Author of The Line, A Fine Line, and Keeping in Line

Courtney Brandt

As summer nears, the temperature heats up, and the WGI season winds down, I find myself inevitably thinking ahead to DCI.  For the uninitiated and uninformed, DCI is Drum Corps International, which correctly brands itself as Marching Music’s Major League.  It is a collection of the very best and extremely talented young musicians and performers in the country.  As a completely unique competitive organization in the U.S., groups come together and perform throughout the summer – striving for the highest score based on a number of elements.  Throughout the season, the corps constantly tweak their show to make it the very best possible, leading up to an always exciting Finals week in August.

So, what does this have to do with drumming?  A contributing factor to any of the corps successes inevitably comes down to the percussion section.  Like the other sections (Brass and Guard), young men and women are challenged to memorize and perform difficult music and drill while living a rather spartan existence on motor coaches that travel across the country.

And what does this all have to do with me?  I didn’t march DCI.  While everyone has some regrets in life, not marching with Drum Corps International is one of my biggest and the thing I most often encourage my readers to experience.  I honestly believe there are very few things in life which offer the same obstacles, challenges, and triumphs that a summer on the road with DCI can provide.  Not that there would have been any radical changes to my existence, but I wonder sometimes about how different my life would have been if I had marched.  Who would I have met?  What would I have learned?  Would I have succeeded?
Looking back, what kept me from going on tour?  Okay, there’s the money thing.  It’s not free to march and the hours committed to a corps were obviously hours I couldn’t spend working and earning anywhere else.  Unfortunately, what I didn’t realize is there will always be another chance to make money.  There will not always be another chance to go on tour.  In DCI, there are rules – after age 22, you are no longer eligible to march with the premiere competitive corps (there are still opportunities to march, but not at the same level).

Courtney With Her Drum

Let’s say I got over the money thing.  The summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college would have been ideal.  I didn’t really ‘do’ anything special with my time and energy during those months, and it would’ve been a perfect opportunity to take a chance.  Which brings me to the real reason I chose not to march.  I think sometimes, especially when we are younger, we get used to what people expect us to do and more often that not, use that as an excuse not to pursue the things that truly excite us.  At that time, I made the responsible choice to take two independent study summer courses and work full time.  Was this a smart decision for my future?  Sure.  Did it advance my life experience significantly?  Not really.  Did anything of interest occur that summer?  Again, no.  For someone who not only prides herself on and has a reputation for ‘making things happen,’ it becomes painfully aware that at 19, I hadn’t really gotten there just yet.

For me, breaking away from the confines of my high school self was a process that took awhile and apparently was something that could not be rushed.  I’m not saying that marching DCI would have been the thing to kick my ass into the ‘real me,’ and it’s easy now, sitting here at 30, to look back and judge my almost 20 year old self for not getting out there and challenging herself more often.  All I am saying is, whatever age you are – it’s okay take on more (calculated) risks and challenges.  Maybe I would’ve been a spectacular failure with Carolina Crown or the Spirit of Atlanta, but I will never know, and there’s no way to go back and find out.
So, it’s not marching DCI for you, maybe it’s learning some crazy new skill, or hanging out with a different group of friends, but basically, if you only get one chance, why not start now?  What are you waiting for?  What is the thing you will look back and regret not doing or trying? ~CB

By the way, if you are interested, there are a number of websites you can review to see which corps is geographically closest to you.  If you are not interested, or already have prior commitments for the summer, you can still check out a competition and see what these outstanding groups are all about.

I suggest the following websites:

• http://www.dci.org – Home page for Drum Corps International
• http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/ - Drum Corps Planet, another great resource

The following book:

• Not for the Faint of Heart by Jeremy Van Wert (exploring his experience as a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard) (website: http://wildridepublications.com/about_the_book.htm)

And, if you want to get up close and personal with a corps and understand what the experience is like on a day to day basis, check out these excellent documentaries (available on DVD):

• Hell Bent for Victory by MDG Films (website: http://www.mdgfilms.com)
• Throw It Down
• Blue Smoke

Recommended by SeeJaneDrum.com

Make sure to visit Courtney’s page on Amazon.com to learn more about her books.

Each book in the series is better than the last!

Related posts:

1. Breaking Barriers: Female Snare Drummers Overcome Stereotypes This article by Dave Wilson was posted on the DCI site in March 2004. A handful of female snare drummers in DCI corps discuss their experiences encountering gender stereotypes. Only...