Everyone's first show is right around the corner. Completed or not, shows will be placed on the field for judgment. Unfortunately, the first show I'll get to attend will be Allentown, Pa., which isn't until the very beginning of August. At least all the corps will have had plenty of time to make changes and perfect each production. When it boils down to it though, I rarely watch shows.

Becky Novac
I don't even buy a ticket, ever. The only show I typically watch is the Bluecoats, thanks to my instructors who give me a pass to get through the gates with them. When I marched, there was always a corps or two after us that could've watched but really didn't feel the need to. I was never a fan of watching my competition. I never wanted to duplicate what they did. Of course, I appreciate every ounce of artistry that corps perform all summer long; however, I'd rather meet people or talk to my friends. Don't get me wrong, eventually I see all my competitors shows. It's just much later; well after the season has ended. I'll watch the DVDs with friends at impromptu drum corps parties. When I'm not marching, I love hanging out in the parking lot. After marching for three years with Bluecoats, and other with a senior corps in 1999, a lot of people can pass you by but hanging out before, during, and after the shows is the only way to catch up with a lot of my fellow drum corps alumni. I'm that girl -- that girl that waits impatiently on the curb outside of the stadium waiting for busses to start rolling in. I call my friend who let me know how much longer until my wait is over. My favorite part about not going in to watch the actual performances is the chance to watch everyone warm up. I've been taught that my night's performance begins at warm-up. Warm-up is the sneak peak to the performance and without a clean warm-up people won't want to watch the show. I love going past all the different sections of multiple corps all warming up. Horn and drum lines are scattered but color guards typically warm up right next to each other. Some spectators never watch warm-up, but I hope you take the chance to do so this summer. Remember what the group looked like in warm-up and see if they transfer the same energy and precision to the field. While warm-up isn't the most exciting thing to watch, there's something about the meticulous accuracy that each individual section has that catches your eye. If you watch closely everyone's hands and feet are in the exact same position. Many of you have said to me through e-mails, "Hope to see you around this summer." Now you know where I'll be. Watch for me in Allentown walking around outside in the parking lot, probably with the Bluecoats. Don't be afraid to stop me and say "Hi." Becky Novac currently lives in Hoboken, N.J., and works for Universal McCann in New York City as an assistant media planner. She is 22 years old and a recent graduate from Penn State University where she majored in journalism and psychology. Becky marched with the Bluecoats in 2000, 2002 and 2004 as a member of the color guard.