ADDRESS:
The History and Future of Senior Corps on the West Coast
Mr. Brandon Wilson
WHY I WROTE THIS PAPER: (switching back to the first person) To increase the awareness
of the drum corps community of the state of the senior activity on the Pacific Coast. There are
many people in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada - myself included - who are willing
to work hard to be part of a senior corps. Some of us - raving lunatics that we are - would
*almost* considering moving to the Northeast to be able to participate.
WHAT THIS PAPER IS *NOT*: This is not meant to be an exhaustive history of DCA, the
senior corps activity, or drum corps in general. Although some biographical or historical
information is presented, it is intended only to provide perspective on the current status of the
activity.
What Is A Senior Drum And Bugle Corps?
By definition, a "senior" corps is different from a "junior" corps in that there is no age limit or
restriction for members of the senior activity. Although many people associate senior corps as
being something you "graduate" into after aging out from a junior corps, many participants in
senior corps are under 21 years of age or have no previous corps experience. Because senior
corps usually practice only on weekends, the schedule accommodates members who work and/or
attend school during the week.
Senior corps can be broken down into three main categories:
1. Competitive corps
2. Parade (exhibition) corps
3. Alumni corps
Competitive corps, usually members of Drum Corps Associates (DCA), an organization
established in 1963 to promote the activity, most closely resemble the organization of their
junior counterparts. The DCA season lasts from April through early September, with the
championships held each year on Labor Day Weekend.
Parade corps do not march in competition, but perform at many festivals and parades. For the
most part, these corps remain close to home, keeping travel to a minimum - a benefit to those
who do not wish to invest the time necessary to learn and clean a competitive field program or
travel extensively on the weekends.
Normally, membership in Alumni corps is restricted only to persons who have marched one or
more full seasons with the related junior corps (for example, members of the Santa Clara
Vanguard Alumni Corps must have marched at least one season with SCV). The corps can be
assembled for a limited time only - for one or two performances - or can continue to perform for
an indefinite period.
With the exception of the Alumni corps, previous marching or performing experience is not
necessarily a requirement for membership. In fact, some corps position themselves as "training
units" or "feeder corps" for the junior corps in their area: "As a Senior Corps, our members come
to us with a variety of marching experiences ranging from no experience at all to having
marched with world championship drum corps. Therefore, we operate both as a feeder corps for
many junior corps and as an opportunity for 'age outs' to continue marching and playing
competitively." (from the Bluegrass Brass homepage,
http://www.iac.net/~mhfolz/bluegrass.html)
A Brief History.
Senior corps did not evolve "from" junior corps, but grew as a parallel activity. In its
beginnings, much like the junior corps, most senior corps were associated with local civic or
church groups; according to Mike Rogala, who marched with the Gauchos Senior Drum and
Bugle Corps and the Syracuse Brigadiers in the 1960's, "All my stuff was American Legion and
V.F.W. oriented...Generally, (senior) drum corps back then was a real local thing. Like everyone
from the neighborhood could just come down and join up." He also added that the junior and
senior activities were very much separate: "Never saw a junior corps show. No one cared about
junior corps. Sure Garfield was good, but (they were) just a feeder corps for the Cabs!!"
The formation of DCA in 1963 provided a strong foundation for the competitive senior units.
Charter DCA members included the Buccaneers, Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Musketeers,
Rockets, Skyliners, and Yankee-Rebels. All these corps were from the Northeast, concentrated
mainly in and around New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
In the 34 years since, the junior activity has made a transition from the days of the VFW- and
American Legion-sponsored events to the unified national championship under the direction of
Drum Corps International (DCI). Competitive DCI junior corps exist from coast to coast in the
United States and Canada, and the national tour includes shows in many states and provinces.
The junior activity is truly a national product.
Those same 34 years later, competitive senior corps - DCA - is still mainly centralized in the
Northeastern United States and Canada. Of 45 total units listed in the R.A.M.D. FAQ (posted to
the newsgroup by Cathy Doser on November 27, 1997), only 15 come from outside the
Northeast. Of the 15, the westernmost corps is the Dallas, Texas-based Firebirds. (The
Spartans, located in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, have operated both as a
senior and junior corps over the past several years; it is not known at this time whether the corps
is still active as a senior unit.)
As of 1996, there were no active senior corps in the West. That's not to say that no one had
tried; according to Al Chan, who marched junior corps with the Pinole (CA) Princemen, there
have been at least two recent attempts to start a corps in California: "In the Fall of 1981, a bunch
of ex-Oakland (CA) Imperial Drum & Bell Corps drummers and some ex-Cathay (San
Francisco, CA) horn players got together and formed a drum line to march after the closing of
the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato...We performed with 4 snares, 2 triple tenors, 4 bass
drums, and 2 cymbals, marching through the fairgrounds after the close of the Faire on the last
day of it's run in September." That group became the Soundwave Senior Drum and Bugle Corps,
and they did several parades and exhibitions from 1981 through 1983 before folding due to
internal conflicts.
At about the same time, another senior corps was gaining momentum: Vintage Sound, based out
of Sacramento, California. Al recalls, "(I) drove down to San Jose with 2 other corps members
to see them perform at one of the winter guard shows there in early 1983...(later) we took to the
road in the Spring of 1984, driving up to Sacramento for our first practice/picnic with Vintage
Sound. Only four horns and 2 drummers were willing to make that kind of commitment on a
weekly basis, but we were dedicated, and it paid off. After a little over two months of
rehearsals, we performed at the Stockton show with 8 snares, 2 quints, 4 basses, 2 cymbals, and
about 27 horns!" Unfortunately, in 1985, Vintage Sound folded as well, a result of a
disagreement over the direction the corps was taking.
That was the last attempt at a senior corps in California for over eleven years, until the idea for a
joint Southern- and Northern-California senior corps, tentatively called California Gold, came
about in 1995-96. Although the concept didn't catch on, the Northern group became the nucleus
of the Bay Area Renegades senior corps.
Why Not Out West?
So why has the senior activity thrived in the Northeast, while being almost nonexistent west of
the Lone Star State? With so many successful DCI junior corps in California alone - Mandarins;
Blue Devils A, B and C; SCV 'A' and Cadets; recent (and, we hope, temporary) departures VK
and Freelancers; and newcomers Pacific Crest and San Diego Earthquake - one might argue that
the drum corps audience is there, and the ageouts of those corps would certainly provide a strong
talent pool from which to draw. Why, then, have there been no successful senior corps on the
West Coast?
The first, and most basic, reason may be a simple one: people on the West Coast just don't know
what senior corps is. Drum and bugle corps, to the fans in California, is something their children
participate in, like Little League baseball or Girl Scouts - an activity you "outgrow" as you get
older. Very few West Coast drum corps fans have any exposure at all to DCA-style senior corps,
so they don't realize that drum corps doesn't have to end at age 21. For many people, like the late
"Pepe" Notaro, marching and playing continues "until the first shovel of dirt hits my face."
Additionally, the local "talent pool" concept may be slightly exaggerated. Because of the
success of corps such as Blue Devils and SCV, many people come from outside California to
audition (although this typifies BD to a much greater extent than SCV). Most years, BD has at
least one or two members from outside the country - people travel internationally to take part in
a championship organization - and a great number of performers from across the country. This
does not mean that there are not many people in and around the Bay Area alone who have corps
experience - the recent success of the SCV Alumni Corps will disprove that fact - just not in the
numbers you might expect. And of those that remain in the area, many suffer from competitive
"burnout" because of the extensive rehearsal and performance schedules they experienced during
their competitive careers.
One of the main hurdles to establishing a senior corps on the West Coast is that there is not an
existing "framework" (such as DCI or DCA) to fit into. Without a sense of direction or
guidance, and a few successful organizations to model, senior corps out West are truly starting
from scratch. This translates into some lean years, at least at first, for the trailblazing
organizations that attempt to establish the senior activity on the "Left Coast."
The lean years prove to be a major obstacle as well. The success of the DCW junior corps has
raised the expectations of the audience over the years to the point that anything less than
spectacular just won't do. Many performers don't want to "step down" to a senior activity that
can't match the size and power of their former corps, so until a start-up comes along that has the
musicians and the resources to start with a 20 to 30 member horn line and at least 15 drums, it's
not going to impress anyone. And anything less than impressive would be considered an inferior
product, and would be written off by the community.
Start-up corps won't get much help from anyone. DCW and its member corps don't have enough
to gain from the success of the senior activity to care one way or the other. Also, many school
music programs have been turned off to the junior corps activity, and aren't likely to send any
musicians or guard personnel off to march seniors, either. Even the VFW and American Legion
posts - two of the main historical sponsors of junior and senior drum and bugle corps - have been
out of the activity for so long that they take some convincing before they will buy in.
The Current Scene.
There are existing efforts underway to establish (or reestablish) a senior presence on the Pacific
coast. Washington State has at least two groups - an unnamed startup in Seattle, and the "Take
FIVE" Alumni Corps in Battleground, WA. Take FIVE is beginning its life as a competitive
winterguard, but hopes to grow into a full corps in a few years. I have also received e-mail
within the last six months from a group in Oregon known as the CorpsVets (not to be confused
with the *new* senior corps from Cobb City, Georgia called the Corps Vets). Although I have
not heard from them for a few months, they seemed well-organized and had performed in a few
parades. At this time, it is believed the CorpsVets are a drumline only, with no horns or guard.
In California, the Bay Area Renegades Senior Drum and Bugle Corps, currently a
parade/exhibition corps, already has several performances under its belt. Across the bay,
Shockwave EXCITE has formed as a senior percussion ensemble to supplement the new junior
corps they are sponsoring. And San Diego has a city-sponsored brass and percussion ensemble
that performs at many Southern California functions.
Recipe For Success.
What must happen for a senior corps to be successful out West? Here is a short list of
suggestions:
1. Quality. It all starts with one success story. Once one organization puts together a quality
program, the good news will spread. Veteran corps members will hear about the good times and
excitement, and will want to join up. Eventually, the buzz may interest people in starting a
second program, and a third, and...you get the picture.
2. Leadership. The new corps will have to be professionally managed. To guarantee long-term
success, a strong Board of Directors must be selected, including people from the community
who can work to manage the business end. This group must establish a clear mission statement
and set attainable goals, and maintain the financial stability of the organization.
3. Support. The pioneering groups must support one another. The most viable way to do this is
through the creation of a DCA-style committee that will work together to help each member
corps grow and develop. The need for this support - and competition - is expressed very clearly
on the Take FIVE web page: "Throughout this year we were forced to accept the fact that
without local northwest competitors we would not be able to survive as a competing drum and
bugle corps. Without local competition it would be financially impossible to maintain an active
corps." (http://www.teleport.com/~takefive/takefive_1.html)
4. Marketing. Step One would be to educate the West Coast drum corps fans about the nature of
the senior activity. Subsequently, corps must develop a unique identity, and must be marketed
effectively to attract new members. Part of this marketing effort should focus on the benefits
provided to a community by a senior drum and bugle corps.
5. Stability. If a number of corps start up and then fold, the instability will be extremely
detrimental to the public's opinion of the activity. While researching the possibility of starting a
corps in the San Francisco Bay Area, I talked to several people involved with successful senior
corps back East, many of whom had been founding members of their respective corps. The
overwhelming message I got from each one - without exception - was "don't give up." Almost
every corps had started small...some started VERY small, and stayed that way for a few years
before taking off. I can't count the number of times I heard, "Yeah, we marched the first parade
with only 13 people," or, "Only ten people showed up regularly the first year." As a result, we
made a conscious decision for the Renegades organization - we will not even consider closing up
shop for at least five years. We felt that a five-year period would give us a pretty good idea
whether things were working out or not, and would eliminate a knee-jerk reaction because we're
frustrated over a slow start.
Above all, the most important thing that must happen is that people must work to make things
happen in their local areas...support an existing organization, or start one of your own if there's
nothing near you. (A list of contacts for existing senior corps and associated performing groups
is included at the bottom of this article.)
The Crystal Ball....
With all that said, what does the future hold for senior drum and bugle corps on the Pacific
Coast?
It's not out of the question to foresee a competitive, DCA-like senior circuit, with member corps
from the coast states. I have even spoken with corps age-outs in Nevada who have indicated that
there are large groups of veteran corps performers around both Reno and Las Vegas, so
expansion into Nevada may be a possibility as well.
It all depends on the interest level. Even with a strong hook, you can't sell people something
they don't want to buy, and you've really got to sell the senior activity to two groups of people:
the potential members, who must see that drum corps is something you can continue to
experience and enjoy even after age 21; and the audiences, because they buy the tickets, attend
the fundraisers, and purchase the souvenirs that will bring the all-important financial support
needed to survive.
If you are interested in joining or supporting an existing senior corps, please contact one of the
following:
Seattle, Washington:
(Unnamed alumni corps)
Contact: Jim Nevermann
jcn5758@qtip.ca.boeing.com
San Francisco Bay Area, California:
Bay Area Renegades Senior Drum and Bugle Corps
Web page: http://users.ccnet.com/~bjwilson/renegades.html
Contact: Brandon Wilson - bjwilson@ccnet.com
Al Chan - ChopprChan@aol.com
Shockwave EXCITE
Web page: http://members.aol.com/JoinshocWV/Excite.html
Contact: Dewayne Smith - Dirshocwav@aol.com
San Diego, California:
San Diego Brass and Percussion Ensemble
Web page: http://members.aol.com/sandapa/
Contact: (619) 748-5763
This group is not technically a senior corps, but does provide an opportunity for brass and
percussion musicians of all ages to perform at local band and drum corps shows, and at Chargers
pregames.
Content Sources
DCA information obtained from R.A.M.D. FAQ, posted to this newsgroup on November 27,
1997 by Cathy Doser.
When used, information from corps' Web pages includes reference to the URL address where
the information appears.
Thank you!
I would like to thank Dr. Richard "Vince" Lamb and everyone responsible for the RAMD Virtual
Symposium for the platform to deliver this paper. Thank you to everyone who participated in
my brief research - it was very polite of you to put up with my annoying questions. And finally,
most importantly, thank YOU for reading this piece all the way to the end!
If you would like to discuss the current West Coast senior corps scene, or the progress the
Renegades are making, please feel free to get in touch. I'm always happy to talk shop, and
would be glad to hear from you.