Carolina Crown 2026

[MadisonBandMan1]

Gotta get ahead of the curve!

What are our thoughts on how next season goes given this (now past) season? They were much more aggressive at making changes this season, I want to see even more of that next year!

[AllRise99]

2026 wishlist (which I’ll definitely add to):

- bigger changes earlier

- “less is more” approach when it comes to props…and integrate them better

- a true Crown set in all its glory

[Zeke]

- A more Beefy Saktig Drill i.e. 1997/1998/2008 Cadets

- Better Guard integration and not parking them in the backfield. 

Edited August 14, 2025 by Zeke

[cfirwin3]

I think they will invest in a more robust visual package.

[KVG_DC]

Keep the music team together for sure.  They've finally got a brass and percussion team that fits each other it seems.  I can't wait to see what they cook up after a year together tweaking their first collaboration.  

[OldCorpsGuy]

David Maslanka Symphony #4. I know it can’t happen but……🤓

[MadisonBandMan1]

5 hours ago, Zeke said:

- A more Beefy Saktg Drill i.e. 1997/1998/2008 Cadets

- Better Guard integration and not parking them in the backfield. 

How much I would kill for a 2012 drill and music package again. 

[MadisonBandMan1]

They went in the right direction with the drill this year, I felt this was the most demanding drill package since the 2012-2014 era and I really want them to go back to it. BAC showed this season that a lot of marching and playing is still being rewarded, it just has to be designed well and executed at a very very high level. Your drill has to match the design of the show and what you are playing, but the cadets and cavies drill of the past is still being rewarded, and I really don't think anyone does those kinds of drill packages these days better than crown does. They need to take advantage of that. After boston and scv this year, I think that corps are going to move away from props again (following the top corps like everyone seems to do). Crown really needs to take advantage of that because that is where they are at their best. 

The hornline was very young this season, this was a relatively hard music package paired with the drill. I think they have an opportunity next season given they have a large sum of returning production to tackle a much harder musical package that will get them a lot higher content scores because boston and scv are probably going to up their content next year themselves given how well they did this season in brass. Crown (and harloff) need to remind the rest of the drum corps why they are the best. Hornlines are starting to catch up in some ways, its time to step up the game and bring back the intensity their lines had 2012-2014. 

I felt 2021-2024 they were starting to get a little complacent with the hornline. Still great lines, just didn't have the same intensity and standards as the previous seasons did. Part of that may be talent going to other corps such as bloo and boston, but still. 
 

[MadisonBandMan1]

In the past few seasons, transitions between movements were either shaky or rather disjointed (im looking at you 2018 even though I LOOOOVED the show music...best ballad ever imo with gabriels oboe a very close second). They fixed that this year, musically this was a very seamless show from start to finish with great transitions between movements. The agression is starting to come back in the hornline and in the design team to make the changes necessary to elevate the show through to the finish line. 

At first I was a bit worried that Harloff getting promoted to head director at Avon would start to heavily limit his time with Crown and the output wouldn't be the same, but he had his hand in everything this season with also being a part of the percussion staff this season in a consultant role and it seemed to pay off in big ways, even if the hornline was young. This hornline made HUGE strides in the last few weeks of the season and I am super excited to see how they do next year. This line has so much potential in the next few years to become really special. I think we will be just fine. 

Outside of the guard staging this season, the hornline visual work and staging was a big step in the right direction this season. There were a few things here and there throughout the show that I thought that they could have done to make the impact even better but for the most part they did a really great job. The problem lies in the design itself, I think the idea was great, but they went the wrong direction for the first three quarters of the show in terms of delivering the theme. Whoever designed the closer saved the show, that ending was amazing though I wish the fate and mello player interaction was about 25 yards closer to the 50 and instead of the hornline spreading out as the props moved in, they interacted with the scene of fate engulfing the mello player. That would have drove the theme home even more. I mentioned that they could have ran towards fate as fate was engulfing the character, almost trying to save the character by running towards fate. 

They also could have had a silk flown over them engulfing them, showing the entire hornline being engulfed by fate after being trapped by the props. 

The props being so large actually made sense to me after watching some angles from finals. The props were so large because fate is so large...there is no stopping fate. Fate is all encompassing, larger than life itself. It is intended to bring a feeling of unease, a feeling of impending doom, a feeling of inescapability, and a feeling of helplessness. It really worked in the closer, I just wish there were more interactions visually with the members and the props throughout the show. They were great props, and could have had a big impact driving home the theme throughout the show if the visual surrounded the props more throughout the rest of the show. 

From a color pallet standpoint, wes has always had very colorful shows...masterfully so I might add. The colors are always very striking. Broken Arrow's USA show from 2018 is one of my favorite color pallets and visual designs to hit the field personally. 2021 was also great visually, such a striking visual package as well. I think this opportunity with crown is an opportunity for growth with him. He made some very good changes to the show design near the end of the season, and the team (so far that I can tell) have had a rather positive experience with him and we all know the stories of the path. I think he has it in him to move away from his formula a bit with crown but keep to the parts that also make him a great designer like his color pallet. I want to see him design something deeply emotional...I think that would pull the best out of him and would work so well with crown. He used to be pretty innovative back when he was a director at Union HS and he sprinkled some more in at Broken Arrow here and there - eg. 2017. He needs to tap back into that. 

[NewArpege]

My wants for 2026:

1. Focus on WOW Moments:  Every part of the show needs both a visual and musical WOW moment….like BDs closer this year or Bloos guard feature last year. Crown needs to build their show around WOW moments. 
2. Overhaul Drill: Crown needs to go hyper visual drill throughout every minute of the show like SCV or BAC. 
3. Amplified Choreography:  SCV is the master of choreography, and BAC was very good too.  Crown needs to push more on creative choreo.
4. Modern Ballad:  Let’s take a break from concert and orchestra, and pick something like BD or BACs ballads this year.
5. Sound Experimental:  Bloo is onto something with soundscaping. There’s tons of music in Crowns wheelhouse with experimental sounds or using uncommon musical elements like water and air as something distinctive sound wise. 
6. Percussion Forward:  Crown percussion showed potential this year. Let’s give them a Rhythm’s at the Edge of Time type show to showcase their skills
7. Up Guard Gimmicks:  Let’s see tumbling and more innovative tosses.  And most importantly, I want to see Crown guard in a box all together and not spread across the field the entire show. 
8. Change Timelines:  Final big changes in by San Antonio. 
    

Edited August 10, 2025 by NewArpege