SouthWest Corps Connection at Glendale Community College! DCI!!

First you might ask what the hell is DCI? Well its actually Drum and bugle Corps International.  It is a league of (professional) marching organizations that contains only Brass, Color Guard (flags, rifles, weapons, and dance), Battery (marching percussion and pit.) Unlike high school and university marching bands, there are no wood winds (saxophones, clarinets, flutes.) Each corps is comprised of 150 members and travel all around the country competing against each other in competitions at high schools, colleges, and professional football stadiums.  These members are from the ages of 13-22 and devote their entire summers to this activity.  You can think of it along the lines of a major league baseball team on a 3 month road trip.  Take out the nice hotels, free drinks, and soft beds and put in hot gyms, cold showers, unpredictable weather and field conditions for practice.  Despite the expensive price for tickets to see a show (up to $150!) these performers are not paid. In fact, they pay to do this activity, and quite handsomely.  These shows that they do are nothing short of spectacular.  A normal marching band show may consist of 50 drill sets.  A drum corps show can have as few as 160 all the way up to 250 or 300 drill sets!  The music is of the highest level and the expectations on a nightly basis of these performers surpass those of a University football team!  Now that you have an idea of what Drum corps is, here are a few photos from a very hot night at GCC where The Academy of Tempe, AZ hosted Phantom Regiment from IL, Santa Clara Vanguard, Velvet Knights, and Mystikal, all from CA.  Check out the photos here