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Archive-name: drumcorps-faq/part5
Last-modified: 1993/08/27
Version: 3.0

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for rec.arts.marching.drumcorps
Part 5 of 6   Miscellaneous drum corps information; Joining a corps,
winter camps, percussion notation

Written by Donald Chinn and Michael Fath
Administered by Michael Fath ([e-mail])

5.0 The words "drum corps"
5.1 Number of members allowed
5.2 Corps' budgets
5.3 Fundraising
5.4 How far do the corps travel?  How many competitions?  How long is
the season?  When are the Championships?
5.5 How can I catch the Championships on TV?
5.6 How does the judging work?
5.7 What is a legal bugle?
5.8 What kind of percussion is allowed?
5.9 What is the "pit area"?
5.10 How long is each show?
5.11 What are all those strange abbreviations and/or nicknames people
keep using when writing about drum corps?
5.12 Why do people keep misspelling things?
5.13  How to join a drum corps
5.14  Rehearsal information
5.15 Percussion notation used in rec.arts.marching.drumcorps

5.0 The words "drum corps"

Usage note: "drum corps" (singular) can refer to a particular drum corps
(e.g. "I haven't seen a drum corps in years.") or it can refer to the
entire activity (e.g. "The future of drum corps looks promising.").  It
also can be used as an adjective (e.g. "I'm going to the next drum corps
show in the area.").  The plural "drum corps" only refers to greater than
one drum corps.

"Corps" is pronounced like KOR (like the word "core").  The plural of
"corps" is spelled "corps", but is pronounced KORZ.  The most frequent
error in spelling "corps" is to leave off the 's'.

5.1 Number of members allowed
    Yes, but this number depends on the Class that your corps competes
in.  The so-called Open Class corps may field up to 128 performers
(including the drum majors).  This number comes from the fact that
when the rule was devised, this was the average number of people that
could fit on three buses.  The idea was to minimize the travelling
costs for the corps.
    Class A (now called Division II) corps may field up to 90 people
and Class A-60 (now called Division III) corps may field up to 60
members.
    These are the formal differences between the classes of drum
corps, but in reality the Open Class corps tend to be the ones that
attract the better instructors, go on longer tours, and generally
perform better, while the Division II and III corps tend to be more
oriented towards being a youth activity.  Note that these are
generalities so that any particular corps could be anywhere in the
spectrum of youth activity or innovators in performance art.

5.2 Corps' budgets
    Typical numbers for an Open Class corps are $250,000 to $500,000
per year.  This amount largely depends on how far they travel during
the season, how expensive the props and uniforms are for the year, and
what kind of staff they hire.
    Division II and III corps spend much less than these amount
(probably much less than $100,000) because they tend to travel only
locally or for shorter periods of time.  Also, because they are
smaller, the cost to produce a show is smaller.

5.3 Fundraising
    Since drum corps are not associated with any school (typically
they are non-profit corporations), they must do their own
fund-raising.
    Fund-raising activities include all sorts of events.  The
Bluecoats from Canton, OH, for example, hold a mini-car race in
downtown Canton which raises all sorts of money (as well as
publicizing the corps name).
    Funds also come from corps membership fees, as they are called.
Fees can range between $200-$500 depending on the corps (if you
calculate that out, that could be as much as $50,000).
    The Blue Devils from Concord, CA, take in about 70% of their $1.5
million operating funds from bingo (the $1.5 million goes to 7
different performing groups in the Blue Devils organization).
    Prize money is another source of income.  The top corps get
something like $2500 per performance, which adds up to about $75,000
total in a season.  Many corps sponsor their own shows, which raises
some more money.
    Donations and boosters also contribute to the money needed.

    Finally, some corps are partially or fully corporate sponsored.
The Star of Indiana from Bloomington, IN, is fully funded by the Cook
Groups, Inc.  The Cadets of Bergen County from Hackensack, NJ, are
partially funded by Emerson Electric.  Circle K sponsored the Suncoast
Sound in 1986.

5.4 How far do the corps travel?  How many competitions?  How long is
the season?  When are the Championships?
    A typical Open Class corps travels somewhere between 10,000 and
15,000 miles during the season, performing in 25 to 35 shows in an
eight or nine week period.  The season usually begins in the second
week in June (the eastern corps tend to start a little later) and
culminates in the DCI World Championships, which are always held on
the third Saturday in August.

5.5 How can I catch the Championships on TV?
    PBS usually broadcasts the tape that DCI makes of the
Championships (actually, DCI produces two tapes: one of the live show
and a highlights film).  Each PBS station has the option not to
broadcast it for whatever reason (too much already scheduled, not
enough interest, etc.).  Some stations broadcast it live (on the
Saturday of the Championships), while other stations save the tape and
broadcast it whenever it is convenient.  If your local station does
not broadcast it, call them up or write them a letter.  It has been my
experience that PBS listens to its viewers (especially those who
subscribe).  As an example, the PBS station in Seattle did not
broadcast the Championships, but got so many calls in August and
September that they showed it in October.

5.6 How does the judging work?

    The current judging system has nine judges, each responsible for a
particular aspect of the show.  Each caption (as they are called) has
a certain number of points allotted to it.  The sum of the nine
judges' scores determines the overall score of the performance.  There
are three captions for each of Brass, Percussion, and Visual.  The
point breakdown is as follows:

                  Brass    Percussion   Visual
Field              10          10         10
Ensemble           10          10         10
General Effect     15          10         15

The Field Brass and Field Percussion judges are the judges that are on
the field during a performance and are primarily looking at individual
technique and execution of the book.  They are the judges who nit-pick
at things such as overblowing, non-uniform sticking, bad releases, etc.

The Field Visual judge watches the execution of the color guard and
the marching of the brass and percussion performers.  Spacing,
uniformity, and execution are what this judges looks for.

The Ensemble Brass and Percussion judges sit up in the press box.
They are responsible for judging how each area (Brass or Percussion,
respectively) performs technically as an ensemble.  Musicality,
intonation, dynamics, sonority, etc. are the things these judges look
for.

The Ensemble Visual judge tries to assess the ability of the entire
corps to effectively present visual ideas.

The General Effect judges assess the overall effectiveness of each
area in the final product.  This is where entertainment and "special
effects" play a big role.  It is also an area where the design of the
show itself is being evaluated.  Why was this picture presented after
this music statement?  What is the effect of having the percussion
feature and its mood following the ballad with its mood?  These are
the kinds of questions that are raised and the kinds of things that
are assessed by the General Effect (GE) judges.

5.7 What is a legal bugle?
    For competitive purposes (i.e. at DCI competitions), a bugle is
defined as follows: "By the word `bugle' as used herein is meant a
straight bell-front brass instrument pitched in the key of G.  All
instruments shall have no more than three (3) valves except for the
contrabass bugle, which may have four (4)."
    This is quoted from Drum Corps World (January, 1990) which quotes
the rule book (Rule 4.3.1).  This rule was passed at the 1989 DCI
Rules Congress.  The rule used to say exactly the same thing, except
that all instruments (even contrabasses) could have only two (2)
valves.
    There is an interesting history to what was allowed on the field.
At first only valveless bugles were allowed.  Then one-valved,
piston-rotor, and then two-valved were allowed, in that order.  In
fact, there used to be only soprano bugles until the baritone bugle,
mellophone bugle, French horn bugle, and the contrabass were invented.

5.8 What kind of percussion is allowed?
    Rule 4.1.1:  "All acoustic percussion membrane and keyboard
instruments (those not needing electricity to generate sound) are
legal."
    Rule 4.1.2: "Percussion keyboard instruments may use resonators.
A self-contained motor that is battery-powered is permitted to be used
on vibraphones only.  This motor is not to be used for amplification,
but rather to produce a vibrato effect by turning the resonator
propellers.  Electric amplification is not allowed."

5.9 What is the "pit area"?
    It is the area between the 35 yard lines on the front side line
ten feet deep (outside the playing field, toward the audience).
Basically, this area is an extension of the field.  Any piece of
equipment can be brought into or out of the pit area to or from the
"normal" playing field.
    Corps typically use this area to place stationary percussion
instruments, such as chimes, keyboard instruments, tympani, gongs,
etc.  It is also used sometimes to store color guard equipment.  Some
drill writers have used the pit area for performers to march through.

5.10 How long is each show?
    Each corps' performance is supposed to last between 10 and 11 1/2
minutes.  There is a 0.1 point penalty for each 6 seconds above or
below these limits.
    A typical show consisting of 7 corps will last about three hours.
    Usually, the winner of the show will do an encore performance while
standing still (i.e. not marching).  These kinds of performances are
known as standstill performances.

5.11 What are all those strange abbreviations and/or nicknames people
keep using when writing about drum corps?

    It's a lot easier to use an abbreviation or nickname than to have
to type the entire corps name every time.  Here is a short table of
abbreviations:

    BD = Blue Devils (Concord, CA)
    Boston = Boston Crusaders (Boston, MA)
    Cadets or Garfield = Cadets of Bergen County (Hackensack, NJ)
      (they used to be called the Garfield Cadets until 1989)
    Cavies = Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL)
    Madison or Scouts = Madison Scouts (Madison, WI)
    PR or Phantom = Phantom Regiment (Rockford/Loves Park, IL)
    SCV or Vanguard = Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, CA)
    Sky = Sky Ryders (De Soto, TX)
    Spirit = Spirit of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
    Star = Star of Indiana (Bloomington, IN)
    Suncoast = Suncoast Sound (Pinillas Park, FL)
    VK or Velvet = Velvet Knights (Anaheim, CA)
    27 = the 27th Lancers (a defunct corps from Revere, MA)

    Other abbreviations include:

    contra = contrabass bugle
    bari or bary = baritone bugle
    sop = soprano bugle
    DM = drum major
    GE = general effect

5.12 Why do people keep misspelling things?

    Because they want to be like Dan Quayle.  Seriously though, here
is a small set of things people commonly misspell.

    Bluecoats (the corps from Canton, OH)
    Sky Ryders (the corps from DeSoto, TX)
    drum corps (TWO words)
    corps (singular, pronounced "CORE")
    corps (plural, pronounced "CORZ")
    corps' (possessive, pronounced "CORZ")

    There is no such word 'corp'.


5.13  How to join a drum corps                     Donald Chinn

My experience with drum corps has been basically as a spectator.
However, I did march in high school marching band (so I have *some*
appreciation for how hard the stuff that drum corps do really is :-).

Anyway, here's the extent of my knowledge on how to get involved.

Junior corps (Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, etc.) march people who
are 21 or younger.  A person "ages out" of corps when they become 22.
You can legally march at the DCI Championships if you do not turn 22
before the day of the performance.

If you are 22 or older, then your only chance to play in a drum corps
(legally) is to join a senior drum corps.  Senior drum corps are
governed by DCA (Drum Corps Associates).

If you are still under 22, then the typical way to get involved in
drum corps is to contact a drum corps directly.  So the big decision
is: "Which drum corps should I join?"  It depends.  If you want to
have a reasonable chance at winning the championships, then joining
the Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, Cadets of Bergen County,
Phantom Regiment, Star of Indiana, the Cavaliers, or Madison Scouts is
the thing to do.  If you want to be more involved in a smaller group
(or less well-known), you can try some of the 13th-26th place corps,
or even a Class A or Class A-60 corps.

It seems to me, the things to consider are location, size of the
corps, style of music, and reputation of the corps, and the chance at
winning it all.  For example, if you like jazz, then the Blue Devils
is probably where you want to be.  If you like classical, then Phantom
is the place to be.  WARNING: Tryouts for the top corps can be very
tough, since everyone wants to be a part of a winning corps.

There are basically 4 drum corps associations related to DCI that
handle the corps in their region.  These are DCE, DCM, DCS, and DCW (Drum
Corps East, Midwest, South, and West, respectively).  To find out what corps
are in what association, you can contact the associations directly.
See the section on "Drum corps associations" for phone numbers.

DCI's address and phone is:
    DCI
    Box 548
    Lombard, IL 60148
    [phone]

There are also a slew of other smaller drum corps associations:
Eastern Massachusetts, Drum Corps New York, etc.  You can probably ask
DCI if you want more info on them.

To join a corps, call up one of the associations and find out where
the nearest corps in your area are.  Or, contact a corps directly (see
"Current active corps", part 2).

Rehearsals:
    Rehearsals usually begin in the fall (this is certainly true of
the top corps).  I suspect that when rehearsals begin largely depends
on how much money the corps has.  During the winter, rehearsals mostly
consist of camps held on the weekends (once or twice a month in the
fall and more frequently as winter and spring roll around).  However,
not everyone shows up to these camps, especially if they would have to
fly 1000 miles to go to one.  This is one reason to join a corps close
to where you will be living.
    The corps you join would provide you with an instrument, probably
with some safety deposit on it.
    Also, most corps require that you pay a fee to join the corps.
This is to compensate for uniform cleaning, equipment, food, etc.
This fee can be very cheap or very steep anywhere from $200 to $600).
    When summer arrives (late May, early June), then things really
pick up.  Rehearsals can last up to 10 hours a day (or more), and the
sun beats down unmercifully.  Tan lines on the feet are not uncommon.
    I hear that college students have a rough time going to school and
doing corps.  The demands placed on corps members are incredible.
Stories of almost flunking out are frequent.  However, perhaps one can
negotiate with the corps director about showing up to rehearsals.  If
you're really good, they might be lenient.  Otherwise, there's no
reason for them to save a spot for you with 10 other people who *can*
go to rehearsals wanting to get in.  I'm not sure when the corps gets
cut down to size.

Touring:
    Corps travel thousands of miles each summer, and the bus rides can
be as long as 12 hours.  Usually, you roll into some town at 1am and
sleep in their high school gym for 8 hours or so (you bring a sleeping
bag!).  Food is usually prepared by volunteers for the corps.  Then
you rehearse in the day, do a show (or do laundry), and the cycle
repeats.  There are numerous parties, as well.

5.14  Rehearsal information                   Paul D. Herzog

I marched four years (1986-1988 Colts, 1989 Bergen County) and am
asked one question more than any other:  What is a corps' rehearsal
schedule like, both in camps and on the road?

A corps consistently has their first rehearsal around the weekend after
Thanksgiving.  This camp has little actual rehearsal, and is used for the
corps' veterans to re-acquaint and for the rookies to the get the feel of the
activity as a whole.  The actual camp schedule afterward will usually be:

     - 1 camp in January
     - 1 camp in February
     - 1 camp in March
     - 1 (perhaps 2) camps in April
     - 2 camps in May

Most top 12 corps require all members to be "moved in" by Memorial Day
camp, after which daily (or at least multiple times per week) rehearsals
start.  A typical camp varies from corps to corps, but nearly all corps
have a camp from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.....here is an
example schedule from a top-25 and a top-5 corps:

  Top 25                            Top 5
  ======                            =====
Friday
  6-8:30 PM      Members arrive            6-8:30 PM
  8:30-9         Welcome from director     8:30-9
  9-12 AM        Sectional rehearsal       9-1 AM
  12-1           Snack                1-2
  1 AM             Lights Out              2 AM

Saturday
  8:30 AM       Get Up/Breakfast          8 AM
  9:30-10        Calistenics/stretching  9-9:30
  10-1 PM        M & M                9:30-2 PM
  1-2              Lunch                  2-3
  2-6 PM         Sectionals                3-8 PM
  6-7              Dinner                 8-9
  7-11 PM        Ensemble rehearsal      9-2 AM
  11-12   AM       Snack                   2-3
  12 AM            Lights Out              3 AM

Sunday
  8 AM             Get Up/Breakfast        9 AM
  9-9:30         Calistenics/stretching  10-10:30
  9:30-1 PM      Sectionals                10:30-2 PM
  1-4 PM         Ensemble                  2-4 PM
  4-5            Snack               4-5
  5-6             Clean up/pack           5-6
  6 PM            Get the hell out    6 PM

Drummers, since the emphasis is completely on playing as a line, rather
than individuals, will often have their own rehearsals, not as strict, more
to get used to being around each other than to really learn the summer
program.  These rehearsals will usually split the monthly camps (i.e.
Camp on the 1st, drum practice on the 15th).

Once a corps in on the road, the schedule tends to be the same nearly every
day, since there are shows (and for the Top 5, clinics) nearly every day.
A typical schedule may look like this:

     9-10 AM            Get Up/Breakfast
     10-10:30          Cals/stretching
     10:30-2 PM         Sectionals (M & M for the horns, usually)
     2-3               Lunch
     3-5:30             Ensemble rehearsal
     5:30-7             Dinner/Clean the school/Pack/Get in uniform
     7-7:30             Travel to show site
     7:30-8:30         Warm up
     8:30              Show Time!
     11:00              Finish with retreat
     12:00 AM          Pull out for next town
     4:30              Arrive at next time
     4:30-9:00 AM       Sleep on a gym floor

A corps on the road will usually have about two days a week with no
shows, and the day is usually devoted to a little extra rehearsal (2-3
hours), laundry (sometimes!), relaxation time, etc.  There are usually
two or three free days over the course of a summer, where the corps will
go to the movies, amusement parks, the ocean (I still have great
memories of two days in Ocean City, MD), where the corps members can
spend all their money on junk food and other refreshments (for the age-
outs, anyway), souvenirs, and whatever other tourist traps they fall into.


5.15 Percussion notation used in rec.arts.marching.drumcorps
Mike Hughes

The following (I believe) is the final version of the rythymic notation
scheme developed by percussionists who contribute to alt.drumcorps.  The
notation scheme incorporates different rudiments and techniques utilized
in modern drum and bugle corps.

A key to the notation is as follows:

  . = single stroke tap
  , = flam
  ; = cherta (flam + drag)
  > = accent
  ^ = rimshot
  : = double stroke, or bounce stroke as used in open rolls
  z = buzz or press stroke as used in buzz rolls
  _ = rest (value depending on the pulse of the figure)
  | = barline

Meter shall be indicated by common musical metric symbols, e.g., 3/4
indicating 3 beats in a bar, quarter note gets the beat.  Unless
otherwise indicated, the pulse of a figure is assumed to be 16th note
pulse for any quarter note-based meter (i.e., x/4), 8th notes for any
eighth noted based meter (i.e., x/8), etc.  Variations from the standard
pulse, such as triplet or sextuplet figures, shall be indicated by
-3- or ---6---, etc.  Spaces may be used to separate beats to enhance
the readability of the music.

Dynamics shall be indicated by the usual pp, mf, ff, etc., as well as
cresc. and dim. to indicate crescendos and decrescendos.  <<<<<<<<< and
>>>>>>> may also be used.

Sticking may be indicated under the note/rest notation using R and L.


The following example illustrates the system using an excerpt from the
*Channel One Suite* drum solo as played by the 1986 Blue Devils:

   >      >       >        >      >      ---6--- ---6--- ---6---
|4 zzzz zzzz zzzz zzzz  |2 zzzz zz._  |3 ... ... ... ... ... ... |4
|4                      |4            |4                         |4
   pp                                      cresc<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


   >  >   >   >   > >    >  >   >   >   > >
|4 ,.., ...: :._. ,_,_ | ,.., ...: :.:: ._,_ |
|4        R   L L      |        R   L   R    |

<<<ff


--
MM   MM FFFFF     Michael J. Fath
M M M M F    Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
M  M  M FFF     The University of Chicago
M     M F       Chicago, IL  60637                [e-mail]