Rogues Hollow Regiment drums up support for the arts

BGNN staff report

ORRVILLE  A unique musical and athletic event is coming to Orrville High School’s Heartland Stadium on Sunday, July 28.
This event is hosted by the two-time World Championship Drum and Bugle Corps from right here in Northeast Ohio, the Rogues
Hollow Regiment, out of Doylestown. The second annual DCI Drums in the Heartland Drum & Bugle Corps competition will feature
eight Drum and Bugle Corps from across the country and Canada, according to information provided.

Gates and food concessions open at 6 p.m. The show starts at 7 pm. Tickets may be purchased at  https://dcitickets.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=849. Tickets for the event range from $15-$20. A $6.95 processing
fee will be added to each ticket at checkout. DCI Box Offices will not be able to accept cash on site. Purchasing your tickets
before arriving at the venue will enhance a smoother experience for viewing the performances, according to the website.

DCI stands for Drum Corps International, an organization that governs drum and bugle corps, which are musical marching programs,
according to information provided. The show is a sanctioned competition by DCI. Drum Corps International has multiple competitive classes, including World Class, Open Class, All-Age Class, International Class, and SoundSport.
World Class typically has older and more experienced students and tends to achieve higher levels of excellence. The age limit for
World Class is 13 – 22. Open Class usually has smaller groups of younger students, is the same age limit as World Class, and often
have an abbreviated tour schedule compared to World Class corps. All-Age Class is a new division that allows members of any age to
participate. The All-Age Class is a result of a partnership between DCI and Drum Corps Associates (DCA). All-Age corps typically
perform on weekends, similar to DCA in the past, and their championships will be held on the second weekend in August, in line
with DCI Championships in Indianapolis.

Much planning and teamwork go in to make a show like this possible. The World Class and Open Class corps typically travel from show site to show site with one or more semitrucks for equipment and props, a food truck of some sort – complete with a kitchen, a tour
bus or two carrying corps members, a trailer for staff, and support vehicles for running errands and grocery shopping at a show site.
Planning from the show site side of it requires many hands as well. Each corps requires housing when they get into town, typically in the
middle of the night, to get some sleep on a gym floor, to rehearse during the day, and a place to shower in preparation for the evening’s show.
In Orrville, show organizers would like to thank Orrville Elementary School and The Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club for being
willing to open their doors and house a corps.
Many volunteers are also needed on show day. If you are willing to volunteer your time at the show, send a message through “Drums
in the Heartland’s” Facebook page or email [email protected].
Drum Corps, often referred to as “marching bands on steroids” are compared to professional marching bands, as a unique and intense performance art. Some directors describe it as a captivating blend of a Broadway musical and a marching band show.
Today’s World Class, Open Class, and All-Age corps are independent non-profit organizations governed by DCI. They begin weekend camps typically in November to audition and recruit members. Throughout the summer, they dedicate themselves to rehearsing and presenting an 11-minute show on a football field marked with college-level hash marks. The spectacle involves playing various brass instruments (trumpets, mellophones, baritones, euphoniums, contras), percussion instruments (snare
drums, tenor drums, bass drums), a front ensemble (drum set, xylophones, marimbas, etc.), as well as twirling and spinning flags,
rifles, and sabers while marching in intricate formations.