Drum & Bugle Corps 50 year History 

Drum corps only had a 28 year history under DCI. Since 2000, I have no idea what it actually is, but it’s for damned sure it is NOT drum corps.

Sorry to say that I cannot watch Drum Corp today soil my memories of my youth.

Today’s drum corps has devolved into a competition of who can play the most spastic collection of notes under the umbrella of some “genius” theatrics. They will play maybe two measures of something recognizable and then it mutates into something seizure-inducing. I was a huge drum corps fan in high school and would always go to shows. I went to a show last year and swore it would be my last. It’s just not as enjoyable as it used to be. I believe in the activity. But it has gone a direction that I think is unfortunate.

I have stated hundreds of times, DCI has turned the activity into a marching band competition, superimposed on a three-ring circus. Thank you the activity as far as, drum and bugle c o r p s, a r e concerned.. please call it what it really is it's a marching band. There's nothing wrong with marching bands, but it is definitely not a drum and bugle Corps.

Why does Drum Corp think they are...Singers? Broadway dancers? Electronic specialists? Dress-up actors not specializing in uniforms? All artforms grow and develop, but when do artforms completely change what they set out to do?

Of course now, without an announcer, you would not know the Cavaliers from any other corps.

My brother and I played with the Kenosha, WI Kingsmen for many years, sadly myself and others got called up from the Military Reserves to, active duty. Lost 1/4 of the corps, after that the Kingsmen were gone. Tried a comeback, but didn't work out. The draft during the 60's era folded many corps. My favorite corps were the Royal Airs and Vanguard My brother and I got back together in 2006 and use to get to a number of DCI shows, sadly Bruce passed away unexpected in 2016.

"Change is inevitable, but growth is optional" - John C. Maxwell I'm not so stuck in the past that I am against change. I can live with DCI evolving, in fact I would expect it to. But not all change is "good". Drum corps, once an activity for the masses, has morphed into an outdoor version of WGI that actively excludes kids who can't afford the ridiculous costs. The end result is an ever-shrinking group of well-off (albeit every talented) kids that get to participate. I marched drum corps in the 80's and it changed my life forever. If DCI had been then like it is today, I would not have been able to afford it. DCI will never be like it used to be (not necessarily a bad thing) but if it does not make serious efforts to widen its tent so that ALL have the opportunity to participate it will continue to contract and eventually die.

There’s one caption head trophy at DCI that they just refuse to create, but the high caption award for “who destroyed DRUM CORPS” should be shared equally by George Hopkins, Wayne Downey, and the idiotic Boards of Directors who led many a fine corps straight into bankruptcy. It has never been easier to win the DCI trophy or to make finals and this very moment, and what do we have - crappy skits; faux artistry.

Before DCI, which now costs thousands and thousands of dollars each year for ONE corps member to participate, and a show which costs more than one million dollars to produce, it was a different time. Before the inception of DCI, there was practically a Drum and Bugle Corps for almost every city and town across America, where every single young person could join a corps, learn about playing music, being in a color guard, what military precision, marching and maneuvering was all about, and real, honest-to-God pride in a job well done after hours of practice. Now, there are less than 75 corps in the nation.

The issue at hand is not talent, or hard work of the touring corps of today vs yesterday. It how success is measured on the field. There was a time when the competition season was chasing perfection, not only in music, but in execution, and appearance. How close could we get? Then, it became about innovation, the perfection scoring system limited innovation, by forcing corps to play it safe and not be penalized for attempting something new or different. This lead to the late 80’s- about 2000 scoring system. Then it simply became about progress and what could give a corp a competitive edge through taking advantage of multiples harmonics, and electronics (thanks Hopkins). Star decided that they had accomplished all they needed to on the competitive field and thus established the “brass theater” which then morphed into “Blast”. Corps directors and staff everywhere, saw what was possible with the world that Star created, and wanted to take advantage of it on the field, thus they also turned to WGI to make a new style that we see used and mimicked today by all of the top corps. None of this is necessarily bad, but, there is a bad aspect to it, raising cost in always having to push the envelope to stay relevant year after year with electronics, audio engineers, transportation, all the different brass needed, props, stages, etc. As one corps gaines success the other quickly follow suit. Ditching traditional Uniform icons of identity and their unique sounds that made each corps distinguishable from each other, to having to rely on the announcer to tell us who is who. Eventually, those that cannot pay the piper to keep up, fall by the wayside and are left behind to fold into oblivion. Thus shrinking access to the activity even greater. The progress seen in the late 60’s, into the 70,s from the creation of DCI and the piston rotor bugle, to the two valves of the 80’s to the pinnacle of three valve horns of the 90’s , going from military step two drill to curvilinear forms created and pioneered by Zingali, opened a new era, the arrangements from Jim ott, and Wayne Downey, and Jim Wren, opened up the possibility of what could be done with a matched set of G bugles, and the caviliers perfect the art of precision marching, scouts brought raw power, phantom gave us romance, and the devils gave us modern jazz just to name a few. But none of this changed the soul of the activity. But what this has become, progress just for the sake of progress has created a monster that has consumed itself, no longer recognizable to those that came before it, and I hope those that so boldly lead the charge into this new world enjoy it immensely, until the cost of that progress leaves us a world without any of the great Corps.

Why weren't the kilts involved in the founding of DCI?

The musicianship is top notch but I DESPISE the frooty tooty costumes and gay looking antics. I miss the old corps… military precision and style.

Now wait a minute. DCI was ALWAYS better than DCA, because the juniors were able to practice more than the seniors. We had jobs and once-a-week practice. Shaun: Baltimore Yankee-Rebels, 75-76 (Truman was our horn instructor, but he was only a warrant officer back then).

I remember when my brother Kevin and I where listening to sweet George brown by Sprit of Atlant and my dad said Lieutenant Norman Prince played it better that was back in 1956 me and my brother just laughed

Hey, there I am at 6:48.

I was fortunate to compete against the Garfield Cadets the golden knights, and many other great drum and bugle Corps. I was a member of the Floyd Bennett golden eagles 1960 and 1961, also a member of the Long Island sunrises 1964 through 1968. John Dowling, and I started the American Spirit senior alumni drum and bugle Corps in 1992 in Tampa Bay Florida area. John darling is a person who developed, backsticking, still use today in all these marching bands. It was the only person in Drum Corps history that won four national championships in a single day. Individual snare, drum quartet, soprano, bugle, brass quartet. No other, person in the history of the activity has ever accomplished that. He was also a drum judge for many years and in instructor for many years. He arranged the Fanfare for the reading Buccaneers in their first public appearance. Roosevelt Stadium, preview what champions. May he rest in peace.

Drum corp today does not look like my experiences. I was fortunate to be a part of Blessed Sacrament. Great people and great times.

I was in the Invaders from Norristown Pa. We were from the VFW post 1804 and Learned a lot from that wonderful experience. Was a member from 1954 until it was disbanded in about 1962 Too man aged out at 18. Went to Nationals In Miami in 1957 and also Nationals in New York city in 1959. I sure miss all of the people who worked so hard for us.

I was in drum corps "64 -'67. It was controlled in a way by the VFW. I lost interest and never saw another performance until 2016. I had no idea what I was in for. To see 200 participants, all the pageantry and the music capabilities this had grown into put me in a state of shock. I just couldn't believe it all. The last corps was the Carolina Crown. I just never saw anything like it. It was overwhelming. I didn't want their show to end.

Awesome. When was this made? 2000ish?

1961 Hawthorne caballeros 😊best ever

No one is forcing you to watch now days. It the face that yall wanna trash another groups performance is distasteful considering most of these kids today do continue to look up to yall. Sad

Drum corp today does not look like my experiences. I was fortunate to be a part of Blessed Sacrament. Great people and great times. Bobby Thompson

Back to old school😮 heck old school was like the 1st day of school,Who knew what to expect🤔 drum corp has become some of the greatest shows on earth🙂

Lt. Col Truman Crawford was a truly great man and a pioneer in drum corps. He believed in tradition and his passing is a huge loss. Unfortunately we suffered a second loss with the establishment of DCI. It's no Drum and Bugle Corps, but what I refer to as twinky bands.