Classic drum and bugle corps are musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units returning from the First World War and subsequent wars. Traditionally, drum and bugle corps served as signaling units as early as before the American Civil War, with these signaling units having descended in some fashion from ancient drum and fife corps. However, a modern drum and bugle corps is a musical marching ensemble consisting of brass and percussion instruments, synthesizers, and a color guard. Drum corps perform in parades, festivals, and other civic functions, but primarily make appearances in competitions. Drum and bugle corps have grown significantly in America from their classic roots to the more modern representation they are today, …show more content…
influencing young musicians and fans to participate, learn, and compete in this rigorous activity, predominantly due to the 1971 foundation of Drum Corps International. The growth of drum and bugle corps in America has established a forum for young people to be expressive, creative, and competitive, with corps being founded with a wide range of origins, generating a widely diverse and popular type of musical performance in the history of American music. The most successful and well know drum and bugle corps are part of an organization known as Drum Corps International.
Drum Corps International also known as DCI, is the non-profit governing body for junior drum and bugle corps in the U.S. and Canada. DCI has helped drum and bugle corps grow in all directions. The DCI member corps have originated from many different backgrounds, but all have a common goal of enriching the lives of their participants while striving for excellence and promoting this newer form of musical performance. Some examples of corps that have heavily influenced both the world of music and their communities are the Anaheim Kingsmen, The Blue Devils, and Carolina …show more content…
Crown. Drum Corps International, a prominent facilitator in the development of drum and bugle corps, was founded in 1971 by thirteen preexisting drum and bugle corps. These thirteen pioneer corps were unhappy with the strict immutable rules and regulations of the American Legion and the VFW (veterans of foreign wars) who were the primary sponsors for the corps and shows at the time. The Thirteen DCI member corps found new sponsors, hosts, and appeared in a hand full of competitions which helped to grow their popularity and build an audience. In August of 1972, the first annual DCI world championship competition was held at Warhawks Stadium on the campus of University of Wisconsin. DCI has since constructed their headquarters in Indianapolis Indiana, where the annual world championships have been held at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2009 and is charted to be the host of the competition through 2028. From the thirteen founding drum and bugle corps which consisted of around ninety or fewer members per corps , DCI has grown to its now forty-six member corps with a limit of 150 members per corps and an age range from 13 to 22 years old. The DCI organization has grown their audience from the small last minute audience at the first championship competition to the over 400,000 fans that attend live events last year during the summer DCI tour, not to mention the fact that the championship finals were broadcasted on PBS starting in 1975 and by ESPN2 from 2006 to 2007. Despite the finals sadly no longer being broadcasted on television there are 111 live performances in 37 different states each summer and the quarterfinals are screened live at movie theatres all throughout America for all fans to view. The first DCI world champion crowned in 1972 was the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps from Anaheim, California. Originally founded in 1958, as the Anaheim Explorer Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, the corps continued to grow until 1963 when they split into two corps known as the Anaheim Kingsmen and the Velvet Knights. As the Kingsmen advanced on their journey they gained corporate sponsorship from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Anaheim Angels. In 1971, the Anaheim Kingsmen became one of the founding members of DCI. Before the start of what would be a rewarding season, the founder of the Kingsmen resigned as the director of operations, leaving the corps financially unstable and struggling to keep up at the rate they had been competing. After getting off to a late and difficult start in the 1972 season the Kingsmen won competitions hosted by the U.S. Open and the Catholic Youth Organization, before winning the premier Drum Corps International world championships title. The Kingsmen competed in DCI for two more years placing in the top ten both years before leaving competition. Returning to competition from 1982 to 1986, the corps never placed higher than 28th. The Kingsmen then restricted themselves to only west coast performances, after having some success the corps eventually fell inactive again in 1988 after losing their entire drum line to another corps and all of their equipment and its trailer to thieves. The Anaheim Kingsmen are now an inactive drum and bugle corp. The organization has since been a sponsor for new drum and bugle corps, promoting and growing the activity with every new corps. Although they no longer perform, the Kingsmen still manage to influence new additions to the world of drum corps via sponsorships. With the Anaheim Kingsmen participation in DCI gradually declining in the late 1970’s a corps known as the Blue Devils, who had previously competed as a drum and bell corps began to thrive as a drum and bugle corps.
The Blue Devils were founded in 1957 as an all-boy drum corps with only percussion instruments, and a separate all-girl drill team. In 1958 the Blue Devils added glockenspiels to their percussion line and split their drill team off into a separate organization becoming a drum and bell corps. In 1961, a Color Guard flag section was added to the corps. In 1968, a third unit was added to the Blue Devils when the original junior Drum and Bell Corps elected to compete as a senior corps and a new junior Corps was established. All of the corps did so well that in the late 1960's, the Senior Drum and Bell Corps decided to make the transition to a Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1974, the older A Corps earned a full DCI membership. As the corps progressed their success, in 1976 The Blue Devils won their first drum corps international championship. As the most decorated DCI member corps the Blue Devils have accumulated a total of 17 championship titles and have finished in the top five for the past 30 consecutive years. The Blue Devils Performing Arts (also known as BDPA) organization has grown immensely since their foundation in 1957 and currently has seven different programs for people from ages 8 to 25 in musical and dance performance. While over 450 young people currently
participate in BDPA programs their mission is to “permanently enrich the lives of young people through a commitment to youth development and performance excellence while providing enjoyment for our local community and audiences worldwide.” Over 8,000 young people, in 2,000 families, have been served by the Blue Devils Performing Arts organization since 1957. With the DCI fan base growing faster than ever, in 1990 there emerged a new drum and bugle corps that is now known as Carolina Crown. Carolina Crown was founded in 1988 as a group of local drum corps fans from Charlotte, North Carolina who gathered to discuss and watch drum corps video. Carolina Crown first competed in 1990 finishing dead last. Despite the previous year Carolina crown continued to compete placing second place in Class A and advanced to Open Class prelims, where they placed twenty-fifth in 1991. After the 1991 season Carolina Crown gained DCI Associate membership. It wasn’t until 2013 that Carolina Crown won their first Drum Corps International World Championship title. As a consistent contender in DCI Carolina Crown is renowned for its horn line which has won the Jim Ott Award for Best Brass Performance five times in the last nine years. They have also won the Don Angelica award for Best General Effect twice and the John Brazale award for Best Visual Performance three times. As a drum corps that was founded by fans Carolina Crown is a prime example of drum and bugle corps that helped to create a forum for young musicians and fans to compete. All 46 drum corps international member corps have their own unique story of what they were founded from, whether that be a group of boy scouts, a fan group, or a bell corps that saw the potential of drum and bugle corps. With the diverse history and background of each corps, drum and bugle corps have grown into an entirely new form of musical performance. With this new form of musical performance influencing young people all across America it has successfully made its mark on the history of American music and continues to be a formidable contender in the ever-growing world of music. As drum and bugle corps continue to make history in the music world more people than ever are getting involved and becoming fans especially with the advent of internet video sharing. Drum and bugle corps attract people of all ages from the young newcomers to more seasoned musical veterans and brings them together in pursuit of common interest. Not only reaching out to music fans across the country, the member corps of DCI act as a way for participants and fans alike to get involved in their communities through sponsorships and volunteer work. Drum and bugle corps is an activity that has made music history in America and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future as indicated by the rapid growth in fan base and participation.
Though the formation of our modern-day Concert Band does not date back quite as far as our modern-day Wind Ensemble, the extent of events, groups, composers, and advancements is quite similar. The evolution of the Concert Band dates back to the French Revolution. Large bands, full of unique instruments and amateur musicians, were required to play at festivals and ceremonies. Similar to the evolution of the Wind Ensemble, the Concert Band is derived from military purposes. Instruments, such as the trumpets, horns, and drums, were often used for signaling. In contrast to Wind Ensemble musicians, these Concert Band musicians never played their instruments for military enjoyment. The Concert Band musicians primarily played instruments to signal to the guards and villages. There were a few unique instruments, however, that were desired to play a military tune. These instruments include instruments such as a flute or bagpipe. Throughout the Middle Ages, this difference in military preference led to different job opportunities. For example, a cavalry company required trumpets, horns, and trumpets. On the other hand, foot soldiers would hire flute and bagpipe
With an upcoming drumline of around ten freshmen, eight sophomores, three juniors, and one senior we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us and to achieve that goal of being the best we need someone to lead us. Our ensemble can become amazing and I have a lot of great goals I hope we accomplish next year but more than anything else our group needs motivation to become the best. And by the end of next year we will have pushed ourselves and we might be bloody and tired at the finish line but we will have made it. That 's what I strive for if I get the position of Drum Captain for the 2016 Pirate Drum Line.
Drum Corps International (DCI) defines drum corps has a drum and bugle musical marching unit that has only brass, percussion instruments and color guard. DCI is considered a specialized marching band (DCI parents: About drum corps, n.d).
Following in my sister’s footsteps, my mom signed me up to march trombone my freshman year. The idea alone baffled me; at the time dance filled my life and I showed no interest for this vastly different activity. However, I still joined, but since the peak of my dance season conflicted with the beginning of marching band, I joined a few weeks late. All would have been well if only the trombone section did not disintegrated leaving me without a home. This left me in the dust with no section to go to. To learn a brand new instrument would have shoved me even farther behind, and I refused to go on. In spite of my thoughts, my mom insisted in me not dropping out, so we took a new approach. I joined the color guard.
DCI is pretty much professional marching band without the woodwind section. Drum Corps, opposed to its title, not only contains a drum line and a pit section, but also all brasswind instruments as well. All twenty-two of the existing DCI bands consist of approximately 200-300 members that have completed multiple rounds of auditions to make the band. After the band is compiled, the band will go through weeks of band camp that are much more exhausting than any high school band student could imagine. DCI goes non stop, with practices every day during the summer, as well as multiple performances all around the country. If there is any doubt that DCI is exhausting, just take a look at and DCI member; the vast majority of DCI band members are extremely in shape even much more so than before they
Looking around and seeing bright lights and feeling all eyes on you. Hearing both sides of the stadium cheer and shout for their teams and getting nervous during the last few seconds of the second quarter and at the same time being very proud of what the band has accomplished in the brief amount of time it took to learn the pretty intense and complex drill. Then suddenly you get the adrenaline rush that pushes you to perform. Many people would agree that being a drum major is one of the most eminent positions that is held by students who are Being the Drum Major of any band shows that you have the respect and trust of the members of the band and it’s directors. It also shows that you are passionate about what you do, responsible and that
The national guard championships had occured during the summer at the DCI Drum and Bugle Corps Championships or at the National Contests of the American Legion and Veterans of Foregian Wars before 1977. One day on August 1977, the DCI Championships was held in a basement in Denver. The basement had columns in it so the performers had to manuver around them, while judges had to look around the obstructions. The basement also had no air conditioning as well. Despire the problems, there were some good performances done. Holley Hawks had won and became the national champions while defeating St. Anthonys Imperailes.
One of the biggest decisions of my high school career came my sophomore year when I decided to try out for the role of drum major in my high school band. This decision was very tough to make due to the fact that I was a sophomore, and although I already had three years of experience under my belt as a band member at Northview High School, I knew that it would be very tough to earn the respect of my peers if I succeeded in becoming drum major. Out of the three years I had spent in the band, the biggest influence on my decision to try out came from my very first marching season, between August and December of 2012. From that year forward, after seeing many areas that the band could improve, watching how underclassmen and middle school band members
Marching band is not like many other communities where people come together because they are
Band is an elective given in elementary schools through college schools around the world. Many schools come together and compete with one another. School bands also perform at football games, basketball games, and in parades. Most school marching bands are accompanied by a color guard, a group of performers, who add a visual interpretation to the music by using props, flags and rifles. A school marching band apparel includes a military type of style, the school's colors, along with the school's name and mascot. It is important to have band as an elective in schools because it helps kids display their emotions and maybe for some it is a hobby. Band directors have said that having band helps young emotional development, helps contribute to a more intellectual culture, builds teamwork and self confidence. It is hard to imagine being in this amazing class and coming upon these out of the box stereotypes and misconceptions of being a nerd, lazy or unathletic. These stereotypes and misconception mainly come from basically movies, shows and books things that are being aired. For example, a kid show, spongebob, kids from ages three to twelve are watching these shows maybe even teens and adults. A spongebob episode fifteen, season two is titled “band geeks”, putting this low degrading name on the group of kids performing at football games with instruments
People in America started using drums on the battlefield during the Revolutionary war. The drums that were used in the Revolutionary war are called field drums because they were used on battlefields. Field drums are really just the olden day version of a snare drum with a few minor differences. During the Civil war, field drums were accompanied by fifes on the battlefield. The drum and fife would be used to keep the soldiers marching in time, give orders in camps, and “the steady rhythm and spirited tunes of the fifers and drummers kept the soldiers mind off the tedious march”. The drums were also helpful for when the soldiers were lined up in the firing line to keep their mind occupied. Soldiers said that the music would remind them of home and their friends. Field drums were a necessity in war because the battlefield was very loud and it could be hard to hear officers ...
Native American music has many different musical styles. Within every Native American tribe there is a variety of musical styles and instruments. In response to the research that I have conducted, there are three main musical styles that are going to be my point of focus. The Sioux Grass Dance, the Zuni Lullaby, and the Iroquois Quiver Dance are the principal methods which contribute to Native American music.
In March of 2016 I read about color guard auditions. I asked a few of my friends about what it was because they had mentioned dancing. And if you know me, you know that dance is an enormous part of my life. My friends explained to me that it was a group, apart from the band. They perform at football games and marching band contests.
Body percussion, spoons, washboard, harp. Harmonica, a jug. Bluegrass Music - What is bluegrass music? Direct descendant of the old-time string band tradition, which developed out of Southern mountain dance music & songs. Combines old-time string band music with gospel harmonies & blues rhythms.
By being responsible for the processing, understanding, and relaying many different key and time signatures simultaneously throughout the ensemble will increase my understanding of many core fundamentals of music, specifically in the area of music theory. Additionally, I would be provided the opportunity to be familiar with all parts, whilst knowing who is responsible for specific tasks within marching band. Learning and growing in my comprehension of these areas would assist me with planned career path of a Music Teacher. Holding the position of Drum Major would also provide deeper understanding as to what a Music Teacher’s responsibilities entail. Reading the various pieces for all the instruments and parts, while conducting the right time signatures at the right moments, and making sure everyone is following their drill sheets are just some of these responsibilities. The skills I will learn as Drum Major (if given the position) will provide me with an advantage when I lead an ensemble of my