Editor's note: The following excerpt is from a column that will appear in the upcoming May Issue of Drum Corps World. To read the rest of this story and much more, SUBSCRIBE!

Off the Line
New to the division III line-up is the Dimensions Drum and Bugle Corps from Grand Rapids, MI, under the leadership of Jonathan Reinhard. Fielding 30-plus performers, the corps will present an exciting production of "Conan the Barbarian" this summer.

Another new corps in the making is Renaissance, which hails from Shrewsbury in South Central Pennsylvania. The corps is part of the Renaissance Foundation for the Performing Arts, Inc.

The new organization has been feverishly working all recruiting angles -- to include local businesses, schools, music stores and even in the drum corps newsgroups. According to corps director Chalet Harris, "We have interested kids from all over York County, some surrounding counties and even Maryland."

The staff consists of Brian Harris (percussion), Steve Kelley (brass), Ian Flint (visual), and Judith Easton and Chalet Harris (marching). According to Harris, "The staff hails from a variety of backgrounds, but a common thread is the Reading Buccaneers Senior Corps."

Dressed in burgundy T-shirts and khaki shorts, the corps will limit their first year performances to parades and exhibitions. The corps’ official colors will be burgundy and gold; however, the uniform design has not yet been finalized.

Division II
Last year it was the music of Philip Sparke and this year it’s David Holsinger’s Scootin’ on Hardrock that brings a dark, more sophisticated sound to the Blue Devils B.

According to corps director Charles Crisostomo, the corps is enjoying a return of 60 percent of last year’s members. "What’s really great is having eight former members of our 'C' corps move into the 'B' corps ranks this year," Crisostomo said.

If you get a chance, check out the Mandarins’ new Web site (www.mandarins.org). The new format is the creation of the Digital Design III class at San Francisco’s Academy of Art College. The very talented students also applied their artistic flow to the creation of new publicity kits and stationary for the Sacramento corps.

Division III
The Emerald Knights from Canada are still with us and are working hard to return to competition. Their last contest was at DCI Division III prelims in 2000, where they presented a delightful production of "Dragon Heart." Since that time the corps has reorganized and is taking steps to ensure a strong foundation for the future.

"We plan on focusing only on creating a local youth activity that is self-sufficient and self-propagating," explains new corps director, Dan Douglas. "It will be geared to growth and its own perpetuation."

As part of the rebuilding process, the Emerald Knights will maintain their focus on the local community and concentrate on developing younger performers. A consequence of this new approach is that fans may not see the Canadian corps for a year or two.

"When the time is right, we will consider returning to competition, but will stay within the province until our performance level and maturity allow us to enter any DCI competition," notes Douglas.

And at that time the Emerald Knights will be fully prepared to stick around for the long haul.

Meanwhile, the Lehigh Valley Knights are hitting the streets this fall with their own recruitment DVD and VHS tape...