Good To The Corps
by Arkady Pritsker
You’d be forgiven for not knowing much about the world of drum and bugle corps outside of the annual Memorial Day parade. But you may already have an idea that this popular musical pastime is also an extremely serious competitive sport, requiring plenty of coordination, fitness, and dedication. Drum and bugle corps enthusiasts can be found on the field for up to 14 hours on days off work, practicing and perfecting their chops and moves.
Today, two drum corps associations exist, Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA). DCI is for junior members across the US and Canada. The maximum age for a DCI member is 21, but older musicians have DCA, comprised of all-age drums corps.
The DCA has 17 member corps. The all-age corps allow enthusiastic drummers and brass players to participate at a high level without dedicating all of their free time to rehearsal and competition. Still, like those for the DCI, DCA meets are intensely competitive, and victory in a national or international all-age tourney is highly sought after.
Loyal Following
All-age corps members enjoy playing for the thrill of their favorite hobby without feeling overly pressured. “We are more of a weekend warrior organization. We rehearse on weekends and perform on Saturday nights,” explains Seattle, Washington, resident Tom Peashy. “DCA members have families, jobs, all sorts of obligations, and responsibilities that junior corps members don’t have.”
One of the hallmarks of drum and bugle competition is the pride the musicians take in their performances. Although DCA members work hard to keep their chops up, they are nevertheless realistic about the level of skill they can maintain. “Obviously, since we can’t practice 14 hours a day, every day, like the juniors, we have to keep the audiences’ attention without perfectly honed skill. We do that by keeping the performances accessible and interesting,” says Peashy. The entertaining, more relaxed performances of all-age corps have garnered them a hard-core following.
DCA is a genuinely multigenerational activity. For instance, Racine, Wisconsin, is the home to the Kilties, an accomplished all-age corps. “Our average age is 32, but we have about 20 members older than 40 and 15 members older than 50,” says Bill Roetzar, the corps’ director.
It’s easy to underestimate the effort older corps members put in. Aside from musical skill, members must be fit enough to march in tight formation. “It can be quite a challenge, and members must be in pretty darn good shape—it’s a heck of a workout,” adds Roetzar. The physical aspect is all the more important now that the trend is toward fast tempo drumming. “For example, earlier on we stayed at a constant meter of 128 to 132 beats per minute, but these days we’re going up to 180,” Roetzar explains.
So Fulfilling
“But if it wasn’t such a challenge, people probably wouldn’t be anywhere near as dedicated,” observes Tom Meeks, who, at 61, is the most senior active member of the five times world champion Syracuse (New York) Brigadiers. Meeks has been a drum corps participant and a sometime corps director and treasurer since 1967.
For Meeks, drum and bugle corps is a family affair. In fact, he was originally recruited by his wife while they were still living in Rochester, New York. Meeks played with the Rochester Crusaders corps for 33 years, 25 of which were spent playing the soprano bugle alongside his wife, who is the longest serving female performer in Crusaders history. The couple’s two daughters have both participated and now a grandson is learning his moves in the local Junior Corps.
In Rochester, Meeks had an opportunity to work with one of the most outstanding buglers in the area—Ken Petersen. Petersen has played in corps since 1947, and he is still an active participant at 74. Petersen plays with three senior drum corps—The Geneva (New York) Appleknockers; Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps of Batavia, New York; and Prime Time Brass of Rochester, New York—and is a mentor to younger members. Petersen, like Meeks, says he’s stuck with this rigorous activity for so long because he loves the unremitting challenge. “And I know I’m not the only one my age involved,” Petersen says. “I’m honestly just happy to be out there because it’s so fulfilling to know that I am not being impeded by my age and can still play my heart out.”
Tradition and Discipline
Petersen has acquired quite a reputation over six decades of involvement in drums and bugle corps. This year he was inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame as well as the newly established Buglers Hall of Fame. “If you saw what this guy was doing on the field, you would be a amazed. He’s my hero,” says Roetzar.
Perhaps the biggest contribution of older members like Tom Meeks and Ken Petersen is their experience, which they are handing down to the next generation of drummers and buglers. “These veteran performers are used to regimentation and discipline, which they instill in the younger generation,” says Roetzar. “They help make drum corps rehearsals and competitions an educational experience.” Thus members of the all-age corps have the added benefit of being able to turn to other members for guidance.
As drum and bugle corps march into a new century, there is perhaps nothing more important than the perspectives of those anchored in tradition and discipline. While there’s no stopping change in music, to run headlong into change at the expense of tradition is to lose a valuable perspective. All-age drum corps get the best of all worlds—young people in their 20s and 30s with new ideas and boundless energy and older members filled with wisdom and a desire to teach. The resulting mix, and music, is a treat for anyone who cares to listen.
Arkady Pritsker comes from a musical family. His father, Vladimir, plays violin in the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.
