Inside the Circle: Technique, Gear, and Community Culture
The first time I watched a drum corps show designed with help from artificial intelligence, I didn’t notice anything unusual. That was the point. The drill was clean, the transitions felt natural, and…
Read moreYou’re standing in the music store or scrolling through online catalogs, trying to decide which marching cymbals to buy. The price tags look wildly different, and the descriptions throw around terms l…
Read moreThe marching arts world once featured dozens of all-female drum and bugle corps that competed at the highest levels. These groups weren’t novelty acts or exhibition ensembles. They were championship c…
Read moreThe summer of 1989 gave drum corps fans something they’d never seen before. Santa Clara Vanguard stepped onto the field with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, and the activity would never be…
Read moreThe 2025 DCI season is already shaping up to be one of the most creative yet. Five major corps have just dropped their show announcements, and the themes range from deeply emotional to wildly experime…
Read moreYou don’t need a field to get better at marching. You don’t even need your instrument. The most powerful practice tool you have is completely free, works anywhere, and runs 24/7 inside your head. Ment…
Read moreYou’re standing in the lot after finals, staring at the recap sheet. Your corps nailed the drill. The forms were clean. Everyone hit their dots. But the visual ensemble score didn’t match what you fel…
Read moreYou’re about to march your first season with a drum corps front ensemble. You’ve got your mallets, your music, and your determination. But walk into any championship pit setup and you’ll notice someth…
Read moreThe American Midwest didn’t just participate in drum corps history. It wrote the rulebook, crowned the champions, and broke the hearts of generations who watched their beloved organizations rise to gl…
Read morePhantom Regiment didn’t just perform classical music. They made it their identity, their calling card, their reason for existing on the field. While other corps experimented with jazz, rock, and conte…
Read moreYour lips are burning. Your sound is cracking. And there’s still two hours left in the block. Lip fatigue hits every brass player eventually, but it doesn’t have to end your rehearsal early or wreck y…
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