it’s just something that can’t be put into words. Everyone who has done this crazy thing we call drum corps knows the mixed feelings of such a bittersweet ending. Retreat was fun (how can a tie not be fun?) and we spent some time on the field taking pictures and saying some more good-byes. Things moved quickly after we exited Camp Randall Stadium and before I knew it, I was in a hotel room, my DCI experience but a memory. I only had the opportunity to march 1 DCI season, but I am so grateful that I did it. It was an amazing experience that I will treasure for a long time. I met some great people who I hope to keep in touch with because you never know how paths may cross again in the future. It is time for me to move forward and close this chapter in my life that so fittingly began in this very airport almost 9 months ago. (The End.)

August 11, 2002, 4:39am CT Madison, WI And just like that, it’s over. I’ll write more about finals night a little later. Right now I’m sitting in Madison’s little airport and I’m surrounded by drum corps for the final time this summer. I see jackets from the corps I’ve seen on the road and it’s a reminder that we’re really all in this together. At the end of the day, everyone sits on the floor of the airport catching some sleep and wondering what the real world that we left behind for 80 days has in store tomorrow. It doesn’t matter who the people are sitting around me or what team they played for all summer; we are the 2002 corps of Drum Corps International and no matter what happens when we go our separate ways, no one can take that away from us. Madison, WI - Finals The Cavaliers - 99.15 - All Captions Blue Devils - 97.3 The Cadets - 96.75 Santa Clara Vanguard - 95.65 Phantom Regiment - 92.4 Boston Crusaders - 92.4 Bluecoats - 91.5 Glassmen - 91.0 Crossmen - 89.1 Spirit of Atlanta - 85.45 Magic of Orlando - 84.85 Seattle Cascades - 84.05 (One more post to come)

Thank you so much!

August 9, 2002, 8:32pm CT - Tour Day 78 Madison, WI Our semifinals show was, by far, the best performance of the 2002 Crossmen to date. I felt awesome during the entire show and just knew we were hitting it. Adding the entrance from the back corner of the stadium really added crowd response to the performance which also helped to drive us a little too. This morning Chuck Naffier spoke to us about adding heart and energy to our show to complement the cleanliness of quarterfinals and we did. He told us about six spots in the show where we could really push and tonight we got crowd response at every one of them. We still have one show left before the 2002 Crossmen is gone forever and I really hope the finals atmosphere will give us the extra edge. If we have another performance like tonight, all of the hard work, sweat, and frustration will have been worth it. Madison, WI - Quarterfinals The Cavaliers - 98.7 - All Captions The Cadets - 96.95 Blue Devils - 96.9 Santa Clara Vanguard - 96.0 Phantom Regiment - 93.2 Bluecoats - 92.7 Glassmen - 92.65 Boston Crusaders - 91.95 Crossmen - 90.15 Spirit of Atlanta - 87.2 Magic of Orlando - 87.15 Seattle Cascades - 86.9 Blue Knights - 86.15 Madison Scouts - 85.5 Colts - 85.25 Carolina Crown - 83.8 Capital Regiment - 79.3 Southwind - 79.25 Mandarins - 78.05 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 75.9 Troopers - 75.55 Pioneer - 72.35 Madison, WI - Semifinals The Cavaliers - 99.05 - All Captions Blue Devils - 97.55 The Cadets - 97.0 Santa Clara Vanguard - 95.7 Phantom Regiment - 92.8 Boston Crusaders - 92.45 Bluecoats - 92.25 Glassmen - 92.25 Crossmen - 90.65 Magic of Orlando - 87.1 Spirit of Atlanta - 86.75 Seattle Cascades - 85.95 Blue Knights - 85.5 Madison Scouts - 84.85 Colts - 83.9 Carolina Crown - 81.8 Capital Regiment - 77.35 (Next post is August 11.)

August 7, 2002, 10:31pm ET - Tour Day 76 Columbus, WI Rehearsal days are over. They were grueling, but we finally had the chance to really break things down for cleaning. We also spent time getting our secret stadium entrance ready for its first public viewing. Compared to the past few days, the rehearsal time the next three days is practically nothing. All of the work we’ve put in all season has to pay off over the next few days and I think it will. I expect the finals’ run will be over in a flash with all the excitement surrounding everything. I can’t wait to take the field at Camp Randall, especially on Saturday night. I’m really glad that my parents and girlfriend will be there to share in all of it too. (Next post is August 9.)

August 6, 2002, 10:00pm ET - Tour Day 75 West Milton, OH → Columbus, WI We only have one full rehearsal day left before the finals competitions begin. The last two days have been difficult, but we did get a lot of cleaning done. Things are going to move very quickly over these final four days. I’m looking forward to these last performances and getting home even though I’m sure I’ll miss it too. I don’t really have much to write since we’ve just been rehearsing. More to come soon! (Next post is August 7.)

August 4, 2002, 2:27pm ET - Tour Day 73 Huntingdon, PA Last night was our final regular season show, the DCI Eastern Classic at Franklin in Philadelphia. The night before we saw Bones for the first time at another “home” show in West Chester. Yesterday was probably the best day of tour so far though, especially as being a Crossmen goes. We had a fairly short rehearsal day and then traveled to a classic drum corps stadium where crowds of people were waiting to get into the show. We had a really strong performance but only maintained our current placement. Although not as much as Madison, we did receive some boos when our score was announced. After the show, we massed brass with Spirit and played our warmup, Pat Metheny’s “Another Life” and their corps song “Georgia on My Mind.” Then Spirit played their ballad and “Salvation” for us. After all of this, we all enjoyed Philly cheesesteaks at the Crossmen food truck. It was all a lot of fun and it’s nice to have that kind of relationship with another corps. Today the focus changed to tedious cleaning to prepare ourselves for Madison. We’re doing laundry today as well so the rehearsal blocks aren’t too long, but they will be for the next three days. I also got my tour jacket today. It’s pretty boring right now because it doesn’t have any patches on it, but I’ve earned the right to wear the jacket and I’ll do so proudly (even if I don’t like red). This time next week I’ll be back in New Jersey looking back on an experience that really began way back in November when I attended my first audition. West Chester, PA The Cadets - 96.4 - General Effect, Music Blue Devils - 96.2 - Visual Boston Crusaders - 91.75 Crossmen - 89.75 Carolina Crown - 83.8 Jersey Surf - 80.25 Philadelphia, PA The Cadets - 95.75 - General Effect Blue Devils - 95.7 - Visual, Music Boston Crusaders - 90.95 Glassmen - 90.1 Bluecoats - 89.75 Crossmen - 88.85 Spirit of Atlanta - 86.5 Seattle Cascades - 85.85 Carolina Crown - 84.35 Madison Scouts - 82.35 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 74.2 (Next post is August 6.)

August 1, 2002, 11:49pm ET - Tour Day 70 Lynn, MA → Pennsville, NJ We made up for yesterday. We didn’t get a whole lot of sleep, but we rehearsed hard and got better today during practice. We had a great show and then enjoyed a good amount of free time because it was a drum major only retreat. After the show, I sat front and center for the Blue Devils’ victory concert. It was a great experience as I enjoyed listening to their hornline blast (with quality). I think BD is my favorite show musically this year (after ours of course). Tonight was one of those moments where you realize why drum corps is worth it. There are a million reasons to not do it, but all the sacrifices make it even more meaningful in the end. There are only two show days left and then some rehearsal days before getting to Madison. Lynn, MA Blue Devils - 94.5 - All captions Boston Crusaders - 91.45 Glassmen - 89.6 Crossmen - 88.0 East Coast Jazz - 81.85 (Next post is August 4.)

July 31, 2002, 11:33pm ET - Tour Day 69 Rome, NY → Beverly, MA I felt like we had a decent show when I walked off the field following tonight’s show but our caption head sure didn’t agree. Either way, our score went up again. More interesting was the fact that Boston passed Glassmen tonight. I don’t really have much to write except that tomorrow is August. I know I’ve written about the end of the season before, but it really is looming before us. In a little more than a week, I’ll be back home with an entire season of DCI behind me. Rome, NY Boston Crusaders - 90.3 - General Effect, Music Glassmen - 89.2 - Visual Crossmen - 87.4 Seattle Cascades - 85.35 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 75.7 Magic of Orlando - 90.2 Patriots - 84.55 East Coast Jazz - 81.65 (Next post is August 1.)

The scores were stagnant for awhile so I'm not sure it can be totally attributed to that. I think we opened strong b/c of the content of the show but then stagnated b/c we didn't clean as fast as everyone else. Until we watered things down and made changes, we kind of got stuck. The credit for demand and content obviously goes away as the season continues if you can't perform it.

July 30, 2002, 11:30pm ET - Tour Day 68 Erie, PA → New York Mills, NY Four regular season shows to go… We worked mostly on the new ballad today after learning it yesterday. I like the newest version the best out of the four that we’ve learned. It includes 32 counts of dance (editorial note - compared to what happens today, these 32 counts would barely be considered movement, but we thought we were ahead of our time then) for the hornline and other body movement at various points in the show. While it may not always be my strong suit, I think it’s pretty cool and something we needed to do to bring our show to a new level. We had a very strong performance tonight, especially considering that the ballad is brand new. The staff was extremely excited about the performance, even more so than a lot of the members I think. Erie, PA Glassmen - 89.35 - Visual, Music Boston Crusaders - 88.75 - General Effect Crossmen - 86.3 Seattle Cascades - 83.35 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 73.5 Magic of Orlando - 90.2 Spartans - 84.4 Blue Stars - 78.35 Lake Erie Regiment - 64.7 (Next post is July 31.)

July 28, 2002, 11:48pm ET - Tour Day 66 Centerville, OH A lot has happened since I last wrote five days ago. We traveled out of Texas to Kansas for a show followed by rehearsal days in Missouri and Tennessee and then shows in Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio. We’re still hovering at the 9th place spot and our score hasn’t changed much at all even though our performance level has increased very much. Even though it sometimes feels like we aren’t going anywhere, the staff keeps pushing us mercilessly. We wake up early, work long and hard, but don’t necessarily get the pay off that we’re looking for at the end of the day. I’m having doubts about some staff decisions, too. For example, tonight we’re staying over at the same school as last night. We were supposed to have a laundry/rehearsal day tomorrow but now it’s minus the laundry. They are still waking us up at 7:30am even though we have a whole day and the majority of the corps is sick, burnt out, and/or injured. I strongly feel that we should get some major rest and prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the last 12 days of the season. Well, there isn’t much I can do about it so I’m going to make use of the time I have to sleep. Wichita, KS Blue Devils - 90.7 - All captions Boston Crusaders - 86.55 Crossmen - 85.5 Colts - 81.65 Seattle Cascades - 81.1 Southwind - 72.35 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 71.95 Murfreesboro, TN The Cavaliers - 94.85 - All captions The Cadets - 92.65 Blue Devils - 92.05 Santa Clara Vanguard - 91.95 Phantom Regiment - 88.0 Glassmen - 87.95 Bluecoats - 86.05 Crossmen - 84.55 Indianapolis, IN (Prelims) Crossmen - 85.65 - Visual Seattle Cascades - 84.55 - General Effect Spirit of Atlanta - 83.85 - Music Colts - 82.7 Carolina Crown - 81.95 Blue Knights - 81.6 Madison Scouts - 81.35 Southwind - 71.95 Kiwanis Kavaliers - 71.65 Troopers - 69.65 Pioneer - 67.45 Indianapolis, IN (Finals) The Cavaliers - 95.2 - All captions The Cadets - 93.1 Blue Devils - 93.0 Santa Clara Vanguard - 92.1 Phantom Regiment - 88.95 Glassmen - 88.2 Bluecoats - 87.85 Boston Crusaders - 87.15 Crossmen - 84.6 Spirit of Atlanta - 83.15 Seattle Cascades - 83.1 Colts - 81.55 Centerville, OH Blue Devils - 93.0 - All captions Glassmen - 89.2 Boston Crusaders - 88.55 Crossmen - 86.6 Seattle Cascades - 83.6 Madison Scouts - 82.7 Capital Regiment Marion Glory Cadets (Next post is July 30.)

July 22, 2002, 11:42pm CT - Tour Day 60 Wichita Falls, TX → Newton, KS We finally broke out of our score slump with an 85.65. We also regained some ground in the standings by tying Boston. Suddenly things are a bit brighter for the home stretch of the season. I actually had a pretty rough rehearsal day today. During the morning music sectional, I could barely play...probably because of not playing at all yesterday. Then during full ensemble I felt nauseous and couldn’t play because it was hard enough just to march. By the time we got to the show site I felt much better and ended up having a pretty good show. Wichita Falls, TX Blue Devils - 90.9 - General effect, Visual Santa Clara Vanguard - 89.95 - Music Crossmen - 85.65 Boston Crusaders - 85.65 Blue Knights - 80.35 Colts - 80.25 Pioneer - 69.0 (Next post is July 28.)