DCI Today Fall, 2002

Fall, 2002

Age-Outs Remember Visual Gaines

The Michael Gaines Interview

A Season in Tribute Do You Want to March?

In this issue Age-Outs Remeber page page The Michael Gaines Interview

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A Season in Tribute page

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Features page 11 2002 DCI Championship Merchandise page

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2003 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES page

page

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Do You Want to March?

Hall of Fame Nominations page

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Friends of DCI

Letter from the Executive Director The Drum Corps International experience was redefined this past season by corps reaching heights in excellence, design and audience appeal never before realized in our 30-year history. The performers took the field with such command and amazing success; they left those of us in the audience in awe one corps after another. The support for the drum corps activity grew this past season with overall attendance at all events across the country increasing by 8 percent. The excitement at the 2002 World Championships was like

nothing I have ever experienced.

To see the joy on the performers faces is always rewarding, but to see thousands of people in the stands wrapped up in the joy of the performers was nothing short of remarkable.

The best measure of the success of the 2002 season has been the carry over enthusiasm by fans, corps, and all other interested parties.

Ticket sales for the 2003 World Championships in Orlando are pacing well ahead of each of the three prior years it was held in that location.

Merchandise sales continue to hold strong even in a weak economy. And, Drum Corps International will not rest; many changes have occurred this off season and more are on the horizon in an effort to further strengthen our organization and thus our service to all that participate.

As the winter camps begin, and the planning of events continues, we look to what will be another great season in 2003. Thank you for your commitment to youth in the drum corps experience.

– Dan Acheson

DCI Today Fall, 2002 • Volume 28 • Number 2 Publisher: Drum Corps International Editor: Emily Neuendorf Design and Production for Drum Corps International: DesignAura, Martinez, California Art Direction: Laura Bratt Contributing Writers: Dan Acheson, Emily Neuendorf, Dave Wilson Performance Photography: Sid and Linda Unser, Jolesch Photography

Drum Corps International is a non-profit organization formed to service the North American drum and bugle corps activity.

Editorial and business offices are located at 470 South Irmen Drive, Addison, IL 60101, phone 630/628-7888, fax 630/628-7971.

DCI TODAY is published in Fall, Winter and Summer each year. Non-profit organization U.S. postage paid at Madison, WI permit #2223.

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The drum corps rite of passage known as “aging out” is at once traumatic, bittersweet, triumphant and heartbreaking, emotions

ge OUT

that a 21-year-old can experience in rapid flashes on the field in uniform at Finals week, on the cramped bus for that last journey to the last gig or during that last slumber on the hot gym floor in early August.

But the experience of drum corps is often best described by the relationships forged

during those long summers. “Everyone who has ever marched corps has a special bond

to those with whom they marched,” Melissa Poag of the Boston Crusaders writes, and severing these bonds at the beginning of

August when the season ends is never easy.

Although drum corps members may experience the heart-tugging feelings of aging out at

different times during that last summer, the emotions are practically universal. Here,

several drum corps veterans who aged out in 2002 walk us through just what they were

feeling during their last drum corps journeys.

Chad

I’ve been involved in drum corps for nine years and in those years I've learned so much more than how to play a horn and march around a football field. I’ve learned a multitude of life and leadership skills that have adequately prepared me for life in the real world. I owe so much to Scott Stewart, the entire Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association and the activity as a whole for the lessons I have learned in the past decade.

I will be graduating this year with a degree in Music Education and hope to pass some of the same lessons

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Melissa

Every summer, thousands of young adults enter into a parallel world completely separate from that of the rest of the human race. For approximately three months they know nothing about what is going on in the “real world” and have no interest in anything except those who they share a bus with or stand next to on a field in the hot sun. While the outside world continues with its day-today activities, those in drum corps spend their days on a field in some town marching around playing music, oblivious that life outside of drum corps is speeding along at its regular pace. Regretfully, I was only able to participate in this parallel world for two summers, but they are two summers I will never forget. I could not have asked to age-out with a better corps or show.

Everyone who has ever marched corps has a special bond to those with whom they marched but this year with the Boston Crusaders was something truly unique. I have never been around a group of people quite as remarkable as the members of the 2002 Boston Crusaders and it was a joy to share my summer with this group of young men and women. It is because of this tie that my age-out was so bittersweet. As excited as I was to see my friends and family for the first time all summer, it was hard to make myself leave Camp Randall Stadium. I knew that when I walked off the field my time as a performing member in Drum and Bugle Corps would come to an end. As I stood in the parking lot saying my goodbyes I was saying goodbye to more than my friends at the Crusaders; I was saying goodbye

to drum corps. I left that night with a feeling of emptiness inside, but I was comforted in knowing although I had aged-out, this activity would stay with me forever, and that I had memories that would last a lifetime.

Now that I am home, I have been thrust back into the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I am currently a senior at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC where I am a double major in Music Education and Business Management. Presently, I am teaching marching at several high schools in my area and hoping to pass my love for drum corps on to others as it was passed on to me. My experiences in drum corps have helped me so much with my teaching skills and my ability to lead groups. I hope to take this experience and knowledge to help teach others that were not as fortunate to march drum corps. In the future, I would like to teach middle school band and possibly open my own business; however in the mean time I would like to continue my drum corps experience, but this time from the view of the staff bus. I know that I can only grow as an educator by watching and learning from the quality educators that work within the drum corps activity.

So, what is life after Drum Corps? To me, it is a way of looking at the road ahead with a fresh set of eyes, trying not to take for granted the small things and knowing I can push myself to new limits. Life after drum corps is a road full of new opportunities and experiences that I get to explore with the comfort of knowing that no matter what happens I can always call on a member of my drum corps family to help me if I get lost along the way.

— Melissa Poag, Boston Crusaders

I learned from drum corps on to my students. I will also do my best to assist in any area that is needed to give back to the activity.

When I look back at my time as a marching member the images that stand out most vividly in my mind are the looks on the faces of my brothers in the Madison Scouts prior to each and every performance and the sound of the crowd roaring in anticipation as we took the field together.

— Chad Armbruster, Madison Scouts

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I’ve been a part of the drum corps activity since 1996. I was 15 years old when I first marched the Magic of Orlando.

After that year I made several attempts to continue marching and because of circumstances was not able. I was contacted my age out year by a man who influenced me greatly, John Campese. He informed me that he had heard that I had not aged out and upon hearing this knew that I had to march. He sold me on Magic and there I was. After this year it became apparent that not marching despite my situation was the worst decision I have ever made.

Now its done, I no longer reserve the option of marching.

Since my age out I have been very busy in the teaching of marching bands as well as percussion scoring, and private lessons. I have a degree in graphic design from an art institute and soon will be attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston in the fall of ‘03 to pursue Jazz Vibraphone performance, and composition degrees. I hope to be a tech at a drum corps in the summer of '03 and continue to teach and arrange for bands and drum corps in my quest to educate and perform.

— Drew M Tucker, Magic of Orlando

Drew

The end of my drum corps career has been a bittersweet time for me. On the one hand, I hold in my heart memories of my brothers in the tuba line and some of my closest friends in the rest of the corps. With them, I’ve shared endless laughter and happiness, and also tears and pain. On the other, this was a season during which I met every new day with the knowledge that I had to leave the field with no regrets, because my time as a member of the Vanguard was drawing to a close.

I suppose that in many ways, I’ve moved on. I checked in my instrument, uniform and aussie, and in the next few years, someone else will carry my horn (good luck!), and someone else will put on my tunic. I’ll be graduating from college in May with a degree in Political Science, and I have no idea where this new road will take me. I do know this: my time in the Santa Clara Vanguard has taught me so much about people and about life that in some ways, I will never move on.

I’ll be fifty years old, who knows where, and I’ll still be thinking about the lessons, and the experiences, and the friends.

Jeff

— Jeff Hassler, Santa Clara Vanguard

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the genius drill writer behind the 2002 World Championship-winning Cavalier program, “Frameworks.” He was also the chief architect of the Cavaliers’ 2001 World Championship-winning program, “Four Corners.” • Gaines basically grew up in the Cavalier organization, having marched with the Corps from 1987 through 1990. Gaines’ first year

Visual

Michael Gaines is

The Michael Gaines Interview of drill writing for The Cavaliers was 1992, the same year the corps earned its first-ever championship title. After graduating from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Gaines went on to the Academy of Art College in San Francisco to earn a fine arts degree with a concentration in Computer Arts/New Media. • Self-employed as a designer for marching bands, drum and bugle corps and winter guards for the past 11 years, Gaines also works in Web design and multimedia. • 10

How long have you been writing drill? How long have you been writing drill for The Cavaliers?

Well, actually my first outdoor drill ever was for The Cavaliers in 1992. Steve Brubaker’s health had taken a turn for the worse, and he asked me if I could help out with a couple parts of the show. I had staged winter guards before, but this was my first outdoor

Gaines experience. I wrote parts of the drill in 1992 and 1993, designed for the color guard at The Cavaliers from 1994 -1996, took a summer off in 1997, then came back in 1998 for the 50th anniversary. I have been designing the shows since then.

What challenges do you face when you are designing drill for The Cavaliers? I am not sure that the challenges for The Cavaliers are any different than those other corps would face. I have never designed for any other drum and bugle corps, so my perspective is a little limited. However, I would assume that one of the unique factors involved in our process of the last couple of years is the composition of ALL original material, from music to visual. When you are starting from scratch, this exponentially increases the amount of communication necessary among the different people on the design and coordination team.

Tell us about the drill writing process. How do you start writing a show? Is it from beginning to end or are there times when ideas for the second or third movements develop first?

How do I start writing a show? Usually I have to have a handle on the entire concept before I can begin writing the first part of the show. So much of what I enjoy doing is exploring ideas and concepts over time, and in order to know how to begin, I need to know to what end it is leading. Does that make sense? I cannot just write drill for drill’s sake if I want the show to make sense.

Do I ever have ideas for the 2nd or 3rd movements before the first? Absolutely. Some ideas are thought out and explored in early planning meetings with the whole staff. Some ideas develop as a result of those first ideas. And some of the best ideas and concepts develop purely by accident. We may try something that does not work at all, but it sparks an idea for something even better.

The actual drill is written in chronological order. I may have ideas for what I want to do later in the show, but I would never even dream of trying to write it until I know what I am doing earlier in the show.

Writing a championship drum and bugle corps show is certainly a group effort.

How much communication takes place between you and the section caption heads?

Explain that communication process to us. We have a great team at The Cavaliers. I really cannot say enough about everyone. The best part of working with this team is not only the mutual respect that we have for each other professionally, but we have the added bonus of friendship. We can spend hours discussing material at a programming meeting, and then once finished, we can go hang out somewhere just to have fun.

The communication process changes quite a bit, depending upon the time of year and where we are relative to our production schedule. We have our first programming meeting sometime in October to decide upon the show concept and flesh out some initial ideas.

From there most of my communication is with Scott 11

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Koter, our coordinator, and Richard Saucedo, our arranger and composer. Once the corps is on the road, I am in constant contact with our Visual Caption Head, Sly Sybilski, as well as the Guard Caption Head, Bruno Zuccala.

One of the biggest myths about The Cavaliers of the past few years is that I write the drill first, and then Richard Saucedo, Bret Kuhn, and Erik Johnson write the music. Originally, we were going to try that for The Four Corners show in 2001, but I found that to be impossible for me to do. I could write a drill phrase or two, but would have absolutely no idea where to take it from there without having any musical inspiration.

Certainly, there have been parts of the shows that have started with a visual concept, but as far as writing the entire drill first, that has not happened.

Every year your drill writing seems to be more and more innovative. What, besides the actual drum corps activity, do you draw your inspiration from when you write drill? Thank you for the compliment.

I don’t think I consciously draw from any one area outside of drum corps. I do know that every time I see any performance, whether it be on Broadway, at a movie theater, at a winter guard contest, in a dance piece, at a concert, in a museum, or on TV, I am fascinated by what connects to the audience and what does not. I would guess that in some way, I carry those thoughts with me when I sit down to write.

The priority for all of us on the design team is to create a show that the performers will enjoy, and that the audience will love to experience. Competition is a part of who we are, and we work hard at the competitive aspects as well. But competition is a distant third to the performers and the audience.

How much have you seen the drill writing process evolve through your years of writing? Certain aspects of drill writing have improved immensely over the years. The use of the “non brass” sections to create visual effect within the composition has grown tremendously. I think many corps are utilizing the color guard and percussion elements as never before. Since the advent of the color guard caption being allocated towards the total score, a lot of corps have been presenting compositions that are much more inclusive of ALL the elements. I believe the activity is better for that.

Drill has also taken on a more “choreographic” identity. It is not just about moving from point A to point B anymore. The members are now sometimes required to have so many simultaneous responsibilities that it is a wonder they can make it through a show standing up!

How do you see the drill writing process evolving in future years? I have no idea! I really don’t. If the past decade is any indication, we will have good years and bad years. We will have some designers retire, while others will show up to set the world on fire. What that fire is remains to be seen. The one thing of which I am certain is that the performers will continue to amaze us with their talent and the skills required to achieve the ever-increasing volume of responsibilities.

Most people would agree that you are one of the most innovative drill writers in the activity. How do you think your writing has influenced other drum corps and marching band throughout the world? Thank you for saying that. We often see marching bands creating programs that resemble the drum corps from the years before. I think that’s great. It gives a lot of kids exposure to drum corps, and that can only benefit all of us.

I honestly do not know if I have influenced any other drum corps. I would be flattered to think that I have. I do know that I have learned from other designers in the activity, both past and present, and if I have been able to bring anything to the table, then I feel great about that.

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“Very rarely in life are we given the opportunity to do anything with the energy and passion that the Drum Corps activity requires.

To say that Corps has been a redefining phase of my life sells the activity short. For it has made me the man I am today.”

— Steve Parker, 2000-02 Phantom Regiment

Do you want to march?

Drum Corps International Division I Corps Bluecoats

The Cavaliers

Madison Scouts

Bill Hamilton P.O. Box 2733 North Canton, OH 44720 (330) 699-1572 www.bluecoats.com

Jeff Fielder P.O. Box 501 Rosemont, IL 60018 (847) 685-8412 www.cavaliers.org

Sal Salas P.O. Box 948 Madison, WI 53701 (608) 241-3171 www.madison-scouts.org

Blue Devils

Colts

Magic of Orlando

David Gibbs 4065 Nelson Avenue Concord, CA 94520 (925) 689-2918 www.bluedevils.org

Greg Orwoll P.O. Box 515 Dubuque, IA 52001 (563) 582-4872 www.colts.org

Dennis Cappello P.O. Box 690426 Orlando, FL 32869-0426 (321) 939-0189 www.magicorlando.org

Blue Knights

The Crossmen

Mandarins

Mark Arnold 1137 South Jason Street Denver, CO 80223 (303) 777-1937 www.bknights.org

Dean Musson P.O. Box 506 Bergenfield, NJ 07621 (201) 384-8822 www.yea.org

Ray Mar P.O. Box 22297 Sacramento, CA 95822 (916) 395-8310 www.mandarins.org

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Glassmen

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Howard Weinstein P.O. Box 51391 Boston, MA 02205 (617) 268-4600 www.crusaders.com

Brian Hickman P.O. Box 352080 Toledo, OH 43635-2080 (419) 452-6553 www.glassmen.org

The Cadets

Kiwanis Kavaliers

Pat Seidling 202 W. State Street Suite 514 Rockford, IL 61101 (815) 965-6777 www.regiment.org

George Hopkins P.O. Box 506 Bergenfield, NJ 07621 (201) 384-8822 www.yea.org

Doug Darwin P.O. Box 25010 Highway Market R.P.O. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2A 4A5 (519) 894-0222 www.kavaliers.com

Carolina Crown Kevin Smith 227-A Main Street Fort Mill, SC 29715 (803) 547-2270 www.carolinacrown.org

Pioneer John-Michael Hines 4601 W. Holt Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53219 (414) 486-1961 www.pioneer-corps.org

Santa Clara Vanguard Rick Valenzuela 1795 Space Park Drive Santa Clara, CA 95054 (408) 727-5534 x20 www.scvanguard.org

Seattle Cascades Sal Leone P.O. Box 55100 Seattle, WA 98155 (425) 745-6835 www.seattlecascades.com

Southwind Mike Loeffelholz P.O. Box 948 Madison, WI 53701 (608) 241-3171 www.southwind.org

SPIRIT from Jacksonville State University Ken Bodiford P.O. Box 1295 Jacksonville, AL 36265 (256) 782-5562 www.spiritofatlanta.org

Troopers Mathew Krum P.O. Box 375 Casper, WY 82602 (307) 472-2141 www.troopers drumcorps.org

For more information and a complete listing of outstanding DCI Division II & III corps, visit DCI.org/corps today!

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Hall of Fame

Nominations Invited

Finals have been over for a while now, and we’ve all had time to ingest the phenomenal 2002 drum corps season and

Selection by the Hall of Fame Legacy Committee

make note of not just which corps are deserving of praise, but also the individuals that form and shape each corps.

The DCI Board recognizes that those who have been Now is your chance to recognize that person away from the activity for several years may not be well known to current electors, and so may be disadvantaged who has most influeced the drum corps activity. in the regular election process. Experience from other activities (such as baseball) indicates that sometimes a At this time nominations for consideration by person’s contributions can only be fully valued in substantial the Hall of Fame Legacy Committee may be retrospect. Further, the Board saw that there are many potential worthy candidates for Hall of Fame status who made. At a later time other nominations will be predate DCI, but who merit recognition for building invited for consideration by the Hall of Fame the foundation making DCI possible. To resolve these concerns, the Board has established Screening Committee and voted on by the DCI the Hall of Fame Legacy Committee that Board and current Hall of Fame members. will annually review and make selections for induction.

For more information on the DCI Hall of Fame and specific details on how to nominate candidates, please visit the News section of DCI.org for the complete story.

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Spending my age-out summer with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. After spending three

Katherine, Judy and Randy Eichhorn with friend Missy Idso.

years in the Colt Cadets, and an

A Season in Tribute

by Katherine Eichhorn

additional 5 with the Colts, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend one more summer on the road. Camps came and went and I was still unsure.

I was graduating in May 2002 from Iowa State University, and beginning to feel the pressure to go out into the “real world,” like most of my peers. I was also dealing with my mom being very sick.

When I started drum corps in 1994 my mom, Judy, was diagnosed with cancer. She went through several different treatments and would get better, and then get worse again. Finally, this February she landed in the hospital with a serious infection. My dad and I discovered that she had been diagnosed with liver cancer in 2000, and that it had spread through most of her liver. She didn’t tell anyone because she wanted to take care of us, and not have us worrying about her. To the surprise of her doctors, she was released from the hospital 11 days after she was admitted. I spent the rest of the school year spending 2-3 days in class at ISU, and the rest at home in Dubuque with her.

I knew that if I didn’t go on tour, my mom would be really upset. She supported my summers in the Colts and Colt Cadets in every way she could. Mom was the president of the Colts Booster Board, and helped organize Music on the March (the Colts home show) every year, this summer being no different. She and Dad also attended many drum corps shows every year, including DeKalb, Toledo and Murfreesboro. I decided to leave for tour, knowing that this was the last possible summer for me, and that I would be home often to see her.

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March 8-9 Mid America Regional Tulsa, OK ••• Northeast Regional Rochester, New York •• South Regional Pensacola, FL ••• Southwest Regional Las Vegas, NV ••• March 15-16 Carolina Regional Rock Hill, SC •• Mideast Regional Dayton, OH ••• Rocky Mountain Regional Denver, CO ••• So California Percussion Regional Chino Hills, CA • March 22-23 Lone Star Percussion Regional Houston, TX • Miami Regional Miami, Florida ••• Mid Atlantic Regional Norristown, PA ••• West Regional Union City, California ••• April 10-12 WGI World Championships Dayton, Ohio ••• ••• Color Guard + Percussion •• Color Guard Only • Percussion Only

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She was happy to send me off, and looked forward to the next time she could see the progress we made.

Days on tour went by, and being an age-out didn’t seem real. Tour came and went the same as normal. I was excited at the end of our cornfield tour (everydays) to know that I never had to go through that again.

However, I did feel that the age-outs had to step up to set an example for much of the rest of the corps. In previous years, there was always someone else older.

Now I was one of those people.

Toward the end of June, Dad thought it would be a good idea for me to come home for a day or two. Since we didn’t have a contest on the 4th of July, and the Colt Cadets were with us on the third, I was able to ride home with them, and spend the 4th with my parents. It was great to see mom-she even cooked dinner, and we watched the Washington DC and Philadelphia fireworks on TV. The next She was happy to send me day, I left for tour, getting off, and looked forward to ready for the home show, the next time she could see Music on the March, and the progress we made. the DCM competition in DeKalb. Music on the March was when I started to realize I was done. For the first time, I was standing in front with the other age-outs — not clapping from the horn arc.

Mom had helped to organize Music on the March again — but didn’t work as she normally did on that day. She was getting weaker and came to the show in a wheelchair. She and Dad made it to DeKalb, and with

Katherine (center) and friends Michelle VanDeBerg (left) and Allison Thomas, Colts mellophone performers

the help of the Colts, got to enjoy the show from the press box. While the rest of the corps was rehearsing Sunday morning before the DCM social, I went to the hotel and spent time with Mom. After that, my Katherine and her father, parents dropped me off Randy and headed home. The Colts headed for Kentucky, and I decided that I would go home between San Antonio and Indianapolis — we had a free day, and I could commute to Dubuque easily. I never ended up doing that. I flew out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Tuesday the 16th, hoping I’d see my mom again. Although I didn’t get the chance to, I did talk to her before I got on the plane home. She passed away 3 days after watching me perform in DeKalb for the very last time.

I don’t regret not spending the last weeks with Mom. She would have been disappointed to know that I didn’t age out. Through the generosity of my professors that spring I had a tremendous chance to finish my classes, graduate and spend lots of time with Mom. I joined tour again before Indianapolis, and my dad, Randy, came with. He followed the corps for about 5 days, watching shows and understanding the “behind the scenes” work even more. He has always wanted to travel with the Colts, but was too busy with work and sitting on the Colts Corporate Board. When I got back on the road, everyone was very supportive. My Colts family looked out for me, and was always there to make me smile, or be a shoulder to cry on when I needed it.

Finals week and age-out ceremonies were a wonderful experience. Thanks to the Colts again, my dad had a VIP all access pass to Camp Randall Stadium. He got to be on the field with me for age-out ceremonies, and watch the show from a different place every night. My best show ever was Friday night, which was our last night of competition. Even though Mom wasn’t there in person, I know she was watching and was happy to know that I had finished my drum corps marching career.

23

Don’t pass this outstanding combo up…

Purchase the Ornaments in Brass CD, the 2003 Drum Corps International Calendar and our newest item, a collector’s 2002 Holiday Glass Ornament

29.00! (That’s a $13.00 savings!)

for only $

Actual prices: Ornaments in Brass CD $18.00

2003 Calendar $12.00

2002 Holiday Ornament $12.00

To place an order contact: Drum Corps International 470 South Irmen Drive Addison, IL 60101

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PA I D Madison, Wisconsin Permit No. 2223

Drum Corps International 470 South Irmen Drive, Addison, IL 60101

800/495-SHOW (7469) For phone orders outside the U.S. please call 630/628-7888

630/628-7971 DCI.org

FAX

Sale ends December 23, 2002.

For guaranteed Christmas delivery, order by December 16, 2002.

Shipping & Handling Information Merchandise orders will have a $3.00 handling charge in addition to shipping charges based on weight of package. Please visit www.dci.org or call 1-800-495-7469 for exact cost. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.