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67-608: The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Madison, Wisconsin . The Madison Scouts are one of the thirteen founding member corps of Drum Corps International (DCI) and a two-time DCI World Champion. Entering the 2024 season, the Madison Scouts are currently the oldest continuously active junior corps. Until 2018, they had remained one of only two all-male corps alongside The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps . In 2019,

134-604: A charter as Explorer Post 2009 from the Tuckabatchi Boy Scout Council, Southwind's initial organizational meeting was held on November 23, 1980 in downtown Montgomery. Auditions were then held at Robert E Lee High School on December 13, 1980, and, on January 14, 1981, the corps had its first rehearsal. The corps took its name from the Chicago-to-Miami passenger train "The South Wind " that passed through Montgomery on tracks beside what became

201-618: A defined season at all. They practice and perform as they deem necessary or possible. Occasionally such corps make exhibition appearances at DCI or DCA shows. While on tour, junior corps travel mainly at night after leaving the performance venue. Members sleep on the buses and in sleeping bags on gym floors when the next housing destination is reached. Housing for the entire tour is secured in advance through local schools, churches, or other community facilities. Corps practice their shows for as long as possible each day before getting ready to leave for that night's competition if scheduled. Not every day

268-593: A disappointing season, the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association severed its ties with Southwind. Back on its own, Southwind formed the Bluegrass Youth Performance Corporation as a sponsoring organization. The corps continued as a large, well-respected, but second-tier, Division I corps through 2007, when economic conditions led the corps to another period of inactivity. In 2011, Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps came under

335-436: A fraction of the corps that existed in the 60s and 70s remained, although several new corps, some of which have become very successful, did start up along the way. Freed from the traditional and more-restrictive judging rules of the late 1960s, corps began making innovative changes such as the use of B ♭ brass instruments, wide-ranging tempos, intricate asymmetric drill formations, elaborate guard costumes and props, and

402-483: A new show each year, approximately 8–12 minutes in length, and refine it throughout the summer tour. Shows are performed on football fields and are judged in various musical and visual categories, or "captions". Musical repertoires vary widely among corps and include symphonic , jazz , big band , contemporary , rock , wind band , vocal , rap , Broadway , and Latin music , among other genres. Competitive junior corps usually spend between 10 and 15 weeks on tour over

469-463: A route to reentering DCI competition in 2015. In early May 2015, DCI approved Southwind's return as an active Open Class corps and placed the corps on the summer schedule for five shows in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. After competing in six contests in 2016, the 2017 corps entered a dozen contests in eight states, including a return to DCI Open Class Championships and DCI World Championships for

536-398: A single composer's material is featured. Corps have performed virtually every genre of music that can be fit for on-field adaptation, including jazz, new age, classical, and rock music. It is becoming increasingly common to hear the corps performing original music, composed specifically for the corps by their musical staff or consultants. The exclusive use of bell-front brass instrumentation

603-618: A single harmonic series. Until 1999, drum and bugle corps horn lines within DCI were required to be pitched in the key of G. That year, the DCI rules congress passed a rule change to allow "brass bell-front valve instruments in any key with the exception of sousaphones and trombones." In World Class, the rule did not go into effect until the 2000 season, while Open Class opted for a two-year moratorium prior to implementation in 2002; DCA followed suit in 2004. Hornlines are now most commonly pitched in B ♭ , with mellophones pitched in F. In 2014,

670-404: A weekend. For this reason, and to boost audience attendance, large competitions are more frequently scheduled on weekends. A typical regular-season contest consists of fewer than 10 corps, with corps from one or more classes competing together but scored separately. In North America, DCI and DCA corps occasionally perform at the same shows. DCI also schedules larger contests interspersed throughout

737-414: A well-run corps is just like a well-run business. It requires many people to handle fiscal and operational responsibilities. There are four levels of staff operating a drum corps: Executive Management , Executive Staff , Instructional , and Volunteer . Each plays an essential role in creating a well-run corps. The executive management consists of the board of directors and the executive director. Often

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804-402: A wide variety of other auxiliary instruments such as hammered dulcimer . Since the keyboard instruments do not project as well as brass or marching percussion, they are often amplified to produce adequate sound. Due to the size of these instruments, the pit typically remains stationary, positioned directly in front of the field and centered on or around the 50-yard line. However, some groups use

871-448: Is a defining musical element of drum corps. Throughout the years, the horns used in drum corps have been changed from true, single-valved bugles to B ♭ brass instruments. While brass bugles in these competitive drum corps began as military signaling devices, successive modifications made them capable of greater ranges of music. These traditionally valveless, key-of-G bugles evolved to include pistons and rotors, gaining notes beyond

938-459: Is a performance day; many days on tour are spent simply traveling to a distant location or entirely on the practice field. A full-sized, adequately funded junior corps will have a fleet of vehicles, including three or more coach buses for members and staff, a truck or van to carry souvenirs that are sold at shows, and two semi-trucks, one for show equipment and one that serves as a kitchen on wheels. Most meals for all members and staff are provided by

1005-415: Is another technique used, most often at slower tempos. As an alternative, there are four major groups which utilize a bent leg technique ( Santa Clara Vanguard , Madison Scouts , Pacific Crest , and Guardians), in which the feet come off of the ground and move in a bicycle type motion. Marching technique programs have largely been inspired by dance technique. Terminology from ballet and high school band

1072-517: Is divided by two is divided by two The timing and organization of contests varies significantly from circuit to circuit. Only large DCI corps typically have the funding and time commitment from members to participate in DCI's touring circuit, where corps spend the majority of the summer traveling around the continent performing at different local and regional contests. In other circuits, and for smaller DCI corps, competitions are usually scheduled to allow corps to travel, perform, and return home within

1139-551: Is used to describe foot placement and positioning, and members of the color guard and hornline often jazz run in order to maintain upper body stability when moving at fast tempos with large step sizes. While performances and competitions only occur during the summer, preparation for the next season starts as soon as the last one ends. Corps activity of some sort goes on year-round. Months in advance of next season's first camp, corps begin assembling their staffs, choosing their musical repertoires, writing drill, etc. For junior corps,

1206-464: The American Legion . Owing to many of these groups' roots, corps were traditionally militaristic. By the late 1960s, many corps wanted more creative freedom and better financial compensation than was offered by their sponsoring organizations. Some felt the prize-money structures, based on competitive placement, were not fairly compensating all corps for their appearances. Additionally, some felt

1273-513: The Fourth of July weekend, corps often locate themselves in large metro areas so they can participate in more than one parade. Competitions are usually held at college or high school football stadiums or similar venues, and are scored by circuit-approved judges. Most circuits follow the three-caption system of General Effect (GE), Visual, and Music, with GE carrying the most weight. This is the scoring system currently used by DCI (others are similar):

1340-465: The DCI Board of Directors passed a rule change that changed their definition of a bugle to allow the entire brass family, including trombones and concert French horns. The percussion section consists of two subsections: the front ensemble (also known as "pit") and the battery (also known as the "drumline"). Front ensemble members perform on orchestral percussion , electronic instruments , and

1407-755: The Drum Corps South circuit championships, and made another trip to the DCI World Championships in Montreal, where they were 36th of 49 corps in Open Class Prelims. Loss of many charter members and debt accrued during the first two seasons caused the corps to go inactive before the start of the 1983 season. From 1983 through 1988, a cadre of supporters continued to raise funds to retire the outstanding debt. Southwind returned to competition in 1989. The corps toured throughout

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1474-1060: The Madison Explorer Scouts and the younger assigned to the Madison Junior Scouts, a cadet feeder corps for the older unit. In 1954, the Explorer Scouts entered field competitions and, in their first national competition, finished second at the VFW Nationals in Philadelphia . They repeated as runners-up in 1955. In 1956, they attended the American Legion Nationals in Los Angeles and again placed second. They were then finalists at VFW Nationals from 1957 through 1962 and made American Legion Finals in 1958 and 1959. In 1969, Bill Howard became corps director. In 1971, at

1541-526: The Madison Scouts adopted a non-discrimination policy that expanded membership for all gender identities to participate in the Madison Scouts, making the corps co-ed. The corps originated on December 3, 1920 under the direction of Lewis Kessler and maintained an active performance schedule through the end of 1925. Leadership changes in the Council combined with flagging participation in Scouting resulted in

1608-557: The Madison Scouts became the third corps to win the DCI World Championship. In 1980, after sixteen previous appearances and ten prior Finals, the Madison Scouts tied for 1st place with The Cavaliers at VFW Nationals in Chicago. At this time the corps started working towards composing the entire staff with Scouts alumni, with Bill Howard stepping down and being replaced by Scott Stewart as corps director. In June 1988,

1675-493: The Madison Scouts went to Europe as part of their fiftieth-anniversary celebration. They presented clinics and performed in exhibition at contests that included all of the corps from Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. That year, they also won their second DCI World Championship. In 1990, the organization dropped the name Scouts from the corporate name and allowed the charter for Boy Scout Troop 600 to lapse, although

1742-619: The South, then traveled to Kansas City, Missouri , where they placed 10th of 23 corps in Class A60 (for corps with no more than 60 members). The corps improved to 4th of 23 corps in Class A60 at Buffalo, New York in 1990. In 1991, Southwind moved into Class A and was undefeated in 16 contests against only Class A corps and won the DCI Class A World Championship over 18 other corps at Dallas . In 1992, Southwind continued its winning streak in

1809-477: The board are unpaid volunteers. This group is almost always long-standing within successful corps. They create the long-term vision and strategy for the organization, handling the financial, operational, and organizational issues to keep the corps running. The board of directors may be composed of alumni and other closely affiliated people. They hire the Executive (operational) Director who is responsible for hiring

1876-701: The bulk of the monies earned. For the 1971 season, the corps stuck together, offering show promoters the five corps as a package. Despite pressure on show sponsors, judges, and other drum corps, the Combine corps booked into a number of shows together. In 1972, all ten corps from the Midwest Combine and the Alliance—plus the Anaheim Kingsmen , Argonne Rebels , and De La Salle Oaklands—became founding members of Drum Corps International, which remains

1943-478: The center of attention, and visually reinforce the choreography. As visual programs have increased in complexity, corps have developed and formalized various movement techniques, the goal of each being the achievement of fluid, consistent movements that allow for precise musical technique at all tempos, step sizes, and directions. Given that instrument-wielding members most often face toward the audience (for maximum sound projection), marching technique must not affect

2010-443: The championships are often the only time all corps in a class compete together. Some circuits also organize optional individual and ensemble (I&E) competitions for individuals or groups from corps to showcase members' skills outside the field performance environment. These are usually held only once or twice per season at championships or a major regional contest. Members practice their routine(s) in their scant free time throughout

2077-924: The city of Madison. In 2007, to honor the Madison Scouts' seventieth anniversary and the forty-fifth anniversary of its adoption as the city flag, the City of Madison presented a flag to the corps, which the Scouts continue to carry on tour. Source : At the annual World Championship Finals, Drum Corps International (DCI) presents awards to the corps with the high average scores from prelims, semifinals, and finals in five captions. The Madison Scouts have won these captions: High General Effect Award High Visual Award High Color Guard Award High Brass Award Drum and bugle corps (modern) Competitive summer drum corps participate in summer touring circuits, such as Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) [Now recognized as DCI All-age ] Corps prepare

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2144-431: The color guard has become a crucial part of each group's visual and thematic program. Standard equipment includes silk flags, non-functioning rifles, and sabres, and other objects like bare poles, hoops, balls, windsocks, and custom-made props are sometimes used to create visual effects that enhance the show. The primary role of the color guard is to complement the corps' musical program by creating visual interpretations of

2211-530: The control of Southwind Alumni Association, Inc. 2011 through 2013 were rebuilding years for the organization as they raised funds and sought sponsorships for returning the corps to competition. The corps also returned to the Mobile area. In November and December 2013, Southwind held its first recruitment and audition camps since leaving the field in 2007. In 2014, the organization fielded a 50-member SoundSport team and performing in exhibition at some DCI shows as

2278-448: The cook truck, but occasionally corps have scheduled free days where there are no rehearsals or performances and the members are free to see some local sights and procure their own meals. Competitions are not the only performances that corps partake in while on tour. Most corps also participate in parades and standstill performances throughout the summer to gain further public exposure and to supplement their budget with performance fees. On

2345-581: The corps activity being paused in the fall of 1925. Attempts were made in 1928 and 1930 to restart the corps but to no avail, likely hampered by the Great Depression. A revitalization of the Council began in 1935, which saw the return of Lewis Kessler's involvement. In October 1937, the Four Lakes Council began to actively recruit members to restart the corps. The 1938 revival would have E. J. Hess as its director and Clarence H. Beebe as

2412-512: The corps placed 17th through 24th at DCI Finals, but was finding it more and more difficult for the small group of local boosters to administer the unit. In the 1997 season, several staff members of the Madison Scouts also worked with Southwind; at the end of the season, corps director Dave Bryan approached the Scouts' management about assuming the sponsorship of Southwind. In 1998, the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association, Inc. took over

2479-557: The corps remained affiliated with Scouting. In 1995, the Junior Scouts merged with the CapitolAires Drum and Bugle Corps, an all-girl corps from Madison. The resulting co-ed Capital Sound Drum and Bugle Corps would operate under the Madison Scouts organization. Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps was also brought into the organization in 1997, relocating from Montgomery, Alabama to Lexington, Kentucky . Southwind departed

2546-405: The corps that remained, longer travel times were necessary to attend the shrinking numbers of contests, further adding to the financial and time demands on the organizations and their individual members. At the same time costs for the increasingly complex field shows mounted and creative and instructional demands rose leading many competitive corps to falter and become inactive. By the late 1990s only

2613-483: The corps work on a day-to-day basis—driving buses and trucks, caring for the corps' uniforms, cooking meals for the corps and staff, and countless other peripheral duties. Corps on touring circuits particularly rely on volunteers due to the extra necessities which come with the tour: cooking and cleaning, providing mechanical maintenance, health and medical needs. Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps Lexington, Kentucky - 1998-2007 Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps

2680-421: The corps' director, a position he would hold for thirty years until his death in 1968. The advisory committee to guide the musical unit included none other than Lewis Kessler, the original corps director. In its early days, the corps performed concerts and appeared in many local parades . During World War II, the corps participated in war bond rallies. The corps was split in 1951, with the older members becoming

2747-573: The corps' practice field. In 1981, Southwind toured to contests in Alabama, Georgia , Mississippi , Tennessee , and North Carolina before traveling to Philadelphia for the VFW National Drum and Bugle Contest (placing 5th of 8 corps) and then on the DCI World Championships in Montreal , where they finished 39th of 49 corps in Open Class Prelims. The corps undertook an even more extensive tour in 1982, where they placed 5th of 10 corps in

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2814-659: The current judging rules were stifling musical and theatrical possibilities. At the peak of North American drum corps participation (with perhaps a thousand active corps in the U.S. and nearly as many in Canada), several corps decided to "unionize", as stated by Don Warren (founder of the Cavaliers ). They formed their own organizations, which ultimately led to the formation of Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1965 and Drum Corps International (DCI) in 1972. By this time, many corps had already lost their church or community sponsors. For

2881-520: The end of World War I, advancements in radio technology rendered using drum and bugle corps for communication obsolete. When the war concluded in 1918, there was no longer a need for these instruments. The instruments were sold to veteran organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the newly founded American Legion (AL) . These veteran organizations would become the first sponsors of civilian drum and bugle corps. The veteran's initial goal

2948-403: The executive staff, the instructional staff, and recruiting volunteers. The executive staff usually includes the operational office staff, the program director(s) and tour director(s) who run the day-to-day operational needs of the organization. The instructional staff puts the show on the field. They create the concept of the show, choose and arrange the music, write the drill, and instruct

3015-490: The first time that women appeared in finals with the Madison Scouts as the corps became co-ed in 2019. Corps members Rick and Dennis Stone, assisted by color guard instructor John Fries, designed a flag for the corps color guard to carry as a flag for the City of Madison, which did not have a city flag. On April 12, 1962, the Madison City Council approved a resolution adopting this flag as the official flag of

3082-449: The formations made by the performers on the field. Modern drill formations are much more complex and dynamic than the drill formations of early drum corps. Traditional blocks, company fronts, and symmetrical formations — while still utilized occasionally for impactful moments — have largely given way to more abstract and artistic designs. Drill writing at large is meant to keep instrumental sections together, put featured members at

3149-567: The front ensemble in creative ways by moving them around the field or putting them in different locations. A full-size front ensemble typically features 10 to 15 members. Members of the battery perform on marching percussion instruments, including snare drums , tenor drums (also known as "quads", "quints", or "tenors"), tonal bass drums , and cymbals. A full-size battery typically features 7–10 snare drummers, 3–6 tenor drummers, 5-6 bass drummers, and sometimes cymbal players, which tends to be 4-6 players in size. In modern drum corps,

3216-447: The hornline. Being visually oriented, guard members are not as bound to facing the front sideline, and may face any direction at any time as dictated by choreography. The most common backward marching technique requires balancing on one's platform (visually seen as the 'toes' and keeping the heels off the ground), which is especially effective at faster tempos. The reverse the heel–toe roll step, allowing for heel–ground contact

3283-408: The latter half of its season. These are restricted to corps in specific classes and feature many (if not all) of the corps within each class. European circuits, such as DCUK, operate on a "minimum performance and lot" system: appearance at the first two shows of the year is determined by lot, and then the corps must appear in a minimum number of shows before the circuit's championships. In such a system,

3350-469: The members have been chosen and camps are held more frequently as the beginning of the summer touring season approaches. Most junior corps require their non-local members to secure temporary housing (often with local members or a vacant dormitory) near the corps' rehearsals facilities around Memorial Day weekend. For most of May and into June (as college and high school classes end), full-day rehearsals are held virtually every day so members can finish learning

3417-402: The members on their technique. The staff consists of brass, percussion, guard, and visual instructors who are most often alumni of the corps or other corps. A well-funded World Class corps usually has 15-20 full-time instructors. Just as members, they attend winter camps and travel with the corps all summer long. Volunteers are the lifeblood of any corps. Parents, alumni, friends, and fans make

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3484-823: The music and marching drill of the show. This pre-season "spring training" is usually 3–4 weeks long. It is not uncommon for members to rehearse 10–14 hours a day, 6–7 days a week throughout the entire pre-season. In mid to late June, corps leave to begin their summer tours. For all-age (formerly senior) corps, the process is not quite as grueling. Since most members have lives outside of drum corps, senior corps rehearse on weekends and occasionally on weekday evenings. Rather than extensive tours, senior corps usually take weekend trips to perform in shows, and make longer trips only to regional championships and finals. Many smaller DCI corps and foreign corps have similar itineraries. Non-competitive corps, such as classic-style corps, alumni corps, or newly aspiring corps might not have

3551-422: The music through choreographed dance. The color guard can also enhance the overall drill design by marching in formations that integrate with the rest of the corps. However, the color guard most often performs as an ensemble that frames the rest of the corps or performs within the drill formations of the corps proper. Like all other sections of the corps, the guard often features solo work. Drill formations refer to

3618-567: The operation of Southwind. The corps was inactive for that season, as its operations were moved from Montgomery to Lexington, Kentucky . Returning to the field in 1999, Southwind placed 15th at DCI Championships in Madison, Wisconsin . 2000 was Southwind's best season in Division I, as the corps finished 13th at College Park, Maryland , although the corps scored no worse than 12th in all captions. Southwind finished 15th at Buffalo in 2001 and 18th at Madison in 2002. In reorganizing its house after

3685-600: The organization ten years later in 2007. Since 2017, the organization has also sponsored Mad Brass, a marching band competing in the SoundSport division. In 2018, the organization added Fleurish Winds, a co-ed ensemble that competes in WGI Winds . In 2024, the corps made an appearance in the DCI World Championships Finals, marking not only their first appearance in finals since 2017, but also

3752-529: The renamed Division II, placing first in another 16 shows before falling to 3rd place among 18 corps in Division II prelims at Whitewater, Wisconsin before rebounding in finals to claim its second DCI World Championship. In both 1991 and 1992, Southwind finished among the top 25 corps in DCI's Open Class/Division I quarterfinals, earning full membership in the organization. Southwind moved to competing solely in Division I in 1993 and beyond. For five seasons,

3819-415: The rigidity of members' upper torsos. Although most horn players are able to follow this technique, members of the battery must keep their entire bodies facing forward at all times due to the nature of their equipment. This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; the technique is used mostly by battery, but in rare instances by

3886-765: The sanctioning body for junior corps in North America. At the first DCI World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin , the Scouts finished in fourteenth in a competition that featured thirty-nine corps from the East, the South, the West Coast, the Midwest and Great Plains, and Canada. In 1973, the Scouts rose all the way up to fourth place. The following year they were DCI runners-up, and in Philadelphia in 1975,

3953-418: The season is a very intense process. Most corps begin having camps on or around Thanksgiving Day weekend and continue having monthly weekend camps throughout the winter. Potential members travel far and wide—literally from around the world—to attend the camps of their favorite corps. Membership in the top corps are highly competitive and are generally determined during the first few camps. By spring,

4020-469: The season. Most corps are operated as or by dedicated non-profit organizations; very few are associated with schools or for-profit entities. Some corps are even parts of larger non-profit performance arts organizations, which might also include theater groups, winter guards , winter drumlines , and other various musical or visual activities. In Europe, many are also registered charities, assisting with their fundraising aims. Despite their non-profit status,

4087-528: The summer of 2014. In early May 2015, DCI approved Southwind's return as an active Open Class corps. Southwind announced the cessation of operations in October 2023. Southwind was founded in 1980 by Michael D. Terry when a group of high school students at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama wanted to march in a local drum corps. After setting up a non-profit youth organization and getting

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4154-461: The summer, practicing and performing full-time. The term "modern" is used for the purposes of this article to differentiate it from classic drum and bugle corps , using the time period of the establishment of Drum Corps International as a dividing point in the timeline of the two types of drum and bugle corps. Modern drum and bugle corps stems from a rich American and Canadian military history, separate from other marching musical activities. Towards

4221-528: The urging of Cavaliers founder Don Warren and Troopers founder Jim Jones, the Blue Stars , Cavaliers , Madison Scouts, Santa Clara Vanguard , and Troopers formed the Midwest Combine. This was in reaction to the rigid, inflexible rules of the American Legion and VFW (the primary rule makers and sponsors of both corps and shows), and the low or nonexistent performance fees paid for appearing in

4288-465: The use of stationary orchestral percussion instruments. A few corps still utilize the traditional G bugle which is very rarely found in DCI marching units. A typical show usually revolves around one genre of music, or sometimes melds separate genres together. Modern corps' programs have become increasingly conceptual and programmatic, with overarching show themes rather than loosely related musical selections. Often, especially within classical selections,

4355-629: The various competitions. The corps felt that the existing competitive circuits stifled creativity and starved corps financially. (A similar group of Eastern corps, the United Organization of Junior Corps, also known as the Alliance, was formed by the 27th Lancers , Garfield Cadets , Boston Crusaders , Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, and Blue Rock.) The Combine members believed that member corps should be able to make their own rules, operate their own competitions and championships, and keep

4422-563: Was an Open Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Mobile, Alabama . The corps was a Division I (now World Class) competitive junior drum and bugle corps in Drum Corps International (DCI) from 1993 through 2007. Prior to competing in Division I, Southwind competed in DCI's Class A/Division II and was that division's World Champion in 1991 and 1992. Southwind performed at competitive and non-competitive SoundSport events in Alabama and surrounding states during

4489-546: Was finding ways to engage with their communities while maintaining a connection to military traditions and values. Drum and bugle corps became the perfect vehicle for adapting military musical traditions to civilian life. Beginning after World War I through the 1970s, corps and competitions were often sponsored by the VFW, Boy Scout troops , churches, fire departments, Rotary clubs , the Royal Canadian Legion , and

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