The Sound of Music

This isn’t a blog about Broadway musicals or famous actresses like Julie Andews. It is a about young people who participate in an activity called Drum Corp International. Drum Corp is composed off 22 world cass units from every corner of the United States. There home bases are places like Concord Cal, Allentown Penn, Jacksonville, Ala and Madison Wis. Each Drum Corps in their present form consist of 60 or 70 horn players. They play Soprano, Baritone, Mellaphone and Contra-Bass voiced instruments. Along with the brass players are percussion, battery members and color guard. Give or take a few each group totals about 150 people. These young men and women work from December to May perfecting an 12 minute show. During June and July they tour the United States competing against other drum and bugle corps. There are around a hundred shows nationwide each summer. It all ends up in Indianapolis the first week in August with the DCI World Championships.
I have been attending DCI shows since 1976. The first major corp I saw were the Blue Stars form LaCrosse Wis. Elaine and I went to a DCI show in Little Rock Arkansas on our honeymoon. (thats a loving wife). Very few summers have passed when I didn’t see a show. I have even been to the world championships when they were held in Orlando, Florida.
When the corp show begins and its leads into their fanfare and the horns begin to play a shiver goes down you spine. There is nothing like it in the world. The DCI fever is contagious. Once you get it you will be hooked.