Drum Corps History and Facts

[JustinDMoore]

I'm doing a little history on drum corps and would like to solicit some info.

Firstly, any idea where I could find a complete list of all drum corps, specifically those who are no longer active. It would be helpful it such list would have information such as years active, repertoires, etc. Yes, I've checked Wikipedia.

Second, I'm interested in some fascinating facts! DCI published a link a while back: http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=b4f5757f-03a7-4027-bd07-4e90d05b684d

It contained facts such as

1. The Racine Scouts were founded three years before the discovery of the planet Pluto.

2. 35 years of drum corps members performed while Bob Barker hosted the television game show, “The Price is Right.”
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President of the United States when the Madison Scouts played their first note.

4. DCI held four World Championships before VHS videotapes became a household item.

etc.

Do you have any to add? Can be historic, interesting, funny, whatever you can come up with.

Go! Should be fun to read.

[Liahona]

Firstly, any idea where I could find a complete list of all drum corps, specifically those who are no longer active. It would be helpful it such list would have information such as years active, repertoires, etc. Yes, I've checked Wikipedia.

http://corpsreps.com/corpslist.cfm

[chasgroh]

...here's a link to some historical material...

http://www.high-velocity-media.com/DCW/?page_id=367

Drum Corps World (AKA Steve Vickers) is a mine of information, if you can get your hands on "The History of Drum and Bugle Corps" (I think Mr.Vickers is re-publishing it...or has recently...or will...heh...) you will be way ahead...

[bill]

I'm doing a little history on drum corps and would like to solicit some info.

Firstly, any idea where I could find a complete list of all drum corps, specifically those who are no longer active. It would be helpful it such list would have information such as years active, repertoires, etc. Yes, I've checked Wikipedia.

Second, I'm interested in some fascinating facts! DCI published a link a while back: http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=b4f5757f-03a7-4027-bd07-4e90d05b684d

It contained facts such as

1. The Racine Scouts were founded three years before the discovery of the planet Pluto.

2. 35 years of drum corps members performed while Bob Barker hosted the television game show, “The Price is Right.”

3. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President of the United States when the Madison Scouts played their first note.

4. DCI held four World Championships before VHS videotapes became a household item.

etc.

Do you have any to add? Can be historic, interesting, funny, whatever you can come up with.

Go! Should be fun to read.

Kilties were the first corps to "ground" the pit.

[Ghost]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+history+of+drum+and+bugle+corps

[BRASSO]

I suppose this all depends on what one's definition of " Drum Corps " is.

" Drum Corps" were present when King George was our Colonies ruler under some definitions. Of course, they had woodwinds, not " bugles " then.

When the bugle replaced the woodwinds ( fife ) in some " Drum Corps",, thats about when the first " Drum Corps " purists began to howl.

Fast forward to 2014-2015 however, and there are more " traditional Drum Corps" competing with the woodwinds ( fifes ) in the " former 13 Colonies " than there are the" DCI progressive Drum Corps" with their brass instruments competing now in the former 13 Colonies . Some traditional Drum Corps purists tell me that the circle will be completed soon enough, and that all" Drum Corps" will return to its original heritage on its primary instrumentation useage.

I remain a skeptic on this however, and as a revolutionary on this, I have my trusty long knife, musket and minee ball at the ready,the horse in the barn groomed, and my Colonial uniform and boots on the ready hook by the door.

Edited December 15, 2014 by BRASSO

[chasgroh]

I suppose this all depends on what one's definition of " Drum Corps " is.

" Drum Corps" were present when King George was our Colonies ruler under some definitions. Of course, they had woodwinds, not " bugles " then.

When the bugle replaced the woodwinds ( fife ) in some " Drum Corps",, thats about when the first " Drum Corps " purists began to howl.

Fast forward to 2014-2015 however, and there are more " traditional Drum Corps" competing with the woodwinds ( fifes ) in the " former 13 Colonies " than there are the" DCI progressive Drum Corps" with their brass instruments competing now in the former 13 Colonies . Some traditional Drum Corps purists tell me that the circle will be completed soon enough, and that all" Drum Corps" will return to its original heritage on its primary instrumentation useage.

I remain a skeptic on this however, and as a revolutionary on this, I have my trusty long knife, musket and minee ball at the ready,the horse in the barn groomed, and my Colonial uniform and boots on the ready hook by the door.

...while your "history" seems OK, Mr. Brasso, you are mixing-up your arms and ammunition. The Miníe ball (named after Mr. Miníe himself) was used by US soldiers on both sides (to devastating effect) in the Civil War...revolutionary war fighters mostly used smooth-bore muskets, although there were rifles of the Kentucky variety. And, on another tack, I think Fife and Drum kicks ###! ;0)

[BRASSO]

...while your "history" seems OK, Mr. Brasso, you are mixing-up your arms and ammunition. The Miníe ball (named after Mr. Miníe himself) was used by US soldiers on both sides (to devastating effect) in the Civil War...revolutionary war fighters mostly used smooth-bore muskets, although there were rifles of the Kentucky variety. And, on another tack, I think Fife and Drum kicks ###! ;0)

By golly, give the man a see garr, as he indeed is correct on the ammo historical context here, and I should have known better re. this.

[Tim K]

If you're looking for a history of modern drum corps, I would agree that Steve Vickers and DCW is indispensable. Michael Boo's articles readily available on the DCI website are excellent too. The Legacy DVD's do a pretty good job at situating the drum corps scene of 1975-1999 with events in the news (I di not believe the 1974 DVD has any commentary).

If you are going as far back as Brasso suggests to fife and drum corps,(not a bad thing, if you're into history, fife and drum corps can be fascinating), Colonial Williamsburg has excellent materials and historians who specialize in fife and drum corps. Since the fife and drum corps was the ancestor to military bands and (brass band and bugles), military histories would probably be an excellent place for material. The history buff in me loves fife and drum corps and seeing the fife and drum corps is well worth a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, but fife and drum corps did not compete against one another, the change from fifes to bugles was not the same as the change of Key of G to B-flat, etc. There is not a straight line between fife and drum corps and modern drum corps. They would be more a footnote rather than a where we began. For the evolution of competitive drum corps, I would wonder fi there are materials available in American Legion and VFW archives. Also conduct interviews. I know kids who march today, people who marched when I was younger, and people whoa re now in their late 60's and 70's who marched, and most love sharing their stories. Yes you would have to fact check, but urban legends and tall tales do tell the story of drum corps, if you provide factual context.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Tim K

[JimF-LowBari]

According to History of DC Vol I the National AL was ready to pitch all their crops stuff and Bo Zinko rescued it at the last moment, HODC has bunch of parade pics going back to the 20s (part of what was saved) and all the national scores. VFW scores are spotty in the early years and no idea what the national VFW still has.

Depending on what you are looking for (what era, Sr/Jr etc) some corps have websites with a lot of info. The Racine corps (Scouts, Kilties, Boys of 76) have good ones written IIRC by the same person.