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Drum and bugle corps � first of its kind in state � girds for July 4 debut Photo by Bob Pennell Members of the Southern Oregon Crusaders drum and bugle corps march in the summer sun. From left are Callen Myers, 14, Tasha Clark, 15, and Jacy Smith, 17, all of Grants Pass; and Ivan Olinghouse, 17, of Ashland. The Crusaders will make their debut during Fourth of July parades. By Vicki Guarino They used to be members of the Ashland High School band, or Crater band, or Grants Pass band. These days, however, the 30 or so middle and high schoolers have a new identity and another musical allegiance. "Now they�re all Crusaders," says organizer Rick Wise. The Southern Oregon Crusaders brings together students from across Jackson and Josephine counties for a new sort of musical experience: the highly choreographed marching style of the drum and bugle corps. Not only is the corps the first of its kind in the region, it�s the first such corps in the state. The Crusaders are in the middle of an intensive, two-week camp in Fichtner-Mainwaring Park, in front of Jefferson Elementary School in Medford. Under the direction of their arrangers, who came in from Phoenix, Ariz., the corps is polishing its sound and its look in preparation for a Fourth of July debut. "We need to get toes up; we need to get clarity in the feet," march arranger Roger Bemis of Phoenix shouts through a microphone over the blast of horns and rattle of drums. On the field, beneath Bemis� raised observation deck, Crusaders weave backward and sideways in tight formation. The workout continues 9 am. to 5 p.m. daily � and on to 9 p.m. for a few musicians. The schedule might seem grueling, especially for summer vacation, but it is typical for competing bands. "Other drum corps on the West Coast are rehearsing 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.," Bemis says. Specialists like Bemis also are typical of the drum corps. The instruments in the corps are different from all other bands and orchestras, the music is different, and the march routine is different. "You can�t buy this stuff," says Bemis, leafing through a poster-size notebook of march diagrams he has drawn up just for the Crusaders. The march routine matches the Crusaders� medley of Latino-influenced songs by Ricky Martin, Carlos Santana and Buster Poindexter. Although new to Southern Oregon, elsewhere in the nation, drum corps are well known for their distinctive sound and style, and for the highly competitive circuits in which they perform and earn points for national recognition, says Wise. A public television feature noted corps members� tendency to do nothing but "eat, sleep and perform" during the summer competition schedule. Southern Oregon got its first taste of the phenomenon a year ago with Drums Along the Rogue, a nationally sanctioned drum and bugle corps competition at the South Medford High School stadium. The program was a fund-raiser sponsored by the Arc of Jackson County, a United Way charity that provides services to developmentally disabled clients and their families. Wise, an Arc member, suggested and organized the program, drawing on his experiences. As a high school student growing up near Buffalo, N.Y., Wise performed with a drum and bugle corps. The second Drums Along the Rogue will be July 5 at South. It will be the first competition for the Crusaders, who will be competing with bigger and more practiced bands from California and Washington. On the day before, the Crusaders and other Drums Along the Rogue bands will march in Fourth of July parades around Jackson County. Last year, Drums Along the Rogue drew a crowd of about 2,000, including many high school musicians like Tom Wray, who were inspired by what they heard and saw and have wound up joining the Crusaders. "It was awesome," Tom recalls. Students say the corps is very different from their school marching bands, and the marching itself is more tightly choreographed. For Grants Pass High School grad Brenda Janssen, one of two Crusader drum majors, the corps is an enjoyable break from her efforts with a larger, school marching band. She is planning on continuing her musical marching at the University of Oregon. "This is more of a fun thing," Brenda says. After hearing Drums Along the Rogue, many students showed up for a drum and bugle corps clinic Wise organized in September to capitalize on their new-found interest. Another session was held in February. Finally, the corps has come together at the camp. "These are the hard-core kids who really stuck it out," says Wise. So far, funding for the Crusaders � instruments, uniforms, truck for traveling, music and march arrangers � all has come from Wise. Crusaders are paying just $20 for the two-week camp, which will be followed by a week of competition around Washington. Eventually, Wise says, he hopes to obtain corporate sponsors for the corps. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA