A Teenager’s Dream of Drum Corps

Hello! My name is Pepper Ruzin, and I am a junior in high school who just turned 17. As I write this (early October 2024), I am currently three and a half weeks away from state in Colorado for my third season of marching band, and my sixth year in band as a whole. We have made it to state finals twice and BOA in St. George while I’ve there, as well as a trip to Disney in May of 2023, and it has been the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. 

Music has changed me and makes up so much of me, I genuinely don’t know what it would be like without the memories and stories and lessons and connections and everything I’ve gotten out of being with these strange and wonderful people. 

I want nothing more than to keep challenging myself. Seeing a buddy of mine proudly perform with The Battalion over this last summer inspired me to look beyond the horizon and be a part of something greater than just a school band. Not including the All-Age Class of Drum Corps, I will age out of the activity after the 2029 season, as I will be 21, and I want to make the most of this time while I have it and start as soon as possible.

For my first season, I will be auditioning for Blue Knights in Denver, CO and The Cavaliers in Rosemont, IL. My main priority is the first because they are local, but the latter is my dream drum corps and I want to be on their radar for when I’m not a rookie anymore. Though, both of these groups are big and higher-ranking, so I will need to prepare for that now rather than later.

The auditions aren’t cheap, the callback camps aren’t cheap (which they cover, but costs for traveling is out-of-pocket), and touring is not cheap. The tuitions for each drum corps vary but World Class corps are on the higher end. They cover food, equipment, travel expenses like vehicles and gas, fees for performing, uniforms (if applicable), and places for members to stay. These fees can be paid in increments but have to be paid in full before move-ins which happen around late May to early June. 

I don’t want to ramble on about the specifics and minor details, and since I know drum corps is unfamiliar to most, here are some helpful links if you would like to learn a little more about the activity before investing money into it: 

https://www.dci.org/news/dci-parents-overview (this is a page for parents but has many sections explaining some commonly asked questions about what it all is and how it works)

https://www.dci.org/static/about-drum-corps-international (this is an official statement from DCI outlining their vision and core values that members are expected to follow)

https://www.dci.org/static/about_drum_corps (this is pretty much a “Drum Corps for Dummies” thing, briefly detailing its origin, purpose, and what they do)

https://www.flomarching.com/articles/11224410-want-to-march-everything-you-need-to-know-about-dci-age-limits (this goes into more detail about the different classes)

For those even reading this, thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am that I even have an opportunity to consider doing something so big like Drum Corps and that someone like you is willing to help. Regardless if you can or can’t donate, I encourage you to share my fundraiser with people you think might be able to help. You are making a difference, I promise.

Best wishes!