Boston Crusaders 2014

[Catan]

Seeing the full show for the first time in theaters, I was a little skeptical, and didn't warm up to it right away. After watching it on the FN a few times, I love it now! Super aggressive and intense. Lots of fun to watch. Not sure the visual design is top 5 caliber but I hope BAC can clean this monster! My worry is that all the difficulty of the show may not translate into effect, and may not ever get clean. Regardless, looking forward to watching them as the season progresses.

[Lincoln]

With this year's Boston show, I'm not so much hoping for a placement. I'd like to say "wow" to what they have produced and to thank the corps for making that show so incredible.

It's a tough competition. Captions/sub-captions decide who wins, who places where and where everyone advances or falls based on before.

They said they were going to do it. What they have on the field says they did it.

[KissMyBrass]

my son plays BAC trumpet, a rookie. he was only 3 places away from making Crown, and he has very good perception of the way the two corps are run, considering he went to 3 Crown camps and all of the BAC. Crown discipline is unrelenting, fierce, somewhat mean, even using shaming techniques (albeit a lesson for everyone). Their music is brilliant, and that's because of their arranger. It works, but so does fascism, somewhat. BAC has compassion and discipline, i got regular reports from my son and from his caption, and the admin are not distant from the players. in the long run, what the players take away from a corps experience is much more important than the arguments of the old men on these forums, myself included (i am 887 years old, although my certificate says 56). we can argue this bull-hockey all day and put corps up or put them down, but in the long run, i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. better that he have friendlier interaction from brilliant captions and writers than a military smackdown, although my characterization of Crown was informed by only being at 2 of the camps. i'll give Crown the benefit of the doubt. and if Boston improves their placement after all is said and done... that's cream, but not the sustenance, nor substance of the experiential aspect. the entire experience of DCI is far beyond what corps "can perfect their show", whether they over-reach, or under-perform. it is an essential piece of Live Performance, and of myriad Americans appreciating brand new music, much of which is polyrhythmic and dissonant, massively expressive, and always creative. to me, as a musician, teacher, and community-person, that is a blessing bigger than anyone has expressed in any of these forums' posts i've read. it bears repeating, ...i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. and it benefits every single person who attends a show...

[Ghost]

Well "said" KMB! Glad to read your Son is with Boston. May he enjoy the growth of this corps this year and may he march again during the corps 75th year in 2015.

[MikeD]

my son plays BAC trumpet, a rookie. he was only 3 places away from making Crown, and he has very good perception of the way the two corps are run, considering he went to 3 Crown camps and all of the BAC. Crown discipline is unrelenting, fierce, somewhat mean, even using shaming techniques (albeit a lesson for everyone). Their music is brilliant, and that's because of their arranger. It works, but so does fascism, somewhat. BAC has compassion and discipline, i got regular reports from my son and from his caption, and the admin are not distant from the players. in the long run, what the players take away from a corps experience is much more important than the arguments of the old men on these forums, myself included (i am 887 years old, although my certificate says 56). we can argue this bull-hockey all day and put corps up or put them down, but in the long run, i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. better that he have friendlier interaction from brilliant captions and writers than a military smackdown, although my characterization of Crown was informed by only being at 2 of the camps. i'll give Crown the benefit of the doubt. and if Boston improves their placement after all is said and done... that's cream, but not the sustenance, nor substance of the experiential aspect. the entire experience of DCI is far beyond what corps "can perfect their show", whether they over-reach, or under-perform. it is an essential piece of Live Performance, and of myriad Americans appreciating brand new music, much of which is polyrhythmic and dissonant, massively expressive, and always creative. to me, as a musician, teacher, and community-person, that is a blessing bigger than anyone has expressed in any of these forums' posts i've read. it bears repeating, ...i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. and it benefits every single person who attends a show...

Congrats on your son's marching BAC, one of the all-time great corps!

I wonder how much of the Crown intensity is staff driven versus member culture driven. Cadets have seemed to draw those sort of members as well, who just seem to want to have that high intensity experience and achievement. BD draws a different sort of member, yet still achieves the same level of achievement with a different sort of member experience.

The band I teach had a BD contra player back in the late 90's as a tech. He was a NJ native who flew all the way to Concord to march, even though the Cadets were an hour away. He told us he had zero desire to march in a corps with the Cadet's driven culture and experience, while he LOVED the BD member philosophy and experience.

Personally, I think members for the most part find a corps that fits into their own mind-set, otherwise they end up having a miserable time. Myself, after the 69 season in a small corps, I waffled back and forth between two 'A' corps, the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights and the Garfield Cadets. BS, an urban corps from Newark, NJ, was my huge personal favorite growing up through the 60's. I had more friends in Garfield who had joined them after the 68 season. After a long fall and early winter of going back and forth, I decided that the Garfield culture was more in line with my own personality than BS, so I chose the Cadets and loved my time there.

[rayfallon]

Congrats on your son's marching BAC, one of the all-time great corps!

I wonder how much of the Crown intensity is staff driven versus member culture driven. Cadets have seemed to draw those sort of members as well, who just seem to want to have that high intensity experience and achievement. BD draws a different sort of member, yet still achieves the same level of achievement with a different sort of member experience.

The band I teach had a BD contra player back in the late 90's as a tech. He was a NJ native who flew all the way to Concord to march, even though the Cadets were an hour away. He told us he had zero desire to march in a corps with the Cadet's driven culture and experience, while he LOVED the BD member philosophy and experience.

Personally, I think members for the most part find a corps that fits into their own mind-set, otherwise they end up having a miserable time. Myself, after the 69 season in a small corps, I waffled back and forth between two 'A' corps, the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights and the Garfield Cadets. BS, an urban corps from Newark, NJ, was my huge personal favorite growing up through the 60's. I had more friends in Garfield who had joined them after the 68 season. After a long fall and early winter of going back and forth, I decided that the Garfield culture was more in line with my own personality than BS, so I chose the Cadets and loved my time there.

I think you're 100% right, but still take issue with the idea that the BD corps were "less driven" than the Cadets. I'll offer Gino Cirpiani as an example. Think he's different on the East Coast than he was on the West?

Just a different style of drive... but anyone that watched those BD kids tune each and every note they played, up to 16th notes at 160 while moving would take issue with the idea that they're less driven.

My two sons would be shaking their heads at the notion. They were pretty driven... and as you point out, made the trip from Boston to Concord, eventually moving out there.

But in broad strokes, I think you painted a nearly perfect picture.

[Eleran]

I wonder how much of the Crown intensity is staff driven versus member culture driven. Cadets have seemed to draw those sort of members as well, who just seem to want to have that high intensity experience and achievement. BD draws a different sort of member, yet still achieves the same level of achievement with a different sort of member experience.

The band I teach had a BD contra player back in the late 90's as a tech. He was a NJ native who flew all the way to Concord to march, even though the Cadets were an hour away. He told us he had zero desire to march in a corps with the Cadet's driven culture and experience, while he LOVED the BD member philosophy and experience.

Personally, I think members for the most part find a corps that fits into their own mind-set, otherwise they end up having a miserable time. Myself, after the 69 season in a small corps, I waffled back and forth between two 'A' corps, the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights and the Garfield Cadets. BS, an urban corps from Newark, NJ, was my huge personal favorite growing up through the 60's. I had more friends in Garfield who had joined them after the 68 season. After a long fall and early winter of going back and forth, I decided that the Garfield culture was more in line with my own personality than BS, so I chose the Cadets and loved my time there.

I wish there was a thread describing such corps cultures, to help prospective members in planning which corps to target. Of course, I'm sure the arguments that would arise there would probably close the thread down quickly.

[Liahona]

I wish there was a thread describing such corps cultures, to help prospective members in planning which corps to target. Of course, I'm sure the arguments that would arise there would probably close the thread down quickly.

The corps culture dynamic can be drastically different for sure and depending on staff changes could also make a big difference from year to year with even the same drum corps. If a corps has consistent staffing (like BD for example) it would seem to me that their culture dynamic and philosophy would remain pretty consistent. As others have also pointed out the debate is whether this is staff versus member driven on a lot of these culture dynamics as well.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Liahona

[emc2]

The corps culture dynamic can be drastically different for sure and depending on staff changes could also make a big difference from year to year with even the same drum corps. If a corps has consistent staffing (like BD for example) it would seem to me that their culture dynamic and philosophy would remain pretty consistent. As others have also pointed out the debate is whether this is staff versus member driven on a lot of these culture dynamics as well.

If you click on Liahona Face book link above. BAC just posted 1977 Boston show. The energy of 40 horns.

Edited June 27, 2014 by emc2

[skevinp]

It's great your kid is having a good experience at Boston, but surely your point can be made without attacking another organization?

This year Crown seems to have a lot of familiar faces from last year. If they are really mean, shaming, distant, uncompassionate facists, one is left to wonder why so many of them would have come back.

my son plays BAC trumpet, a rookie. he was only 3 places away from making Crown, and he has very good perception of the way the two corps are run, considering he went to 3 Crown camps and all of the BAC. Crown discipline is unrelenting, fierce, somewhat mean, even using shaming techniques (albeit a lesson for everyone). Their music is brilliant, and that's because of their arranger. It works, but so does fascism, somewhat. BAC has compassion and discipline, i got regular reports from my son and from his caption, and the admin are not distant from the players. in the long run, what the players take away from a corps experience is much more important than the arguments of the old men on these forums, myself included (i am 887 years old, although my certificate says 56). we can argue this bull-hockey all day and put corps up or put them down, but in the long run, i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. better that he have friendlier interaction from brilliant captions and writers than a military smackdown, although my characterization of Crown was informed by only being at 2 of the camps. i'll give Crown the benefit of the doubt. and if Boston improves their placement after all is said and done... that's cream, but not the sustenance, nor substance of the experiential aspect. the entire experience of DCI is far beyond what corps "can perfect their show", whether they over-reach, or under-perform. it is an essential piece of Live Performance, and of myriad Americans appreciating brand new music, much of which is polyrhythmic and dissonant, massively expressive, and always creative. to me, as a musician, teacher, and community-person, that is a blessing bigger than anyone has expressed in any of these forums' posts i've read. it bears repeating, ...i didn't pay for him to be in a corps for my benefit. it was for the benefit my son. and it benefits every single person who attends a show...