Press Release

June 14, 2004

Nine drum-and-bugle corps to perform at Trojan Summer Music Games

Nine drum-and-bugle corps from across the nation are scheduled to visit Troy University July 14 for the annual Trojan Summer Music Games.

Each corps is composed of high school and college band students age 14 to 21 who are chosen through auditions. Each band will use only brass, drums and color guard throughout their shows. The games, which are part of Drum Corps International’s summer tour, will begin at 7 p.m. at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium.

The event is being sponsored by the Troy University “Sound of the South” marching band, TSU Foundation and the TSU Athletic Department. All proceeds from the event will go to the “Sound of the South” marching band.

For ticket information, call 1-877-TSU-WINS. Prices are $20 for premium seating; $18 for general admission and $15 per ticket if purchased as part of a package.

Corps scheduled to perform are:    

  • The Blue Devils from Concord, Calif.—“The Blue Devils” was founded in 1957 by Ann and Tony Odello. Since then it has won numerous awards including 11 DCI World Championships. The ‘Devils have also played several shows in Europe .
  • The Boston Crusaders from Boston, Mass.— The Boston Crusaders corps was founded in 1940 and is one of the founding members of the DCI. It is the third oldest drum-and-bugle corps in the world. All members of the Crusaders are under the age of 22.
  • The Magic of Orlando from Orlando, Fla.–The Magic of Orlando was founded in 1989 and consists of 135 marching members, over 30 staff members and about 50 volunteers. In 2002 The Magic was the DCI Division II World Champion (Record High Score 99.05) and the DCI Division I finalist.
  • The Blue Knights from Denver, Colo.—The Blue Knights corps was established in 1958 in order to provide Denver-area youth the opportunity to develop their musical skills. In 1999, the Blue Knights percussion ensemble was crowned the WGI Independent World Marching Champion.
  • The Glassmen from Toledo, Ohio—The Glassmen was originally known as the Maumee Suns when it was established in 1961. It was officially renamed The Glassmen in 1971. The Kansas City Star called the Glassmen “a combination of marching band, team sport and Broadway musical.” Sports Illustrated said “If a basketball team trained as hard as these kids do, it would be unbelievable.”
  • The Court of Honor from Atlanta, Ga.— The Court of Honor was established in 2003. Each year the corps auditions 14- to 20-year-old brass, percussion, and color guard hopefuls for entry into its highly competitive field ensemble. In 2003 the Court of Honor finished 6th in brass and 11th overall out of 38 Division III corps competing at the DCI Championships in Orlando, Florida.
  • The Memphis Sound from Memphis, Tenn.—The Memphis Sound is a new drum and bugle corps established in 2002 to serve the youth of Memphis and the surrounding region. Memphis Sound is the "flagship" program of the Memphis Youth Performing Arts Association,a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of youth in the performing arts.
  • Teal Sound from Jacksonville, Fla.—The Teal Sound was formed in 1998 by Michael Butler and Danny Clark. The two had originally tried to establish a drum and bugle corps as high school students in 1983 but were unable to properly fund such an endeavor. In 2000 Teal Sound placed eighth overall in the DCI Division III corps with a show consisting of the music of Carlos Santana. In 2001, the band used the music of the rock band Metallica as its concept and place seventh overall in the DCI Division III corps.
  • Southwind from Lexington, Ky— A rising star in DCI division I competition. Southwind is a member of the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association. Members of the Southwind are between the ages of 16 and 21.