Marchers in multiple corps, and the current rules

[BG984]

I was just thinking of this the other day.  In today's drum corps world, it is not totally unusual for a performer to march for 3, 4, or even 5 or more different corps during their marching days.  There have even been members who have won championships with multiple corps.   However, this looks at some less common scenarios.

There have been members who marched in two different DCI corps during the same season; even in two finalists.  If I recall correctly, the director of the "releasing": corps had to give an official letter of release, which "allowed" the member to go to the other corps.  Is this still the case?  I believe that if a member leaves before May 1st (or is it the 30th) , they do not need one or permission, as long as they do not owe any corps fiscally.

I know that back in the day there were many "junior" corps members, who finished their junior corps season, and then went on to fill blanks in DCA corps; sometimes just as a soloist with no drill (ie upfront).  Is this still permitted?

Has anyone ever performed with 2 or more corps in the same contest or in the same championship?  Is it legal?  

From around `1977 on, DCI required corps to have birth certificate copies of all members on hand, and I believe they had to turn in a roster.  The roster could be changed during the season, but changes were to be reported/documented.  What are the documentation requirements today?  Do they do things online with this?  When was the last time a corps had an impromptu "age check"?  Back in the day, my corps was checked at the gate at Allentown finals.  (random members checked).  I remember that at prelims a guy with a "clicker" would count the membership of all corps as members entered the gate.

Do the all-age corps need to register any names/documents?  You may ask why.  I know that DCI had a data base for any members that owed outstanding money to a corps (and could not march with anyone until released by that corps), and there was also a data base report if any member was removed from a corps for a disciplinary reason, especially if a crime may have been committed.  I know that just a few years ago, a member from a corps "fell through the cracks" (possible assault/criminal act) and ended up at another major corps' spring camps....I will say that they were removed when found out. 

Has (or will) DCI ever had an official rule about paying someone to march?  I know that it has happened at both the DCI and DCA level.  Not only allowing the member to perhaps march for reduced rate or free, but paying them to perform.  Some marched as "instructors", but many were "ringers". I know that today some corps offer "scholarships" to help some march.   What would the penalty be if a corps tried to "buy" another corps' soloist in the off season?  it's never going to be a big issue, because of cost/etc....but never say never....what if a billionaire bought a corps, wanted to win, and advertised auditions and that all members would be paid......an unlikely, but interesting scenario............

 

 

 

 

[Jeff Ream]

i have no idea the specific requirements, but All age follows all DCI rules, so whatever the world or open class corps have to do, all age does too

[BG984]

20 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

i have no idea the specific requirements, but All age follows all DCI rules, so whatever the world or open class corps have to do, all age does too

Just curious as to what the rules actually are, and my guess also is that DCI doesn't have rules on some of these things.  Actually, there is no birth certificate rule for "All Age" (you could be 14....or 90), but they still may have to "register" members for reasons as stated.   I would also love to know if anyone ever managed to march with multiple corps in the same contest; i know that people have marched with more than one corps in the same season.  I think it would be funny if some "ringer" ran an ad saying "for hire", and was good enough that he/she played up front in 4 different corps on the same night.....

[KyleS]

I know someone last year who got kicked out of a finalist corps mid-season and immediately jumped back on tour with another finalist corps. Corps A's director allows members who are kicked out to keep their performer badges, so they used corps A's badge with corps B. I don't know if they actually got a letter releasing them or how that works, but I believe their tuition was fully paid off. To answer the second question yes - my all-age corps has my driver's license and insurance card. We didn't need birth certificates though.

[Musicman1084]

I don't know how it would be possible to be simultaneously performing with two corps.

I know of several instances the past decade or so when a member of a west coast touring corps would fill a hole for the rest of the season at a national touring corps once their season was over on the west coast. The Blue Stars managed to fill a tenor hole a few years back with a BDB member.

[Jeff Ream]

all age for decades had kids jump in after DCI was done, but now with the same schedule that isn't happening

[BG984]

I just wonder if anyone has ever marched IN THE SAME CONTEST WITH TWO DIFFERENT CORPS, and if there is any rule regarding that.  I think that it would be possible, if you only had drill with one corps (or neither....Ie a soloist planted in the pit, for example)........I don't think your corps mates would be too fond that you were also performing with a competitor.......I do know that in the senior corps/alumni corps realm, there have been folks who went on the same night at a concert and performed with more than one corps....but even that is rare.......also, I wonder if any "ringer" has ever openly put themselves up "for hire", as to the best of my knoweldge, there is still no rules about being paid.

[greg_orangecounty]

Sounds exhausting. Who would want to do it?  Maybe that’s why there are (probably) no rules against it? 

[OldSnareDrummer]

One of the small corps I was with had two competing corps in the same town. Ours was the better of the two so there was frequently members from Brand X crossing over to us, but it was done in the off-seasons. I do remember one kid who marched in both corps over consecutive weekends during the season. He always joked he wanted to be remembered as the answer to a trivia question and I suppose he was.

[BG984]

On 4/30/2026 at 1:24 AM, greg_orangecounty said:

Sounds exhausting. Who would want to do it?  Maybe that’s why there are (probably) no rules against it? 

It would be incredibly rare.  I could see a scenario where maybe somebody was an incredible soloist.  They play their horn in the pit/front area (ie no drill).  They are a "ringer"....both corps know and don't make a scene about it, and the soloist gets paid by both corps.  The motive would be paid performance, and just to say they did what they did.  I also do find it interesting that there are no formal rules, at any level, that I am aware of regarding members getting paid.  I will leave them nameless, but I can tell you that there was a champion senior corps that went out and bought several ringer drummers (around 4-5 snares and the entire tenor line) to dramatically improve in the off season, which they did.  Completely within the rules.