DCI Today Summer, 1998

Today ™

Official Publication of Drum Corps International

Summer 1998 Volume 24 Number 1

F O R WA R D M A R C H !

As Drum Corps International embarks on another 25 years of presenting the world’s most incredible marching music activity, DCI Today looks to the future. Through the eyes of some of DCI’s greatest writers, designers and educators, this issue of DCI Today recounts some of the important events in our history and what impact they have had on the current thought that will

IN THIS ISSUE

shape our future. Yes, 1997 was an unforgettable year for

David Gibbs....................................3

those who helped celebrate DCI’s 25th Anniversary. In 1998,

From the Director ..........................3 DCI Arranger Jay Bocook ..............4

however, it is the future that will take our focus.

Task Force ......................................5

T

1998 Clinic Tour ..........................7

oday’s drum and bugle corps community is a collective of individuals who have supported the spirit of the drum and bugle corps performance over the years. As that collective, it is the impact that we have made on the world’s marching music community that is our legacy. The drum and bugle corps activity is unique and it is the spirit of those that have taught, participated, loved and learned through this unique experience that brings us here today. And, it is the people that make up the collective community today and who continue to support the activity that are charged with the responsibility of ensuring its future.

Many impassioned discussions have taken place during the few short months of this year. These discussions reflect the voice of today’s collective community. From

the DCI Instructors & Judges Task Force and the newly elected representatives on the DCI Board of Directors to the volunteers and supporters of every local drum corps around the world, this voice is focused on the growth and development of the entire drum and bugle corps activity including the Division II & III corps and the powerhouses we have come to admire. When you read the following articles presented by several of the established icons of world’s marching music community, you will know that without question this is a year you won’t want to miss. It is 1998. The new season is here and the drum corps promise to be better than ever.

The tour is about to begin so get on the bus!

This is the 1998 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES!

Drum Corps International Post Office Box 548 Lombard, IL 60148-0548

Visit our website at www.dci.org

San Antonio Clinics ......................7 Michael J. Cesario ..........................8 Steve Rondinaro Marks 20th Year on DCI Broadcast ..................9 Schedules of Events ....................11 DCI Mid-America Returns to ’98 Tour ..................................17 www.dci.org ................................17 DCI On-Stage Returns in ’98......19 Jim Campbell ..............................20 DCI/Bands of America Form Relationship ................................22

Making Reservations? For information on booking your accomodations to the 1998 summer music games championships at a wide variety of Orlando area hotels and resorts, call the Walt Disney World Travel Company at 1-800-328-4389.

PUT

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3 DAY PARK HOPPER WITH PLEASURE ISLAND ®

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THE 1998 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES THE ROAD TO WALT DISNEY WORLD DCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Three days admission into the MAGIC KINGDOM Park, Epcot or the Disney-MGM Studios. Allows admission into multiple parks on the same day and one night at Pleasure Island. (Does not include the new attraction, Disney’s Animal Kingdom™)

4 DAY PARK HOPPER WITH PLEASURE ISLAND AND ANIMAL KINGDOM™ $159.00 Four days admission into the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios and the new attraction Disney’s Animal Kingdom™. Allows admission into multiple parks on the same day, one night at Pleasure Island.

Call or Fax DCI between 9:00AM and 5:00PM CDT, Monday through Friday to place your order or for THE more information (Phone: 630-495-9866, FAX: 1998 SUMMER 630-495-3792). Please use the Championship Order MUSIC GAMES Form in this issue of DCI Today to order your Walt Disney World Park Hopping Passports.

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Entry to Disney Parks with these special passports is good only for August and September 1998. No refunds or exchanges. All sales are final. © Disney

AUGUST 10-15, 1998

DCI Board Chairman

D AV I D G I B B S

The drum and bugle corps activity is truly unique, and carries with it a long tradition of excellence. The performances are exhilarating, and the spirit of its performers is unparalleled. Nowhere else will you find such a high standard of execution displayed in such a large performance ensemble than here as a part of Drum Corps International and the Summer Music Games.

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s a youth activity we are educators in the truest sense of the word. The drum corps experience teaches us about life and the skill of this unique craft. Through discipline, goal setting, hard work, endurance, and a commitment to teamwork, thousands of young people each summer form friendships and create memories that last a lifetime.

These young people work to be their best, strive for perfection, dedicate themselves to a dream, and ultimately gain satisfaction through the excellence and dignity of their efforts – regardless of the outcome.

The following outline describes the focus of the DCI Board of Directors in their efforts to continue developing and strengthening the activity. Inspired by the contribution and dedication of thousands of participants and fans around the world, this team of individuals is committed to preparing Drum Corps International for a long and healthy future.

Performances

all levels by creating opportunities for success at all levels. Ultimately, financial success or failure is the responsibility of each individual drum corps associated with the activity. Through the annual Directors College, however, DCI has taken steps to develop standards for participation and mentorships intended to assist with the management of these organizations.

Marketing The exposure of our activity to youth, both as participants and fans, continues to be DCI’s number one priority. We have developed educational clinics and programs that support the school musical programs at every level. And, through continued exposure to the schools through video tapes, CD’s and educational materials we have increased awareness and support for our activity and our events.

Certainly, broadcast television continues to be a big part of our marketing discussions as we work hard to bring the drum corps activity to a wider audience and fan base. And as the current activity has a very big fan base internationally we are giving great consideration to ways to promote and include the entire activity around the world.

There is no one formula or set of ingredients for producing exciting shows. Yet through a continued awareness and sensitivity to the needs of our audience and participants we can find the balance between a positive learning experiDavid Gibbs ence while ensuring audience satisUltimately, while balancing faction. We know that we can not the financial stress of day to day be self serving and that we should promote a variety operations, the Board of Directors of Drum Corps of presentations as opposed to one single approach.

International recognizes the need to listen to, and Through the recent empowerment of the DCI satisfy, our loyal fan base and so we remain Instructors/Judges Task Force, DCI is working at committed to earning their support every day. ways to further develop the highest standards possible for adjudication. One immediate consideration Conclusion to surface from the distinguished and committed As we prepare for the 1998 Summer Music members of this Task Force is to focus on providing Games Tour the collective community of participants quality training for judges in order to develop a and fans must understand and agree that DCI is healthy competitive environment. a community of participants, not a building in Chicago. Accepting that responsibility and taking Membership Levels on the hard work ahead with a positive attitude is One of the many attributes that drives the the challenge we all face. enthusiasm that makes this activity so special is the We have many opportunities to enhance our unique experience for our members to have access very unique activity. The DCI Board of Directors to incredible performance opportunities. Because recognizes this and we will continue to work hard touring places a great deal of strain on any organito make smart, responsible decisions. We are zation, the DCI Board of Directors has focused on listening and we are committed to building a long issues that encourage reasonable and responsible and healthy future for the activity. commitments to tour.

David Gibbs, Chairman – DCI Board of Directors DCI takes great interest in promoting growth at

FROM M TTH HEE DIRE EC CTTO OR R

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on’t Miss The Excitement! As much as this is a “sales” phrase that DCI has utilized in the past few years, the promise of excitement in 1998 is very real. Of course it is easy to predict excitement when you combine the elements of a drum corps performance with the talent and desire that today’s participants possess. This combination has been a formula for excitement that only drum corps in its unique and powerful way can create.

After completing our 25th anniversary celebration Drum Corps International is poised and ready to embark on the next quarter century. We have taken great strides the past few years in laying a foundation that will enable DCI to grow well into the future. Our work is far from complete, but our success in this endeavor is certain. We have hundreds of thousands of marching music enthusiasts throughout the world who possess a passion known as the drum corps spirit.

It is from this spirit that we continue to draw confidence as we position DCI for a much longer existence. An existence that will allow this incredible youth activity to have the best quality world stage for both performers and fans to enjoy.

On behalf of Drum Corps International I would like to express how grateful we are to the music educators who play the largest role in the development of our youth performers.

As drum corps has evolved into a legitimate part of a larger music education experience, thousands of world renown music educators have given drum corps their full endorsement.

And thank you to all the drum corps fans who continue to support DCI through ticket and merchandise purchases.

While it takes a good deal of money to promote and present the wide range of DCI events, we are pleased to report that the largest share of the funds raised goes to the participating corps. The true measure of fan support for the drum corps activity, however, continues to be the gracious and enthusiastic response delivered after each corps has performed.

I look forward to sharing the excitement of the Summer Music Games with you in 1998 as we celebrate the joy and magnificence of our youth performers. Be safe in your travels and I’ll see you in the stands.

Dan Acheson, Executive Director Drum Corps International

D C I T O D AY Summer, 1998

Volume 24

Number 1

Publisher: Drum Corps International Editor: Thom Eaton Design & Production for Drum Corps International

by Ad Image, Allentown, PA Managing Editors: Sean King & Jessica Katz Art Direction: Angela Krail Contributing Writers: Larry Aldrich, Steve Suslik Schedule/Repertoire Design: Jeff LaBarre Performance Photography: Sid Unser Associate Graphic Design: Michelle Litos Drum Corps International is is a non-profit organization formed to service the North American drum and bugle corps activity. Editorial and business offices are located at 1263 S. Highland Ave., Lombard, IL 60148. Use this address for parcels only. Correspondence, please mail to: P.O. Box 538, Lombard IL 60148-0548, phone 630-495-9866, fax 630-495-3792.

DCI TODAY is published in September, February and May each year. Non-profit organizationU.S. postage paid at ???????????, PA, permit #??.

D C I T O D A Y 3

There are countless individuals who have made huge contributions to the development of the marching music activity. Three of these individuals are featured in this issue of DCI Today through excerpted interviews conducted by the DCI Today staff. Their spirit and passion for the growth and development of the drum and bugle corps activity is immense. While continuing to develop their individual careers, they continue to willingly share their experience and spirit with the collective community.

DCI Arranger

J AY B O C O O K

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aving grown up in a traditional marching band setting, Jay Bocook has been intrigued by the drum and bugle corps experience from a very young age. Although never a participant of a drum corps, Jay has been arranging and writing music for drum corps since the early 80’s for the Spirit of Atlanta and is currently arranging and writing for the World Champion Cadets of Bergen County. Mr. Bocook is also an instrumental music arranger and writer for the Hal Leonard Publishing Company.

Jay Bocook on Drum Corps & Marching Bands

D C I T O D A Y 4

Undeniably the drum and bugle corps activity led the way for the marching bands. The drum corps movement brought to the marching bands an opportunity to be a “performing personality”. At the high school level, prior to the drum corps movement, the band was often relegated to a support group for Jay Bocook athletic events. The drum corps, however, were doing their own thing and creating a focus for marching music. They had their own vision and took audiences with them and infatuated many band directors in the early 1970’s as DCI was just forming. From there the marching bands underwent a major style change in the mid-seventies and it was all because of the drum and bugle corps activity and DCI. Since then the drum and bugle corps activity has become the supreme court of the marching music world. It is the highest level of marching music achievement you will find. If there are legacies around in the world of marching music this is where you will find them just because of the quality of the performances and the quality of the people that have created the shows.

When you are working with a drum corps you are dealing with much more specialized individuals in every area. It is a much more intense preparation through the course of the winter and into the summer toward the singular performance. The marching band student is dealing with just one facet of the music education process and a small part of their school day while the drum corps experience is everything to the student for a few months . This allows the drum corps student to achieve an unprecedented performance level.

On the other hand, drum corps have learned from traditional music education programs as well. Today almost everybody teaching drum corps are professionally trained educators that have been to music school and have teaching degrees. The same staffs create shows for both bands and drum corps , the same judges that judge drum corps also judge bands, and the same arrangers write the charts. None of this was happening thirty years ago and now, simply by natural progression, it is a way of life.

As a result of working with better trained musicians drum corps have also learned to be much more “educated” with the process of rehearsal. In the 60’s and 70’s the kids didn’t really read much music in drum corps. They were taught by rote; ie. “push down this button here or there”. They weren’t always using standard nomenclature or vocabulary of music. The problem then was that you spent so much time (teaching notes) just to get to a beginning performance level. Today drum corps participants read music and their teachers are professional musicians so drum corps are no longer locked into doing just one ten minute show each year. Many of the corps are playing lots of other music now including parade tunes and concert music.

In addition, the bands have helped drum corps rehearse more effectively. When a corps has all day, everyday to rehearse in the summer there can be a lot of wasted time. Traditional music educators

don’t generally have that kind of time. As music educators started working with drum corps the intensity and pace of the rehearsals increased over the years, therefore you see much better rehearsal techniques than we used to. Certainly much better in terms of the educational process for the participants.

The activity is a much more student oriented teaching process today. Drum corps grew up as a military spin-off organization and so early drum corps were run that way. Today’s drum corps has evolved to a more traditional educational experience offering different teaching styles for different students. Certainly the military influence is still evident, but much less like “boot-camp” than it used to be.

corps. They move and play better than anyone else in the world. So we have a responsibility to treat them with respect and provide them with the best life enriching experience possible.

After all there are only really two things that make our activity unique. The fact that we move with professional quality AND we achieve this with kids.

Either fact alone is astonishing. Without the youth

…we have a responsibility to treat them with respect and provide them with the

Jay Bocook on Instruments In Any Key I am not necessarily a huge proponent of instruments in any key, but I do feel that we should be able to choose freely. I think there is something endearing about the bugle sound. The fact that all the instruments are in the same key, the size and bore of the horns is unique and that has always been a part of the interest to me.

On the other hand, I’m not one of those that feels that going to “any key” will destroy the musical integrity of our activity. While I understand both sides of the argument very well, I don’t really have a strong position either way. My job as an arranger is to use what ever I have to do the best job that I can. “Instruments in any key” does not really offer the arranger an extraordinary advantage. The advantage to introducing traditional instrumentation involves easier accessibility to equipment and hopefully access to better instruments because (the performers) are not relegated to just one or two manufacturers of instruments.

Jay Bocook on Teaching I have first and foremost always been a teacher more than an arranger. For me there is nothing quite like seeing young people achieve more than they think they can. The kids that are in the drum corps activity virtually all exceed their own expectations. The summer experience leads them through a progression of events to where they are performing higher than they ever imagined they could. And to watch that type of enlightenment is the biggest reward for the instructors of the activity. It always has been. And this enlightenment provides the students with the leverage they will use the rest of their life.

From my experience life is certainly improving for the participants of the drum corps activity. Not only in terms of how they are taught but also in terms of how they are treated. There is a responsibility to the young people who participate in drum and bugle

best life enriching experience possible. participants, however, the activity would be far less impressive. With them, it is extraordinarily impressive and that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Jay Bocook on The DCI Instructors/ Judges College The DCI Instructors/Judges College was a great and much needed step forward. Drum Corps International has the most creative and gifted people in the entire marching activity in its ranks and they need to have the opportunity to talk with each other and with the judging community about what is best for the students and what is best for the activity. When you have this terrific pool of talent connected to each of these drum corps it is unacceptable for them not to have the opportunity to discuss the way the activity should be run.

First and foremost the judging activity is for the corps, not the other way around. And the DCI Instructor/Judges College has given us an opportunity to finally have some meaningful dialogue from an instructors point of view.

Also, the face of the judging community has changed over the years and many of us just didn’t know each other. A big part of learning to trust the people who are evaluating your group is simply knowing them and trusting their ability to do the right thing. Having discussions and meetings and coming up with plans really gets you to know a person better. We were in small groups talking back and forth and it really gave me a chance to meet others and to find that we are all on the same page rather than heading in different directions like we sometimes feel in the summer.

Jay Bocook on Entertainment What makes talking about “entertainment” so difficult is that it all depends on each individuals own value system. Everyone looks at entertainment differently. Some people consider going to the circus entertainment and some people consider going to (continued on page 19)

DCI INSTRUCTORS/ J U D G E S TA S K FORCE FORMED

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ot since the Rules Congresses of the late 1980’s have the instructors and judges of Drum Corps International engaged in discourse on the issues of competitive evaluation. On January 9-11, in Chicago, Illinois, the 1998 DCI Instructor’s/Judge’s College gave all those who attended an opportunity to contribute their opinions and views on how the activity should progress.

“Designing the Future Rules of Tomorrow” was the theme of the College weekend and was designed to establish a rapport between instructors from various corps and DCI’s judging community.

From the College a task force has been created to discuss the development of the judging system and to offer consultation to the DCI Board of Directors.

Resulting from their first meeting, the new Task Force agreed that in order to bring the current scoring system “back in line” with the philosophy stated in the DCI Rule Book, four (4) basic areas should be addressed including the Rewarding of Achievement, Adjudication of Ensemble & Effect Captions, Numbers Management and Critique.

Relative to Achievement, a ‘Mission Statement’ was developed by the Task Force members to clarify their perspective.

Our Main Goal is to Reward Achievement.

Composition and Performance will be Recognized and Valued on Emotional, Intellectual and Technical levels.

The Task Force then focused discussions on the issue of rules change implementation. As planned, a Rules Change Committee (yet to be formed) will sort rules change proposals and submit them to the Task Force for complete review before forwarding them to the Board of Directors.

Also discussed were issues of competition including the review and recommendation on a proposal submitted by Scott Stewart during the Executive Committee meeting on March 21. The Task Force was asked to respond to a query regarding the use of “Festival” or “Ratings-based” formats as an alternative to our present “Ranking-based” competitive format.

Three fundamental scenarios were postulated by the Board of Directors; 1) Implement a Rating Focus to our Events, 2) Maintain the Current System while Allowing for its Modification or 3) Incorporate the “Audience” into the Adjudication Process.

Concerns expressed focused on the competitive nature of the activity and the adjudicator’s difficulty in measuring audience response. It is felt that competition inspires excellence and that rewarding the “audience response” may foster a biased response to the corps which is not healthy for the performers.

Finally, an agenda was set for the July Instructors/ Judges Meeting that will take place during the Ypsilanti, Michigan DCI Midwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Weekend. This event will replace the previously held ‘Mass Critique’ and is open to all Judges and Instructors in the activity. The Rules Change Committee will present a segment during the meeting and changes submitted will be discussed at that time.

D C I T O D A Y 5

1998 DCI CLINIC TOUR Announced Drum Corps International is proud to announce the 1998 DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAME S Clinic Tour. With over 20 clinic opportunities offered around the country, these clinics are presented by some of the world’s finest marching music organizations.

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ach clinic is sponsored in part by Disney Magic Music Days and offers students an interactive curriculum covering the fundamentals of performance technique demonstrated in the various captions including Marching, Percussion, Brass and Visual Ensemble. The marching music industry’s leading designers, instructors and clinicians will engage students in a one and a half hour clinic in each of the following cities.

Toledo, OH . . . . . . . . . Glassmen

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 13

Elkton, MD . . . . . . . . . Crossmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 27 Bristol, RI . . . . . . . . . . Magic of Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 3 Buffalo, NY . . . . . . . . . Cadets of Bergen County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 12 Columbus, OH . . . . . . . The Cavaliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 13 Boise, ID . . . . . . . . . . . Santa Clara Vanguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 14 Pittsburgh, PA . . . . . . . Cadets of Bergen County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 15 Ogden, UT . . . . . . . . . . Blue Knights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 15 Erie, PA . . . . . . . . . . . . Phantom Regiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 16 Denver, CO . . . . . . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 18

SAN ANTONIO CLINICS an Antonio’s Alamo Stadium comes alive on July 26 as part of the Texas Bandmasters Association annual convention and clinic. Adding to the excitement of Texas sized drum and bugle corps competition in 1998 will be the DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES. This incredible event will feature several educational clinics presented by DCI, Bands of America and the Texas Bandmasters Association.

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The Texas Bandmasters Association is the largest representation of music educators in the Texas region rivaling many national conventions in size and success.

Marking the TBA’s 51st convention to be held July 26 – 29, the National Band Association will be joining the TBA for a combined convention making this event one of the biggest TBA events in history.

Surrounding the DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES event, four special clinics will be presented

by Drum Corps International in cooperation with the TBA convention. Each of these clinic performances is open to attendees of the Texas Bandmasters Association convention, including the 1998 DCI On-Stage Performance Series presentation of the Blue Devils. The Student Clinic presented by Bands of America and The Cavaliers will be presented Sunday afternoon at the Alamo Stadium and is free to ticket holders of the evening performance.

Burlington, IA . . . . . . . Colts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 19 Tupelo, MI. . . . . . . . . . The Cavaliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 20

Sunday, July 26

Wichita, KS . . . . . . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 21

Cadets of Bergen County Color Guard Clinic San Antonio Convention Center

Tulsa, OK. . . . . . . . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 22 Dallas, TX . . . . . . . . . . Cadets of Bergen County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 23 Houston, TX . . . . . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 24 Champaign, IL . . . . . . . Phantom Regiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 25 Killeen, TX. . . . . . . . . . To Be Announced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 25 San Antonio, TX . . . . . July 26 in conjunction with the Texas Bandmasters Association featuring The Cavaliers & Cadets of Bergen County San Antonio, TX . . . . . July 27 in conjunction with the Texas Bandmasters Association featuring the Santa Clara Vanguard & Blue Devils Bowling Green, KY . . . Crossmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 30 Ft. Wayne, IN . . . . . . . The Cavaliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 30 Ypsilanti, MI . . . . . . . . Santa Clara Vanguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 31 Centerville, OH . . . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 2 Rome, NY . . . . . . . . . . Magic of Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 2 Winston-Salem, NC . . . Phantom Regiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 4 Hampton, VA. . . . . . . . Cadets of Bergen County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 5 E. Rutherford, NJ. . . . . Blue Devils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 5 Orlando, FL . . . . . . . . . Madison Scouts & Santa Clara Vanguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .August 14 as part of the DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES World Championship Finals Citrus Bowl Stadium This schedule is sublect to change. For more information regarding any of these exclusive DCI Clinic events or to verify this schedule of events, please contact the DCI office at 630-495-9866. Or visit the DCI website at www.dci.org.

Student Clinic Presented by Bands of America and The Cavaliers Alamo Stadium DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Alamo Stadium

Monday, July 27 Santa Clara Vanguard Marching Brass Clinic San Antonio Convention Center Santa Clara Vanguard Percussion Clinic San Antonio Convention Center Blue Devils On-Stage Performance San Antonio Convention Center To obtain details about the Texas Bandmasters Association 51st Annual convention including information on attending the Drum Corps International clinics held in cooperation with this event please contact the Texas Bandmasters Association at 210-492-8878 or visit their website at www.txband.com For accomodations while visiting San Antonio, please contact the San Antonio Visitors Bureau at 210-207-6748.

For more information on how you can get tickets for this event contact Drum Corps International at 630-495-9866 extension 3.

D C I T O D A Y 7

Michael Cesario is currently Director of Conservatory Theater Design and Technology at Purchase College, which is the arts wing of State University of New York, a professional training program that uses working New York designers to teach. His costume designs have appeared on and off Broadway, Television and in theaters and Opera stages across the country. He has developed and collaborated with many of the world’s leading marching music organizations including Phantom Regiment, The Cavaliers, Cadets of Bergen County and Glassmen, to name a few.

An Interview With

MICHAEL J. CESARIO

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DCI Hall of Fame member, Michael has also co-hosted the annual DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES World Championship for the past few seasons and has most recently been appointed to the DCI Instructors/Judges Task Force.

Michael Cesario on The Early Years

D C I T O D A Y 8

At the DCI Instructors/Judges College this past January I showed a video of a 1971 corps as a point of reference. We read and hear that “in the old days” the audience was standing and screaming at every turn, that there was magnificent military precision, the stadiums were filled, there was all kinds of magnificent flag work going on during concert, and on and on. What we realized though, was that we sometimes have these golden memories about the “old days” and in fact most of the visual presentation from that era was pretty substandard by today’s ideas of design and achievement.

After DCI was born, that all changed. The guys like Jim Michael J. Cesario Jones and Gail Royer that were putting the shows together were the ones calling the shots, deciding on what the show could contain and what the rules would be.

Subsequently, the performance excellence of the activity grew tremendously. All that remains is that we still play drums and we still play bugles and we still move around on the field. Everything else has undergone dramatic revolution and all of it for the better.

Michael Cesario on Entertainment Today most fans would not have a problem distinguishing between different corps. If we could look or listen to the Blue Devils and Phantom Regiment next to each other, for example, we would have no

difficulty telling them apart. If we put them behind a screen or made them wear rehearsal clothes I think you would know exactly which corps was the Blue Devils and which corps was the Phantom Regiment just from the way they sound or from the way they move. You can easily guess which corps is playing by the way these guys structure their chords and the way the music is written. You can even tell who is teaching the corps by the way the students approach the horn, the drum, the foot.

Over the years the great corps created their own unique identities, clearly identifiable by the fans as well. If every corps looked and sounded like the Madison Scouts, the Madison Scouts would no longer be special. Or if they all looked and sounded like the Cadets of Bergen County then the Cadets would no longer be unique. We worried for several years as everybody tried to imitate the winners.

Today, the corps are returning to their root identities. The corps that are succeeding today are those that are emphasizing what is special and unique about what they and they alone can do.

There is an historical perspective that is once again being respected. At the same time these progressive corps are bringing advanced concepts to the field.

The audience is the winner.

A perfect example of this from 1997 is the return of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Their success last year grew from the fact that they were more the essence of the Santa Clara Vanguard than ever before. The indescribable “Santa Clara” quality that makes the hair rise on the back of our necks was there in 1997. It’s so palpable that when you hear it you say “Santa Clara!” with an exclamation point! It is the distinct personality and the individualized approach that makes the audience respond so well.

You could also look at the Spirit of Atlanta or the Crossmen from last season. We witnessed the Spirit of Atlanta become the “Spirit of Atlanta” again and the Crossmen become the “Crossmen” once more.

These corps are finally finding that we love them

best when they maintain their distinguishing characteristics. You can’t repeat the past, but you can find the heart and soul of what is so amazing about those magical corps, assume that identitiy, and grow from there.

In 1997 I think our message was “Take Another Look!”. There was a different kind of entertainment being presented last year and audiences responded. They allowed themselves an honest reaction, rather than assume they were going to see the same stuff from the year before. At any given contest, it was the variety from corps to corps that made the evening electric.

You know, every time a new audience sees a LIVE drum corps performance they go nuts, Berzerk, CRAZY! As the modern audience becomes used to computer games, computer graphics, MTV, film, special digital effects, etc. they tend to want the thrills to come hot and heavy and faster and faster.

Nobody sets out to produce a dull show. But remember, we are watching amateurs. We know that they are presenting professional level performances but we must also understand that these kids are learning to play the horn, learning to play the drum and learning to dance. Given that perspective you realize that this is an educational process and the kids are exploring different ideas that we are lucky enough to see.

There are bombs on Broadway afterall.

Michael Cesario on Future Drum Corps Designers We should take time to consider that during the early nineties the activity witnessed the loss of three of our genius designers. We lost John Brazale, George Zingali and Steve Brubaker. These guys were the masters of creating identity and effect and I don’t think we thought we’d feel their loss as much as we obviously have. The visual caption really went into a tailspin for a while. Fortunately Mark Sylvester, Jay Murphy, Greg Cesario and Tony Hall rose to the occasion.

Today’s outstanding young designers like Jeff Sacktig, Myron Rosander, Garret Decker, Jamey Thompson, Eric Kitchenman and Mike Gaines are the future.

People tend to envision the “DCI Monolith” and imagine corps as huge conglomerates that can easily put on a great show. But the reality is that this activity is still a hands on, hand crafted live performance that requires many writers and creators to develop these outstanding programs – an incredible collaborative process.

One of the reasons why I am so adamant about

looking to the new writers is that we’ve just celebrated our 25th anniversary and it is done, it is over, put it in the history books, move along, it’s a new era! We are going to hit the new millennium two years before anyone else does. SO LETS GO! Today begins a new vital age for our activity. You know, I’m fifty! So the guys that founded DCI have got to be 380 years old! Enough already! Get off the stage and let the young guys get up there and make this thing happen.

Michael Cesario is Looking Ahead In 1998, I am promising the best, most entertaining season we have ever had. Just look at the repertoires, and know that these corps are out to nail the summer. What Jay Bocook is doing with the Stonehendge piece for the Cadets of Bergen County, and the inventiveness of the West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet theme that the Blue Devils are working on, The Cavaliers celebrating their 50th Anniversary, the Madison Scouts with another trademark chart busting show, Phantom with a Big Romantic Italian thing…and that’s to say nothing about the incredible development by the Crossmen, Glassmen, Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, Spirit of Atlanta, Tarheel Sun, Pioneer…I don’t mean to skip anyone but wait till you hear what they’ve planned for 1998. People will be throwing their first-born babies and small appliances. I think this is going to be the best year in our history, I really do believe that.

Remember when it was really something to be in the top twelve? Last year I think we saw that prestige return. Can you think of a better corps that didn’t make finals than the Colts? Listen to their performance. I would have hated to have been the judge that had to decide. And that is to take nothing away from Carolina Crown who also had a spectacular performance. Rather this is the signal revealing what potential the 1998 season holds. I just can’t wait.

Michael Cesario on Education More and more college and high school band students have come to realize that they can use drum corps as a way to advance both their music training and their educational training. If you are (continued on page 17)

STEVE RONDINARO MARKS 20TH YEAR ON DCI BROADCAST ideotape rolls and cameras zoom in. Veteran drum corps announcer Steve Rondinaro enthusiastically describes each corps as the dramatic spectacle of music and motion appears to unfold effortlessly on the field…

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Beginning in 1979, Steve Rondinaro, a professional newscaster and former drum corps member from Watkins Glen, New York, has hosted and anchored each and every one of DCI’s World Championship telecasts featured on PBS. “I don’t know where the years have gone,” says Steve Rondinaro. In 1998, the 43-year old broadcaster will celebrate his 20th year as host of the DCI World Championship broadcast on PBS. “To host a national telecast for 20 years is something special. And you know how much I love drum corps.”

Steve first co-hosted the DCI East show from Allentown on the local PBS affiliate in the mid-70’s and later became host of the World Championships on PBS in 1979 in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Those early years were a real thrill. We had co-hosts like Rita Moreno, Maynard Ferguson and Chuck Mangione. We even broadcast the whole 5-plus hour event live for a couple years. The time I spent working with producer/director Tom Blair was also special. Tom was another drum corps guy with a passion for the project and with Bill Cook, as underwriter, they provided tremendous resources,” says Rondinaro. “Then there’s Dennis DeLucia and Michael Cesario. We’ve had so much fun working together these past several years.”

This year also marks another turning point in Rondinaro’s broadcasting career. He’s returning to TV news in Orlando, Florida after two and a half years away. Rondinaro had anchored the evening news at WESH, Orlando for nine years before leaving for the mountains of North Carolina, where he bought an AM radio station and built an FM station. (He also has MC’d Carolina Crown’s annual drum corps contest.) Rondinaro will be working for top-rated WFTV when he returns to Orlando in mid-April. A winner of four Emmy awards, he’ll anchor and report, spending much of his time covering events at the Kennedy Space Center.

The DCI World Championships highlight program is uplinked by satellite to PBS stations in mid-October.

To ensure that you won’t miss this exciting telecast, please check with your local PBS station in midOctober, or check your local listings for air dates.

A partial listing of air dates and times is also posted in the fall on the DCI website at www.dci.org.

For a related article on the history of the DCI television broadcast, check out the March Issue of DCI Today Online at DCI’s official website www.dci.org.

D C I T O D A Y 9

YOU BE THE JUDGE: DCI Mid-America Returns to 1998 Tour Rounding out the 1998 DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Tour DCI has recently announced the return of the DCI Mid-America SUMMER MUSIC GAMES. Scheduled for Saturday July 25 this event will be held in the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois and will offer performances by 10 of DCI’s top 21 corps from DCI’s 1997 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES World Championships.

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lso featured as a part of this fantastic showcase, fans will have the opportunity to spend an evening with the DCI Judges. Several fans selected from the evening Judges Clinic beginning at 6:00 PM, will be invited to sit in the press box or spend time on the field with a DCI Judge as they evaluate the evening performances. And, as the competition concludes, these same fans can meet the staff of the corps as they join the judges in a post-competition critique.

The Judging Clinic will offer an educational opportunity that will encourage fans to share their views and ideas regarding drum corps judging. Open to all DCI Mid-America ticket holders, this clinic will center around a onehour presentation including a question and answer session that discusses the DCI scoring system and the judging process. No other event along the SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Tour will offer this incredible fan opportunity.

(Cesario continued from page 9) studying education or want to be a teacher, I know of no better way to gain exposure and access to high level teachers. People who teach in the best high schools, the best colleges, people who have taught in different places around the country are involved in the activity today. A lot of these folks teach prestigious music programs devoting their summers to drum corps students. Others have taught at several different colleges, visual people often teaching design. Some are music educators themselves who understand how to bring the visual part of the music to life.

If what you want to be is a professional musician, then I would again look to the DCI experience as a means of developing the performance skills necessary to succeed. Brass players at the Phantom Regiment during the past two seasons had the opportunity to work with Peter Bond of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Do you know how much his private lessons cost? Imagine, those students enjoyed private lessons with Peter Bond. Professional musicians like Alan Chez of the David Letterman show working with the Cadets and Crossmen are examples of the type of clinician and consultant DCI now attracts. Consider Jay Kennedy. This man has written a zillion commercials, music pieces, film scores and is now at Berklee School of Music in Boston yet he composes and arranges for drum corps today.

Plus a DCI Student Clinic!

Preceeding the Judging Clinic, Drum Corps International will feature the Phantom Regiment in a Student Clinic beginning at 1 pm at Memorial Stadium as part of the national DCI Clinic Tour. (see related article on page 7) The University of Illinois Memorial Stadium is recognized as one of the most spectacular venues to view this incredible musical sport. Presenting an incredible vantage point from which to view the Madison Scouts, Phantom Regiment, Crossmen, Bluecoats, Magic of Orlando, Colts, Les ‘Etoiles, Academie Musicale, Pioneer and Troopers, Memorial Stadium is the place to be as they compete for the DCI Mid-America SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Title.

Experience the excitement in the heart of the Midwest with one of the most powerful line ups on the 1998 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES Tour and gain insight into your favorite musical sport. Tickets are on sale now through the DCI Ticket Line by calling 630-495-9866 extension 3.

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ind out how you can become involved in the first ever DCI Judging Clinic by visiting the new DCI web site at http://www.dci.org. Get the details on the return of the DCI Mid-America SUMMER MUSIC GAMES and sign yourself up to become a member of the new Fan-Judge team in Champaign, Illinois.

“New” DCI web site? You’re probably wondering what happened to the old one. Well, it’s gone through some significant changes since its debut some three years ago. Now the site is due for an even more dramatic renovation. The new DCI web site scheduled for release this summer will be brighter, more user-friendly and full of pictures of drum corps doing what we all love: performing! And even better, the site will feature streaming audio and video performances. In fact, A/V files from DCI’s first cybercast of the ’97 World Championships are already archived there, but we’ll be adding much, much more. Want more information about your favorite corps? The updated corps pages will feature more than just addresses and links to their web sites; you’ll be able to see and hear your corps on the field.

And watch for the return of the DCI Championships cybercast this August from Orlando, Florida. Live from the Citrus Bowl, you’ll be able to follow the entire week’s events.

Other favorite pages are still on the site, including secure online merchandise ordering. And coming up this fall: online ticket ordering! You’ll see the stadium at selected DCI events, select your seats from seating charts, and place your order online. It will be that simple.

With the help of IBM Interactive Media, the DCI web-team and you, the DCI web site has evolved into a more user-friendly, intuitive, and visually attractive web site. Visit it frequently and let us know what you think as we continue to grow. Drop us some e-mail at “dci@dci.org” and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. That’s our policy!

Michael Cesario on The DCI I/J College The recent DCI Instructors Judges College was terrific.

I have been hoping for something like this since the days of Baggs and Angelica. It reminded me of the give and take of the glory days of DCI growth. The creators are once again the people who determine what will be judged and how it will be judged. Our audience has clearly indicated that they want to see a competition, and as long as we remain competitive, we will need to make these determinations about judging through an ongoing discussion between Judges and Instructors.

People were able to discuss with open minds and open hearts what drum corps meant to them and why it is necessary to particiapte as opposed to sitting back and throwing rocks. It was so well received that everyone there agreed that we should make it a yearly event.

I think we, at times, underestimate the power of discussion and need simple reminders that we are part of an incredible fraternity of talented men and women.

And after all, what’s a fraternity without a fraternity picnic?

D C I T O D A Y 17

DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES DCI exSIGHTment of Sound SUMMER MUSIC GAMES HOUSTON, TX (281)397-6677

July 24

BLUE DEVILS CADETS OF BERGEN CO. THE CAVALIERS BLUE KNIGHTS GLASSMEN

CAROLINA CROWN BOSTON CRUSADERS SPIRIT OF ATLANTA ALLEGIANCE ELITE DELTA BRIGADE

DCI Music in Motion SUMMER MUSIC GAMES

Focus Events

E. RUTHERFORD, NJ (201)384-8822

August 6

CADETS OF BERGEN CO. CROSSMEN BLUE KNIGHTS JERSEY SURF

MADISON SCOUTS BLUE DEVILS TROOPERS

DCI NightBEAT SUMMER MUSIC GAMES CHARLOTTE, NC (704)338-1331

August 9

MADISON SCOUTS THE CAVALIERS CAROLINA CROWN LES ETOILES

CROSSMEN GLASSMEN KIWANIS KAVALIERS SANTA CLARA VANGUARD

DCI Drums Across America SUMMER MUSIC GAMES JACKSONVILLE, AL (205)782-5562

August 9 Visit the DCI website at www.dci.org

BLUE DEVILS CADETS OF BERGEN CO. PHANTOM REGIMENT MAGIC OF ORLANDO

ACADEMIE MUSICALE COLTS SPIRIT OF ATLANTA PIONEER

D C I O N - S TA G E

Returns in ’98

The idea for the DCI On-Stage Performance Series developed through the shared belief by many regarding the uniqueness of the drum corps activity.

Prompted by the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps and their interest to showcase the talents of their members, the DCI On-Stage Performance Series encompasses the power of the brass section in standstills, the versatility of the guard in the indoor activity, and the impact of the percussion section, both moving and stationary. This series is an opportunity to showcase these abilities through individuals and sections, as well as the entire performance ensemble.

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y offering a variety of performances for our audiences without diverting from the traditional drum corps environment, DCI On-Stage Performance Series allows the individual drum and bugle corps to showcase their talents while creating more intimate performances for drum corps audiences and members. These opportunities enhance the visibility of our activity while providing our audience with a different perspective and appreciation of the precision and emotion of these talented performers in a theatrical environment.

With the support of DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson, Blue Devils Executive Director Dave Gibbs and Blue Knights Executive Director Mark Arnold, the idea of a DCI On-Stage Performance Series became a reality in 1997 as a part of the DCI Drums Along the Rockies SUMMER MUSIC GAMES competition in Denver, Colorado. In Denver, with a sold out crowd the DCI On-Stage Performance Series was an instant success. Only one week later, Whitewater, Wisconsin presented the DCI On-Stage Performance Series with a standing room only crowd as the Blue Devils teamed up with The Cavaliers, the Phantom Regiment and the Madison Scouts.

In 1998 the DCI Performance Series returns.

Presenting four command performances, the Blue Devils will be joined by the Blue Knights in Denver, Colorado; the Santa Clara Vanguard in San Antonio, Texas; the Phantom Regeiment in Ypsilanti, Michigan and the Cadets of Bergen County in Orlando, Florida. Each event will feature small ensemble presentations and full-corps masterworks in a traditional indoor theater setting.

Admission to each of these events varies.

On-Stage Performance Series July 18 Denver, Colorado ($5) DCI Drums Along The Rockies For tickets call 303-424-6396

July 26 San Antonio, Texas (Requires TBA Clinic Admission) DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES For tickets call 210-492-8878

August 1 Ypsilanti, Michigan ($5) Washtenaw College Towsley Auditorium, 2:00PM DCI Midwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES For tickets call 630-495-9866

August 12 Orlando, Florida American Garden Amphitheatre (Requires Disney’s Epcot Admission) DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES For special priced Disney park passes call 630-495-9866

(Bocook continued from page 5) the opera entertainment. For some people, entertainment inherently requires a sacrifice of artistic quality.

In my view, the two do not have to be mutually exclusive. There are great movies that are very entertaining to people on many different levels.

At my session at the DCI Instructors/Judges College we talked about this. The comparison I drew was of the movie Independence Day and of the English Patient. The English Patient won the Oscar for best movie but Independence Day drew the biggest box office. I think they are both valid movies but in “our” perfect world they both need to do more of what the other one does. We are definitely seeing a trend for people to be aware of this in programming. Yes it is easy for the creative people in our business to go off the deep end sometimes but I think that we now know that and most of the staffs are working hard at trying to keep an even keel on this.

The fact is, the people of the drum and bugle corps activity that create these shows are brilliant people and are smart enough to know that this is a market driven activity. Nobody tries to put bad programs out there. What happens sometimes, however, is that we don’t have the support team like a Broadway show does to make the effects all generate the way that we had first envisioned them. Or we don’t have the performers. Remember these are young kids out there. Sometimes the chemistry of the performer and the support team is just not there or the sense of timing is off for whatever reason. Most times it is something as simple as that. Lets face it, even Hollywood produces bombs occasionally and I’m sure that the story boards looked great.

I don’t think we have to throw out the white towel and say OK we are going to go back and do shows of little or no substance just so we can get applause.

I don’t think the audience really wants that anyway.

What I believe the audience wants is a diverse and enjoyable evening that will give them moments to appreciate, and evoke many emotions.

Jay Bocook on The Future of the Activity 1997 was a great year and I am confident that you’ll see it continue from here on out. Any musical activity has experienced what the drum and bugle corps activity did a few years back, I know Broadway did.

You can trace Rogers and Hammerstein during the glory days of Broadway. After that the theater people got better, the artists got better, and the stage people got better and the prop people could do more tricks.

All the sudden people didn’t like the shows because they didn’t have the grass roots fun of Roger & Hammerstein. Later, the new people like Weber and the guys that do Les Mis’erables revitalized Broadway doing the same kind of stuff that Rogers & Hammerstein did but with a modern day production.

That is what you’re going to see in drum corps. Its not going to be unusual for somebody to come back and analyze why people stood up and utilize those same kinds of things in contemporary shows. Up until now we’ve done things because we could because the artistry and the talent was there. Now we are taking a little different spin and asking ourselves not only if we can, but if it’s in the best interest of the activity.

D C I T O D A Y 19

James Campbell has received world-wide recognition as a performer, teacher, arranger and adjudicator and is a respected figure in the development of the contemporary percussion ensemble. Jim is currently teaching at the University of Kentucky and is well known for his long association with the internationally renowned Rosemont Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps where he has served as their principal instructor, arranger, and Program Coordinator.

JIM CAMPBELL

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mong his works for concert and marching percussion, Jim has published with Hal Leonard Publishing, C.L. Barnhouse Co., C. Alan Publications, Innovative Percussion and Row-Loff Productions with whom he has just released a new method book, “Championship Technique for Marching Percussion”.

Jim also serves on the Board of Directors of the Percussive Arts Society and is an Associate Editor for their international publication, Percussive Notes.

How the activity has evolved

D C I T O D A Y 20

on DCI

Similarities and Differences Between College and Drum Corps There is a lot of similarity and some significant differences between college students and drum corps members. The obvious similarity is that the same kids are involved in both arenas. The difference is not in the kids themselves, but in the processes surrounding the two activities.

A similar and rewarding experience that college students and drum corps members share is that of living independently. They are away from their families and on campus or on the road, learning to live on their own. They learn to follow instruction, but they also learn to lead and problem-solve.

When I marched and started to teach, the drum corps activity had rules that were strict, perhaps even restrictive. Each corps was Because of the concentrated timed three times during their amount of time spent living on show to check that the tempo was the road together, drum corps between 120 and 132 at all times. participants develop better interperDemanding inspections were held sonal skills. Putting on a drum corps (and penalties assessed); there were show is an evolving experience. It mandatory show elements (concert requires you to change and adapt numbers, production tunes, starting quickly and creatively; that is a line entry); there was more ceremogood environment for the members ny, and a military carryover from and the staff. Learning how to the VFW and American Legion was adapt to change creates tremendous still with the activity. tolerance and develops an open Jim Campbell mind. Drum corps kids I see at the Today there is less emphasis on the college level are more open-minded rules (they are more open-ended) because they’ve worked on teams. They are always and more emphasis on creativity and entertainment. willing to roll up their sleeves, and they know what We now have a variety of concert percussion it takes to reach a goal. Drum corps does a wonderequipment. The activity is more of a business with ful job of teaching kids self-reliance and helps them more of a national audience; budgets are larger; think creatively. Having those skills is very important staffs are more professional, and one or two drum for students who want to be part of a network of corps even have career instructors. professional musicians.

I have been involved with corps for more than 30 years for a good reason: drum corps is a creative What Does the Activity Offer to Kids? outlet that allows me to work with young people.

Building an entertaining product as a team Drum corps provides an opportunity for kids to member is fun, and so is interacting with collegegrow. They not only learn how to play their instruage students. ments but how to improve their playing skills. They

get an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience on a regular basis, which helps them overcome stage jitters they might face as a music major. The drum corps experience also builds character at the same time it builds resumes with experience outside of school.

Drum corps today is more global and diverse. Kids now travel from one end of the country to the other, and in some organizations you can find kids from all over the world. DCI corps on a regular basis have Japanese, British, Dutch and other foreign students marching in their ranks.

The physical and mental demands placed on corps members have increased significantly. Musical selections are more sophisticated and challenging; the variety of musical instrumentation we use is greater; the number of drill sets in a show has increased so simultaneous responsibilities are mind boggling.

But there can still be more challenge.

Some people think that drum corps has evolved as far as it can or should. I don’t know who said drum corps has to be the torchbearer for rudimental drumming, but I don’t agree that we have that responsibility. DCI does not have to be the one to continue the heritage dating back to the Revolutionary War. Drum corps must evolve to attract participants and an audience.

Entertainment and Planning Programs The first thing I do when planning a program is to find good music; everything else follows. Good music has to be accessible and communicate.

Successful people design with entertainment and depth, where each viewing brings new connections and provides a deeper understanding. Entertainment can be shallow or deep; the challenge is to balance the two.

At the University level, entertainment has to coexist with an obligation we have to the students. They

must be exposed to and be able to perform the classics. There is also an obligation to keep up with the most modern technology and the newest musical pieces. They have to learn to draw on past resources and cutting edge material at the same time.

University students have to have a sense of history, and they need to experience all the idioms to be competitive in the marketplace (marching, world music, midi applications, jazz, concert, etc.). Drum corps does not have to teach history; it teaches a single product, while the college experience develops many.

When creating a program I don’t think of entertainment; I think of communication. Communication is a better word than entertainment. You can communicate with glitz and glitter, emotion, humor or perhaps a message. Where entertainment is one

“Drum corps provides a healthy competitive environment where everyone truly is a winner.” dimensional, communication happens on a lot of levels; it can be funny, sad, happy or meaningful.

This concept is true for both the university and drum corps arenas, but how you achieve it is different due to the environment.

Entertainment comes in many forms and the audience has a different level of expectation for each group it sees. The drum corps audience needs a certain level of depth in the music before entertainment can be achieved. The same is true of the visual effort; it must be performed with a high proficiency level to be entertaining. That is what makes drum corps unique.

Depth and precision together offer the highest potential for music and visual entertainment. Each drum corps has its own identity; for some it is precision, for others it’s playing loud, for another it’s running around on the field and for another it’s a high rifle toss. The audience is

fickle and wants to see specific traits from their favorite groups, so the challenge is to provide that and push the envelope a little further to continue bringing something new to the activity.

Exploring the Art Form Exploration of the art form today has significantly improved from late 80s to early 90s. Then it was an exercise of going through a checklist of mandatory items.

Everyone would model their show after last year’s winner; designers worked to get points by using the checklist. Now they have decided that the product is more important than the judging and the scores. This allows more creativity and more risk-taking, which means less rubber stamping and more diversity, where people are pushing their own envelopes further than ever before.

There is more involvement by instructors and judges who have experience in other art forms, and that has helped the activity. Guard people have dance and choreography backgrounds. Experienced and successful band directors are teaching brass lines. Percussion instructors have college and professional playing opportunities.

Influences from other art forms are affecting drum corps. This was not happening as recent as 10 years ago. Today we have more educated and better schooled teachers in the activity.

I hesitate to refer to drum corps as an art; I prefer to think of it as a musical sport. Art is not competitive. In art circles you get reviews; you do not get scores. Concert bands don’t have to go out and beat someone; instead, their goal is to perform to the highest level.

One of drum corps’ most unique features is that it is competitive. Drum corps provides a healthy competitive environment where everyone truly is a winner. Creators push the boundaries, the kids learn more and the audience sees a better show. Today there are a lot more people leaving the stands before the scores are announced, saying, “I won because I saw a great show and was highly entertained.”

The audience is getting its money’s worth and seeing great performances. They don’t need to know the scores. Competition helps raise the bar for everyone.

How Entertainment Differs from Communication In drum corps there needs to be a quicker, more timely payoff, and there has to be a visual connection that isn’t there in a symphony hall.

In drum corps, to communicate you have to entertain, but to entertain you don’t necessarily have to communicate. When you can do both, you are the most successful.

In building a show, it is important to respect the musical piece, but a good arranger makes the piece sound like it was written for this idiom. The creative team is successful when it can answer the questions: “How do you make the piece sound like it was written for drum corps first and expanded upon for the concert piece?

How do you get the timely responses you need in drum corps and stay true to the original intent of the music?”

Programming a drum corps to new music takes people out of their comfort zone; they are comfortable with and respond well to classics. With the Planets show I helped plan for The Cavaliers, I knew that being soft and lyrical for 4 minutes wouldn’t work. We had to communicate the Holst ideas in a drum corps idiom. We did not try to sound like the Chicago Symphony; we tried to sound like the best drum corps playing Holst. The best advice I can give is to tell someone to “attempt to create an original adaptation; do not try to recreate what someone else has done.”

DCI Providing a Positive Experience To create a more positive experience for the marching members, someone has to always be looking for more opportunities for the kids. That could be bigger audiences, different music or more travel.

This has always been a team sport. The members have to feel like they are contributing and not just chess pieces in the game. The environment has to be one where there is always a positive reward.

Everyone on the team has to constantly ask, “Are we doing this the right way?” At The Cavaliers we always said, “we didn’t do so well tonight; we’re going to have to teach better.”

You have to give them something back. Give them the opportunity to win, to perform better, to travel.

If they are rewarded, they will continue to be there.

You have to give them the opportunity to feel like they have a chance to succeed. Remember that you are there for THEM.

D C I T O D A Y 21

DCI DRUMS ALONG THE ROCKIES

Denver, Colorado July 18, 1998 Mile High Stadium

SUMMER MUSIC GAMES

For tickets call (303)424-6396

Join us on the road to JOIN US Walt Disney World!

FEATURING

BLUE KNIGHTS CROSSMEN SANTA CLARA VANGUARD BLUE DEVILS

MADISON SCOUTS KIWANIS KAVALIERS GLASSMEN TROOPERS

ALLEGIANCE ELITE SEATTLE CASCADES AMERICANOS BLUE DEVILS “B” Visit the DCI website at www.dci.org

DCI/BANDS OF AMERICA Form Relationship After recent strategic meetings between representatives of Drum Corps International and Bands of America, several collaborative events have been scheduled for 1998 including a new BOA Regional in Orlando, Florida.

D C I T O D A Y 22

Although the details for each event are currently being finalized, DCI and BOA will coordinate three clinic events as well as the Bands of America Orlando Regional.

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iscussions between the two organizations began in July of 1997 as Drum Corps International solidified plans to introduce a major event in San Antonio, Texas for 1998. The DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES event, scheduled for July 26, will follow the San Antonio BOA Express Summer Camp scholastic marching band students.

The BOA Express Camp is in its third year and preceeds the opening of the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention each summer. The camp is

held at Winston Churchill High School and hosted by the Churchill booster organization.

The DCI competition will become the finale of the BOA Express Camp and serve as part of the opening series of events for the TBA convention. In addition to the Sunday evening competition, Drum Corps International will feature several clinic performances and seminars as part of the week-long TBA conference schedule.

DCI and BOA will also coordinate educational clinics in Ypsilanti, Michigan as part of the DCI

Midwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES and in Orlando, Florida as part of the DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES World Championships. These educational clinics will be free to ticket holders of the Ypsilanti and Orlando events and have been developed to offer participants a hands on interactive experience.

As the 1998 fall marching band season gets underway, Drum Corps International will provide unprecedented clinic and support as part of the Bands of America regional event scheduled for the weekend of October 3 at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

According to Bands of America Executive Director Scott McCormick, “This new relationship creates great opportunities for each organization to forward their individual but similar missions. After 22 years, it is exciting to me to see the two most prominent pageantry organizations in the U.S. collaborating on a few important projects.”

DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson agrees and adds, “The DCI / BOA relationship has been fully endorsed by all those in attendance at the recent DCI Board of Directors meeting in Orlando, Florida.

This is clearly a win-win opportunity for us all, including the fans and youth participants.”

While there remain some fundemental differences between the two organizations one thing is clear; both DCI and BOA are interested in creating positive educational performance opportunities for the youth participants.

LE! A S y r o nvent I s s e n Mad March Limited T ime Offer!

Sale

Championship Video Volume Sets Sale 1996 Division I Finals – 1 Volume Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59.00 1996 Division I Prelims – 2 Volume Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $69.00 1996 Division II/III Finals – 1 Volume Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.00 1996 Division II/III Finals – 1 Volume Set (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.00 1995 Division I Finals – 2 Volume Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.00 1995 Division I Semis – 2 Volume Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.00 1995 Division I Quarters – 3 Volume Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49.00 1995 Division I Quarters – 3 Volume Set (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49.00 1995 Division II/III Finals – 2 Volume Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.00

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$79.00 $99.00 $39.00 $39.00 $59.00 $49.00 $79.00 $79.00 $19.00

$20.00 $30.00 $10.00 $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $30.00 $30.00

$10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $10.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $14.95 $19.95 $14.95 $19.95 $14.95 $19.95 $19.95 $19.95 $19.95

$4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00

Individual Corps Performances 1995 Blue Devils – Finals and Semis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Boston Crusaders – Quarters and Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Carolina Crown – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Cavaliers – Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Crossmen – Quarters, Semis and Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Glassmen – Quarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Magic of Orlando – Semis and Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Phantom Regiment – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 SC Vanguard – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1995 Magic of Orlando – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.95 1996 Blue Devils – Finals (PAL). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Blue Devils – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Blue Knights – Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Bluecoats – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Boston Crusaders – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Cadets of B.C. – Finals (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Cadets of B.C. – Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Carolina Crown – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Cavaliers – Finals (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Cavaliers – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Colts – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Crossmen – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Kiwanis Kavaliers – Quarters and Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Les Etoiles – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Madison Scouts – Finals (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Magic of Orlando – Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Phantom Regiment – Finals (PAL). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Pioneer – Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 SC Vanguard – Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 SC Vanguard – Finals (PAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 SC Vanguard – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Spirit of Atlanta – Quarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1996 Troopers – Quarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 3rd Regiment – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Academie Musicale – Prelims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Allegiance Elite – Prelims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Americanos – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Bayonne Raiders – Prelims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Blue Devils – Quarters and Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Blue Devils B – Div II/III Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Blue Knights – Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Blue Stars – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Boston Crusaders – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Cadets of B.C. – Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Carolina Crown – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Cavaliers – Finals and Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95

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Championship Audio Sets Sale 1994 DCI Championships – 2 CD Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.00 1995 DCI Championships – 3 CD Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30.00 1996 DCI Championships – 3 CD Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.00 1994 DCI Championships – 4 Tape Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.00 1995 DCI Championships – 4 Tape Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.00 1996 DCI Championships – 4 Tape Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.00 1972-1996 Champions – 5 CD Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.00

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$5.95 $9.00 $5.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00

$15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00

$7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $7.00 $2.00 $2.00 $2.00 $2.00

DCI Logo Wear 1997 25th Anniversary Olive T-shirt –M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 25th Anniversary Natural T-shirt –M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI Atlantic T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI East Preview T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI Whitewater T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 Drum Corps West T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 Drum Corps Midwest T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI Orlando T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI Orlando Div II/III T-shirt – M-L-XL-XXL. . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 1997 DCI Championship Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.00 1997 DCI Div II/III Championship Patch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.00 1997 Precision West Patch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.00 1997 DCI East Preview Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.00

Order Information Item/Description

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Shipping/Handling Up to 2 lbs., add $5.50; Up to 2 lbs. (Canadian), add $7.50

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For International Orders, add $15.00

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Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery Prices do not include shipping and handling or sales tax where applicable.

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The complete DCI Productions Catalog On-Line!

Place your order on the internet at www.dci.org

IS N

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1997

1997 Cincinnati Glory – Prelims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Colts – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 East Coast Jazz – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Glassmen – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Golden Lancers – Prelims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Jersey Surf – Prelims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Kiwanis Kavaliers – Semis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Knight Storm – Prelims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Les Etoiles – Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Les Senateurs – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Madison Scouts – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Magic of Orlando – Finals and Semis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Mandarins – Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Patriots – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Phantom Cadets – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Phantom Regiment – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Phantom Regiment – Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 SC Vanguard – Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Spartans – Div II/III Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Spirit of Atlanta – Semis and Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 St. John’s – Div II/III Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Tarheel Sun – Div II/III Finals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 1997 Troopers – Quarters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14.95 1997 Westshore Cadets – Prelims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95

Call in your order today: DCI Productions 800-641-7512 (Monday through Friday 9:00AM to 5:00PM EST) or Fax your order 24 hours a day 813-948-8040 • For orders outside the U.S. call 813-948-2167 DCI Productions • 113 Flagship Drive • Lutz, FL 33549

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1998 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIPS August 10 -15, 1998 The Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida

Regional Championships bring the excitement close to

Drums Along the Rockies July 18 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO For ticket and hotel information, call (303)424-6396.

DCI Mid-America SUMMER MUSIC GAMES July 25 • 7:30 PM Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL

DCI Southwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES July 26 • 7:30 PM Alamo Stadium, San Antonio, TX Group rates available.

DCI Midwestern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES July 31 & August 1 • 7:30 PM EMU–Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI Each night features 10 of the world’s top drum and bugle corps. Group rates and VIP seats available.

DCI Eastern SUMMER MUSIC GAMES August 7 & 8 • 7:30 PM J. Birney Crum Stadium, Allentown, PA Each night features 10 of the world’s top drum and bugle corps. Group rates available.

™

To order tickets, call DCI at (630)4959866 Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm CDT.

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Join more than 80,000 educated drum corps fans who get their news from the source. From complete tour schedules of the DCI SUMMER MUSIC GAMES to official contest scores, DCI TODAY offers the latest news and educational insight on your favorite musical sport.

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For information on booking your accommodations to the 1998 SUMMER MUSIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIPS at a wide variety of Orlando area hotels and resorts, call the Walt Disney Travel Company™ at

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