MUNCIE, Indiana — While the full effect of July 26’s DCI Tour Preview was hampered by inclement weather, that didn’t stop Carolina Crown from putting on a show indoors at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena.
In addition to getting an exclusive sneak peek at Crown’s competitive program, “The Doors of Perception,” the audience was treated to a special encore performance featuring members of the Bands of America (BOA) Summer Camp Marching Band performing alongside the corps.
“My experience was so incredible this summer,” said BOA camper Natalia, who is attending the camp for her third year. “I met so many amazing people, the staff is wonderful, and I just loved getting to play with Crown.”
The summer camp experience, running a full week from June 22 to June 27 on the campus of Ball State, was an opportunity for students to get real, hands-on experience in music and performing arts education. This not only included programs for marching band, marching percussion, color guard and drum majors, but the camp also provided tracks for students interested in music production, concert band and jazz band as well.
For many of these high school students, the leadership training is just as valuable as the musical instruction.
“It helps me prepare as a leader for my band back home,” Natalia added. “I will definitely be taking a lot of what I learned here back to my own program.”
The culmination of that hard work came Saturday night when the campers took the floor with Carolina Crown. The joint performance capped off a successful week for the BOA students, offering a firsthand look at the next level of the marching arts. The connection between the camp and the drum corps activity runs deep. Several current Crown members were BOA campers themselves just a few seasons ago.
“I attended this camp in 2023, 2024, and 2025 before deciding to march drum corps for the 2026 season,” said Carolina Crown color guard member Harper Holewinski. “Being in the master classes taught me how to spin and learn fast and pick things up quickly, which really prepared me for the drum corps experience.”
Fellow Crown guard member, Holly Dexter, also spoke of the camp’s ability to set students up for success in Drum Corps International.
“I know that a lot of the skills I do now at Crown are things I first learned at this camp,” Dexter said. She encouraged summer campers to “Take every piece of information you get from this camp and carry it with you into drum corps.”
The BOA Summer Camp will return next summer to Ball State University June 21-26, 2027. Carolina Crown on the other hand has its eyes set on the DCI Summer Tour ahead, with the corps’ very first competitive performance in Sevierville, Tennessee for Drums Across the Smokies on July 7.
