Drum Corps Competition Marches into Statesmen Community Stadium
Drum Corp returns to Statesmen Community Stadium this summer (file photo)
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) — Anticipation and excitement have filled the air since William Penn University’s Athletic Bands program announced a competitive marching and music event will be returning to Oskaloosa.
Drum Corps Mid-America is a competition between six of the best Open Class Drum & Bugle Corps from across the U.S. This unique experience will be held in the Statesmen Community Stadium at the Lacey Recreation Complex in Oskaloosa on Saturday, July 27, 2019. There are 108 DCI events this year in cities and towns across the country, in 35 states. These Drum Corps tour for a total of 52 days—taking only two days off during the three-month tour.
William Penn University Athletic Bands is the host of this regional event and will include performances by:
Colts Cadets of Dubuque, IA
Gold of Oceanside, CA
Guardians of Seguin, TX
Louisiana Stars of Lafayette, LA
River City Rhythm of Monticello, MN
Shadow of Oregon, WI
The competition is slated for 7:00 p.m. at the Lacey Complex Stadium. Tickets for the event will be $20.00 for regular admission. Premium seating tickets are sold at $30.00 each, which puts you front and center of the performance. The cost of children 10 years of age and younger, and WPU students, staff, and faculty (regular admission) is $10.00. The box office will be open on July 27th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. while gates to the stadium will open for entry at 5:00 p.m. This event is geared towards an all-ages audience.
These corps performances are similar to high school marching band programs in respect that they play and march. Each corps consists of a horn line (all brass instruments), color guard, drum line, and front line pit, however, they reach a much higher level of precision and performance in comparison to a high school program. These top-notch performances serve as an inspiration to many other programs across the nation.
Each full-size drum corps consists of 150 members and 50–60 staff and crew whom essentially live on the road during the months of June, July, and August—as they move toward the World Championships in Indiana.
For more information on Drum Corps Mid-America or to purchase your tickets today, visit www.wmpenn.edu/dci.
