#drumandbuglecorps

Whenever I think about “SpOoKy” or “Darker” themed drum corps shows - I always think about “Carpe Noctem.” I always thought this show concept was so unusual, but still very fascinating. Like most drum corps shows, this one definitely has plenty of layers. Totally a bold & big show, full of human skulls and gothic imagery - without a doubt a powerhouse performance (as always) from the Blue Devils. “Carpe Noctem means “To Seize The Night”, (or “Live Tonight Like There is No Tomorrow”, “Work Hard, Play Hard”, etc), a very familiar approach for the Concord Blue Devils.

💀🥀🎶

Totally AWESOME Trumpet Cam from the Bluecoats drum and bugle corps (Based in Canton, Ohio; CRUSHED IT IN ‘19). This was from last season’s Beatles themed show “The Bluecoats”! Totally AWESOME and a show that I can confidently say is a true work of Art.👏💖

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRUM CORPS!

2019 Drum Corps International Championships

One of the best seasons in DCI! Congratulations to EVERYONE who marched in drum corps this year - Thank you for keeping the activity alive & well. Blue Devils took their 19th title, and the captions went to various corps this year (which was refreshing to see). This has been one of the best Top 12 corps I have seen - definitely some of the most work ever put into the activity. I still cannot believe that The Bluecoats DID NOT WIN 1st place! It was the year of The Bluecoats in my own humble opinion - don’t get me wrong I love what BD has always brought, but man.... The Bluecoats!....It was their season. BD is like the Yankees - they’ve always got some of the best players, and they deliver every single year (which is not easy), but I don’t think BD was the underdog - Bluecoats were, and I still think they were the real champions, but again, that’s just one opinion - take it or leave it. Either way it does not take away from all of the awe-inspiring work each member has put in this year.

One of my favorite years in drum corps - every corps was AWESOME. Looking forward to 2020!

1. Blue Devils “Ghostlight”

2. Bluecoats “The Bluecoats”

3. Santa Clara Vanguard “Vox Eversio”

4. Carolina Crown “Beneath The Surface”

5. The Cavaliers “The Wrong Side of The Tracks”

6. Boston Crusaders “Goliath”

7. Blue Knights “...I Remember Everything”

8. Blue Stars “Call of The Wild”

9. The Cadets “Behold”

10. Mandarins “Subterra”

11. Crossmen “Valkyrie”

12. Phantom Regiment “I am Joan”

Jim Ott

Another one for the drum corps folks.

The brass players of today’s drum corps can be thankful for Jim Ott. Jim’s presence in the drum corps world was too short-lived. The power & passion that comes from the brasslines of so many decades gone by all have a common origin in Jim’s teachings and horn lines back in the day.

Jim’s influence to the brass community is essentially what helped shape the sound of drum corps (especially coming out of the late 70s when drum corps really started to become more powerful and almost a force of nature).

I first read about Jim Ott when I was like 16 or so, mainly because I saw some footage of the 1980 Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps (that CLOSER - my GOD) and found out that Jim Ott had died in a car accident during the summer of 1980 while on tour with Spirit of Atlanta. I had read various personal recounts of when the staff members had to break the news to the corps in the high school gymnasium the corps was being housed. A lot of people were obviously broken down in tears as it was a tremendous loss - and it was evident in Spirit’s performance finals night (I still haven’t seen a corps blow the house down like that with an overwhelming amount of powerful emotions - with their black bands on their sleeves for Jim’s memory).