America is Different | Brit Reacts to Blue Devils @ Drum Corps International World Championships '23

[@JAlexandrian]

The snare drum heads are made in part out of Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests. That is how they are able to crank them with so much tension. Excellent reaction!

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

Ahhh that makes perfect sense. Thank for the info my friend 👊🏼

[@gabecoombs3021]

​@TheCharlieSmithChannel The snares themselves aren't regular wires like a drum set snare. They're more like plastic cables that are fairly tight, giving them less buzz compared to metal snare wires that have more sustain and "buzz." And yes, the scoop on the bottom is for sound projection as snare drums don't inherently project as well as the tenors or bass drums due to their shape/orientation. Edit - The heads also lead to less snare response due to how heavy they are.

[@gabecoombs3021]

@@josnardstorm believe me, I know the feeling of forgetting to take your scoop off before you put your snare on a stand 🙃

[@StickDropper516]

The Drums themselves are also much larger than a concert snare so they project more.

[@SepticFuddy]

Sometimes mylar bottoms are used for a more classic sound, but the kevlar tops really do give an incredible rebound

[@PTXPentaholic]

You have not lived until you have heard them live. It will melt your skin off. There is honestly no other sound like it in the world.

[@nickniehaus1763]

Boy I saw inferno on the 50 3 rows up at finals. It’s like getting nuked in a good way.

[@ShylaGailey]

my first ever show i watched live was cadets and they absolutely slammed me in the face with sound since we were so close but finals just left me speechless no matter where i sat.

[@PTXPentaholic]

It's really hard to explain the full body chills that you get for the entire time they're playing. I want there to be a drum corps at the gates of heaven when I go there, or if I go there.

[@davidmoser8845]

That was pretty much what I came here to say. I don’t care what your home sound system is or what it cost - it’s never going to come close to the experience of a live DCI show.

[@JeepTraveller2021]

👆Fact

[@bonesccl]

The best part about this show is that this is actually their second performance of the night. They played the full show maybe two hours earlier as part of the competition, won the show, got their gold medals and now this is their encore performance. Playing their hearts out one last time just for fun.

[@kyranamichaelson3951]

We used to play last, stand in the end zone, collect our awards, and run the show again back in the 80s. What a high.

[@williamguillIII]

@@kyranamichaelson3951 Yeah, and they had "Finale", which you never see any more. Hearing all the Corps playing together stretched from the 20 to the 20 was pure bliss!

[@cattycorner8]

Yep, they are running on pure endorphins!

[@thatfishingguy11b]

So many memories.

[@aud.sherrill]

hey! i was one of the snare drummers in this video. thank you so much for watching and im super glad you enjoyed our show :) it was sooo much fun to perform and watching this brought back a bunch of good memories so thank you haha

[@stephaniehamid2788]

Damn y’all killed it. This might be my new favorite devils show.

[@lde-m8688]

You work hard in those DCI bands.

[@samsignorelli]

From this 84 alum (who marched with both Dave and Shawn Glyde), congrats!

[@markstrzelecki-denoon9892]

We used to have a drum corps seen in the uk i was involved for 20 years from the age of 5 i will send you a link but you must watch Carolina Crown drop the hammer on youtube

[@samsignorelli]

@@markstrzelecki-denoon9892 DCUK still exists, doesn't it? I was half the cymbal line in 1986 Dagenham Crusaders (they called me the "Token Yank.").

[@danrvt2001]

I’m from the UK and marched with the ‘Bluecoats’ in 2022! We were the runners up that year. My favourite experience of my life!

[@ecstasycalculus]

Are there many people from outside the US and Canada who participate in DCI?

[@MuhtalikuhfreaK]

Goes to my thought of exactly why it's referred to as a World Championship. The best performers in the world tryout for DCI. The very best make it.

[@richyking3847]

I hope he reacts to bluecoats 2022

[@Corrections101]

Bluecoats are a corps that can ever compete with BD on the reg.

[@Ohokk0]

@@richyking3847best show of all time imo

[@drumandbrassvideos4118]

Some clarification, Blue Devils aren’t a US Marine drum and bugle corps. They are an Independent World Class drum and bugle corps. They don’t have any affiliation with the military. Also, the age out is 21 years old, but depending on when your birthday is, you can still march when you are 22. That is if you turn 22 after June 1st. In any case, the DCI shows are fantastic to watch and I get to be on the sidelines taking photos. Last year I was able to get photos of Blue Devils three times. Being that close to the show is quite amazing. Love your reaction to watching the video!

[@reedlarson3153]

This is true, having a summer birthday, I could have aged out at 22 instead of 21

[@TimothyHagerTCH]

That being said, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corp is fantastic as far as groups still in the military tradition

[@drumandbrassvideos4118]

@@TimothyHagerTCH They did an exhibition at my son's HS. They are amazing!

[@robmcmillan8103]

Scoops on the snare drums are a sound projector as you guessed. The idea came out of the Blie Devils carrying North Drums as multi-toms in 1976.

[@chrisb5823]

yeah i was puzzled by that comment.

[@davidstoleson792]

Dude gets it. It’s about the performance quality, but so much more. The teamwork, the coordination of the music and the visual, and ultimately the emotional effect.

[@ButteryAftertaste]

When people are being critical of American culture, I've often heard some version of the phrase "America is too big to know itself". I think the reality is that America is so big and varied that people who have never lived in America cannot be bothered to explore the sheer number of unique and idiosyncratic quirks to its culture. Drum corps and the marching arts are just one of them, and the more you look past the clickbait headlines and talking points, the more of them you discover.

[@txquilter608]

I think the same could be said of many people who live in America.

[@heatherknopp3723]

Absolutely!! Wonderful way of explaining it! I didn't march myself, but I married a tuba dude and raised 3 band kids, 12 years as a band booster... Some of the best years of my life and with my kids. Memories like you can't believe. It changes you. PLUS, these kids are all usually excellent students and will be leaders some day, and the Marching Arts will have well-prepared them for it!

[@huitrecouture]

Oh you mean the "people" who live on that S-hole island the size of Michigan? Where they arrest 8 year olds for "hurting feelings" and politicians for quoting Churchill? Screw them.

[@brookestraub1264]

Got to watch Grambling! Greatest band ever! Ohio State doesn’t suck either.

[@richbrass12]

I love this. We need more non drum corps people to react to drum corps

[@flakdat]

Right? Whenever I see one of these pop up, I get excited

[@Kenshi-Leo]

Proud to say that my band director was in this show as a Baritone player

[@dreverettc]

Charlie, as a parent of one of the members of the Blue Devils (the Drum Major - conducting here in this performance at the World Championships), I can tell you that every member of this Corp are highly talented and unique in their desire to be the best at what they are doing. These are unique young people who have exceptional talents, intelligence, and are genuinely outstanding human beings. It is organizations like Drum Corp (and the Blue Devils) that provide young people a vehicle for their talents to create art, as a group, to push excellence in the marching arts. As you mentioned in your video, I am extremely proud of my son’s dedication and accomplishments by being a member of the Blue Devils for the last 6 years.

[@4TheFauna]

Everyone’s eyes are almost always glued to that drum major - that’s how they can play without the muddiness. They play to the drum major and not to what they hear because light (sight) travels faster than sound. Physics are at play in a drum corp performance. 😊

[@LJ-wo1wf]

It’s great to see reactions from people like you who are new to the activity. Among those of us who have done it a long time, it’s easy to forget how impossible it’s supposed to be. The accumulated knowledge of the designers and instructional staff, passed on to the kids on the field, is what makes it all possible. There are little tweaks and pedagogical tools that are both fundamental to all musicians and unique to drum corps that we’ve honed over decades, making this level of excellence feel almost casual.

[@trevonhay101]

Hey I’m on staff for the blue devils (I’m actually in this video lol). I’d love to talk about drum corps and show you more of our stuff if you want. So glad you enjoyed our show

[@JeepTraveller2021]

more is always welcome!

[@penelopefp]

I saw the "condensed" version of this for Friends & Family night. That's the closest you'll come to indescribable heavenly purity penetrating ever fiber and cell of your being. I didn't want it to end. I was at the edge of the field when the guard did the synchronized aerials and I nearly sh*t my pants. I was in stunt (more than 20 yrs ago) and an aerial was my dream goal. When I finally got it, I was so low my hair skimmed the ground. (It was longish hair) Aerials that high and that precise are no freaking joke. I can't describe the awe and respect I have for the kids in BD and all the other corps that compete at this level. Do you agree that they usually start as "band nerds"? They should get way more respect than the jocks at the football games where most of these kids started in high school band, but schools usually put more money into sports than band. I was told something like the top 10% will try out for the high level clubs and about 2% of those make it. So these are elite athletic performers. THIS is what a Super Bowl halftime performance should be!!!

[@therobloxspectrum6666]

would you be willing to talk about some drum corps stuff as far as getting in and what to practice to have the best shot into making your chosen corps?

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

I'd love that. Sorry I missed this comment when you wrote it. I get a lot and sometimes I miss some.

[@TarynIona]

Still showing that The Blue Devils are the ones to beat, nearly 40 years after I graduated from High School and followed you all around the country. Reminds me how much I love and miss the action, energy, love, music and excitement of being part of something so GRAND!

[@hollyryalsgrubb1273]

I like when they show the overall field so we can gain a sense of the massive scope of the performance. Band kids never have spare time and the peer group is like an extended family. It's one of the best group activities to join in my opinion. I wish that in the US we weren't cutting funding for arts programs in schools and that every child had the opportunity to participate in even a low level band.

[@lkajiess]

No joke, my WGI group in high school would practice 30 hours a week. The activity completely takes over your life if you're competing at the higher levels.

[@michaeljohn9271]

In youtube search, just type in: "Blue Devils 2023 “The Cut-Outs” Victory Run, if you want to see the entire field view.

[@mmmbetter55]

Breaks my heart to see both DCI and local band programs waning due to lack of funding. Band and Drum Corps/WGI was a foundational and infinitely valuable experience for me.

[@mmmbetter55]

@@lkajiessno doubt. And this is the result- kids these days are insanely good musicians before they're even in High School, *because* they see programs like this

[@StAmander]

Yeah. The budget cuts suck. I was alto sax for freshman and sophomore years, and then a lot of our band members graduated with very few new members, so I had to learn trombone so we had a trombone. Eventually we got more trombone players but they were so new that we had a limit of what we could play from what we already had, because they were still learning f how to read sheet music and the beginner range. We took all of the baritones from a local middle school because they cut band from their course listing. For awhile we didn’t even have a band director or teacher. Just ran by the rest of the band. These kids deserve better than that.

[@paulb6302]

I marched drum corps for five years. Changed my life and I believe was a major contributor to my successful Navy career.

[@MarchingBandDad]

How so? My kids dream is The President’s Own. Always open to any feedback!

[@thatfishingguy11b]

Oh absolutely same with my army career.

[@str8edgbmxr641]

all of this is happening while they RUN around the field, memorizing over 300 "dots", or points where they land to make the visual flow of the show. Some of the drum equipment, like the multi toms, or "quads" as they are called and the instruments weight as much as 40lbs. At this level, it is extremely physical. I am a percussion instructor who has had many students march in these groups over the years. It is definitely a life changing experience

[@KlockoFett]

They're down to 40lbs now?

[@JulieHoffstadt]

I marched for a few years. I was in the pit, so not as much running. However, I remember the heat and the frequent changes, not just of moves but also of the music. I was in the best physical shape of my life. I did have massive blisters on my fingers and a weird tan from all the tape wrapped around them.

[@cairnman100]

Blue Devils don’t have dots.

[@howarda1000]

watching you smile at something I put my whole life into made me cry thank you, drum corps has no equal in the fine arts

[@ryanwilson465]

The things on the bottom of the snares are called “scoops”, and yes, they are there to help project the sound out instead of straight down into the ground. The tone is so staccato, it helps balance out the line. That’s why you don’t really see them on the tenors or basses, though tenors have been seen with them in the past.to experience all this live is quite the experience.

[@drumnistic]

They’re technically called “sound projectors “ …..i was marching in drum corps when the use of sound projectors started…..yes we did start calling them “scoops” but sound projector is their actual name

[@zanyband]

well tenors don't need them cause the shell is already shaped to project the sound foreword and bass drums the head is facing the audience already so only the snares need the scoops

[@popeyesailor9571]

the scoop was invented by Rick Odello the original drum instructor and founding family

[@popeyesailor9571]

We used North Drums in 76 but they were too heave to carry so Ludwig made us longer depth drums and Rick cut a tupperware bowl in half and taped it to a drum. then they were used by everyone.

[@calebward7227]

Hey! I was a performer in the Phantom Regiment, we also were in finals, same night as these guys. BD are pretty well known as the current record holder for the most amount of championships won and by quite a lot. DCI technically is international, there is a corps from Canada. And if there was an audience for it, there could be some across the pond, but unfortunately modern drum corps is incredibly niche and even marching arts from the EU (like Swiss drum and fife corps) are a completely different beast. Modern marching snare heads (like the ones drum corps use) are made out of Kevlar, and are tuned pretty ludicrously tight, which is why they sound so high-pitched. The reason for the “snap” or “rattle” sound is a mechanism on the bottom head called the snare (hence the name snare drum). It’s a set of shaped wires. When you hit the top head, the vibrations from hitting it travel through the bottom head (sometimes called the resonant head for this reason). This in turn causes the snare mechanism to vibrate very fast, making the snap sound you’re referring to. The Ludwig branded shapes on the bottom of the snares are what we call projectors (or scoops) and they do exactly what you said, project the sound forward. They’re usually needed in environments like a football field, where your sound needs to cover quite a bit of distance to reach the audience, the trade off is now the audience (and the judges) can hear you a whole lot better. Yes this includes all the good, but could include the bad as well.

[@MegaBlahblah33]

There are actually drum corps in the Netherlands and there used to be several in the UK (The Company, Kidsgrove Scouts, etc.)

[@isaiahpeters2004]

i know you

[@reedlarson3153]

There used to be quite a few from Canada.

[@flipstheking6464]

Exogenesis was 👌👌👌

[@dyee1995]

Toronto Optimist, Etobicoke Crusaders, De La Salle/Oakland Crusaders, Alberta All-Girl Drum & Bugle Corps to name a few Canadian Corps. A few years back I found a video online with one of the DCI founding corps directors (sorry, don't remember which one.) He said they were going to name it Drum Corps National, but a Candian corps director spoke up and said, "Hey, what about us?" One of the founding directors said, "Okay, it's Drum Corp International."

[@kaleighconard6459]

I calculated out how much practice we had in a week for my high school marching band and it came out to 50ish hours during peak season. There is so much heart in marching bands that someone who hasnt been in them cant possibly know. When you get everything perfect the high is incredible. Hearts on fire, minds on ice!

[@thatfishingguy11b]

And this isn’t high school it’s world class so they do 120hours per week for one 14 minute run per weekend.

[@MrWBB63]

To get the full impact of just how powerful these performers are...and the sheer volume of sound and spectacle you need to see this live. If you visit the US during the summer seek out a DCI sanctioned event! In the summer of 1980 my high school marching band visited (and lived with) a school in Rainham as an exchange program (they came to America in the spring of 1982 visiting and living with us). When we performed on football pitches and marched in parades the responses that we received were overwhelming. The cheers and attention made our high school band feel like were were rock stars.

[@jofromWI]

You can actually FEEL the music in your chest when you’re there live. It’s an amazing experience. Gives you goosebumps

[@judigrumm7190]

You were stars! 🌟 Or better.

[@snackboy]

I met a family from England at one of the East Coast shows who flew in just for the competition. From what they were telling me, DCI is working on starting up a DCI Europe and their daughter wanted to see what it was all about. So hopefully it's coming soon to England and the rest of Europe very soon.

[@benuk2409]

The UK used to have quite a healthy Drum Corps activity, not so much these days especially post covid. Many performers from the UK have marched in DCI throughout the years, and even a few corps have performed at DCI and DCA. Hopefully the activity will rise again in the UK

[@Rocamurderface187]

It’s the heads, they are a carbon fiber/Kevlar hybrid weave. These heads were actually made specifically for DCI Corps snare lines back in the late 1980’s. The original heads were just Kevlar which is what I played on when I marched. They evolved in technology to the carbon fiber/Kevlar mix. The attachments are sound projectors, those have been around since the early 1990’s I think. These Corps start practicing between November of the previous year and January of that year with 1 or 2 camps a month depending on the Corp, then their whole first third of the summer they learn the remaining drill and polish the music. When I marched, the Corps I was with my age out year started in January and had 1 weekend camp a month to May. Our first third was the Corn Field Tour, we learned the remaining drill for 3 weeks ending with our first competition. We came home rested for three days then went on our Regional Tour (DCM aka Drum Corps Midwest) which ended with the DCM Championships in Dekalb, Illinois. We came home, rested for about a week then went on National Tour going from coast to coast competing, sleeping on Gymnasium floors, eating on food trucks and practicing all summer until World Finals in mid to late August.

[@judigrumm7190]

And that says nothing about the years it took to get to that level!

[@cecilr7986]

Thank you for the great description.

[@4TheFauna]

We had projectors on our snares in 1988 and we were a small corp (Guardsmen ‘88), so they must have been even earlier than that.

[@lorriecheshire6471]

Most of these kids came out of high school marching bands. It teaches you so much about hard work and discipline! These kids work their butts off to get this good! Good for them! And yes, so much better in person!!

[@michaelhamilton3778]

I grew up in the 60s and 70s with drum and bugle court. The way it is involved over the years is amazing to me. Field performances back in the day started at one end zone of a football field and ended at the other end with a concert at the middle of the performance….. today it’s like a major NY. City, Broadway production. Add the musicians professional caliber which is off the charts. And this is what you get in today’s performances. If you can ever go to one of these shows live, you must. You absolutely must. Playback sound is nothing compared to being there and feeling it. it’s incredible. Is the only way you can describe it.

[@Readerb86g]

I marched '71 and '72 with the Cleveland Cabs. Films are rare from that time and here we have these records! Yes, start at one end, color guard had to progress to the far end of the field... so regimented but watching Santa Clara, Madison Scouts, the Blue Devils. It was my second year when it hit me what it took to do what they did. Whether in drum corps, in a 320-piece band or with a symphonic orchestra in a music hall, it shapes what makes you know what teamwork and quality performance means to the participant. emotions can still run high when you see and recognize excellence.

[@melissalavey]

Thanks for watching drum corps. I love how you noticed the work, discipline, and coordination that go into the performances. I also loved that it brought out some emotion for you. That’s what it’s all about! ❤ Five year performer, married a drum corps guy, our kid marched, we volunteer. It definitely shaped my life.

[@beesnort3163]

I would pay to see this better than any celebrity concert! This is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen! ❤❤❤❤

[@terrib627]

Imagine watching hours upon hours by attending the world championships. The finals alone has 12 corps in a row all rocking it out of the stadium.

[@davewroberts]

@@terrib627yeah I’ve been to finals 4 times and went this year in 2024, and had an absolute BLAST! After this year, i made the determination, as long as I’m breathing, I will be at Finals every year because I love drum corps so freaking much!!

[@jaimecohen95]

I was in a drum corps 20 years ago. The amount of work put into each show is incredible. It starts at the end of the season with the staff planning the next show. Then months of try outs and practice to get the production off the ground. A lot of times the show change from when it is first performed in June to the championship in August.

[@ExtremeRecluse]

And each musician/marcher is a master of their instrument.

[@lukehanson9660]

please keep reacting to Drum Corps videos, it's so awesome to see people who aren't in the activity appreciate it like this! Thnak you for this video!

[@randombr549]

What will blow your mind is the fact that you picked up on maybe a fourth of what happened. The snares were spinning sticks in the middle of high-speed runs, lines were straight, players were changing direction and speed, passing between other people backwards and blind all while playing complicated music. Watching it live, you feel the music in your chest. Awesome!

[@marylimon7052]

These are not just U.S. corps that compete. There are corps from Canada, as well as there have been groups from Japan.

[@drummist6212]

not forgetting the UK back in the '80's that competed at DCI

[@danieloneal7137]

There was a fairly active competitive circuit in the UK and in the Netherlands and some neighboring areas of Europe. Remember Beatrix and Jubal touring the States a few times? Not sure what the current state of the activity is over there since the pandemic and all. Though it must be said that they were never on the same level as the top-tier US corps. Several students from overseas have marched in North American corps over the years.

[@eaglebac]

Thank you for sharing such genuine and heartfelt comments about an activity that I have participated in and loved for over 20 years!

[@voiceofreason9238]

Your comments and reactions are so on-point. This American DCI fan salutes my British cousin.

[@dci_fan0345]

I’m a British drum corps fan myself and you my friend. Have found yourself in a drum corps wormhole. Here a performances I recommend you to react to on your channel: 1) Academy 2016 - Drum Corpse Bride 2) Bluecoats 2019 - The Bluecoats 3) Bluecoats 2018 - Session 44 4) Bluecoats 2017 - Jagged Line 5) Bluecoats 2016 - Downside Up 6) Bluecoats 2015 - Kinetic Noise 7) Bluecoats 2014 - TILT 8) Bluecoats 2013 - ...To Look for America 9) Bluecoats 2012 - Unmasqued 10) Bluecoats 2011 - Brave New World 11) Bluecoats 2010 - Metropolis: The Future is Now 12) Blue Devils 2022 - Tempus Blue 13) Blue Devils 2019 - Ghostlight 14) Blue Devils 2017 - Metamorph 15) Blue Devils 2015 - Ink 16) Blue Devils 2014 - Felliniesque 17) Blue Devils 2011 - The Beat My Heart Skipped 18) Blue Devils 2010 - Through a Glass Darkly 19) Blue Knights 2019 - ...I Remember Everything 20) Blue Knight 2018 - The Fall and Rise 21) Blue Knights 2017 - i 22) Blue Knights 2016 - The Great Event 23) Blue Knights 2015 - Because... 24) Blue Knights 2014 - That One Second 25) Carolina Crown 2023 - The Round Table: Echoes of Camelot 26) Carolina Crown 2019 - Beneath the Surface 27) Carolina Crown 2018 - Beast 28) Carolina Crown 2017 - It Is 29) Carolina Crown 2016 - Relentless 30) Carolina Crown 2015 - Inferno 31) Carolina Crown 2014 - Out of This World 32) Carolina Crown 2013 - E=MC2 33) Carolina Crown 2012 - For The Common Good 34) Carolina Crown 2011 - Rach Star 35) Carolina Crown 2010 - A Sec2nd Chance 36) Carolina Crown 2009 - The Grass is Always Greener 37) Carolina Crown 2008 - Finis 38) Cadets 2015 - The Power of 10 39) Cadets 2012 - 12.25 40) Cadets 2011 - Between Angels 41) Cavaliers 2000 - Niagara Falls 42) Cavaliers 2001 - Four Corners 43) Cavaliers 2002 - Frameworks 44) Cavaliers 2004 - 007 45) Cavaliers 2006 - Machine 46) Phantom Regiment 2003 - Harmonic Journey 47) Phantom Regiment 2008 - Spartacus 48) Phantom Regiment 2010 - Into the Light 49) Santa Clara Vanguard 1989 - Phantom of the Opera 50) Santa Clara Vanguard 1999 - Inventions for a New Millennium 51) Santa Clara Vanguard 2006 - Moto Perpetuo 52) Santa Clara Vanguard 2007 - ! (Eureka) 53) Santa Clara Vanguard 2009 - Ballet for Martha 54) Santa Clara Vanguard 2013 - Les Misérables 55) Santa Clara Vanguard 2014 - Scheherazade: Words 2 Live By 56) Santa Clara Vanguard 2015 - The Spark of Invention 57) Santa Clara Vanguard 2016 - Force of Nature 58) Santa Clara Vanguard 2017 - Ouroboros 59) Santa Clara Vanguard 2018 - Babylon 60) Santa Clara Vanguard 2019 - Vox Eversio 61) Troopers 2021 - Unleashed 62) Troopers 2022 - VorAcious 63) Troopers 2023 - To Lasso The Sun This is a lot but all of these shows show how amazing this activity is. You can message me if you need links for any shows or have any questions about being a British drum corps fan lol.

[@uhcharlie_4]

bro doesnt want him to see Blue Devils 2017- Metamorph

[@dci_fan0345]

@@uhcharlie_4 HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THAT?!?!

[@D_ROK_719]

Add Phantom 2008 - Spartacus to the list. That whole show still lives rent free in my brain. The brass was top knotch that year and im a snare guy

[@dci_fan0345]

@@D_ROK_719 bro I don’t know how I missed that show when I was making the list.

[@dizdawgjr34]

Wheres Bloo '23 (Garden of Love) and '22 (Riffs and Revelations)?

[@christopherday3138]

The bass drums coming into the stadium is what made me want to be a drummer as a kid. It shakes your soul. The bottom piece on the snare is called a scoop. And yes it throws the sound right at the crowd. Makes a huge difference in how clean the drums sound together. A kick ass performance is the best feeling in the world!!!!!!

[@tori3395]

It was so coo!l I got to see them from the second row for this performance and man... It's a wall of sound

[@autumnfall8829]

It's a TON of work. Countless hours of practice. I was in the flag Corp and drum line in high-school. Our teacher was a former Blue Devil. She modeled us after them. We were state champions. Phantom of the Regiment is another amazing Drum Corp Marching Band.

[@allenorganist2011]

Imagine having to memorize all that music. I loved marching when I was in high school.

[@4TheFauna]

And your sets (points on the field)!

[@TQV_4013]

Being in a marching band has always been an unfulfilled dream, as the school i went to in my home country didn't have one, so i enjoy so much watching these performances. I frankly don't know how they don't run out of air while playing and marching/running all over the field. Hats off!!

[@Ryan-dz7mg]

People come from all across the world to march in drum corps, so yeah it does have more to do than the USA

[@TheFuryKat]

Absolutely, I’ve marched with people from Canada, Japan, Germany, and England. Possibly more than that, but those are the ones I can remember

[@NadineJudd]

Thank you so much for your reaction to drum corps. It's nice for other people to recognize how much work goes into their performances. My son marched for Blue Stars in 2022. The kids rehearse for 1 month before going on tour. They practice about 10 to 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

[@Joshcar05]

Marching band is pretty huge in the US. I was in competitive marching band in highschool, just for reference, we had two weeks of 12 hour practices before school started, and then 3.5 months of 3 hour practices every day after school and 8 hours on Saturdays. A couple of people from our band did DCI, they compared it to a military bootcamp lol Here's our finals performance my sophomore year that we won the competition with if you're interested to see what a highschool level looks like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5C8Y5epi6ufa7ssi=59UFx3DRANvkSdsv

[@412foto]

to remember all of that choreography and also to remember all of the music and then to do it at the same time...insane!!

[@jonathandumas6506]

So the piece that is under the snare is called a scoop, and yes it’s to help push the sound up. As a former DCI drummer, you sleep, eat and breathe your show. Practicing every day and night for hours. Greatest time of my life.

[@aliciamarshall7162]

Any time I see any sort of marching band or drum corps video, I instantly get flooded with nostalgia! I was an orchestra kid that was blessed with the opportunity to play my instrument in a marching band and man it’s a whole other level of dedication and familial bond. If I ever had the opportunity to participate in a marching band again, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second!

[@WEDurhamPE]

The Corps you are watching has won more “World” Championships in the history of DCI than any other corps by far. The kids audition for the Corps each year in the fall. By January, they are learning the music. By April the drill/dance is generally learned. Then it’s hours and hours and hours of rehearsals to clean up the performance down to the most minute details.

[@craigsphillip]

Charlie, what a brilliant and infectiously joyous reaction you have posted about the Blue Devils! Your reaction and observations about this performance of theirs are such a delight to see because you recorded your reaction simultaneously to your viewing the performance, in real time. Your awesome reaction was made extempore, straight off the cuff, and with genuine honesty. It is also a great matter of pride to us Americans, who have always enjoyed drum corps, and who understand the amount of commitment and effort required by all the youth working and performing in drum corps, that you are visibly enjoying their work, their ability, and their incredible talent on display. It is thrilling to see that you accurately perceive this exact, incomparable talent and ability that these kids bring to drum corps. And, of course, watching your emotional reaction to the Blue Devils’ rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” is powerful. You’ve endeared yourself to us because we see you becoming a fan of drum corps; we see you become one of us with your viewing this performance. Thank you for your reaction video, for your enthusiastic reaction to the Blue Devils’ performance, and for the invaluable endorsement you have brought to every one of those kids marching on that field. Your reaction made my day, and I am supremely grateful that you shared it with us on YT! And great good wishes to Mike for suggesting it to you! Drum Corps - Human Fireworks, Baby!!

[@dailyfunny9]

Put SCV 2018 “Babylon” in front of this man, he will never be the same

[@djohnson1022]

I was going to suggest the same as well as 2017 scv alumni

[@fenrkinex]

As a former band kid, now twenty-four, I can't fathom how I managed to do this for five seasons in a row. I started in the 8th grade (by invitation of the neighboring high school, I was ahead for my age in playing skills). I don't know how teeny tiny thirteen year old me did marching band 😂

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

It's a lot to have achieved at that age. You shoukd be proud of yourself ☺️

[@matthewwhaley874]

It was funny how you mentioned the discipline. While the activity did start in the military, it became what it is today because churches and Boy Scout troops started forming these groups to compete during the summer specifically as a way to keep young boys off the streets and out of trouble in the summer months! Now there is only one all male drum corps left - The Cavaliers.

[@laurasullivan2962]

It's a thing here look up Morehead State University drumline. We do this at half time at most football games.

[@Chaazmo]

The snare heads in particular are made of a fiber weave (hence why it looks like carbon fiber) and are tuned SUPER tight. They're the only ones done that way, and is what's responsible for that sound. (source: i was in drumline in school and seriously considered trying out for a DCI corps) Would highly recommend checking out a snare solo or two to see the amount of different sounds you can pull out of the drums.

[@zesolodar]

when you were talking about the coordination to put it on and being in sync its pretty amazing. one of my fraternity brothers was on the marching band for a major d1 university. i know their not at the level of this but it would amaze you how much and hard they actually practice to perfect this stuff, even at a college level. its like practicing for a professional level sporting league

[@Michaellee4047.]

If you really want to get into Drum Corp, check out Bluecoats 2023 The Garden of Love. Truly one of my favorite shows in all of DCI!

[@mrsir6112]

Yesss. And then SCV 2018 for sure

[@Stonkzy]

Yes! Their 2022 show too, my favorite of that season

[@FrillyBlueJay]

Bluecoats 2014 and 2016 are the two shows I always return to when I need a pick me up!

[@DeliriumDelve]

Bluecoats and blue devils are the greatest corps imo, but that Carolina crown brass

Hi! I’m a 15 year drum corps mom. All 4 of my kids participated in drum corps, including 1 in this video. Finals are in Indianapolis August8-10. It is a once in a lifetime experience that will blow your mind. If there is anyway you could go, you will not regret it!! My son is 21 this year, so it is his “age-out” year.

[@mmmbetter55]

I hope you get a chance to see a DCI show in person some day. It's a very powerful experience to hear a hot line at full blast. And I'm a drummer.

[@frankshaffer7645]

The Snare sound is because of the snares on the bottom. They are some sort of fiberglass or (synthetic gut or nylon) rather than the steel coil snares on a rock drum kit. They sound like breaking glass. Very tight. The Drum Corps get judged on both Entertainment value and Execution. With gut snares, it exposes when the snare line are not playing together. But when they ARE playing together it is an awesome display of human synchronization. Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL 1983-84

[@_Tsagaglalal_]

just wanted to add that we learn our entire shows in roughly 3 months as well

[@JulieHoffstadt]

They never stay the same, either. Nonstop tweaking.

[@wxter_wxlls]

3:57 Being a percussionist or playing the snare drum requires lots of skill sets and making this specific sound calls for lots of strength and velocity towards the stroke. It really helps differentiate and accentuate the performance. They're even able to make a louder snap sound called a rim shot where basically the stick hits the head of the drum and the rim at the same time to make what is called a "shot". Hope that helps!

[@xmaniarock1138]

I definitely recommend you check out Bluecoats 2019 “The Bluecoats” where they use music by The Beatles

[@zacharymings8393]

The drums are a high tension snare drum. The heads used to be made of kevlar, the material in bulletproof vests, but it destroyed the players hands to much. Now they are made of multiple layers of different materials. As far as the drum itself, the heads are so tight that there is essentially no vibration, causing the sound to be incredibly short and not giving much vibration to make she snares last long either. There are specific high tension drum keys for this reason.

[@lorendaven]

It actually is international! Corps from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and anywhere other than the US and Canada are grouped into the International Class. Corps from all classes compete together but are ranked separately!

[@scyllanna]

fun fact: outside of DCI there is just normal marching band. we also do this sort of performance and the ages can vary from junor high all the way through college so about 13-14 to 21.

[@bdfan4ever]

Subscribed cause you reacted to drum corps.

[@heathermetz6576]

Never attended DCI but I have always known about the Blue Devils. Way to go. They never disappoint.

[@chrisb5823]

A recording no matter how good can never go justice to the energy of seeing it live. If you can only do it once - do it.

[@raha78]

My college marching band, RCC, modeled ourselves after Blue Devils. We had instructors from Blue Devils and the same arranger, Wayne Downey.

[@kaleyyates3365]

I think one thing that should be kept in mind for people who aren't Americans is the fact that these kids did this all throughout high school as every school has a marching band that performs at (American) football games. These people have also been playing for an average of 7 years prior to joining dci.

[@lovemesomeslippers]

This actually isn’t school marching band. This is not school affiliated, it’s nights and weekends and summers on top of school. I started in middle school, they can start young with what they call “feeder” corps. What we watched is the culmination of tears for most of them.

[@heatherknopp3723]

First time watching one of your videos - love that you're reacting to a DCI show! These corps are AMAZING. There are about 50 corps that are part of DCI, and 20 at this "World Class" level. Each corps features that many members, and participants can be from anywhere in the country or world (if they want to audition). It's also a non-profit, and participants must pay their own way. They tour around the country all summer long, competing at shows with other corps, and building their ranking going into the Championships. It's one of America's BEST things that we do, that not enough people have heard of! Also, Love the Tuba feature at 15:00!

[@KyleNally]

You should also know - this is the SECOND time that night that they performed this program. For their sins, the winner gets the aftershow encore and thus gets to do their whole show *TWICE.*

[@bernicearthur8655]

My daughter was in Marching band in high school, 10th to 12th grade. They practiced 5 days a week starting on the first Monday in August. They practiced for 8 hours a day. Once school started they practiced after school for 3 hours 3 afternoons a week. They worked hard and were fantastic, often pulling off difficult maneuvers and difficult pieces of music while marching. My daughter loved being in the band.

[@marleneflanagan7137]

my daughter was also in marching band in HS all 4 years. I loved watching them perform. The football was meh. LOL

[@tonyblanton6932]

​@@marleneflanagan7137I was in my high school band and we started thr month before thr school year started, like you said. After school started we came in at 6:30 in thr morning and rehearsed out halftime show through 1st period then for two hours after school, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we practiced for parade marching 9n thr same schedule. It was both demanding and rewarding. Loved it.

[@rygregory]

Japan, Canada, UK, and the Netherlands have or continue to compete in DCI activities. So yes, International/World. Also, this is not the US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps. (Though, they are definitely a drum corps.) Judging by your title, though, it seems you realized that after the fact. Come see them live! It’s even more impressive. There are tons of DCUK shows nearby that you could even see live! ❤

[@TheCharlieSmithChannel]

Oh yeah I'm aware they exsist in other parts of the world. Are other nations actually competing in this championship though? Yes I realised after haha. The person that made the request wrote US marine drum and bugle corps.

[@rygregory]

@@TheCharlieSmithChannelThey try but with rising costs it becomes increasingly hard to have 100+ people travel every year. Even DCI here in the US has been struggling with inflation while also still trying to keep the costs down for the kids. It’s tough. This a very expensive activity to run. The other countries have leaned more into their local organizations: DCE (Europe), DCJ (Japan), and DCUK (UK) probably due to costs. The Blue Devils used to send a group (Blue Devils International) out to the various Tattoos in Europe every summer. But again, rising costs. 😢 You should check out The Company Performance Ensemble based out of Barnsley. They’re great! They’ve competed in DCE and won multiple times.

[@katekoske9314]

@@TheCharlieSmithChannel in this specific championship it was only the US and one Canadian group.

[@TEKNOPRSNRS]

I loved when I saw different competitions over the years. The different groups are so amazing to watch live and then when you see them training the the heat of a good'ole Texas summer is just insane. I never did DCI cops but I was in marching band in high school and it is a lot of work not as much as these guys but still just amazing.

[@definitelynotcainan3353]

"We have nothing like this in the UK"... Sadly correct, but only recently so. Up until the pandemic, there was in fact a relatively thriving drum corps activity in the UK and Europe. Was it to this level? No, but it was still really good and entertaining. Guessing by your accent you are based south of the Watford Gap... down there you has The Senators from Eastleigh who had literally dozens of UK and European championships. Venture a bit further up the M1 and M6 you had The Company who boasted several European championships. In Birmingham you had last years Eurpopean champions a group called Beeches and up in Staffs you had the corps that I (an American living in the UK) marched in called The Kidsgrove Scouts who won the European championships 4 times, most recently in 2019. Both Kidsgrove and Company also performed in America as qwwell. THroughout the eighties and nineties there were literally dozens of drum corps in the UK. The main difference however being that in the UK there was no age limit and we were weekend warriors as opposed to 70-80 days straight of 12 hour rehearsals. Still, good drum corps nonetheless. Unfortunately, the pandemic killed off the activity in Europe. Anyways, Here's a link to kidsgrove 2017... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYLQnICrYtlkrNk&ab_channel=CliveVassell

[@silvermineband2719]

DCUK is actively recruiting for 2024, according to their website.

[@kathywygant8866]

Saw Kidsgrove perform "Montagues & Capulets," 2017 DCA show in Rochester NY USA. Enjoyed them very much.

[@lauratraxler8154]

My son is in high school band and they go see them every year... they are absolutely amazing. Their percussion is next level and it really energizes our kids. Watching it live is out of this world.

[@dciaudio]

If you enjoyed this show, you should totally check out Phantom Regiment's 2008 production "Spartacus." It is widely viewed as the greatest DCI show of all time, and for good reason!

[@magdong8839]

The show at IU plz.

[@sandyjackson4248]

Don't forget the force of the sound. In the stadium the sound, volume, and force just shakes and vibrates throughout your body like you're the drumskin! Nothing like it!!! Drumcore!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😅

[@chrisrodriguez629]

Hey you should see a Hebron HS band 2021 Pinstriped 🙏🙏🙏

[@notarthur313]

i said the exact same thing

[@drumingtothetop]

Hello, Drum line member Here from the Seminole high school Warhawk marching band. The snare drum "heads" are made of Kevlar (Aka: bulletproof vests). Kevlar can withstand a lot of tension so they can tune the drum to get that "Snappy" sound, the drum is tuned between a C and D. (C# is the choice for many higher-level groups such as the blue devils). Bass drums and tenor drums (Aka: the ones with 5 or 6 drums on it) use Mylar, Mylar is also used to make space blanket material, emergency blanket material. The tenor heads are the same as the Bass Drum heads, but they are tuned to different notes depending on what drum they are playing. Hope this helped!!😊

[@greghahn8337]

Uh oh, you've opened the flood gates with the DCI community! Enjoy your stay. :D

[@RobertoPlamenco]

I saw this encore performance and it was awesome live. I think it was their best one. Everyone looked liked they were having fun. The snares and quads were all skills.

[@mrrodgers5871]

DCI (Drum Corps International) does have some international corps perform (obviously, cost to travel over the ocean gets prohibitive). There is Drum Corps United Kingdom on your side of the pond! Drum Corps is also in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Tiawan, South Africa, Japan.... lots of kids coming together to do the -ations at incredibly high levels of achievement. I marched DCI in the 00s, and taught the 00s and early 10s. I can't encourage you enough to check out more drum corps, and check out different 'eras' of drum corps (the first years of electronics being used, when mics were first allowed, the pre-mic era, the era when the bugles were in the key of G instead of Bb, when the bugles only had two valves, etc). It's a very rich history of an extremely niche musical activity.

[@lj54896751]

I love seeing drum corps getting positive recognition! Thank you🫶🏻

[@hamblinta]

I’m glad you watched this and appreciate the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to do this. These kids work hard all year long learning not only the music but the marching and formations they use to put on this show. They travel all summer long to competitions all over the country. All of this takes money so there is a lot of fund raising that goes on as well. I am 62 years old but I remember belonging to Suncoast Sound back in the late seventies and let me say it was a blast.

[@alynch12]

I’ve had the pleasure of marching and instructing percussion at a high school level. Spent a good amount of years dedicated to the activity. It made me very emotional to see your reaction. We really do take for granted how impressive it is because we get so close to it. Thanks for the reminder. Best of success with your channel.

[@lalida6432]

Marching bands are insanely hard work. The hours are long and a production takes months to create and execute.

[@jeffreydheere4737]

Kevlar heads (Falams) on the snare drums take a high torque crank to withstand the tension. The bearing edges are metal and that top of the drum can be it's own unit without the wooden drum shell. In the past when kevlar heads just started coming out, we tried to crank them down and the wooden shells would collapse inward and pull out the lug casings. The 'scoops' under the snare drums are called scoops or projectors and help push the sound out towards the crowd as well as carry one more place for branding and advertisement.

[@disneyfun8208]

11:00 this is literally my favorite part of marching band. They always start their performance and have AWSOME, super cool, fast moments, and then overtime, the music slows down (I could even tell that this was leading up to something big), and everything comes together as it leads up to ✨the moment✨- this moment in bands might not have super impressive runs, but the music comes together like a big movie soundtrack and is so IMPACTFUL. It makes you feel emotional, like even I felt like crying 😭

[@howarda1000]

I have never watched your videos, but you quickly sounded like someone who does a good job of turning thoughts into words. For this to stump you so hard is amazing, welcome to the fandom!! Even after participating for almost a decade in various levels, yes, it is still unfathomable.

[@DisasterAuntie]

I very much enjoyed the Blue Devils' performance and your commentary. It's great to hear that this is well thought of, outside the US as well. I was in a drum corps (since disbanded) similar to this one in the late 80s, competing against the Blue Devils and many others like it. In my school and community bands and orchestras, I played flute. In drum corps I've done a year at melodic percussion (the xylophone, marimba, and other 'keyboard' looking things played with mallets). But most of the time, I was one of the dancers. We dance with these tall flags, short flags, batons, ribbons like in rhythmic gymnastics, rifles, sabres, and sometimes with no equipment. It's great fun, but it's also exhausting; yet at the end of the season, you'll be fitter than you've ever been in your life. A few things you might find interesting, or so I hope. You can join a drum and bugle corps (btw it's pronounced "core" because it's French, not like "corpse") as young as 14 years old, and you age out at 21. This isn't taken as a class or school activity at all, but is an extra thing you take on. Most DCI corps meet up for one or more weekends every month of the school year. You don't practice together every day, because many people in the same corps may live up to 300 miles apart from one another. You arrive at your base location via bus, if you're not local to that place. My corps had people from Spokane, Washington, all the way down to Grants Pass, Oregon -- that's a 598 mile difference, or 9+ hours by car or bus, in case you're interested. Practicing up to 14 hours a day, and it's EXTREMELY physical, and requires INTENSE mental focus and emotional fortitude. When summer comes, you get a week or two of daily intense rehearsals before you go on the road to begin showing. You'll perform in sports stadia all over the nation on tour. Every year a corps will create a new show, and you practice just that one show until it is -- as you saw -- pretty well perfect. Some of the members also play these instruments in school or community bands and orchestras, or learn dance/gymnastics and that; but a lot of people learn specifically for drum corps. Drum corps get little to no outside funding, only what the members pay to get into the group and whatever they can raise (or, sometimes, donations by alumni). We never flew anywhere; we were always on buses that stank and had no air conditioning. We didn't stay in hotels, but in school gymnasia, in sleeping bags on the floor. A tiny handful of adults kept us in check, but mostly we were made to be mature without their guidance or help. Even the field direction is by one of the corps, not the adults. We poured everything into practices, and then when we had nothing left, we took our nothing into our shows, and eventually we found that "everything" was a lot more and "nothing" became smaller and smaller a consideration. There are no substitutes. You play every single show, no excuses below a broken limb that actually interfered with your ability to stand and hold your instrument or flag -- and sometimes, people played even with a broken limb, if they could. If there's a "hole" left in the formation, you get docked points; which means if someone's out with a broken limb, everyone has to compensate on-the-fly for their absence, so that the show still looks as perfect as ever and no judge notices anything different. The way you get to be that synchronized is by watching and absolutely *knowing* where the rhythm is. When you're spread all across the field, you can't trust what you hear, because a person playing at the other end of the formation will hear your sound a couple of seconds after they hear their own; it's impossible to know how you sound until you see the videotape afterward. So you have to watch the drum major (the director while you're on the field of competition) once to know the beat and HIT IT precisely, trusting that the audience is only hearing one big sound rather than a lot of little disparate ones. While you're performing, you love one another as deeply as you've ever loved anyone or anything, and that's how you stay synchronized and keep the proper intervals between yourself and those beside, before, or behind you -- even if you can't stand one another as soon as the show's over! It must never show, during the performance or any time when you're in uniform. If people see you and can recognize you as being in the same corps, they need to feel like you're close family members, not strangers who just get to gather once or twice a month. They need to know that if they wish to perform a mischief on one of you, the other 100+ members of your corps will have your back, so they better hadn't. Because again, there's no adult coming to save you, and you're far from home, and teenagers are frequently victims of crime if they're seen to be alone or small in number. Nowadays it's different, but in the 80s and 90s there were NO scholarships for marching bands or drum and bugle corps participants. No awards, other than within DCI competitions. Newspapers and television seldom, if ever, covered a single one of our performances, not even if we were the year's winners. School newspapers didn't interview us, and most never even knew what we were doing on the weekends. There was no recognition other than from one another. Nothing you could "get" for it. The only reason we worked, sweated, blistered, cried, bled... was for love of the art form and the feeling of accomplishment during and after every single show, however well or poorly you were scored by the judges. Well. I say "no reward," but that's only true if you don't know that performing IS the award. I've sung opera onstage in a professional capacity, won an international high school jazz competition, and performed from early childhood through university in various bands, choirs, orchestras, theatrical productions, televised football games, and at Disneyland. And performing with Drum Corps International is the biggest performing rush I've ever had. Nothing beats it. Nothing.

[@pxevo2418]

I marched 7 years in this particular activity in the states. It, without a doubt, gave me the lessons of discipline, teamwork, accountability, and hard work that have shaped my life ever since. Those foundational principles still guide my career 17 years later.

[@Seaglassandsandcastles]

I played trumpet in drum corps for 3 years. Best experience ever! The pbs special performance “blast” was a great show. They hired drum corps members that aged out. 💛

[@itsame1139]

Wow, this brings back memories! My brother played the timpany in our high school marching band. They actually won the Grand National one year and many of the kids went on to march with the Blue Devils. These kids devote so much time and effort into this. It's incredible to watch.

[@shauncarmer4307]

Thanks for being such a good dude! Positive vibes! Also the most cracky of the Crack on those snare drums comes from what's called a rim shot. When the stick strikes the head and the rim simultaneously (for those unfamiliar). Awesome reaction video!

[@thomassicard3733]

Extreme passion. desire, talent, dedication, coordination and ADRENALINE.

[@shannonhicks2388]

I saw drum corp and clicked. Best years of my life

[@kylefrandsen2665]

I was in a DCI group (not the Blue Devils) many decades ago. A lot of hard work during the days but put a bunch of people under 21 together in buses, sleeping in school gyms on a national tour and there were some pretty wild nights and craziness on the buses ;) If you ever get a chance to see one of the top groups like the Blue Devils live, you should definitely do it. It's a wall of sound, talent, and amazing precision you just can't capture on video. I took a group of friends to see a post-championship display of the top 5 groups. They were skeptical of going to see "marching bands", but they were blown away and had a great time.

[@InimicalWit]

6:22 I was never part of the color guard; and I totally agree. The precision they have, throwing those objects is nuts 😅😆💙

[@lilithisbored]

i think the best part of these kinds of up close videos of performances are that you can see everyone actually enjoying themselves

[@lostinroachdale]

In the not too distant past there was a UK corps (cannot remember the name for the life of me, I'm old and forgetful) that participated along with Beatrix from the Netherlands. Drum Corp Japan split off as a separate entity in the mid nineties and has several competing corps in a slightly scaled down (performance area) version. There are still several Canadian corps that compete (Division II & through DCA all age corps) so it is still truly international. Unfortunately it is an insanely expensive endeavor to field a competitive drum corps. Also realize that this particular video was their victory run, this was the last time that these kids were performing this show for this season so it was just for fun and a little bit more laid back; if you get the chance search and watch their actual competition run. These kids also pay tuition (upwards of $5,000 American) to belong to these groups once accepted. The auditions for the Division 1 corps begin in November (US Thanksgiving weekend) of the previous year with camps and weekend intensives until May when they report for the full summer. They will work on this show from May until finals in mid August. Great video!