Inside the Circle: Technique, Gear, and Community Culture
The 2026 season is shaking up the way drum corps choose their music. If you have been following the early show announcements, you have noticed something different. Corps are mixing genres more freely,…
Read moreThere are shows that win championships, and then there are shows that change the conversation. The Boston Crusaders’ 2026 production, “Phoenix”, did both. From the moment the first note rang out at th…
Read moreThe announcement landed like a downbeat you feel in your chest. Drum Corps International has officially revealed the 2026 season theme, “Echoes of Innovation,” and it’s already sparking conversations …
Read moreYou sit in the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium, the air thick with anticipation. The Bluecoats take the field, and within the first thirty seconds you feel a tightness in your chest. By the time the balla…
Read moreEvery drum corps fan has their favorite championship performances burned into memory. But some of the most rewarding shows never finished near the top. They didn’t win trophies or become the next vira…
Read moreThe 1990s were a decade of creative upheaval for Drum Corps International. The old guard of militaristic precision and G bugle dominance slowly gave way to something new. Designers started taking risk…
Read moreYou signed your contract. You survived auditions. Now the real work begins. Standing at your first spring training block under the blazing June sun, you will quickly realize that the difference betwee…
Read moreYou are writing a cue for a car chase scene. The music is jagged, syncopated, full of sharp staccato hits. But when you watch the footage, the hero’s car glides in a long, sweeping arc. Something feel…
Read moreYou are not alone. That lopsided sound in your double stroke roll, where the second note either disappears or bounces too hard, is one of the most frustrating hurdles for any snare drummer. You can he…
Read moreNothing spoils a drum corps show faster than a brass section that can’t stay together. You know the feeling: the battery is locked in, the pit is grooving, but the horn line rushes the release or drag…
Read moreYou used to have to wait for a parking lot, a rainy day, or a cramped gym to visualize your drill. You had to memorize coordinates from a sheet of paper and hope your muscle memory kicked in when the …
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