HappyDad

Just checked on this. Guess what? Music For All has a summer symposium that features the Parks Drum Major Camp. Looks like it would be in late June in Muncie, IN! My daughter will be so excited when she sees this when she gets home from school. She has a short day today because they have first semester finals this week. Thanks everyone.

Thank you. I have checked some colleges and University of Indiana is sending us some information. My daughter wants to go to Bowling Green when she graduates.

My daughter is finishing her junior year in high school and has been in band since 8th grade. She was asked to perform with the High School Marching band as an 8th grader. She wants to be a drum major and someone told us that some drum and bugle corps have drum major camps and workshops. My daughter is on drum corps planet because she wants to march in a drum and bugle corps someday and so I am asking if any drum and bugle corps you know have drum major camps or workshops. We live in southern Indiana.

I don't understand. Maybe I don't understand the point. You mentioned weeknight rehearsals and I would guess the location of this corps would allow better use of limited rehearsal time as compared to other more cold climate centered corps.

Does being in Arizona give Academy more time for visual rehearsal? They don't have snow from November to April like other places. How do other corps manage it? Are there large indoor facilities in other places?

You make some good points. Thank you.

Let me try to answer your question. I read in many topics on DCP that there are too many obstacles keeping kids from marching drum and bugle corps who apparently want to march. I tried to list the points I continued to read in topic after topic. I was actually concerned there are kids who want to march drum corps and we should do more to make that possible. Back in Minnesota we had corps who were mainly adults, but they let younger family members march as well. I think they were the DCA corps people mentioned. So, I would think DCA would be less expensive and would take beginners, right? Or, is the issue that it's too expensive and risky to start a new corps trying to teach new people and make it inexpensive? Is that asking too much? I remember some of the corps who are no longer here, run by the Optimists Club, the Knights of Columbus, the VFW and American Legion, the Catholic Churches and the Boys Scouts. Many are gone or have lost their association with these groups. So, how do young people get their start in drum corps any more? Is DCA and school band the only places?

I read more than I ever post. Over the weekend, I figured out how to post new topics (a potential danger here) and this is going to be my first try I think. In reading, I see a divide between people who think DCI has destroyed drum corps the way it was when I started watching (even before there was a DCI, mind you) and others who see DCI more as changing and adapting with the times. I see lots of discussion and energy arguing that I think could be used to start something new. If there are lots of kids who want to learn to play and march and want to do drum corps but they can't because: 1. It's too expensive. 2. It's too far away. 3. I can't be gone all summer. 4. I have to work too. 5. I don't know how to play. 6. I don't know how to march. Then, why aren't there people out there doing this outside of the schools. Now, I have to admit...I don't talk to many kids as I used to, but my wife and I are still band boosters at our high school and we go two or three games a year and a couple of parades. We probably have around 60 kids in the HS band. The junior high has more than 90 this year. We do not have a corps within 500 miles of our school. But, I don't see many kids who want to play and march that aren't in the junior high and high school band already. So, where are all these kids some of you keep talking about? And isn't there less expensive places they can march? And, if not, how do we get a corps and a local circuit started? Who would help?

Last time Phantom came west they did not lose money. Their souvie sales were awesome. I had to wait in line for over 45 min. in Vista, CA...lots of young kids with their wallets out for a Phantom t-shirt. I would think if a tour was well planned, it would not result in lost revenue. If it can't break even, why do it, right? And if I believe what I was told about Phantom Regiment, their close to $500,000 debt was caused by many factors including trying to operate too many programs which were not breaking even. I was able to meet Mr. Rick Valenzuela a few years back. Didn't he used to be with Santa Clara? Anyway, I have friends in Illinois who give to Phantom and they said that Rick and other Board members and staff worked hard over the past 5-6 years to reduce and eliminate debt and the programs causing the debt. I didn't get the impression that any of it was touring related.

In our local area 2 of the 3 band directors in our town came from drum corps. I am still a booster for our band and our director marched with a corps from Iowa, I think it was Knight Express? and also, his wife marched with another corps, I can't remember where right now. So, maybe it is all becoming one. I read many people are wanting more entertaining shows. When I was in Indianapolis this summer, there was just something about some shows that made them more exciting to me. I believe the passion of the performers is this intangible something that can be felt by the crowd. So, when the kids believe in their show, when they are entertained by performing it, I think it makes a difference. I really felt a difference when Madison was on the field than I did when other corps either higher or lower than them were on the field. Sure, each show is different, but I think selling the members on their show, might be an important consideration some corps are missing.

To a great degree I believe you are correct. Drum corps will never replace a scholastic program and the local connections. When I was in band, over 40 years ago, our high school raised money so we could go to San Antonio to march in the parade there and spend the weekend. We were not a wealthy community, but money was raised for the trip and brand new uniforms. It became a community pride thing. Drum corps had some of that, but never as much as the local high school bands if they were run right.

I believe when Phantom was last west, it did not harm the corps financially. And I got to see them, that was while my wife was still alive. She was in a wheelchair and we sat on the sidelines...I think it was 2007. The drum major came over and shook our hands when they did the encore performance. I still have her Phantom ball cap which covered her balding head. Memories.

Dave Gibbs? You are talking about Gibbs, right? I believe George was the front man, but I also think Mr. Gibbs was pulling all the strings.

With all the changes at Phantom, do you really think a high score is going to occur?

I am a big fan of a Tito Puente song with Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd called "Mambo Herd." I think it would be good if a corps played it. Amazon sample of Mambo Herd