This post was submitted by TNG contributor, Ricky

So every summer the past four years I put my indie/punk-music snobbery on hold to appreciate an entirely different musical experience that vastly outweighs any rock concert I’ve ever attended in the most quaint way possible: this, of course, is the Drum Corps International World Class Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I know what you’re thinking, and no, Drum & Bugle Corps is not marching band. In fact I’ll refuse to repeat those two unsightly words again in this article to prevent any embarrassing college football half-time show comparisons. The Drum Corps International World Class Division actually consists of twenty-three extremely competitive and talented corps (remember, they’re “corps,” not “bands”). Starting in June, corps flee their home base and begin a summer of touring. They sleep on hard gymnasium floors and shower in scummy high school locker rooms; they travel via cramped tour buses; they practice for hours every day in sometimes 90+ degree heat; they overcome sprains, blisters, physical exhaustion, and other injuries alike, but almost every night, they pull off eleven minute shows legitimately deserving of multiple standing ovations.

Now onto the monetary compensation part that…well…doesn’t even exist. Members of top corps sometimes shell out up to $3,000 to join. If the sheer action of paying to work your ass off all summer sounds crazy, then you need to experience this event in-person. No—watching broadcasted competitions on PBS or ESPN don’t count—that’s cheating—I think there’s simply too much happening on the field to fully document a corps experience via video.

The top World Class corps’ shows actually play out more like competitive musicals or operas, as there’s always a story or a theme conveyed with a combination of music and sports-like athletic movement. Actually if you remember the musical “Blast!,” that was the theatrical equivalent of Drum Corps (“Blast!” was created by the directors of a major corps). Horns, drums, color guard, auxiliary percussion, props, makeup, sound effects, dancing, and occasionally some electronics round out each performance, so you never really know what to expect with each show.

It’s often not a talked-about subject at Drum Corps championships, but with Music Performance and Music Education statistically being a top college degree among many college-age queer students, one can safely assume that this event is incredibly LGBT-friendly, both in its memberships and its audience. I actually don’t know any other event where so many gays, lesbians, sgrandmas, conservative dads, band geeks, jocks, young children, and foreigners alike all respectfully co-exist and celebrate the art of music to such a high degree.

This year during the World Class Championships from August 12-14, some of the best corps like the Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Cadets, Santa Clara Vanguard, and Phantom Regiment put on shows that hit my emotional core much more than any tear-jerking film or recent reunion concert by [insert any recently reunited 90’s band here].

Drum Corps is also a headache of frustration for me every year. Why is every young music dork, queer theater teen, or hipster know-it-all out there not aware of this?! This is practically a sporting event for those who hate sports but love music—and that sounds perfect! I never even knew about this until the age of twenty-two (the year I could no longer join due to my age—great!).

I’m tired of explaining to friends why I drive over six hours to Indianapolis every summer to watch a bunch of people march on a football field. Word needs to get out about this, as so many more people can benefit by cheering in the crowds alongside other corps fans…trust me, For now though, it seems I’ll just have to wait until next year…

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