What is drum corps? A long answer to a short question
Why do we do this? I have been involved with the drum corps activity for over thirty years. I often meet people who know nothing about the activity and they always ask the same question, "What is drum corps?" I will, occasionally, use the flippant statement, "Marching band on steroids!" I use this phrase because the statement is both descriptive and brief, and usually ends the discussion--often with a bewildered look from the person asking the question. While drum corps does share some similarities with marching band, this is a poor description . Actually, I think that the appeal of the activity has little to do with music or movement, which is one reason I believe high school bands should not try to emulate the activity. I first wrote this blog after returning from a trip to watch my daughter, Kayla, performed with the 2015 Phantom Regiment. With many hours in the car on the way home from Rockford, this same question kept popping into my head. Here ...