The Oreattle Cruscaders

[B0Boman]

OK, so the topic title is just a joke, there is no such thing as the "Oreattle Cruscaders", I just remember a tenor player in 2003 say something like "Dude, did you know Jesus marched the Oreattle Cruscaders?" and the name sort of stuck in my head.

Especially after the end of the season, when rumors and talks started going around that the Oregon Crusaders and Seattle Cascades were going to try to merge into some kind of super-corps. Some event went as far to say that the new corps should be called "Evolution" and our colors were going to be purple. I'm pretty glad that didn't happen. The deal was, Cascades had been getting into a worse and worse situation every year. Regardless of their placement, the general consensus was that the corps was going downhill, in more ways than one. Personally, I thought they were quite good in '05, but, as one fellow marcher put it, Kiwanis has already folded, Magic will be the next to go and then Cascades. Most of the staff at Crusaders had either marched or taught Cascades in the past (or both) so many of them, it seems, felt that's where they should be. Much of the staff didn't even like the name Crusaders, some guy who made the corps in 1999 just remembered the name from a corps in the 70's and the name had to stick as the corps actually got out of the Northwest and made it to finals. Anyway, regardless of the reason, I heard from my brother who heard from someone we know that the two corps actually were merging, moving to Vancouver, and keeping the name 'Cascades' and the Div. I status that came with it. This got me excited to actually march div I and keep moving on in my drum corps career, but that's not exactly what happened. Instead, the staff from Crusaders just went to Cascades and left the BoD at OC to find their own staff. I honestly thought that OC was going to fold, that I would never dawn the black pants and green jacket with the compass rose that I had worn for three years (we wore old Marauder's unis before that). I was still excited, though, to go march at the Cascades, they were the corps I looked up to when I first started marching. (and their unis are pretty dang cool, but that's not important). I got an e-mail from the former brass caption head at OC asking me to join Cascades and I was all set to go to the audition and keep going with the marching I've been doing since I started high school.

But then the OC website was finally updated, and they had started finding staff and putting together a program. I e-mailed the new director, saying I might be interested in marching and he seemed pretty excited about it. Instead of being a rookie at a new corps (which I liked for some reasons) I would be the oldest vet at a smaller corps and a leader for people just trying out this whole drum corps thing. That actually somewhat appealed to me.

When I first joined OC, they were on the verge of folding. Several staff members had quit, and it was actually some people who left Cascades who built the corps back up, shortened our tour to make it achievable, and beat the crap out of us to make us really good, the first Div. III corps to break higher than 60. What happened in 2004, everyone here knows about already, but the corps pulled together, we got new uniforms, borrowed Cascade's old horns, went to finals for the first time and had an undefeated season. The next year, I had to come back, and we had a really awesome show, but a rough season. Friction between members, a drumline with a generally lazy attitude, a guard with nearly no experience, and a 9th place finish, getting beaten by a corps that looked a lot like us from the year before. That was a pretty crappy year, but we still put on a good show. I watch the DVD, see all the dirt in our show, yet I still enjoy watching it.

2006 is when everything got complicated. Yeah, the hornline got smaller, but the guard was more experienced, the drumline staff changed, (and we had an amazing bassline, that I was pretty sure would win I&E after the first time I saw them play their solo). That was all good and fine, and it was an awesome year to be in the corps. But something big in my life changed, I found my first love and she happened to be sitting in the seat next to me on the bus. Needless to say, it was my most exciting and best year on tour, in more ways than one. When the season ended, I went off to college and she was still in high school, so we didn't get to see each other that much. I just assumed we would both do drum corps again and have another amazing summer, but then she expressed how she didn't really want to do it. She wanted a summer off. Her sister wanted to go march at OC so she also felt some pull to go there. This left me wondering what the heck I should do.

Since I joined, the Crusaders have gotten better every year, the seasons have gotten longer, the shows harder and the experience just different in general every year. And now that momentum that the corps had built up these last four years seems to have stopped, with the staff leaving. If I march Crusaders or Cascades this year it will be like going to a new corps either way.

Oddly enough, when the season first ended, I had aspirations to go try out for Blue Devils, but that's definitely not going to happen since I haven't really been practicing. When the Cascades auditions rolled around, I was sick and falling behind in school so I didn't go. The first Crusaders audition is today and I can't go because I have no way to get there. Next weekend is the first Cascades camp and the second OC audition, which I said I would be at.

------ So this whole situation is very complicated for me. I kind of started talking about the corps in general, then talked about my personal life. I don't really know why I'm posting this, but maybe it's just good for me to get my dilemma out there. If you have any comments or advice, I'd sure like to hear it!

Oh, and please note that this... essay? I guess it's an essay. This essay is a mixture of my personal thoughts and impressions I got from other people in general. This does not represent the views expressed by the Crusaders, the Cascades, or anyone else affiliated with them. Since I'm not currently affiliated with any corps, I guess I'm not really accountable to anyone other than myself, but I though I would just throw that out there.

Edited December 2, 2006 by B0Boman

[ampfan]

Great post! Good luck in 2007.

[spectrumexec]

Good Luck! You could be the leader that OC needs to help it through this very tough time.

[PurpleKnights]

I was at the first OC audition today, as a rookie.

The staff is clearly excellent. Will it be like same experience you had before? Probably not, no. But it's going to be good. I talked to the director for about 15 minutes when the day was done, and I really feel like it's going to be fantastic.

According to him, audition attendance is actually UP from last year (especially as far as percussion is concerned) from last year. Things change, and they've been changing way too much in the northwest lately, I'll give you that. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, and I hope you go to auditions in Salem next Saturday.

My only concern is actually getting into the corps. XP

[B0Boman]

I was at the first OC audition today, as a rookie.

The staff is clearly excellent. Will it be like same experience you had before? Probably not, no. But it's going to be good. I talked to the director for about 15 minutes when the day was done, and I really feel like it's going to be fantastic.

According to him, audition attendance is actually UP from last year (especially as far as percussion is concerned) from last year. Things change, and they've been changing way too much in the northwest lately, I'll give you that. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, and I hope you go to auditions in Salem next Saturday.

My only concern is actually getting into the corps. XP

Thanks, that helps a bit. I think I've chosen to go ahead and march at Crusaders again this summer. And don't worry about making it (unless you're trying out for the drumline, that's a different story). As far as hornline goes, I can think of maybe two instances where someone has been cut who wanted to march, it had nothing to do with their ability. Of course, new staff means new policies...

[JimF-LowBari]

Thanks for the insider view of what is going on in a Div II/III corps. I marched in a Senior (not All Age :P ) circuit for smaller corps and it can be a whole different world. Hope sticking with OC is rewarding to both you and the corps.

[Matthew]

Pure dedication. I love it! I wish more people gave the least bit of thought about things like this. I've heard you play before, and you could probably march in some of the top division I corps. This is what corps in Division II/III and the lower placing Division I corps need--this is the only way they will become what the "greats" are.

By the way, you are myspace friend I think. Anywho, I think I marched with your brother--and I also came to a band performance at your high school, with a good friend of mine who graduated from there two years ago.

[oc1]

Go where your heart tells you. Crusaders will be a completely new experience for all, even vets, but it's a few dedicated individuals that can take this corps to new heights under the new management.

I marched in Cascades in the times they don't talk about much anymore (pre 2000) and the corps took the summer off to "Restructure" or something like that in 1997. I went and marched Blue Knights in Denver. Amazing experience. I went back to BK auditions the next year with no fear of not making it, i was a section leader the year before, but I could not afford the fees and trips from Seattle to Denver as many times as I would have needed to go.

I learned that Cascades was getting going again, and I decided to go back. Had a few of us key vets had not gone back for 1998, I feel that the corps may not have come back at all, and not been able to have the successes it has seen since. I'm not saying I helped save the corps by any means, but Vets certainly helped it continue to grow and have a chance to survive. I would love to see more vets go back to Crusaders, and for that matter, same with Cascades right now also.

Both corps futures are uncertain, but it is clear that both are pushing forward and working on solidifying themselves to continue well into the future.

May both corps flourish and grow as both are very near and dear to my heart.

Shawn C. Anderson

[Contrabassman2000]

this was discussed last year. Spopkane Thunder, Seattle Cascades, and Oregon Crusaders are a single corps. the Pacific Northwest Cathundercades.

[SNModdison]

Go where your heart tells you. Crusaders will be a completely new experience for all, even vets, but it's a few dedicated individuals that can take this corps to new heights under the new management.

I marched in Cascades in the times they don't talk about much anymore (pre 2000) and the corps took the summer off to "Restructure" or something like that in 1997. I went and marched Blue Knights in Denver. Amazing experience. I went back to BK auditions the next year with no fear of not making it, i was a section leader the year before, but I could not afford the fees and trips from Seattle to Denver as many times as I would have needed to go.

I learned that Cascades was getting going again, and I decided to go back. Had a few of us key vets had not gone back for 1998, I feel that the corps may not have come back at all, and not been able to have the successes it has seen since. I'm not saying I helped save the corps by any means, but Vets certainly helped it continue to grow and have a chance to survive. I would love to see more vets go back to Crusaders, and for that matter, same with Cascades right now also.

Both corps futures are uncertain, but it is clear that both are pushing forward and working on solidifying themselves to continue well into the future.

May both corps flourish and grow as both are very near and dear to my heart.

Shawn C. Anderson

Agreed, Shawn! There are some of us that both corps are very close to our hearts. I simply feel that Drum Corps in the Northwest (in general) is so huge, and any and all corps need to succeed. Vets are the biggest reason for a Corps' success, obviously. So, if you love your Drum Corps, continue to march there, even if there are changes...for it is YOUR Corps. I do feel that members (in general) haven't taken "ownership" of their Corps in the past, and hopefully we'll start seeing it more.

I totally see your points Boboman...as I've been in the same boat. Like Shawn said, do what your heart tells you to do. For me, that kept me marching the same Corps...

I, for one, am actually very excited to see what happens this season in the Northwest...you've got 3 corps...

-Spokane Thunder, which I'm WAY excited about...improving every year...here's to another Div 3 Championship for the Northwest! ;)

-Oregon Crusaders, with all of the changes that I'm excited to see what's going to happen there.

-and, Cascades...it'll be interesting for me to see what they are going to be like... Are they going to be the Cascades of "old" that got us into the Top 12? Or, will they look more like the Crusaders of the past few years? Not that it really matters too much which way they go, just as long as they entertain me again! :)

Anyway, that's all for me! I just wish the Seattle show was bigger this year! Maybe I'll just have to go to Pasadena! :)

Nate