Looking for the Perfect Holiday Gift?

[MJP]

Stuck on "what to get your marching arts family and friends for the holidays?" Looking for a great distraction to get you through the long cold winter? Want to know what really happened throughout the evolution of our beloved activity?

Head to Amazon or the recommended site listed, and find some great Drum Corps Books for the reader in your family and/or friend group. 

Mike Piskel's "Resume March: Confessions of a Drum Corps Addict" examines the history and characters of traditional and modern drum corps (DCI) in a seamless narrative memoir of his marching and life experiences in the Emerald Knights and Blue Stars. Well researched, honest, and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious, "Resume March" takes the reader on Piskel's coming of age journey through the activity. Learn, laugh, and gain better understanding of how drum corps emerged from its military origins into a truly unique art form during the transformative 1970s. Available on Amazon and also through the Blue Stars online store for ~ $18.

"Echoes in the Valley" is authored by Jud Spena, a long-time marching member and instructor for the Watkins Glen Squires Drum and Bugle Corps. This is a large book of 476 pages of detailed drum corps history in Upstate New York. A beautifully crafted and researched scrapbook of sorts, Jud provides the running narrative alongside a vast collection of newspaper clippings, interviews, and magazine articles and photos that takes the reader year by year through the activity on a local level. If you or a family member have an interest and love in the history of the marching arts this book does an outstanding job of documenting the progress and evolution of drum corps in one community. While much of it focuses on the Squires from mid 60s to early 80s, a lot of it easily translates the continuum of events leading through the growth and sadly the demise that took place in many small and large town drum corps during that period. It is available on Amazon for ~ $44.

On a similar note, (pun intended) the book, "Osage Precisionnaires: A Small Town Drum Corps That Dared To Be Great" written by Keith Richards and Scott Lee, follows the '66-'76 growth and rise of one of the most innovative and cool  little drum corps from a tiny Iowa town. With over 100 interviews and 200 photos this book again contributes to that magical time in the history of drum corps. Note, not available on Amazon.  It is available on osagecreate.com for $50. 

"The Renegades: A True and Chaotic Drum Corps Story" This is the true and chaotic story about the San Francisco Renegades, a drum corps that started with a ham sandwich.
You don’t need to know anything about drum corps or music to enjoy The Renegades. Every chapter and every scene in this book actually happened; none are fictional. However, this is not the Renegades yearbook (which exists). This is a chaotic novel. Accordingly, Lee Rudnicki, has taken fantastic creative liberties with the narrative, characters, and dialogue, with no regard for literary tradition or expectations. There is also a ton of serious drum corps history, heartfelt memories, and commentary. Put on your sunglasses, hit the road with the Renegades, and don’t look back. ~$11

Finally, "My Seven Decades of Drum Corps Adventures" is penned by Bob Cook. Bob, who seemingly marched in just about every East Coast corps around. His book examines just that, the exploits of a drum corps brass player documenting the many aspects of a drum corps life well and thoroughly lived. Organized by categories such as Bus Adventures, On the Inspection Line, Where I Slept and Judges, We don't need no Stinkin' Judges, provide plenty of stories to amuse and entertain the die hard drum corps enthusiast. Bob's book is available on Amazon for ~$15.

You can find out more and read samples and reviews of the books offered on Amazon. I hope you take a moment to consider these titles and the opportunity for a trip back in time and a great gift for yourself or that drum corps nut in your friend/family circle. Happy Holidays. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2025 by MJP
clean it up.