Perry S Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I for one am glad that BK is committed to maintaining its identity and uniqueness. First let me say that before I was a BK mom I was a drum corps fan. In 2003 I took my son to his first dci show. He was 13 and became an instant Phantom Regiment fan. In 2004 we traveled to Denver for finals and there was no turning back, he was going to audition for Blue Knights that fall. Phantom Regiment was a long way away and he knew he wasn’t ready. That November I sent my very nervous 15 year old to Denver with no idea what to expect. It was an amazing year and he was extremely proud of their 10th place finish. He came home talking about the rush of walking onto the field and with the crowd cheering and standing applause. But, Phantom Regiment remained a dream…. In the fall of 2005 he auditioned in Rockford but didn’t get called back. He was disappointed, but excited by the positive feed back and looking forward to his 2nd year with BK. We all know the emotions and excitement 2006 brought for the corps. I traveled with them for a couple of weeks and was amazed at the excitement and pride the kids had. They believed in their show and were extremely proud of it! Booing has no place in Drum Corps and is unacceptable under any circumstance. I’m sure each of the kids handled the excitement of placing 7th and the heartbreak of being booed in very different ways. If one of them posted somewhere that they didn’t care what the crowd thought, it was purely a defense reaction. Of course they care how the crowd reacts and yes, they want the fans support and cheers! It was a great show and very well executed. They work hard and deserved everything they achieved! My son came home with a new found sense of self confidence. He still had dreams of Phantom and started talking about the Cavaliers, but decided he had 3 years left in dci and he wanted to march another year with BK. We talked a lot about dreams, commitment, talent, friends and how hard many decisions are to make. 2007 was another very exciting year. No dramatic ending, but the crowds did cheer and the kids were very proud of their show and scores. I love that different corps have different unique styles. As fans, we may like the style or show designed of one corps more than another but I believe it’s vital we embrace the diversity! I’m glad that corps like the Cadets and Blue Knights are willing to take chances and be true to their identity. Not every fan is going to like every corps. But if they are true fans, they are going to appreciate and cheer for the dedication, talent, and hard work of the corps members and staff. Is it wrong that corps like the Blue Knights give the younger kids a place to start? If you think about it, isn’t it amazing that BK is able to achieve such a high level with such a young corps! My son left the Blue Knights this year. In no way do we feel like he moved “up”, he left to test his talent. The Blue Knights gave him self confidence and a family he knew would support him if needed. Most important he knew that after marching 3 years with BK they had given him the foundation and guidance he needed to march in any DCI corps he sought. They gave him his dreams.... Total WIN!!! I love this post! GOD BLESS YOU!!! I'm one of the one's who shouts at the BOOers "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!!" More difference in CORPS Please!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurakemb Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Is it wrong that corps like the Blue Knights give the younger kids a place to start? If you think about it, isn’t it amazing that BK is able to achieve such a high level with such a young corps! My son left the Blue Knights this year. In no way do we feel like he moved “up”, he left to test his talent. The Blue Knights gave him self confidence and a family he knew would support him if needed. Most important he knew that after marching 3 years with BK they had given him the foundation and guidance he needed to march in any DCI corps he sought. They gave him his dreams.... Very well said! I also left BK for another corps, and I never thought of it as "moving up". I thought of it as using my talent, and learning from new instructors, having a new experience. Good luck to your son this summer, wherever he ended up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurakemb Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Difficult path that is difficult to describe . Took me a while to gut that one out. As far as NV82's post about their son goes, where is it that the corps wants to go exactly? (I am asking everyone that is a Knight with an opinion on this. I don't want Keith to get the brunt of all this just because he is my man on the inside right now). Maintain a solid 4th to 8th showing every year with little levels in turnover? Push higher up into the top 12? Pull a Star? Act as a good training ground for other corps? (I really doubt that seeing as I have gone into knock downs with Rosalee over people leaving the corps.) Just to be up front about that last one, as I have said before, I do have issues with the way members have been treated when they have decided to move on to somewhere else. Well, Keith knows a lot more about BK's goals and situation right now than I do..... As an alum, I want to see BK keep their identity, but also have a lot more audience appeal. With audience appeal, popularity, and higher rankings, comes......... $$$$$. I certainly don't want members to think of them as a "feeder" corps, but if members want to move on after a season, I think that's acceptable. I think pushing higher into the top 12 would be ideal. Go BK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Laubhan Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 (edited) Difficult path that is difficult to describe . Took me a while to gut that one out. As far as NV82's post about their son goes, where is it that the corps wants to go exactly? (I am asking everyone that is a Knight with an opinion on this. I don't want Keith to get the brunt of all this just because he is my man on the inside right now). Maintain a solid 4th to 8th showing every year with little levels in turnover? Push higher up into the top 12? Pull a Star? Act as a good training ground for other corps? (I really doubt that seeing as I have gone into knock downs with Rosalee over people leaving the corps.) Just to be up front about that last one, as I have said before, I do have issues with the way members have been treated when they have decided to move on to somewhere else. I think Blue Knights wants to move higher up into the top 12.... I think steady improvement towards the top 4, staying there, and even contending to win, would be the ultimate goal, competitively. I do know the organization takes it pretty hard when members leave to go to other corps. The organization cares so deeply about the kids that they develop, I don't think they can help but feel a little betrayed when they go elsewhere. It's tough, I'm sure, because the corps does take so much pride in its individuals, and I can see how it would hurt to help bring someone up through the ranks, helping them to be better performers, only to see other organizations get to enjoy the fruits of that labor. That said, I'm sure it's no different for any other corps in the same competitive neighborhood. I think the ultimate goal for the Blue Knights shouldn't be competitive... it should be to become a destination corps... the rest takes care of itself. By that, I mean a corps that can not only retain its talent through their eligibility, but to be one of those corps people aspire to be in. That's obviously much easier said than done, but it's not completely unfamiliar ground. There were certainly glimpses of that happening in the 90s, especially in the percussion section... I mean, Jeff Queen and Nick Angelis came to BK to age out, for chrissakes! I don't think there's one answer to help BK solve the little nagging issues that keep them from gaining the momentum necessary to progress into the promised land, but as long as the corps stays vigilant and continues to work hard, they can get there. Edited June 24, 2008 by Keith Laubhan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurakemb Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I don't think there's one answer to help BK solve the little nagging issues that keep them from gaining the momentum necessary to progress into the promised land, but as long as the corps stays vigilant and continues to work hard, they can get there. YEP. Keith said it all WAY better than I ever could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Laubhan Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Thanks Laura... ---- I do find it kinda funny, and kinda appropriate that so many other corps have their "Official So-And-So Rah-Rah Thread" here on the forums, and Blue Knights has a deep, self-critical, 7-page thesis on trying to find themselves... ...that's about all you need to know! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV82 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 As far as NV82's post about their son goes, where is it that the corps wants to go exactly? (I am asking everyone that is a Knight with an opinion on this. I don't want Keith to get the brunt of all this just because he is my man on the inside right now). Maintain a solid 4th to 8th showing every year with little levels in turnover? Push higher up into the top 12? Pull a Star? Act as a good training ground for other corps? (I really doubt that seeing as I have gone into knock downs with Rosalee over people leaving the corps.) Just to be up front about that last one, as I have said before, I do have issues with the way members have been treated when they have decided to move on to somewhere else. I believe that the Blue Knights want to continue to build a first class youth organization. I have heard Mark mention starting a “B” corps so they never have to turn away kids who want to march. I have also heard him talk about building an organized city wide music program in the Denver area that would provide the same opportunities that sport programs provide. The kids and music are most important! I think the Blue Knights are extremely proud of their accomplishments and yes, of course they would like to continue to rise, all corps do. But changing their identity isn’t necessarily the right way to approach it. Honestly I don’t in any way consider myself qualified to tell someone what it takes to make an “elite” drum corps. But common sense tells me that they have to continue to do what they feel the most comfortable doing. It never works if you try to be something your not. I love their style and I think they are really starting to find themselves, what works and what doesn’t. I can only speak to my son’s experience when deciding to leave the corps. He was honest and forthcoming with the staff; they understood and were very supportive. Most important, although open spots are never a guarantee, he was sure that he would be welcomed back if things didn’t work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurakemb Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Thanks Laura...---- I do find it kinda funny, and kinda appropriate that so many other corps have their "Official So-And-So Rah-Rah Thread" here on the forums, and Blue Knights has a deep, self-critical, 7-page thesis on trying to find themselves... ...that's about all you need to know! :) We're so emo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleyrp Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 First off, I find it troubling that the identity is completely relegated to solely how the feet and bodies look or how "dark" the music is. I do not feel that Madison has lost any of their identity at all. Faltered in recruiting or executing on the field? Absolutely. No matter who was in front of the guys teaching, what the show was, or what their competitive status was, I still felt that they were Madison though. When Bluecoats walk in a stadium I still feel it is the Bluecoats even though they aren't playing My Funny Valentine or Johnny One Note. Now for the white elephant in the room (just white elephants, no pink ones). I think that the approach to visual can be successful at a much higher competitive bracket (not asking them to change that), but not at the level of execution they can currently generate. I don't disagree with you at all about the approach to body and movement. There is the whole thing about derived acheivement after all. I do have to dissent about how the corps pulls off what it is they do, the "how". Between the shows and watching warmups, I DO see differing degrees of effort at the individual level, all the way up to finals. I find it completely easy to spot the supervets and members more comfortable with the technique; they scream at me from the stands with their effort level. I also see a few more strata of achievement at a high or better than competent level. However, I can usually still see the individuals with whom the technique is not being executed or achieved. Feel free to correct me or point me to something else I should be looking for. With the sheets the way they are, if that is to be the approach, then looking too much farther for any higher placements will probably be frustrating. Also, the corps does at times just plain move in formations, and if you want to live out on the edge with such a highly stylized technique and doing things others aren't doing, you need to execute on at least the same level on the things everyone else does. Those are my 2 cents, whatever that's worth in the economy nowadays . First off I wanted to thank you for the amazing ground you help lay to take BK to the next level. The years you marched in my opinion were the most important to establish a consistency that has existed ever since. Thanks. That being said, it also is my next point. You say that the Blue Knights are solely known for body movement and feet, yet I believe our corps identity is based on the notion that we remember the achievement and the work put in by the Knights that forged that road for us. Mark Arnold told us daily that the 80s-early 90's were what the Blue Knights are all about. You guys took your lumps along the way but enough of you stayed the course in order to establish the corps as a first time finalist and then keep it there. I think the night that most describes that feeling for me recently was the 2004 semi-finals night. I cried as I saw BK was going to be a finalist after the struggle it went through. That is the Blue Knights!! In a word perserverance!! (sorry spelling) Maybe that is the legacy we most learned from the corps that you established and the ones we marched in in the late 90's and the one that now exists from Denver. BK's identity is not body and dance, that is but a small part of the whole picture. What is the goal of the Blue Knights every year? I think it is a fairly simple answer: They want to put out the finest product that they can that shows off the entire corps and makes our fans and alum proud! I feel as though each and every year since they fell out of finals in '02 our home team has progressed!! I also feel as though Robbie's design and that of the design team has also improved. '06 and '07 I have no doubt are the best BK corps ever fielded!! We were decent in '97and '98, but those from the '06 and '07 corps from a performance standpoint and design standpoint and execution standpoint are far better!! When it is said and done the demand on the students now a days is tougher and expectations are higher. BK was no doubt more solid in '07, but the top 7 in general were better than they ever have been. What was the shame of placing 7th and 8th in consecutive years? Did they really digress? I say absolutely no and the quality I am sure is going to be great this year. I know that this younger BK corps this year is gonna kick some major booty!!! Design, style, staff, nothing needs to be changed!! The corps is who it needs to be and they will always have the identity that has been established and will continue to understand, learn, and grow from it!!! Wes Perkins BK '97 '98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Laubhan Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 (edited) We're so emo. True that... *cuts arm, just to see it bleed* In a word perserverance!! True that, too... Edited June 24, 2008 by Keith Laubhan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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