Many Cedar Park Band and Color Guard students participate in Drum Corps International during the summer. Bluecoats, Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, Cavaliers, Glassman, Santa Clara Vanguard, Southwind, Revolution, Phantom Regiment and the other corps have all benefited from the fine talents and hard work of the CPHS organization. Visit the www.DCI.org site for events and schedules. San Antonio always hosts a large event plus there are shows in Dallas, Houston, and other areas throughout the country.
DCI Past Champions Finals Results
DCI is short for "Drum Corps International". You can visit their web site at www.dci.org and checkout their "About DCI" link. DCI is a non-profit organization that sponsors drum and bugle corps. The corps are made up of brass (the bugles), percussion, and color guard youth usually from the ages of 16 through 21.
I describe DCI shows as marching bands on steroids. If you like high school marching bands shows or contests, you will love the DCI shows. The DCI shows are entertaining, are executed with precision, and the hard work of these kids is inspirational. The Division I corps typically have a 135 performer limit on the field and can be very loud especially in the Alamodome.
After winter tryouts, the kids usually attend several winter camps and then start practicing this weekend all day and evening to put on their shows. After about 3 weeks of practice, they travel around the country putting on around 21 shows ending with the World Finals which is in Madison, Wisconson in 2006. A typical day is practice all morning, break for lunch, more practice in the afternoon, get ready for an evening show, perform, load buses, travel at night to the next city, sleep on high school gym floors, and do it all over again.
I am obviously a biased and avid fan but I would recommend that any band student and parents attend a DCI show. The top corps show what hard work and dedication can achieve. For parents that don't want to sit in the CPHS block, you can purchase more expensive tickets (up to $35) on the DCI web site.
Go Cavaliers, Bluecoats, Vanguard and Phantom Regiment!