In the fall of 2023, a handful of drum corps decided to try something new.

Seven World and Open Class corps from the Midwest region joined forces to create a "job fair" style event for prospective members. On October 22, 2023, Blue Stars, Cavaliers, Colts, Colt Cadets, Madison Scouts, Phantom Regiment, and River City Rhythm all came together to offer a comprehensive introduction to the drum corps experience.

At the time, as Colts director Vicki MacFarlane put it, the leadership of these seven corps were “catering to the curious.” There was an idea, and it was worth a shot. 

It worked. 

“Last year exceeded expectations,” Phantom Regiment director of programs Todd Snead said. “It was much more popular than we thought it was going to be, and we had a lot of kids there. I think they were really hungry to learn about the drum corps activity.”

 

So, as drum corps look ahead to building their ranks for the season ahead, it’s happening again. 

The same seven corps will collaborate to host the second Midwest Combine Experience Camp on Sunday, October 27, in the Milwaukee area, opening the door for prospective drum corps performers to take their first steps toward the 2025 DCI Tour. 

“It's about giving students a chance to experience the drum corps activity without the nerves of auditioning or having to pick this corps over that corps,” Snead added. “Here's a chance to see seven different corps, some Open Class and some World Class, at a low cost, with low skin in the game.” 

According to multiple directors from the event’s participating corps, the goal for the first edition of the event was to bring in around 75 students. Those expectations were far exceeded, with well over 200 ultimately attending. 

According to MacFarlane and the Madison Scouts’ David Lofy, of those who took part in 2023, a number ended up finding their way into their drum corps in 2024. Both directors look at the Combine experience as an opportunity to get more people involved and to seed the future, even if the payoff is years later.  

“When we look at the demographic, these are mostly high school kids coming to this event who are just wanting to feel it out,” Lofy said. “So, us doing this year over year will hopefully inspire people to get more involved.”

The 2024-25 edition of the event will take place at the same location it did a year ago — Oak Creek High School in Wisconsin (340 E. Puetz Road). All for a registration fee of $50, the October 27 experience will feature a “full day of instruction, Midwest Combine Experience T-shirt, Midwest Combine sticker, and lunch.”

 

And while it does open doors to several potential drum corps homes, the Midwest Combine Experience Camp is not set up to be an audition opportunity. 

“There’s a lot of discussion about sort of de-mystifying what drum corps is, and connecting it to the things that attendees already do as high school band students,” Snead said. “Last year, I saw a lot of staff members making those connections between where students are and where they want to go in drum corps.”

Attendees will be focused on “getting their feet wet” in the drum corps activity, asking questions, learning the ropes, meeting key staff members from various corps, and making connections within the activity.

“The parents for this age group especially play a large role as well,” Blue Stars CEO Brad Furlano said. “It’s important for them to be comfortable with it — 'What am I sending my kid to do? What is this all about?' — I think that’s an important part of it as well.”

Students’ parents are also welcome to attend the event, and will be offered a question-and-answer session during the day’s morning block. 

The schedule for this year’s event on Sunday, October 27, is as follows:

8:00 a.m. – Registration
9:00 a.m. – Sectional instruction
12:00 p.m. – Lunch
12:45 p.m. – Sectional instruction
3:15 p.m. – Q&A with the corps directors 
4:00 p.m. – Info fair with individual corps

Register to attend the 2024-25 Midwest Combine Experience Camp

2023-2024 Attendee Testimonials 

“It is a no-pressure environment to “be in the shoes” of a drum corps performer for a day. Even though it’s low pressure, the staff still hold you to a standard, which I appreciated a lot.”

“It wasn’t as intimidating as I had thought, and it being a low-pressure environment helped me learn more without stress. It gave me valuable advice for my potential future in drum corps.”

“Even if you’re unsure if you’ll ever do drum corps, it teaches a lot of fundamentals that will help make you a better leader — as well as skills you can take back and teach your band.”

“If you are on the edge about (marching band), just try it. It's a reasonable price to learn about many opportunities. You get to learn, eat, make connections, and have fun.”

Learn more about the Midwest Combine Experience Camp