About a decade ago I was auditioning for a small, local open class corps and I was pretty nervous. I was only 14 and had never really auditioned for anything like this before. I think I blocked most of this from my memory, but apparently I was so nervous that I walked into the audition room, said nothing to any of the staff, and just immediately started playing my audition piece. The staff stopped me so we could have a quick chat and I stuttered my way through some get-to-know-you questions. The spaghetti was falling out of my pockets hard. I ended up getting a contract and marching that season though 😂 I guess it's not that bad but I remember feeling so embarrassed. Anyone else have fun stories?

Do corps stay in full uniform somewhere with the rest of the group after they perform, or can members change out and then just put the uniforms back on later? What exactly happens between a corps’ performance and the retreat ceremony?

I have marched 2 seasons of drum corps this will be my 3rd, I marched columbians both summers and I drove up to all the camps and etc, my question is, is there a specific way or an easy ish way to go about flights and all your luggage, I play baritone so it’s not exactly a small instrument and I’m required to bring my own.

People that have done this before what is the best way you found that works :)

Any WoW fans??

Full video posting tomorrow!

Hey y’all, this upcoming summer is my age out and I’ve been wanting to audition for the cavaliers. I marched the last 2 seasons with Memphis blues and I ended the season on a high. I deal with really bad anxiety and self doubt come audition season which has led me to not even practicing the cavaliers packet more than twice in the past month. If you also dealt with this, how did you push past the self doubt and “tomorrow” talk?

I am working on a project that asks me to identify a problem which causes people to feel like they don't belong somewhere. Being involved in drum corps, I wanted it to be apart of the project as it is a topic I am very familiar with. If you ever felt like you didn't belong in drum corps, or have never marched because of a related reason, I'd love to hear your story! I don't want any drama to unfold so I encourage keeping any names anonymous, but the more information the better. My goal is to present the issue and ways we can promote belonging instead, so please share what you wish would've been different! I hope this post gets somewhere and I appreciate hearing from anyone that replies!!

Get your hankies ready.

This video is a look into the 3 strangest percussion moments I could find in the most recent years that either won a Sanford, Won 1st place at finals, or a combination of both! If you liked this video, shoot a like, and definitely subscribe for more content like this!

Hi guys, I normally just scroll in here and whatever, but something has been bugging me for a couple years now. There's no Memphis Blues flair. I marched in 2023 and I think it'd be really cool to show off every year I've marched so far. I dunno who's in charge of that but this is my formal plea to add that pretty pretty plzz.

Title is my exact question. I assume there’s obviously a TON of marchers that are going to school for either music ed or performance or something of that sort.

How common is it that there are majors like stem or business that succeed in drum corps?

Not that the major defines the person, just curious

I've seen Gravity and Grace maybe three or four times now, including live in person at finals, and I absolutely don't want to diminish the incredible accomplishment the Bluecoats pulled off this year. The show was super clean and it was clear that every member left everything they had on that field and absolutely deserved the gold.

But...the show's design doesn't really stand out to me in the way other Bloo shows have. It isn't bad by any stretch, far from it, but in my experience it also doesn't hold a candle to what I consider my favorite Bloo shows from the mid-to-late 2010s.

Even more confusing to me, discourse this year around this show has seemingly got Gravity and Grace pinned as one of the great shows of DCI history. I've heard it likened to Down Side Up with the way it's going to redefine the activity. And I guess I just...don't see it?

Are people just super impressed with the technical achievements of the show? Is there some thematic component that's going over my head? I would love to hear from people who love the show as to why it strikes you as so special.

The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps: A history of alleged sexual abuse

A Failure to Protect

Here are non-paywall Internet Archive links to the two 2018 investigative reports that revealed the institutional cover up of sexual abuse in drum corps. These need to be stickied at the very top of this subreddit so that new members can be made aware of events that transpired less than a decade ago; events of which many readers here are demonstrably unaware.

We as community members can certainly continue to educate younger generations on why George Hopkins is permanently banned from attending DCI-sanctioned events or why The Cadets, Oregon Crusaders, and Pioneer no longer field corps, or why Spirit of Atlanta is being sued, or why we don't trust "the proper legal/whistleblower channels" to take reports seriously and keep members safe, but it would be very helpful and beneficial to everyone involved (except, perhaps, the predators, along with those who actively work to protect the predators, such as the people downvoting this post right now) if the above information were readily available for younger generations to educate themselves. It's not ideal, because those archived sites take forever to load, but as it turns out there's nothing "ideal" about the fight to protect young people from predators who mean them harm. It's a fight that has to be fought no matter how uncomfortable it might make some feel, and it starts with knowing the shockingly recent history of what has transpired...history which is seemingly being covered up just like all the abuse.

If I were to be in a situation where I'm able to get HRT, but only somewhat soon before leaving for the season, should I try to deal with the early stages while away, or deal with the dysphoria for the season and start after I come back? I'm really not sure what my situation is for the coming months, but it's looking like I could be starting some time soon, so, given I'll be starting within the next calendar year either way, what's your advice?

What I have observed:

- this project / group seems to be trying to revive Cadets branding and its beloved show designers
- this group is trying to become a drum corps but hasn’t yet

- they tried to field something last season but did not end up doing so

- they are trying to field something, maybe as a sound sport group, this season

- They seem to be affiliated with a random group of indoor ensembles

Questions I have:

- Is there anyone on here who was supposed to march last season that can give an insight into what exactly legacy is? How much of a show was there? Did you see any of the advertised design/ arranging team like Lagola or Bocook, or their work, present at camps?

- What is currently happening with auditions?

- What competition circuit, if any, is Legacy trying to be a part of?

- Are any of the affiliated indoor groups real or is this all just kind of the workings of one man with arrested development and his trusty chat gpt subscription?

TLDR: If you have gone to any Legacy camp, audition, or rehearsal I would love to know what happened. Trying to better understand what’s going on with this group.

What would happen if a midrange world class corps (Let’s say for example, Madison) used G bugles for a season?

What if they went back to traditional uniforms?

What if they did an old-school show, like “A Drum Corps Fan’s Dream: Part Tres”?

What if they used symmetrical drill?

What if they used Mylar drums?

What if they used marching keyboards?

These all don’t necessarily need to be in the same hypothetical show, but I wonder what would happen if any of these things were utilized in the modern era. What are your thoughts?

I’ve been playing baritone for a month or two now. I’m thinking about going to the Phantom audition over this weekend because it’s pretty close and I’m planning on marching Colt Cadets this summer if I can. Is it weird or in bad taste that I want to go to the audition just to see what it’s like? Should I bother doing it? I’ve marched in high school band as a tenor sax.

What’s up with the audio in the mid 90’s recordings? They’re god awful. The videos from the 80’s have better audio quality.

Has anybody been on tour, while almost your entire corps got ill?

Which one is your favorite brass brand for Drum Corps? Which one has the best sound for a DCI hornline ?