Bsader

Ray, being that you posted this at 4:26 A.M. it's understandable. I have no idea where they were from I just know that Tony ended up on Newbury St. in Boston which ain't a bad neighborhood.

The words "Feeder Corp" always sounded predatory to me. If you want to make yourself feel uncomfortable go to www.thefreedictionary.com then enter the word "feeder" in the search area. Then read the second definition. Speaking of Canada.... in contributing to the thread "What was the best crowd response...." I wrote about my experience doing a half time show for the Toronto Argonauts as a member of the Boston Crusaders in 1979. We were given the most amazing ovations during the course of our show. Thank you Canada. I can't say the same for my experience in Canada as a hockey player as you guys had a tendency to use your sticks as a way of introducing yourselves to your opponents faces. It took us until the 2nd period to adjust to Canada's "old time hockey." But we did adjust.

For some reason I felt that I should keep the name of the Town I grew up in private so as to keep myself anonymous. But I would think that the people who have known me and follow DCP must have made the connection by now. So now for the big reveal.... I actually grew up in the Town of Stoneham. But that's not all folks as I, in fact, had a long time on and off relationship with the daughter of Nancy Kerrigan's first coach. Small world ain't it Ghost! Anyways, the whole Kerrigan fiasco, as bizarre as it was for most people, seemed even more bizarre to me. I remember CNN interviewing Kerrigan's next door neighbor who just so happened to be a guy I went to school with. I was actually flipping through the channels and suddenly there he was with a microphone in his face. What I also found strange was how that footage of her crying her eyes out was seen to be funny by so many people. The poor girl just got clubbed in the leg with a baseball bat. Ha Ha? If you want to know if figure skater's are tough then you should ask a hockey player. We have seen them hit the ice time and time again after losing their jump, get right back up and go after it again. And unlike hockey players they are not wearing equipment. When you hit that ice with your elbow, your knee, your head it tends to be painful. The young women I mentioned earlier was a figure skater and I have seen nearly as many of them have to leave the ice due to injury as I have hockey players. By the way she did look amazing in those costumes she would wear.

I would like to add, only because I don't know how to detract, to my above post in regards to my individual show experience as it is rather obnoxious being that it could easily cause the reader to think that I should have won that night which is again rather obnoxious. The fact is I never heard the winner of that night's festivities perform and so it could be that he mopped the floor with me. It's definitely one of those posts one would want to take back, at least some of it. It was the only individual show I ever participated in and it was a great time walking out there with the two member's of the Boston Crusader rifle line with the big Waldo emblazoned on their uniform.

Ghost, I did a little research and you are right it wasn't Walter Brown arena, which is a part of B.U., but I was right in stating that Drumfest that year was held at Boston College but the name of the arena was McHugh Forum which was home of Boston College Eagles hockey. I don't know what year the Eagle's stopped playing there put the information I found stated that the Forum was 4,200 seat multi-function facility that shut down in 1983. I'm sure your right that the Boston Arena was home to earlier Drumfest's but the first one I attended ( '73 ) and the two that I participated in ( '74 & '75 ) were held at Boston College or to quote the information directly "Chestnut Hill." I remember actually playing hockey at least once at B.U., not Collegiality but for my Town team, and it was probably at the Walter Brown arena which opened in 1971. The way I remember it was that we practiced there once and had a game there at another time. The reason I remember this is because this was not the typical arena for our team to find itself using. We were from the north of Boston so we were almost always using the Stoneham arena and before that Frost arena in Lawrence and the M.D.C. rink in Medford. The Stoneham arena was basically built for us by Bobby Orr and the big, bad Bruins.

As a former Crusader this may sound like heresy but I would start up the 27th Lancer's again. Why? because they were a distinctive Corp with a history and so I think it's a shame that they are now history, somewhat. It would also create a natural rivalry between two Corps from the same State bringing back some of that tension from the past. I would give the money to the alumni, probably the members of Mass Brass that I performed with, and let them handle the running of the Corp because I wouldn't be able to be involved for reasons that may be lost on our younger contributors but not on us older folk.

I was 14 years old and my first show was with the Boston Crusader's competing in the then annual standstill competition "Drumfest" performed inside Boston College's Walter Brown hockey Arena. It's rather bizarre that my first show was in an ice rink because a week or two earlier during a freshman hockey game my ankle was fractured when it was struck by a slap shot while I was "parked in front of the net." It didn't help much when I decided to keep playing as I wasn't sure as to the severity of the injury. It was painful but the skate was working like a make shift cast so I did continue to play because that's what hockey players do. In hindsight it was not the smartest thing I ever did as it did end up adding to the severity of the fracture. So "Drumfest" began the same for every Corp, I believe, with each corp marching from one end of the arena to the other and then turning to face the audience. Since I couldn't march I was allowed to wait at the performing end of the arena for my fellow Crusader's to form into their standstill position and then I got to limp out there and join them. I suppose I could have stolen the Zamboni so as to make a more spectacular entrance but that probably would have been a bit dangerous as I did not yet have my license and I suppose it would have distracted from the performance as well. For the sake of honesty this wasn't my first show ever as I marched in a class B corp the 2 previous years but in not being able to remember my truly first show I thought people would appreciate my first show in the big leagues.

Thanks, that experience I had with the Bridgeman introducing me to triple tonguing left such an impression that at the end of the '74 season I pretty much locked myself in my bedroom for hours of ta-ta-ka-ta's over and over, trying to string more and more together. The way I remember it took me a full 2 weeks before I was really burning along with some consistently tight sequences. I ended up learning that Bridgemen feature and then I somehow ended up with a recording from a Skyliner's open house that featured a Soprano player performing the piece "The Fox Hunter" that predominately features triple tonguing. I had a Crusader friend of mine and fellow lead sop player, Larry Lacey, write it out for me. I was goaded into entering into an individual show that year and performed that piece. I actually enter the stage with 2 young woman from the Crusader's rifle line who, after I was introduced, did a flourish of spins and turns that was like a second more grandiose introduction and we had it timed so that when the butt of their rifles made contact with the stage I would begin my performance. We were playing it for laughs. Sometime after the performance I was warned by another fellow Crusader, in this case it was Billy Solari, who told me that he knew the judge and that she had me in second place. After giving me the news I could tell that he had more to say but seemed reluctant to finish. Well he eventually gave me the news that the judge was a member of the Lancer's and the performer that won was being recruited by the Lancer's. I talked to Billy briefly about this a while back but he didn't remember it. Anyways, I couldn't have cared less as I had a lot of fun that night. My favorite moment was when my score was announced for second place their was a lot of booing as to the fact I was second. The only part of the night that bothered me was when I talked with the judge later in the evening and she told me that she thought my double tonguing was excellent.I didn't mention that I was in fact triple tonguing because I really didn't care and was actually more concerned with my cooler of beer in the parking lot.What I would like to get a hold of is the sheet music for the 2014 Blue Devils opening articulation feature.

If you can pre-record the entire horn line, surely you can pre-record one soloist... right? Does this mean that the Blue Coats "special effect" opened the door to an entire sea of gray? Let's hope we don't drown ourselves. It would be tough to give up on that moment the Blue Coats provided us in order to enforce the rules in a strict black and white manner. I wish you hadn't asked that question. '

Why was it that Corps like the I.C. Reveries moved up to Class A only to be demolished by the likes of the 27th Lancer's. Why didn't they stay in Class B so that they would be performing with Corps that they could contend with? In 1972 I was with the Princemen of Melrose, Ma. That year we just barely won the Class B championship. Heading into the 1973 season we left the V.F.W. Post and moved up the street to the American Legion Post and became the Legion Vanguard. Along with the move came the decision for us to move up to Class A. I remember at the beginning of the season we traveled down to New Jersey for a competition that included the Bayonne Bridgeman. Prior to the show my fellow Vanguardian's and I decided to listen in on their Brass rehearsal. As I said this was 1973 so can anyone guess what they were working on? If your guess was the triple tonguing feature that had everyone buzzing that year then you are correct. I was thirteen years old and didn't even know what triple tonguing was. I'm also doubt any of the members of our brass section had a clue as to what was coming out of the bells of their horns. We just knew that it sounded impossible. This was not a competition. I think we lost by over 30 points. I was far from scarred from the experience as I had a clue that we were going to get smoked but some of our more naive members were pretty demoralized. The next year I joined Boston and the Vanguard went on to be absorbed by the Wilmington Cardinals which eventually, along with a few other Corps, became the North Star What was it that would motivate a Corps management and parents to offer their kids up to the likes of the Bayonne Bridgeman, 27th Lancer's and SCV when they had no right competing against them? Was it part of those off-season delusion's that can take hold of Corp. Was it about managerial and parental egos that kept them from being patient? Is this why so many kids were leaving their class A Corp to join one of the big Corps despite the fact they were in the same class together? Is this why these Corps would give up their identity to merge with another Corp? I would also think that this jump to Class A came at a price with the necessity and/or the desire to spend the big bucks like the big Corps. This would of course include touring or at least a definite increase in travel. Do you think that the cost of this decision caught these Corps off guard and overwhelmed them as they did not have the necessary business acumen or infrastructure to handle these new costs. Was it because managerial and parental egos caused them to outstrip their pocketbooks? I suppose these are, for the most part, leading questions but I really shouldn't be assuming I have a clue as I was not part of any Corp in a managerial or parental way during this time in Drum Corp history.

Defensiveness as if their is something hidden? Wouldn't that imply a level of "unnecessary paranoia" on my part? I think your suggestion that I am trying to divert this post is to impugn my motivations so as to divert my attention from this post. This is very clever on your part. Anyways, I did contribute a previous response just prior to the one that has caused you so much obvious anxiety. Did you miss that one? It ain't overly insightful but it ain't bad. Let's say we get back to perusing the ramifications of....? #### you, you've diverted my attention.

I think it is important for contributors not to turn speculation into fact. This isn't CNN, MSNBC or FOX NEWS. All of this will only cause unnecessary paranoia, pettiness, and the creation of covert operations teams representing Corps vying to uncover each others dirty secrets and dirty laundry. Having said this I believe everyone who has toured with a Drum Corp knows that it is #### near impossible not to end up with dirty laundry. Can we at least agree on that.

Any soloist who would allow their live performance to be substituted for a "perfect" recording ain't worth their salt. I don't have a problem if the solo is amplified so as to project, especially if that solo is weaving in and out of the full ensemble. I also think playing a recorded perfect solo would be or at least should be demeaning to the entire ensemble. It would be as if they were admitting to their audience that even their best player couldn't be trusted to perform at the highest level. I was a soloist, and yes, I do wish I could take one back and cringe a little every time I'm subjected to it (I guess I couldn't be trusted on that night) but allowing a solo to be played as a recording takes away from the overall integrity of the performance. Besides what will the future hold? Entire Corps using some sort of holographic technology to project their prior recorded "perfect" performances on to the field from the stands....And in first place with a perfect score.....everyone! Yes, I know that G.E. would still be the deciding factor but I couldn't help being a wise ###. As far as my acceptance of amplification? The truth is we can't all project like Maynard Ferguson the reason being even Maynard Ferguson doesn't project like Maynard Ferguson as he is amplified. He uses a microphone, doesn't he?

ajlisko, I doubt we've ever met as I've never been a meet and greet guy. That is not a criticism as to the type as my oldest brother is one of the more social individuals I have ever known and I like him well enough. I've always hung out with a close circle of friends and never really tried to keep up with the who's who of Drum Corp. Again, not a criticism of those who do but I have often surprised people with the question as to "who is that guy?" Also, I never performed for Mass Brass at the HOF only with the Legends. As far as all those rumors that followed the Crusader's around we knew they were spawned by the active imaginations of individuals marching in other Corps and so we were amused by them. We never took those rumors seriously. Of course those rumors centered around Boston and Sky as we had the reputations to add credence to them. As I've stated we never really interacted with other Corps never mind brawling with them. A friend of mine and I were out one night having a few pop's. This was years after being out of the Corp. During our conversation we came to the realization that neither of us could ever remember a member of another Corp approaching the Crusader's so as to socialize. I'm not saying it never happened but if it did neither us could remember it. We are talking over 5 years of being members of the Boston Crusader's and we couldn't remember this ever happening. Ever! These are the realizations and memories that often cause us to laugh at ourselves. We were certainly unique in our ways, and along with that reputation of ours, made us more than a little off putting. I suppose it was our loss but at the same time we had so many character's in our little Corp that kept us so entertained we never really thought about approaching other Corps to socialize never mind being concerned about whether they were approaching us. We also had a lot of beautiful young woman as members and that kept us anchored in place as well. One last thing, the brawl between the Crusader's and St. Lucy's is or at least was a story that I have heard many times before and during the time I marched with Boston. It is or again was a big part of Crusader folklore.

As for your first points I think the liability cost is the main issue and admittedly one that I had not taken in to consideration. I do think that the Crusader's would have been able to find a place where we would have been able to fly under the radar on this issue. After all the Crusader's were masters of living in the shadows. This was due to all the Dark Ops and Covert activity we were involved in for the government during this time. And if any parent or member were to pursue a suit involving injury against a facility that was allowing the Crusader's to rehearse at, well we were well practiced at the art of dissuasion and if this was not enough we always had the option of making that parent or member disappear. After all a large amount of the membership was from South Boston and if you have been watching CNN lately..... Anyways, this may actually require someone from 27th to be involved and someone from Boston who marched the year 27th folded. I am not fully aware as to the reasons 27th folded and more importantly when they did fold did they have a full Corp? The Lancer's were different from Boston in that they had a lot more members who were not from the Boston area who would have found it easier to find another Corp in the area they were originally from, though in writing this I do realize that any Lancer member who was old enough and from the Boston area could have traveled the country in search of a Corp. This reminds me of the topic "If you could march in any Corp other than your own, what Corp would that be?" The Lancer's gave themselves this option as they chose to no longer be themselves. I am curious if any chose to march Boston and if Boston would have accepted them if they did. There was a lot of unnecessary bad blood between the Corps that stemmed from the late 60's. As I've said in another thread I don't remember any problems between Boston and the Lancer's during my years, we just kept our distance. It was as if we were going through the motions and keeping with tradition. I do know that it kept a lot of non-Crusader's and non-Lancer's entertained with thoughts as to whether or not a brawl was suddenly going to break out between the Corps. We always heard these rumors as to how the Crusader's were going to brawl with the Lancer's or more often the Skyliner's. That was the rumor that was most often out there. That a group of Skyliner's were driving up from Jersey in order to brawl with the 'Saders. This is what kept us entertained. Boston was a very insular Corp and so we never really hung out with any other Corps never mind the Lancer's. Some of this was probably due to an underlying, unnecessary fear that, in being so small, the possibility of any members being lured away to other Corps could be the end of us. If that was indeed the case then that was a fear that we buried deep in ourselves. Was it even there? We all have primal fears, especially the fear of predators and predation. Survival as an individual is very much tied to the survival of the tribe. So with the Crusader's being so outnumbered their probably was this repressed fear but a fear that no member of the Corp was going to admit to, after all and for the most part, we were a bunch of tough guys. But, if it was there, it was a unnecessary because, as I've said, the years that I marched no one ever ended up joining another Corp. This was mainly because we were having way to much crazy fun being on our own and running wild. No other Corp in the history of Drum Corp could have been nearly as Loony as the Crusader's were at this time. So the Crusader's and the Lancer's never hung out despite the fact that we practiced less than 10 miles away from one another. I know I'm veering off topic here but I'm going to continue for a bit. I remember it was 1979 when the corp started to have fun with omitting the #27 when we were doing our Jumping Jacks. The corp was so much younger in '79 than in previous years. As a senior member I was going to put an end to it but I chose not to. I just felt that it was so absurd and more to the point, tongue in cheek, I let the "youngsters" be. I didn't think that it would have the extended life span that it did. If I had known this then I would have ended it as I feel it made Boston come across as a Corp that was paying much more attention than it actually was as to the existence of the 27th Lancer's . Anyways the Lancer's and Boston didn't hang out as I believe we both knew the past would eventually catch up. I performed with the Mini Corp "Mass Brass"and the exhibition Corp "The Legends of Drum Corp." Their were Crusader's,Lancer's and North Star in these Corps and we all got along fine. Of course their was a lot of good natured kidding. So, maybe it's time to answer your question. I think the Crusader's would have survived no matter what. It wouldn't matter if the Lancer's still existed or, for that matter, the North Star as well. Would they have had a more difficult time with recruitment, absolutely. But if it meant marching with a smaller Corp then the Crusader's would have done so. If it meant not making the finals then the Crusader's would have accepted not making the finals and continue to survive. But this is only if it was the case of the Lancer's and the Northstar having never gone away. If the Lancer's and the North Star were to suddenly start up now and suddenly have full Corps and in doing so undermine the Crusader's ability to recruit and in doing so greatly reduce their membership and greatly reduce their chances of making finals. Then that is an intriguing question as I don't know if the current Corp, having never known what it was like to have to survive, would be able to take the hit, put away their ego and hunker down. It is a question as to how much they are truly connected to their history as opposed to how much is mere lip service. I'm hoping I'm underestimating them. I suppose it would take a lot of alumni to come out of the woodwork so as to help inspire them and assist them. Though I must say that when I marched their was hardly any alumni involved with the Corp. This had a lot to do with their hostility towards our then director, a feeling that I shared with them. Also, even if the Lancer's and the North Star were still around that would only leave, I believe, 25 top Corps. Forgive me if I'm wrong. With the national recruitment Boston is involved in I'm sure they would end up with a full contingency of members. It's a shame when you think of it in that it would make the competitions so much more interesting with 3 Massachusetts corps vying for bragging rights as the top dog. Finally, and a point that I should have made at the beginning, a large majority of the Crusader's are from Florida. At least I think this is still the case. So, as another responder wrote in a previous topic, it's not so much to do with the Lancer's not folding as it has to do with a certain Florida Drum Corp or even Drum Corps folding. Was it Sun Coast Sound? Having said all this I feel certain that the Crusader's surviving had nothing to do with whether of not the Lancer's were still around. One of my favorite on the field years in the Corp was '79 which was a year the Lancer's came in 5th place and the North Star came in 9th. Me marched that year with 25 Brass and around 60 members at best, but we blew the doors down. Off the field we were a bit less feral than previous years as we were a lot younger and so it was not my favorite year off the field, that would have been 1977. We were totally Loony-Toons that year. I'm hoping that this statement is not necessary but my opening paragraph is very much tongue-in-cheek though I can understand how those familiar with the Crusader's of my day would taken it at face value. It was all in fun.

You could be right as far as practice facilities but at the same time I think that if every member of the Corp put in the effort necessary to secure a place for their Corp to practice without taking a big financial hit then a place could be found. The members of the Crusader weren't waiting around for someone else to find us such a place as we found are own practice facilities. Using the word facilities is actually quite the overstatement as we practiced in what I believe was a small old pump house next to the Charles River. To this day I don't know how we fit the Corp into such a small building. Some of the members fixed it up and maintained it and the then M.D.C. turned a blind I and let us practice their for free. We practiced our drill at the Massachusetts Commonwealth armory which, if it was still around, would probably be beyond are finances but that would only mean that if we couldn't secure another facility we wouldn't have had any marching rehearsals until the end of March behind some strip mall as the Lancer's did. But again, I think that if a Corp had all their members, hat in hand, canvassing their local towns and cities then a place could be found. I did a lot of editing in my response to you and I realize that I deleted a part in which I stated that I assumed that other Corps, still around today, have had their struggles. I mentioned the Cavi's and Madison but for some reason didn't think to mention the Cadets.It was a mistake on my part to have deleted it but the editing was done a 5:00 in the morning. I think it's great what Hopkins did but I hope that he had a great deal of help, as I'm sure he did, from the members. As far as kids today having many more options, I agree, but I think that their were certainly enough options back then to effect recruitment and lure kids away from their Corp. As I stated before the 1973 Crusader's only marched a 17 member Brass section. I was able to balance year around sports and Drum Corp. I actually didn't march my senior year in order to focus exclusively on sports. I had, after all, joined the Crusader's at age 14. I knew that my leaving was not going to effect whether or not the Crusader's would survive as I knew that they weren't going anywhere. I also ended up coming back and marched for 5 years. As far as Corps not surviving due to their own lack of financial judgement I can only say that the Crusader's history is full of financial decisions that were so disastrous that the Corp, in no way, should have survived. But it did. One thing I should make clear is that my writings come off as if each member contributed equally in helping the Crusader's survive. That is not the case. Also I was certainly far from being as involved in the Crusader's survival as other members were. But I was a part of it and in being a part of it makes feel that I can respond the way I am to this topic.

Let's talk about the corps from over 20, 30 and even 40 years ago. I think they got caught up in their quest to compete at the highest level or the need to stay competing at the highest level and this need is driven by ego and feeding that ego requires money. That's why you had all that merger mania with corps not believing enough in themselves thinking that a merger was going to be the difference in making the finals. Sometimes this may have been the case but in being willing to change their names, change their uniforms and give up on their history this eventually made it far to easy for them to give up on themselves. I joined the Crusader's in 1974 so I wasn't their at the end of '72 when the Crusader's nearly did fold and would have if not for the tenacity of the few remaining Crusader's that were willing to take the hit. What do I mean by this? I mean they were willing to put away their ego's in order to survive for the love of the Corp. The Crusader's ended up in 39th place that year in the D.C.I. prelims 36.75 points behind the SCV. This was only 3 years after coming in 2nd place in the 1970 VFW nationals and only 2 years after coming in 8th. My 2 older brothers marched that year and if you ask them about it they will tell you that it was an amazing experience. Why? Because they accepted the fact they weren't going to be able to compete so it all came down to just enjoying putting on their performance and being Crusader's which meant that they definitely enjoyed themselves off the field as well. Their was very little parental involvement in the mid to late 70's Crusader's which actually wasn't a negative for us because it meant that we were responsible for running our own Corp. Their were of course many wonderful parents back then putting in long hours in order to help their Corp but maybe in being so wonderful and taking on so many responsibilities it diminished the members feeling of ownership. That is in no way an insult. Some parents weren't so wonderful and fed their egos on the success of the corp and with their "winning is everything attitude" applied the pressure to spend, spend, spend. Also their were the parents, often the directors, whose heart was in the right place, but were misguided into thinking that spending the money in order to win was the best way for the members to have the most positive Drum Corp experience. So they spent the money irregardless as to whether it made financial sense. Anyways, when the adults of these Corps felt their corp could no longer survive the director called all the members around so as to tell them that the Corp needed to fold. It could have been due to financial reasons or membership reasons or both. So these members who never knew the experience of being responsible for their own Corp, who never had to make any decisions regarding the corps future, didn't realize that they could tell this guy to go to hell, that this was their Drum Corp and they were the ones to say if it was going to fold, and it ain't. (Of course they didn't need to be so rude about it.) So what you have today is a lot less Corps and these remaining Corps are Corps that are very well managed. In the case of the Crusader's they are survivalists and the rest, unless I'm mistaken, are Corps that were always so well run that they never really had money issue's or membership issue's and so were never at the point where they needed to decide whether or not they wanted to survive. Now I know I might sound like I'm contradicting myself in regards to the current Crusader's and all the parental and adult involvement but I'm not. I feel that the Crusader's are actually in more jeopardy now of folding than when I marched which I'm sure does not seem possible. I'm not saying that they are anywhere close to folding just that they are closer than we were. What I mean is this, if the rug suddenly gets pulled out from under them I don't know if these young adults would be in any way prepared for that. I don't know if they are prepared to take the hit. I doubt that they have been given the freedom needed to learn that they can fall on their face and get back up on their own. When it comes to surviving people can say that the Crusader's were the exception to the rule but that was only true because we made ourselves the exception to the rule. Were the Crusader's really that much different than the Kilties, 27th or the Bridgemen? I will assume we were in one way only and that was we were more responsible running our Corp. In the 5 years I marched with the Crusader's I do not recall one member quitting in order to join another Corp so as to make it to the D.C.I. finals. I believe that had a lot to do with members not wanting to join a Corp that they truly couldn't call their own and a Corp where they couldn't be responsible for themselves. I haven't read a great deal about this issue but I have read enough to make me realize that these corps weren't willing to give up nearly enough in order to survive. As I've said I have also written about this issue in pretty much the same tone as I am here. As I remember a few responded back with derision as they apparently felt that I was some simplistic zealot. One even chose to mock me as if he was the class clown back in high school. But, as far as I know, the Boston Crusader's are still the only surviving Corp that truly knows what it was like to be living on the edge. It could be true that the Cavi's and Madison had their lean years but I have never heard anything that compares to what Boston went through. Others can complicate the issue all they want but I feel they are only doing so in order to deny it's simplicity. So when I say that Drum Corps folded because they allowed themselves to fold I'm not talking about the adults who ran the Corp I'm talking about the members of that Corp who allowed the adults to tell them that their Corp had folded.

I know that more than a few people find this comment obnoxious but I'll repeat it anyways. Drum Corps folded because they allowed themselves to fold and that's your reason as to why. The shame of this is that their are no longer small, inexpensive Drum Corps available around this Country and Canada for young people today.

I marched in the Crusader's so I'd probably be biased in commenting on them so as to non-Crusader Corps. First, I will preface by stating that I have not seen very many Corps performance's whether it be while sitting in the stands or on YouTube. Having said that I thought the 1975 Polish Falcon's were a really intense Corp and I especially liked their opener though I can not recall the name of the piece. I also thought the 1974 Wilmington Cardinal's had a great show opening with "Fanfare for The New." Their concert was Bill Chase's "Get it on" and their closer was the Moody Blue's "Night's In White Satin." I also knew a lot of people who marched in the Cardinal's that year having marched with them in the Legion Vanguard the previous year. The Legion Vanguard was a corp that merged with the Cardinals in 1974 with both Corps and a few others eventually forming the Northstar. I think I got that right.

Tim K, no big deal but ya got da wrong guy. Your referring to Eleran I believe.

I'm in as to the $25.00 because other than that I would feel like I would be donating to a country club.

Eleran, your still my hero and the fact that your in Jersey doesn't mean I can't offer some financial assistance. It wouldn't be much as I've just taken early retirement but if it helps in anyway in establishing a smaller grass roots movement of drum corps then I'm in. I know your only focused on your infant Corp, as you should be, but maybe it could inspire others. As an X-Crusader who marched from the mid to late 70's I can tell you that it can be amazing what a small Drum Corp can accomplish with no money. And that's not even mentioning the sound that can be produced by a small ensemble of a mere 25 brass players. In 1979 we had just that, 25 brass, but we produce such a sound that often people would approach us going on as to how talented we must be. The fact was we weren't all that talented. The truth is one of our sopranos hadn't even started playing until apx. 8 months prior to the start of the season. What we did have was a group of players who were not going to hold anything back. I do not have anywhere near the understanding of music that I'm sure you have but I will give you some humble advice that I feel was the secret to all those great, small Crusader Brass sections. The Boston Crusaders sing their Corp song Giant prior to every show and it is a time when the Corp comes together in remembrance of their past and to appreciate the moment and it is a wonderful moment but after that moment was over I always felt like I was on my own as I know many of us did. Of course we knew we were part of an ensemble and that required all the necessary awareness of this fact but I'm talking about owning the fact that you were a Boston Crusader and living up to what that meant. Which was really more about living up to the persona of what was and is the Boston Crusader's. It was all about, look at me because I am the best thing you are going to see tonight or listen to me because I am the best thing you are going to hear tonight. It had nothing to do with whether this was true or not because in fact, as I said, it wasn't true. But we made it true in our heads. We were going to blow the doors down irregardless as to whether we actually should have been able to. The Boston Crusader's had a reputation of being tough back in those days but the fact is we had more than a few puppy dogs in the Corp. That is until they put on the uniform and stepped on to the field. We embraced arrogance collectively but I think even more importantly as individuals. Think of it as if your kids are actor's taking on the role of the performer you want them to be and more importantly what they want to be. Teach them to transform themselves when they put on their uniform. Teach them to be invincible. They might not get it at first and in fact most of them will probably be hiding behind the bell of their horn for some time but maybe one day they'll find it and that's a great place to be when you see them finally realize that they can be a shy pimply faced kid off the field but on the field they can be a Giant. The 1979 Crusader's had no right producing the sound we had and so the question is where did that sound come from. It came from within us the moment we set foot on that field. ​I know this is all a bit intense and I suppose more than a bit intense for a fledgling corp and the fact is that pursuing this advise may just scare the hell out of the parents. But if you take it slow then they just may find their way. I hadn't expected this to run on as it has and I really don't know why I should think you would want my advice but I guess I still have a bit of that arrogance in me. As far as everything else, I do appreciate your input. I do believe that their is a fine line between purposely doing something and knowingly doing something as I feel that it couldn't have not crossed their minds as to what would be the inevitable exclusion of many young working adults.

I'm done with 7567BC but I'm not done waiting for the answers to my questions. It seems apparent to me that they are making people uncomfortable as I feel they are being avoided. Whether this is due to a collective sense of guilt I don't know. I will try posing them more clearly. The questions once again. In what year did D.C.I. change the length of tour to 8 weeks and why was this allowed to happen when it must have been obvious that such a change would preclude young working adults from continuing to march in Drum Corp and for future young working adults to ever be able to participate in Drum Corp? Wasn't it obvious? Didn't people realize what the results of such a decision would be? Did everyone just turn a blind eye? As I've said before I am ignorant as to what actually occurred and in saying so I should probably not be making the assumptions I am making but I don't think I'm being left with an alternative. I also need to admit that, in regards to 7567BC, I don't know what PM's are as I am relatively new at social media. In fact DCP is the only group that I am involved with.

If you are a College student and choose not to march Drum Corp but instead work a 40 hour a week summer job that paid $10.00 per hour and you work that job 12 weeks over the course of the summer that's $4,800 dollars you earn to help pay for College as opposed to the approximately $3,000 dollars you might pay to march Drum Corp and that's a difference of $7,800 dollars per year. Spread over 4 years that comes to $31,200.00 or approximately one full year of tuition. (Taxes not included) So we are not just talking about the 2 factors of going to College and choosing to not work the summer but the 3 factors of going to College, not working the summer and paying to march Drum Corp. That's a lot of tuition to be paid off in the future for opting to spend 4 years of fun in the sun. Hopefully my numbers are grossly inaccurate. The other question pertained to those who, upon graduation, did not choose to or could not afford to go to College. This would include almost all of the Boston Crusader's of the '70's and, I am assuming, almost all of the North Star and 27th Lancers as well and I am including those from the cities and the suburbs. These are the people that I'm truly focusing on. They would not be able to march present day Drum Corp unless they found a job that allowed them at least 8 weeks off. So I feel my point is valid in that the decision by D.C.I. to expand the tour to 8 weeks must have been a conscious decision to exclude working class young adults. If that was a necessary economic decision then I hope that those who had to make that decision and those that allowed the decision to be made at least lost some sleep over it. You are talking about the exclusion of a lot of young adults and this causes me to choose to reiterate my point that set 7567BC on fire, and not with music. The Boston Crusader's are guilty of hypocrisy in getting all Orwellian over the G7 because the Crusader's are now an organization that has set itself apart as well.

I for one certainly don't scoff at music majors. I wish I had the overall talent and knowledge that my youngest brother possesses. He was a member of the Boston Crusader's and went on to attend The New England Conservatory of music as a performance major. I understand your point that these kids are not all music majors that even an English or Math major will end up being a more well rounded human being from having Drum Corp and a Music experience in their lives. The problem I have is that my brother wouldn't have been able to afford to join the Crusader's of today so he never would have found his way to the Conservatory. He probably wouldn't have found music through school because music only entered our home through Drum Corp when our sister joined the Crusader's in 1968. She was followed by her 5 brothers. None of us would have been able to afford to join the current day Crusader's. In fact almost all of the Crusader's who marched with me back in my day would not be able to afford to be a Crusader now. I could take it even further to say that it is quite possible that many of George Bonfiglio's 27th Lancer's and many members of the North Star would not be able to afford present day Drum Corp. In the case of the North Star I would assume that could include both Jerry Noonan and Danny Lutz both of whom ended up at Berkley. That's only mentioning the top 3 Corps in the Boston Area. Now to state the obvious, the reason that so many of us back in the day could not afford present day Drum Corp really isn't just about the money it's about the time. If you graduated High School and didn't go to college that meant you obviously needed to find a job that allowed you 8 weeks off in the summer. Of course no one could. So this was my question, and I admit total ignorance as to how things were decided. Was it a conscious decision to create a touring schedule that would prohibit young working adults from marching Drum Corp? If this is the case then how could this have been allowed to happen? Tim K you talk about a kid on fire with music as the ones you want. But my question was and is when were the young working class adults no longer wanted? Was it just business. Again, I plead ignorance but I have also noticed that no one has answered this question.