DAY 6 , Practice Day in Belding, MI * * * *

Alright...first, some news on the Orlando event. Some planning is still being completed and an arrangement is being formulated to accommodate those that have already purchased tickets to the show. I was told that a final announcement should be available on the Crusaders' web site sometime Monday or shortly thereafter. Check here for updates



Yesterday was a practice day at Belding HS and Middle school. The weather got very hot and humid--into the low 90's and hazy. It took its toll as we had an EMS run for dehydration and another non-heat related hospital run that will require some home recuperation time. Sounds like the member will be returning very soon to complete the season. Best wishes to Matt on a speedy recovery--we miss you already brother.




The dehydration case is returning to the line-up today and should suffer no on-going issues pending proper hydration. It is one of the common issues with new members--they all underestimate the amount of water they need--especially on humid days when the body is pressed to the limit.


I loaded up a few miscellaneous guard pix today. Enjoy.


The day began with a food run for Eric and I. It is funny to see the reactions on other customer faces when they see us going to check-out. Today was about 5 baskets full--8 watermelons, 400 pieces of mixed fruit (apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, plums), 25 lbs of pancake mix, 5 Lbs of flour, and 24 Gallons of milk. This was a small run--no bread!

After rehearsing most of the day, ESL was at 7:30. We loaded and pulled out on schedule at 9:00PM for Racine. The drive was about 280 miles, 5-1/2 hrs. Smooth except for the section on I94 through the Chicago Loop. Even at 1:00Am, the traffic and construction is bad and it was a wonder that the crew got any sleep at all on the U3.

The time changed since we are now on central time--the corps got an extra hour of sleep.

We are sharing the housing site today with the Troopers from Casper Wyoming. No problems since this is a BIG school and gym and we coordinated our eating and showering schedules.

We're off in an hour or so to do the Racine show after a good rehearsal day today and yesterday. The drive tonite is only about two hours to Madison, Wisconsin. Tomorrow nite is a long haul back to Ohio where we stayed near Findlay. It is 400 plus miles so we will depart immediately after the show and drive all nite. A couple of restful days until Erie, PA and on to NY and Mass.

Copy off any pix you want since I anticipate having to remove some of the older albums as resource limits get thinner. I will provide some sort of CD after the tour is over so if you missed pictures, I will have them all.

Also I've started to rate the housing sites--see the daily title at the top--one to 5 stars.

Enjoy.

Curt

DAY 5, Comstock Park, MI (Belding)

We had an easy 180 mile run overnite from Port Huron to Comstock Park, MI. This is NE of Grand Rapids MI and about an hour from the show site in Belding. The show last nite was pretty good and the corps scored a win in Visual General Effect although the overall score put us in second behind Cadets. The venue was small and the pit trailer had some difficulty getting onto and off the field--but we didn't run over anyone (important) so all is well.

We got some rain this morning so the outdoor rehearsals were cut short just before lunch and moved inside. After lunch, it is still gray but the corps is back outside.

An interesting thing happened on the souvie booth last nite--they had posted several large banner-sized posters inside the host school at the show and encouraged people to sign it. They took it into the stands and were waving it around. Then, with all the signatures and well-wishes, they gave it to us at the booth after the show--pretty neat.

There were several hospital runs this morning with ankles and some hydration issues but generally, all are in good shape so far.

The volunteers will start changing out now from time to time so a continuous state of re-learning begins.

The trailer loading is a challenge this year with a young corps, expanded size, and new truck layout but they are working it out and t--or we may stay over here another nite.

The pit is also huge this year and we are still working out the sideline load-in and out which are timed. We don't want any field penalties.




We may be on the move tonite to Racine --or we might stay over another nite here--still TBD.

I have a load of laundry in the dryer right now so have to go take care of it.

...Later:

OK...we are staying one more nite here in Comstock Park. At 7:00 AM, we ESL and move back to Belding where we did last nites show. We will rehearse there tomorrow and leave for Racine in the evening. Everyone is good with this because the housing site here is wonderful! Great showers, the gym is very clean and large, and the kitchen access and fields are close.

Life is good...I think I fixed the hole in my airbed...it is not good when it leaks flat in 1 hour..!

Got to give hugs to Angela and Maddie at dinner so they know everyone is thinking of them at home.

The Corps had a very productive day today...the early nite last nite and same location gave everyone a little boost. They are learning a few new elements and are doing well notwithstanding the rainy overcast day.



Enjoy!

For Now,
Curt

Day 3-4, Port Huron, MI and Belding, MI

Each day now, since Toledo, the weather has threatened. Each day, it has rained or sprinkled late in the afternoon and then cleared up by Showtime. In every case, the show weather has been near perfect with cool and dry conditions. We’ll all be wishing for a breathe of this weather in a couple of weeks.

All of the volunteers are starting to get into the travel rhythm for sleeping and working the mixed shift schedules. In a few more days, the truck loading and unloading will have settle in also and will be a finely tuned effort—each person knowing his role totally when performing the ESL ballet.

I can’t take any credit for the food service this time—although I help get the truck set-up and do odds and ends throughout the day, my primary job is to drive the U3 sleeper. It is a sobering responsibility—with five souls onboard trusting me to get them to the next stop safely.

Since I had driven the pit gator last season, and have helped the pit move a lot of there equipment through move-in, I also became responsible for the pit trailer driving on and off the field. This is very cool since I get to be very close to the action on the field. Downside is that I will rarely see the show from above.

The picture slideshow below are pix from the last couple of days’ load out and some on-field show shots. It is interesting to see the kids put on their game faces and get themselves psyched up for a good show. Polishing horns, tuning the drums, getting on make-up, and making sure everything is ready to go. Then onto the bus, change into uniform and depart for the show.

Dublin was a nice small venue—enthusiastic crowd and the corps performed well, closing the gap to Bluecoats by a fraction of a point. It’s so early in the season, the scores and placings will change a lot, but it is still very encouraging to see them in good company.

On the trip from Dublin up to Port Huron, MI, we passed within a couple of miles of my house at about 2:30 in the morning—I was going to call home and say hi but thought better of it.

In Port Huron, we shared the show/housing site with Bluecoats. The corps worked very hard all day, and had the best show of the first three according to several accounts. Boston returned to the field with Bluecoats for America the Beautiful, and we rocked the small field with an in-arc, in-place encore performance. This show is quickly gaining a lot of fan enthusiasm and standing down front, I have heard many very favorable comments.

The Souvie van came in to join the tour last night in Port Huron and we are still in good shape with volunteer count. Arlene is just getting into the groove and finally getting used to the mobile paint shaker. Sue and Linda are veterans so seem settled into the routine. Eric and I are doing more of the non-kitchen duty although Eric still has a foot in both buckets—kitchen and pit/food pickup/everything/anywhere duty. It is sure nice to work with a bunch of people really dedicated to one purpose.

Chef Ron is, as always, incredible. The man never stops. Tonight’s snack is being pre-done as a box lunch and loaded onto the buses before we leave for the show site. Several sites are so small they cannot accommodate kitchen trucks in the lots.

We perform tonight in Belding, MI and stay over one more night here before departing for Racine, WI. The last couple of drives have been in good weather and we have been doing 180-240 miles. Pulling out of show sites at about 11:30-12:00 PM, we have been arriving around 4:30-5:00AM and sited and connected the kitchen truck and are in bed by 5:30 or so. This is why the kitchen staff has a sleeper—they start preparing breakfast at 6:00!

Tomorrow, I try to do a little tweaking on the sound of the BAC-bone and catch up on some packing re-org. I also need to deal with a rapidly worsening leak in the air-bed. Nothing like hitting the floor for some nap time and then..hitting the floor :)

Anyway, the first big show is coming up this weekend so we can get a solid benchmark.

Eat ‘em up Boston!

Till next time,

Curt

Day 2, Dublin, OH

Well the first show of the season is behind us and by all accounts, we set a mark on the wall--the performance was a crowd-pleaser and the corps maintained their concentration to lay down an outstanding first effort.

In the afternoon, about an hour or so before the scheduled ESL time, a fairly intense line of thunderstorms moved from West to East over northern Ohio and SE Michigan. It rained very hard for about an hour and then let-up enough to complete loading. The meal was served in a school hallway adjacent to the kitchen truck. There was some question about whether the show would go on or not.

As we left for Toledo, about a one hour ride North, it was still raining but stopped just prior to our pulling in to the lot at Witmer HS. The weather got clear, cool, and dry for the first of the show and held to be very pleasant for the rest of the nite.

I could sense the excitement and tension in the kids faces before the show and saw the satisfaction and performance high afterward.

The crowd literally jumped to a standing ovation as Conquest brought the show to a close--it is an extremely satisfying show to see and hear. It never lets up--just when you think it might be easing off, it slaps you in the face, grabs you by the throat, and gets stronger--right to the end.

Those that had seen the last part of the winter camps or early run throughs have been stunned.
So, we are housed at a beautiful site at Jerome HS in Dublin, OH and only about two miles from the show-site. We depart at 6:30 for our 9:30 performance tonite. Many of the volunteers are resting prior to dinner and load.

This is the first day of the regular travel and sleep schedule so everyone's daily routine needs to get re-calibrated.

The support crew and trucks arrived this morning at about 3:00AM and we got to bed at about 4:00--wake up for the kitchen staff is 6 so they stayed on the U3 till breakfast. Drivers hit the floor in the school--I got up in time for lunch at 12 but will nap a liitle before leaving--its about 4 hours up to Port Huron and we are leaving at midnite--so another late nite. The sleep schedule will settle in in a couple more days.

More pix from the show tonite I hope--

From the road,

Curt

Day One...Odometer: 36400, Van Buren, OH

Got in to Van Buren OH ( 5mi N of Findlay, OH) yesterday at about 2:00 PM and went right to work. I had to deliver to the pit a special edition drum-bone that I built for them and there are some electronic repairs being made.

Today was a very productive day for the entire corps. They finished off the day with a full dress rehearsal show for the local community and a dinner provided by the Band Boosters.

The show is spectacular! I can't even describe how cool it is and won't try to convey it with pictures--they just wouldn't do it justice.


I did get to take some pix of the corps members today and I'll try to get them posted in the morning. Eric and I will make a food run first thing and then look for some parts for the sound board.

Pretty much everyone is healthy or close to good to go so we are ready to pull the trigger on the 08 season tomorrow nite in Toledo.

Cheers

Curt

T Minus 2 Days and Counting

Thank you all so much for the great positive response to this blog. I suspected it would fill a void and it seems I was on the right track. It is especially nice to hear from parents of kids that I have gotten to recognize from their trips down the food line, or seeing them in sectionals.

If you haven't seen them yet, check out the pictures here from the dress preview show from New Hampshire last week. Thanks a bunch to the photographer. It always amazes me how much different the corps looks when in uniform--and the way the demeanor changes--wow!

I was expecting a call from my son over the weekend and sure enough, the phone rang at 11:15 or so on Saturday nite. He quickly said the parade in Quincy went well and he was doing laundry--then "ok...the police are showing up now.." Turns out they were doing laundry late and the attendant decided to leave it open later than normal for them and left....problem was, she left the alarm system active and sure enough, the alarm went off. We were concerned that there would be a bad situation if there were only a couple of kids there but Zac said it was an entire bus load! Can't imagine what the responding officers must have had going through their minds as they drove up...."holy cow, Danno...an entire regiment knocking over a Laundromat in Quincy at 11:30 Saturday nite!?"

Last word was, they were trying to track down the attendant to turn off the alarm.

So...two days to go now. I've gotten pretty good at packing now since doing five weeks last season plus all the camps over the winter. Packing isn't significantly different than going for a week or weekend now. Its not quite like packing for a sailing trip across the ocean since I don't need to take all my survival gear, tools, etc, and I can replenish or replace anything I forgot.

Airbed, sheet, blanket, pillow. 12 pairs of undies and socks, five shorts, dress slacks, two pair shoes, shower stuff, as many tee shirts as I can fit in, 1 long sleeve shirt, couple of hats, sunglasses, driving glasses, contacts, more sunglasses, sunblock, tunes, laptop with/gps, small flashlight, earplugs, laundry detergent, shower gel, powder, razor, clippers, etc.....

Yep...the pile is growing.

Since I also drove last season (both the souvie trailer and the U3 sleeper), I put together a nav system. I had looked at a lot of the small dash-mounted GPS nav boxes available. I'm pretty familiar with GPS since I have used it for years on-board the boat so knew what they did and how they were used. I was not satisfied, though, with the small screens--It was difficult to see and use, especially when moving. So, I added a system to my laptop and brought along a flexible nave table that mounted between the seats on the floor--worked in both vehicles, and was sturdy enough to carry my heavy Dell Inspiron 1100 without incident. The software I chose was CoPilot Navigator 9 --similar to the MS streets and trips but rated more highly for its en route user interface by some reviewers. It provides all of the planning and routing functions, turn-by-turn voice directions, and, the big, laptop screen is very easy to see. I have run it now for perhaps 15,000 miles of active navigation and it is way over 99% accurate and extremely helpful. I'll be using it again this summer if needed but travelling in the convoy doesn't generally require it. They now have Navigator 10 released which offers additional features and road updates. The best part of the Co-Pilot system is the cost---including the small USB hockey puck GPS receiver, it was $60 bucks!

I could also recommend StreetAtlas 2009--another PC-based navigator--it is extremely good and only slightly more expensive.

Back to packing.

Curt

A Volunteer's Day on the Road

A day on the road with the Boston Crusader summer tour is actually easier to describe if we begin right after a show.




Most events are evenings and by the time all of the show is over and scores are released, it can be 10:00 to 11:00. As the corps returns to the parking area, they change clothes and begin packing the equipment truck. During the last part of the show, the kitchen crew has prepared a nite snack and that is served. Finally, the corps work crews load-up and prepare the kitchen for the road. When all is ready, the corps buses depart immediately--the kids wind down on the buses and sleep.

Meanwhile, in the stadium, the souvie crew finishes up selling to the last fans and packs up the trailer. They will rendezvous with the main truck group which is usually ready to go by the time souvies is complete.

Once everything is ready to go, and all are on-board, the support convoy pulls out, headed for the next housing site. The kitchen crew sacks-out in their bunks in the U3, The destination might be anywhere from a few hours to 7-8 or more on long runs--it is close to midnite or perhaps later.

The convoys stops for fuel/coffee/potty breaks every couple of hours through the nite although at rest stops, the kids are not allowed to purchase anything. The two groups travel down the road separately this way to the next destination.

Upon arrival of the buses, which travel quite a bit faster, the kids and staff get their gear and set-up for a few more hours of "floor time" in the sleeping gym. Staff finds their assigned rooms and they also get some more sleep.

When the support convoy arrives, the kitchen truck is sited and connections made--depending upon amount of time before the breakfast call, the kitchen crew may continue to sleep on the U3 until needed, or they can also find a room site in the school. Often, they are just up and continue on to begin preparation for breakfast.

The souvie, U3, and semi drivers find assigned sleeping locations as soon as possible and are down for the count.

At breakfast time, schedules diverge. Drivers will continue to sleep into the afternoon--especially after long runs through the nite. Souvie crew will sleep but usually has to depart for the show venue ahead of the corps in order to set-up prior to the gate. Kitchen crew has been working since an hour or so prior to wake-up.

The daily board with schedule is set-up the nite before so everyone can see what the day's schedule is. The corps routine normally consists of stretch and conditioning, breakfast, rehearsal blocks lunch, rehearsal until ESL.

Eat, Shower, Load--the afternoon meal is served, kitchen clean-up begins, and pack and load. The volunteer crews try to schedule shower time off of the peak ESL times to avoid the shower rush from the corps. The corps cleaning groups clean and check the facility while the volunteer crew and drivers prepare to depart for the show venue which could be anywhere form a few minutes to an hour away.


Typically, the buses and the support trucks depart together since we all park in the same area. Upon arrival at the show site, the corps begins unpacking and setting up the pit equipment, getting into uniforms, and organizing for their warm-up.

The kitchen truck is again opened and configured to service the after-show snack. At this point, most volunteers will make their way to the show and check in with the souvie trailer. It's always appreciated by the souvie crew for others to give them a short break--it can get pretty hectic at times and they seem to be short-handed much of the time.

Finally, that part of the day many of us wait for..."Performing their 2008 show, NeoCosmos, from Boston, Massachusetts, The BOSTON CRUSADERS !!"

As the performance winds down, volunteers make their way back to the parking area. Final preparations are made for the snack service, and the corps sets about changing, loading, and celebrating (I really anticipate a BUNCH of celebrating this season!).

Once the snack is done and cleaned up, the corps are back on the buses and the buses depart. As the lot becomes quiet and empty, the last details are attended to by the drivers, the souvie van is packed and returns, and it is time to head down the road.


This is the routine for several days at a time. It becomes a mini vacation when the corps remains at a housing site for an extra day, since it frees up some extra time in the volunteer crew. Except for the kitchen folks--still four services per day. And there always seems to be something to fix, oil change, refuel the generator, track down replacement parts, find the post office.....well you get the picture. It doesn't let up--but it just might be the most fun you've had in along while.




My own take on it is that the most difficult part of the entire summer is explaining to your non-corps friends what is is and what I did, and why, and how much did they pay me??!!

Not really.. the most difficult part is saying good-bye to all of the great kids after finals.

Oh..and I almost forgot...the best part?? Getting to see those young men and women develop over the summer. Its kind of like taking a Polaroid...we just pushed the button--we don't get to see the final image until August 9th.

Curt

For my Non-Corps Friends

I'm sure some of my friends have looked at this site now and wondered: "What the heck is The Boston Crusader thing and what is Curt doing with them". So today is a little background.



The Boston Crusaders is a drum and bugle corps. They perform competitive marching drill and music shows..similar in some ways to the half-time band shows that you are all familiar with. The difference is in the level of skill, and complexity of performance involved. The Crusaders are part of a small, elite group of World-Class competitive Drum Corps competing under the Drum Corps International organization (DCI). In-fact, with a couple of other corps groups, Boston, or BAC, as they are affectionately called, were the founders of DCI. This is like the NASCAR or Indy 500 of halftime performances.

The Boston Crusaders have been in existence continuously since 1940, making this their 68th season. As did many other corps of the time, Boston began as a neighborhood, after-school activity sponsored by the local church parish--in this case, The Most Precious Blood Parish in Hyde Park, of Boston, MA. Since that time, and through some pretty bad stretches of time in our nations history, BAC has endured to become one of the most storied corps in the America with a truly world-wide alumni and fan following.

One of the more interesting stories of the early corps years concerns the winter when a fire destroyed the storage facility and took all of the corps uniforms with it. President John F. Kennedy intervened and arranged to have surplus West Point cadet uniforms provided to the corps--these were used for the entire season. John F. Kennedy became the first honorary member of the Boston Crusaders.


Today, the Crusaders are made up of members from approximately 16 years of age through 21, when they "age-out" or become no longer eligible to compete. 150 young men and women from several nations and across America are members of the 2008 Crusaders. Since the first audition weekend camps held in several locations in November, the best of the best have been meeting one weekend a month in Orlando to refine their musical skills (which are very high to begin with) and develop the marching drill style of BAC. The culmination of the practice weekends occurred over Memorial Day weekend when the entire corps moves into a three-4 week "move-in" camp to practice 12-16hours a day. Today is the end of that camp--the corps loads up on 3-4 tour buses, a semi-truck equipment trailer, full mobile kitchen in a second semi trailer, a sleeper vehicle for the kitchen crew, and a couple of other support vehicles. They will travel this way throughout the summer and perform their show in competition at venues all over the US. The tour reaches a climax in Bloomington, IN on August 9 when corps in several divisions meet to determine a World Champion for 2008.



The corps is made up of four main sections or "captions" as they are called in corps language. The Brass or hornline consisting of trumpets, mellophones, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas. These were originally referred to as bugles--coming I suppose from the very earliest military drum and bugle corps.





Second is the drumline, part of the percussion caption--consisting of several types of field drums and the "pit" or front ensemble. The on-field drumline or "battery" is made up of several tuned bass drums, snare drums, and quad-tenor drums. The battery is part of the on-field drill and moves as part of the drill.
The front ensemble, consisting of more orchestral-type instruments, makes up the non-moving part of the percussion caption. Referred to as the pit, it consists of marimbas, xylophones, bells, chimes, tympani, cymbals, more base drums, and a myriad of other percussion and keyboard-type instruments depending upon the show.

Finally, the color guard is the visual icing on the cake if you will. Employing flags, rifles, sabers, and other spinning, flying, flapping, unfurling, and dancing moves, it adds visual punctuation to the drill performed by the battery and hornline.

Last year, the finals were held in Pasadena CA at the Rose Bowl in front of nearly 40,000 fans, and after three days of elimination rounds preceding the big show for the top 12 on Saturday night.



So...next week Saturday is the very first show of the season outside Toledo, OH--then on to Dublin, OH (Near Columbus)--then Port Huron, MI and Belding, MI (Near Grand Rapids).

I've been volunteering at the winter camps since November (Since I've driven my son and several others each month from Michigan). Yes, 7 round trips to Orlando in 7 months! So I have watched this seasons group develop from the first auditions through the early full-show rehearsals at move-in in New Hampshire. It is most rewarding and I feel blessed to be able to spend time with this group of outstanding musicians, performers, and engaging young men and women. Win or lose on the field, they are all outstanding role models for what we all want in our young folks.


If you have sent an introverted, quiet, shy, and perhaps self-doubtful young person for their first experience away from home like I did, you will be surprised and proud to meet the young person that returns from Bloomington: Confident, self-reliant, courteous, reliable, and positive- thinking. Being able to watch this metamorphosis take place--to be able to say I may have had some small part in enabling it--that is why I'm going along again.

I am reminded of a quote:

A great tradition can be inherited, but
Greatness itself must be won.

C.A. Lindbergh

The 2008 Boston Crusaders have inherited a great tradition--in the coming weeks, they'll be earning their greatness.

My hope is that anyone considering volunteering for service with Boston consider this blog as my high recommendation to do so without reservation--the rewards are many.

Tomorrow, a typical day on the road.

Curt


For more information on the Boston Crusaders and links to DCI see www.crusaders.com

For more on the history of BAC, see the new website www. BAChistory.com

Anticipation

Greetings all...
Well, its only a week before I join the 08 Boston Crusader summer tour as a volunteer. This is my first attempt at blogging but I'd like to be able to give you a volunteer Dad's perspective from the road.

I'll be joining the kids just before the first show of the season near Toledo, Ohio and travellng with them until the finals in Indianapolis.

Right now, I'm scheduled to drive one of the sleeper vehicles w/equipment trailer--that might change as we go down the road--Last season, I did souvies for several weeks and then drove the sleeper (U3).

I'm looking forward to the summer--it is very rewarding working with these young folks. And it is especially compelling to see them develop on a daily basis. (Even with the ups and downs that inevitably develop--its a long tour.

I was in New Hampton NH for the first two weeks of move-in this year and the corps is off to a great start. The show music is terrific and the drill is over the top. The kids are very positive about the show and eager to get on the road.

I heard from my son that they did the entire show last night for the NH preview and it was awesome.

SO...stay tuned...I can't promise I will get to post every day, but I'll try to cover the events regularly.

Cheers

CaptC