1.0 What is drum corps?
Description
This article is from the Drum corps FAQ, by Cathy Doser cathyd@halcyon.com with numerous contributions by others.
1.0 What is drum corps?
Drum corps is an abbreviation for drum and bugle corps. During
the competitive season, corps from all across the US and Canada perform
to crowds of up to 35,000. The closest kind of group to a drum corps that
is not a drum corps is the marching band, but the performance levels of
the top drum corps is in general higher than top marching bands.
The music. Drum corps do NOT play Sousa marches or "um-pa-pa"
music. The repertoires of modern drum corps consist of classical,
jazz, contemporary, and symphonic literature. Broadway musicals are
also popular. Some organizations tend to play a single kind of music.
For example, the Concord Blue Devils tend to play jazz each year, while
the Phantom Regiment plays classical music each year. Gone are the days
of sitting on the 50 yardline playing the theme from "Rocky" and Stars
and Stripes Forever (which used to be common in both drum corps and
marching bands). The music is arranged by professionals. The brass and
percussion instructors are among the best in the country. There are
many college music professors involved in the activity.
The drill. Drills are also designed by professional artists and
choreographers. Smooth curves during delicate passages and sharp angles
during aggressive passages accent the presentation of the music. Color
and dance also add to the interpretation of the music. The drill and the
music are integrated into a whole (unlike many field shows one sees at a
typical halftime show) in a constantly moving show.
There are three sections of a drum corps: the brass, the percussion,
and the color guard. In part 5 of the FAQ, a more detailed description is
given on what type of instrumentation is allowed in the brass and percussion
sections. The color guard (a misnomer in today's performances) is the group
of performers who handle the flags and other props that visually enhance the
performance. They typically do quite a bit of dancing and equipment work.
Forget about any experiences you've had with high school and college
marching bands. Drum corps is a completely different activity, and any
music-lover ought to consider seeing a show towards the end of the season.
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