CrownBaritone

Not a guy

I just can't see this happening. Others have already said it; the care required to maintain a woodwind instrument would be too costly and too time consuming in the world of drum corps. You can knock the crap out of a brass instrument, let it get wet, and repair it easily, and it will still play well. Then there's the matter of member limits. If we raise the 150 mark, then what would the next step be? You'd either need to cut down the brass to allow woodwinds or add a bunch of members to the show. In my opinion the show would be way too cluttered if more people were added, as the more people you have means you have less space on the field, and possibly less awesome drill. But even if these things worked out and we found the money and time to maintain the horns and the drill was fine... I can't think of a world where you'd have a big company front with 150+ members on the field with woodwinds and brass, and the woodwinds would be audible. Unless you had A LOT more WW than brass. It's a nice thought, and a running joke that's been around since I've been involved with the activity. I can understand the problems people have had with rule changes, but every one I've seen has had a reason or hasn't been too far fetched. Amplification of the pit? Sure. Adding more brass instruments? Makes sense. But adding something that neither came from drum or bugle doesn't seem viable to me.

^ He was the one that started the topic yesterday as well. Typically, corps won't release their new uniform designs until later camps or sometimes, like Crown does, near the end of spring training.

I am so ###### excited for this year at Bluecoats... They do some amazing things with great pieces of music, and something like this gives me goosebumps just imagining what it's going to sound like on Finals night. Definitely one of those moments I wish I wasn't marching so I could see them in the lot/live.

As usual with the uniforms we had to wear these tan unitards, which I guess had the same effect as the "show whites" with the Cadets. The jock straps weren't mandatory at first, but after our first uniformed performance (in Arkansas I think?), the administration cleared out a couple of sportswear stores and told us what's what. After that, it was jock strap and unitard, then the uniform. Some didn't care, others seemed to have a problem remembering what happened to their jock straps...

I think the people who've already replied to the thread have the basics covered... Try your best to watch the vets and how they rehearse. I say rehearse because a lot of us will act goofy during the camps; it's our first time seeing our friends since last summer so we tend to pick up right where we left off. Normally though, as soon as we're needed to do something serious, we get on task. That's when you should watch us. Also don't be afraid to come and interact with anyone during meals and stuff, especially not the vets. All of them have been where you have before, and they all now how nerve racking the process is. The weekends can be much friendlier if you make friends quickly. Take in all information the staff gives you, and apply it to your fullest ability. Camps at Crown are very big on that, because it is a learning process. If they ask for a volunteer for something, raise your hand immediately. The more one-on-one time you can get with staff members the better. Especially when you're playing in front of them + 30 other kids. Never relax. If you're in the middle of the block in the middle line during visual block, you're still being watched. You're always being watched. Sometimes staff will ask trusted vets questions... "How is _____ doing? How's their work ethic? How would they handle a summer?" And make sure to take care of yourself. Eat a good meal before you drive/fly down to camp, don't rush yourself. Pack a couple of days ahead, you want the experience to be as relaxed as possible, in the sense of not stressing yourself out. When you get to camp, be sure to always be drinking water or gatorade. Don't overeat during meals... Food truck food does something different to everyone their first time eating it... Mine was not pleasant (the food isn't bad, it's just different than what you eat on a daily basis). But having said that, make sure you eat. Nothing is worse than you getting light headed halfway through a visual or brass block. And try not to stress out too much when you get called in front of the brass staff to audition. There are hundreds of other kids in the same shoes as you are, trying to prove themselves to get a spot. Don't worry about them, and don't worry about how the audition is going to go. Just go in, do what they ask, and own it. Confidence can make or break people at camps. If you have any questions feel free to PM me or something. I'm from NC as well, so maybe if you're close enough we can carpool.

Couldn't tell you! But we figured since it was our first we would try something new. I tell you what, the show was more fun without it

I wish!

The "Bern, 1905" part was originally done by one of the vocalists, but the space between it and the rapid "1,2,3,4" wasn't long enough to take a substantial breath.

I think I remember Jim Coates talking about NASA and Yamaha getting together and working on something...

Just so people know for Crown, the May 11th is for the battery/pit(?) early move-ins. Full corps move-ins aren't until May 18th, a Saturday.

I love marching on logos, and was happy that they left the Colts' helmet on the field in Indy this past year. Granted, it is a little squishier than the rest of the turf, but I think it's a pretty cool experience.

Hilarious

Hilarious

For my own knowledge, could you provide some examples or times during shows where Crown is unable to play at volume while on the move? Specifically recently, as the program has grown in the last several years.

Yep. I think he's teching our tenors, of which we have 3/4 returning (one aged out). All this new staff is looking great for our battery!

Absolutely! Obviously I am not a high brass player, I play trombone in college and baritone in running band. When I teach my kids "breathe-dah" I first tell them to think that "dah" is the articulation they use. It forces them to pay more attention to the way their oral cavity is shaped. Then I ask them what they feel in their throat, and most of them realize that it's much more open than it was before. I don't know if this is what the good people at Crown intend when they teach us this technique, but think of it like this; Many people have problems playing in a group or sounding well individually because of how they take their breath, and how they store that breath before they play. The first thing I learned when learning "breathe-dah" was that the air never stops moving, and that you never hold your breath (exactly what my trombone professor tells me). After months of learning this technique I realized that I articulate the same exact way I always had; but the openness of my throat had changed, both when playing and breathing. An open throat can make a world of difference, and that's what the difference is for me. TL;DR I think of breathe-dah as not an articulation, but a method of breathing and staying open.

Thanks. I don't really know what this whole G7 thing is (not terribly interested) but I don't see how it affects the membership and design of a show. If you want to hate on the guys in charge, then go ahead. But no need to hate on the membership :(

After being taught it for the past two years at Crown and giving my knowledge to students that I teach, I think "breathe-dah" is a very good foundation. If you can get kids to understand this idea, then you can go beyond that with confidence.

I can honestly say I've never been uncomfortable in show shoes, and think they all look good in a uniform. If you're going to go about designing a shoe, design a shoe for rehearsal that doesn't cost a lot of money. But there's nothing wrong with current marching shoes

Partly because they aren't sure if the concept they have now will be the same in May. Also because many times we don't have full rights to the music we're working on/testing. I think it was in 2010 (I wasn't there) that they lost half their book before move-ins because someone posted them playing music without arranging rights and whatnot. When asked what our show is going to be this year, this early, I've gotten in the habit of saying "I just march here, they'll figure it out."

I can't tell if you're being insulting or just saying that we're not as cookie-cutter as other corps when entering a field.

Yeah they ask members about food allergies when we register at Crown, so that they can meet their needs at camps. I've never known anyone to not march because of food allergies.

Haha pretty close! Only difference about Crown is that our arrangers and designers are with us for a lot of the summer, it still surprises me. And some of our techs are actually teachers at high schools and whatnot.

Every single time I watch Carolina Crown 2008, I always think "#### it would be fun to be a part of that corps." I've heard stories of how it was one of the hardest working hornlines the corps has seen, but the sheer energy and excitement I feel while watching it makes me wish I could've been a part of it.