Front Cover

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ith the summer drum corps competition season only three months away, we are preparing to share with readers as complete covarage as possible through articles and photography. See below to find about being part of the Drum Corps World staff and potentially contribute your viewpoints of shows you plan to attend. We are not replacing current staff, but looking to fill in some of the shows that traditionally aren’t covered.....Read More

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his photo, from the 1963 Dream in Jersey City, NJ, has been used extensively and has previously attributed to Ron DaSilva. That's incorrect. The photographer was 16-year-old Dieter Abels, says DCW staff writer Gary Dickelman. How does he know that?...Read More

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apan concluded its 2025 championship marching season events with a one-two punch: Drum Corps Japan’s All Japan Championships (DCJ) on November 23 at Yokohama’s iconic Nissan Stadium, followed by the Japan Marching Band Association (JMBA) National Championships on December 6–7 at Saitama Super Arena...Read More
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heck out what Drum Corps International is planning for its 2026 tour...Read More

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his article provides details about our new DCW responsive and accessible version—perfect for desktop and mobile devices—including options for device and browser settings to enhance your reading experience. While you need not do anything to enjoy this edition of DCW, there are optional settings for Text Size, Light/Dark Mode, Read Aloud (your device will read articles to you), and Language Translation...Read More

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he activity’s very first competition was held at the 1921 American Legion National Convention, November 2, in Kansas City, MO. It was a parade only and was advertised to include 100 bands, drum and bugle corps, fife and drum, and bagpipes. Only 87 units entered. The parade was led by the Capital Post#1 (Trumpeteers’s), Topeka, KS...Read More

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he Marching Arts Access, Safety, and Inclusion Network (MAASIN) assembled this guide for drum corps community members with the guidance of our friends at Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN). OCRRN has been on the ground supporting and protecting community members in Orange County from the threat of violence from ICE and immigration law enforcement...Read More
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he 2026 listing of distinguished honorees includes: Jerry Whitaker, William H. Reamer, and Kevin M. Boyce...Read More
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mong the many issues cited in an earlier article was a statement regarding members of color in drum corps today (Drum Corps World, Volume 50, Number 1, page 63):

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he cicadas are humming as I write. The temperature is a cool 85 degrees this morning. I am once again in the loving arms of the South, back on the Drum Corps International trail.After a respite from the tour back home in cool Vermont, I took a direct flight from the Queen City of the North, Burlington (BVT), to the Queen City of the South, Charlotte (CLT). I am visiting my younger adopted drum corps brother, Tim, and his family, just outside of Charlotte, NC. Later tonight, we will attend “NightBEAT,” the Carolina Crown corps' annual home show at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, ...Read More


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here's lots of activity happening as the 2026 drum corps season approaches. Check out the corps camp schedules and news items. We all get a bit antsy this time of year as it's been months since the 2025 DCI season ended and still months before 2026 begins. We have to admire all of the performers who have auditioned and awarded contracts. March and April camps are crucial in preparation for Spring training. Stay tuned!...Read More

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n this issue from August 1967: CANADA news, SERTOMANAIRES - Sarnia, Ontario, Dave Shaw's EAST COAST column, and Ida Mae Peterson's SUGAR 'N' SPICE...Read More

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t’s been several months since I last had the opportunity to update you on activities relating to the Marching Pageantry Arts Museum, so there is a lot of information to bring you up-to-date. First, there is a critical need to raise $100,000 to establish a more permanent “brick-and-mortar” facility to house the museum collection. Read More

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unday 18th January 2026— Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke on Trent...So, after the pleasure of experiencing SoundSport in 2025, I was very excited to attend the opening show of the 2026 season hosted by Winter Guard United Kingdom on Sunday 18th January 2026. Following the initial success of 2025, 17 SoundSport teams have registered for 2026, an increase of six from last season, with rumours of another team potentially participating this season, which is fantastic news for the marching arts here in the United Kingdom...Read More
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rum Corps World is proud to display vintage artwork by the late Don Daber, who left this world on April 4, 2019. Don had a tremendous impact on drums corps with his artwork that appeared throughout activity publications...Read More

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intage drum corps photos by Elinn Ceraratti, including Les Chatelaine, Laval, Quebec; Bengal Lancers, Trumbull, Connecticut; Les Ambassadeurs, Quebec City, Quebec; Bridgemen, Bayonne, New Jersey, Erie Thunderbirds, Erie, PA; Westshoremen, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Matadors, Provbidence, Rhode Island; Reading Buccaneers, Reading, Pennvylvania...See the photos
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n June 22, 1974, Baltimore hosted its annual “March of Champions,” which saw the Hawthorne Caballeros edging the Reading Buccaneers by 0.55. There was quite a controversy over this one, when the Buccaneers were assessed a 1.1-point penalty when a rifle was dropped, bounced off the ground and was caught. ...Read More
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“A Chorus Line“ officially began its journey in 1975, first making a splash Off-Broadway before moving to its legendary home on Broadway just a few months later. The show went on to run for 6,137 performances, holding the title of the longestrunning show in Broadway history for many years until it was eventually surpassed by “Cats” in 1997....Read More


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atch up on the latest corps team annoucements, including staff, caption heads, program coordinators, visual and color guard instructional leaders, design staff, educators, directors / assistant directors, arrangers, administrators, creative teams, and...Read More
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his section includes some interesting DCW Fact to ponder, in vintage art mode...Read More

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n this article we present a few show posters from our neck of the woods. You may not know our corps, but you will enjoy our vintage posters; the oldest dates back almost 50 years!... Read More


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tlantic City, NJ—February 19–20, 2026 ...The Mobile Music Lab, a community music-making and enrichment initiative of Jersey Surf, Inc., will participate in the New Jersey Music Education Association (NJMEA) Annual Conference at the Atlantic City Convention Center....Read More

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y sister Cathy connected with Bill Hardy (Guardsmen) on Facebook and put together a multi-metro-Chicago drum and bugle corps brunch at the Southern Cafe in Roselle, IL...Read More


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n 1946, a parish-based parade corps took its first steps on the streets of Newark, NJ. Eighty years later, that same organization stands as one of the most successful and influential drum corps in history -- and one that is still very much alive. As the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights mark their 80th anniversary in 2026, they do so while also saluting the 250th birthday of the United States, celebrating not only a legacy of championships, but a living tradition carried forward today by an active, welcoming alumni corps devoted to performance, fellowship and the joy of drum corps....Read More


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