Newsletter

Carolina Crown is pleased to announce their 2001 production, "Industry", featuring original music by Marty McCartt, "Concertino for Four Percussion" by David Gillingham, "Main Title" from "The Cider House Rules" by Rachel Portman, and "Motown Metal" by Michael Daugherty (tentative).

Have you ever found yourself marveling at a building under construction?

Mankind's progress with regards to structural engineering has been formidable to say the least. For 2001, Carolina Crown has chosen 3 basic elements used in the making of common, everyday items, and constructed a drum corps presentation which defines the phrase, "What you see, is what you hear".

Wood is a highly versatile building element, that can be functional yet aesthetically pleasing? strong yet soft, load-bearing yet ornate. Rubber is one of man's more intriguing creations, in that it can be pliable and elastic, yet substantive enough to carry a multi-ton vehicle thousands of miles down a brutally hard and unforgiving surface. Likewise, beautiful music has a way of carrying us down life's sometimes-rocky path.

Perhaps the strongest of all building materials is metal. We use metals for a vast array of purposes: steel girders for buildings, aluminum for braces and fillings, and precious metals to crown kings and queens. This "Crown" has found it's own use for metal, proving the impossible: traditional industrial elements can, in fact, be used to create a spectacular drums corps show!

So, you won't want to miss this year's production! The corps' first field performance will be at Preview, Friday June 22nd. Also, don;t miss the corps at NightBEAT 2001 on Thursday, August 2nd! More information on both shows will be provided on the corps' website at http://www.carolinacrown.org/.

Loraine Womble Named Drum Major

Fourth-year Carolina Crown veteran Loraine Womble of Claxton, Georgia was named one of the corps' drum majors at the conclusion of the February camp weekend. Loraine joins David Roth, who was named after the January camp, as the drum majors for the 2001 season.

Loraine is a Senior at Claxton High School. She will graduate in May as an Honor Graduate. Loraine has been a member of band in the Claxton schools for 8 years. She spent the first 5 years playing flute, and then switched to baritone for the last three years. She was awarded the Most Outstanding New Bandsman her first year of marching band, and the Most Improved Brass Player last year.

Loraine's love of drum corps was sparked when her older brother, Larry Summerlin, marched Crown in 1997. In 1998 she and her brother, Jeremiah, followed in Larry's footsteps and became Crown members. She is a member of Crown's new Student Leadership Task Force and was a nominee for the corps' Outstanding Marcher award in 1999 and 2000.

In the fall Loraine will attend Georgia Southern College in Statesboro, Georgia, where she plans to major in nursing and further her marching career as a member of the Southern Pride Marching Band.

Outside of Carolina Crown, Loraine was the Low Medallist on the Claxton High School girls golf team in 1999 and 2000, and was awarded the Coaches Award in 2000.

Below are some of Loraine's own thoughts on her selection as a 2001 Carolina Crown Drum Major:

"Three years ago as I walked into my first camp for this drum corps (just trying to get a spot), it never would have occurred to me that I would become drum major for such a great organization. For some of us it is hard to think more than a week in advance; for me I have spent the last three years growing with Carolina Crown and plan on hopefully spending the next four years growing stronger as a team and a leader.

What we - Carolina Crown 2001 - have set before us is another opportunity to be outstanding. This year's performance will without question exceed that of our predecessors and raise the standard for years to come. In order to do this we must work as a team and always perform to our best ability. From what I have seen and experienced at the camps thus far, we will not be the underachievers. Instead, we will achieve and we will be absolutely amazing.

As one of your drum majors and a devout member to the organization, I vow to never let any of you down in my performance. What is set before me is set before you all, a challenge which will bring us to a new level in our lives, and personally I love a challenge. However, this particular challenge is one that is very new to me, and just like my first camp, I have a lot to learn. I hope, that with the help of David Roth and others, I will have the power to lead and conduct you all through such a prominent part of our careers as marchers."

Loraine Womble
2001 Carolina Crown Drum Major

Brass Co-caption Head Larry Markiewicz belts out a song of joy over Crown's decision to obtain new Dynasty horns!

Carolina Crown is pleased to announce we have agreed on a final plan withDEG Music Products that will put new Dynasty horns in the hands of CarolinaCrown brass players (minus contras) within the next 30-40 days.

Carolina Crown will be playing the same marching instruments played and refined by the Blue Devils including a "Tune Any Note" feature currently undergoing final design modifications. Since DEG may not have the "Tune Any Note" feature available much before the summer, they will provide Crown with a set of the same horns without the "Tune Any Note" feature in about 30 days that we will use until our "Tune Any Note" horns are produced. This gives us the best of both worlds... getting the "Tune Any Note" feature on our horns, and allowing us to be using new horns by our early May camp!

This is a very exciting event in Carolina Crown's history! It would not have been possible without the help of our supporters, whose most recent donations have provided the down-payment on these new instruments! We wish to particularly thank our #1 supporter, Mr. Don Harkness, whose continuing support in the memory of past Assistant Director Kerry Srdar have enabled Carolina Crown to make critical capital purchases like this many times in the past!

The corps will immediately begin accepting offers on their current instruments. For pricing, contact the Carolina Crown office at crown@carolinacrown.org or 803-547-2270.