As we close out the school year and begin looking toward the summer, band directors turn their minds toward marching arts.
This year, I’m going through some history and exploring The Evolution of Marching via YouTube. I’m taking you along for the journey as well. As music selections moved away from the more traditional Broadway and Latin Jazz themes that had dominated the early years of drumcorps, corps began focusing more on classical-type (mostly Romantic era and early 20th century) and concert band music. This development continued through the bulk of the 1990s, with the addition of more elaborate props and other visual elements.
1994 – Blue Devils
Video unavailable. In 1994, Star of Indiana left DCI and began touring with the Canadian Brass in “Brass Theater” which was the precursor to the Broadway show “Blast”. I saw Brass Theater that year, and found this video.
1995 – The Cavaliers
1996 – Blue Devils/Phantom Regiment
1997 – Blue Devils
1998 – The Cadets
Video unavailable. Here is a video of the 1998 Crossmen (7th place).
Joel Wagner
Joel Wagner (@sywtt) began teaching band in 2002. Though he had a lot of information, his classes were out of control. He found himself tired, frustrated, disrespected by students, lonely, and on the brink of quitting. He had had enough. He resigned from his school district right before spring break of his second year and made it his personal mission to learn to be a great teacher. So You Want To Teach? is the ongoing story of that quest for educational excellence.
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