Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps
Encyclopedia
Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps is an all age Drum Corps Associates
A Class summer drum and bugle corps
based in Denton
, Texas
(USA
).
Frontier operates under the umbrella of the Frontier Performing Arts Association (FPAA)http://www.frontierperformingarts.org/, which, in addition to Frontier, operates Texas Independent Winterguardhttp://www.txindependentguard.org/, Open Range brass ensemblehttp://www.openrangebrass.org/, the Sky Ryders Alumni Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.skyrydersalumni.org/, and Outlaw mini-corpshttp://www.theoutlaws.org/. Also in development are the Frontier Cadets Corps for youths aged 8-14http://www.frontiercadets.org/ and a general-purpose solo and small ensemble group called Frontier Degüello
http://www.frontierdeguello.org/. FPAA is sponsored by Lone Star Percussionhttp://www.lonestarpercussion.com/.
with black gloves, and a red sash
with silver sequin
s.
. In 2008, the corps purchased a new set of drumline
and front ensemble
equipment from Dynasty USA
, and the percussion section uses Vic Firth
sticks and mallets.
, classical
, Broadway, folk
, and movie tunes
http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=651&corpstype=Senior.
crossing it from left to right. The logo colors suggest a frontier sunset
: a dark orange sun under a darkening blue sky. The corps song is Bridge Over Troubled Water
by Simon and Garfunkel
.
to as far as Oklahoma
, Kansas
, Arkansas
, Louisiana
, and California
. The corps continues to grow in size and mature in quality.
and a charter member of DCA-Central
. Frontier is also lending support to help establish Masquerade Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.maskdrum.org/ in Ruston
, Louisiana
, Crosswinds Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.crosswindscorps.org/ in Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma
, and other all-age drum corps in the south and southwestern United States.
of 2004 by executive director Chris Green.
In the arts world, Frontier has enjoyed a close relationship with the world famous Turtle Creek Chorale
men’s chorus, performing in several concerts and television broadcasts. With the Chorale, corps members participated in recording sessions for the nationally-distributed compact disk "Songs of Our Nation" http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P58PFM/, an award-winning documentary entitled ”Power of Harmony” http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E60Q5Y/, as well as the 2006 Christmas concert.
Frontier has also performed in exhibition at the annual Texas Drum Corps Preview, the Denton Arts & Jazz Festivalhttp://www.dentonjazzfest.com/ in Denton
, Texas
, at a roller derby
game of Assassination Cityhttp://www.acderby.com/, and at home games of the Dallas Diamonds
http://www.dallasdiamondsfootball.com/ women’s professional football
team.
, Brass on the Bayouhttp://www.gulfcoastsound.org/brassonthebayou-index.html sponsored by Gulf Coast Sound, as well as annual contests sponsored by Minnesota
corps Govenaires
and Minnesota Brass, Inc..
As of 2007, Frontier also competes at local DCI
contests.
Frontier sponsors an annual competition in the Dallas
/Fort Worth
area called Brass Hysteria.http://www.brasshysteria.org
. In recent times, the only all-age corps to post a more significant improvement from one year to the next was the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps
, who improved 10.3 points from 2000 to 2001.
, which has become the corps song.
and continuing with a lush arrangement of I'll Be Seeing You
based on the version by New York Voices
. Then the corps takes a jazzy turn with the classic Caravan
, and finally returns Home
to the strains of Michael Bublé's
hit single of the same name.
Drum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...
A Class summer drum and bugle corps
Drum and bugle corps (modern)
A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...
based in Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
).
Frontier operates under the umbrella of the Frontier Performing Arts Association (FPAA)http://www.frontierperformingarts.org/, which, in addition to Frontier, operates Texas Independent Winterguardhttp://www.txindependentguard.org/, Open Range brass ensemblehttp://www.openrangebrass.org/, the Sky Ryders Alumni Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.skyrydersalumni.org/, and Outlaw mini-corpshttp://www.theoutlaws.org/. Also in development are the Frontier Cadets Corps for youths aged 8-14http://www.frontiercadets.org/ and a general-purpose solo and small ensemble group called Frontier Degüello
El Degüello
El Degüello is a bugle call, notable in the US for its use as a march by Mexican Army buglers during the 1836 Siege and Battle of the Alamo. "Toque a Degüello" was introduced to the Americas by the Spanish armies and was later adopted by the patriot armies fighting against them during the Spanish...
http://www.frontierdeguello.org/. FPAA is sponsored by Lone Star Percussionhttp://www.lonestarpercussion.com/.
Uniform
In its first two years, the corps uniform consisted of khaki pants and tops with a black belt and cross-belt, a uniform reminiscent of the 27th Lancers. Since 2007, Frontier wears a chocolate and crimson uniform with brass buttons and white gauntlets and gloves. For 2008, the uniform was changed to incorporate silver buttons, red gauntletsGauntlet (gloves)
Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of glove, particularly those with an extended cuff covering part of the forearm. Gauntlets exist in many forms, ranging from flexible fabric and leather gloves, to mail and fully articulated plate armour....
with black gloves, and a red sash
Sash
A sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
with silver sequin
Sequin
Sequins are disk-shaped beads used for decorative purposes. They are available in a wide variety of colors and geometrical shapes. Sequins are commonly used on clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes and lots of other accessories. Large sequins, fastened only at the top, have been used on billboards and...
s.
Instrumentation
The corps currently performs using 2-valved and 3-valved buglesBugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
. In 2008, the corps purchased a new set of drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
and front ensemble
Front ensemble
In a marching band or drum corps, the front ensemble or pit is the stationary percussion ensemble. This ensemble is typically placed in front of the football field, though some groups will work the front ensemble into a tight pod onto the marching field...
equipment from Dynasty USA
Dynasty USA
Dynasty USA is a manufacturer of marching brass and percussion instruments based in the United States, and is one of the last remaining manufacturers of valved bugles pitched in G. Key consumers are drum and bugle corps, such as Phantom Regiment, Glassmen, and Revolution....
, and the percussion section uses Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
sticks and mallets.
Repertoires
Frontier has programmed music from a wide variety of musical genres, including jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Broadway, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and movie tunes
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=651&corpstype=Senior.
Logo
The corps logo is the word Frontier with a shooting starShooting Star
Shooting star is a common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere to become a meteor.Shooting star may also refer to:* Shooting Star Children's Hospice, a UK children's charity* The Shooting Star, a 1942 Tintin adventure...
crossing it from left to right. The logo colors suggest a frontier sunset
Sunset
Sunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment the trailing edge of the Sun's disk disappears below the horizon in the west...
: a dark orange sun under a darkening blue sky. The corps song is Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
by Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
.
Members
Frontier's membership draws on a large population of displaced drum corps veterans, but welcomes adults with any musical and/or visual experience. Members come from as near as the Dallas metro area and other parts of TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to as far as Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The corps continues to grow in size and mature in quality.
Scope
Frontier is an associate member of DCADrum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...
and a charter member of DCA-Central
Drum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...
. Frontier is also lending support to help establish Masquerade Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.maskdrum.org/ in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Crosswinds Drum and Bugle Corpshttp://www.crosswindscorps.org/ in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and other all-age drum corps in the south and southwestern United States.
History
Frontier was formed in the fallAutumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 2004 by executive director Chris Green.
In the arts world, Frontier has enjoyed a close relationship with the world famous Turtle Creek Chorale
Turtle Creek Chorale
The Turtle Creek Chorale is an American men's chorus located in Dallas, Texas. With 38 CDs and two commercially produced, feature-length motion picture documentaries in public distribution, it is the most recorded men's chorus in the world....
men’s chorus, performing in several concerts and television broadcasts. With the Chorale, corps members participated in recording sessions for the nationally-distributed compact disk "Songs of Our Nation" http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P58PFM/, an award-winning documentary entitled ”Power of Harmony” http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E60Q5Y/, as well as the 2006 Christmas concert.
Frontier has also performed in exhibition at the annual Texas Drum Corps Preview, the Denton Arts & Jazz Festivalhttp://www.dentonjazzfest.com/ in Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, at a roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
game of Assassination Cityhttp://www.acderby.com/, and at home games of the Dallas Diamonds
Dallas Diamonds
The Dallas Diamonds are a women's professional American football team in the Women's Football Alliance . It is made up of 46 players and has a coaching staff of 10...
http://www.dallasdiamondsfootball.com/ women’s professional football
Women's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional Football League is the original and longest operating women's professional American football league in the United States. Now with teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake Michigan Minx and the Minnesota...
team.
Competitions
Each year since 2005, Frontier has competed at the DCA World ChampionshipsDrum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International which governs junior drum corps...
, Brass on the Bayouhttp://www.gulfcoastsound.org/brassonthebayou-index.html sponsored by Gulf Coast Sound, as well as annual contests sponsored by Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
corps Govenaires
Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps
Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps is an all age Drum Corps Associates Class A drum and bugle corps based in St. Peter, Minnesota .- Uniform :...
and Minnesota Brass, Inc..
As of 2007, Frontier also competes at local DCI
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
contests.
Frontier sponsors an annual competition in the Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
/Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
area called Brass Hysteria.http://www.brasshysteria.org
2005
In its inaugural season, the corps received a score of 70.713 and finished 16th, performing its debut show Lasso the Sun.2006
With their show, entitled Fire, Frontier improves nearly 10 points from its inaugural season, finishing 14th and posting a semifinals score of 80.288http://www.corpsreps.com/scores.cfm?view=scoreshow&showid=2006732 while performing in less-than-ideal conditions in the rains of Hurricane ErnestoHurricane Ernesto (2006)
Hurricane Ernesto was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. The sixth tropical storm and first hurricane of the season, Ernesto developed from a tropical wave on August 24 in the eastern Caribbean Sea...
. In recent times, the only all-age corps to post a more significant improvement from one year to the next was the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps
Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Bushwackers is an all-age drum and bugle corps that competes in the Drum Corps Associates circuit, and is a 501c3 Not-For-Profit Organization. The corps is based in Windsor, New Jersey while its offices are located in Norwalk, Connecticut...
, who improved 10.3 points from 2000 to 2001.
2007
Frontier takes a step forward with the introduction of its new (and current) uniform. The corps makes its DCI debut at the Lake Highlands Festival of Drums & Bugles on July 19th. The 2007 production, 1968, comprises music released in that year, including The Age of Aquarius from the musical Hair and Bridge Over Troubled Water (song)Bridge over Troubled Water (song)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...
, which has become the corps song.
2008
The 2008 production, entitled There And Back Again, will take viewers on a musical journey, beginning with the modern classical piece Ride by Samuel HazoSamuel Hazo
Samuel Robert Hazo is an American composer of primarily music for concert band.-Career:Samuel R. Hazo resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and children. In 2003, Mr. Hazo became the first composer in history to be awarded the winner of both composition contests sponsored by the...
and continuing with a lush arrangement of I'll Be Seeing You
I'll Be Seeing You (song)
"I'll Be Seeing You" is a popular song, with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal. Published in 1938, the song was inserted into the Broadway musical Right This Way, which closed after fifteen performances. The song is a jazz standard, and has been covered by countless musicians.The...
based on the version by New York Voices
New York Voices
New York Voices is an American vocal music group. The group was formed in 1987 from an Ithaca College alumni group. The original group consisted of Darmon Meader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox and Sara Krieger. They released their first, self-titled album on GRP Records in 1989...
. Then the corps takes a jazzy turn with the classic Caravan
Caravan (song)
"Caravan" is a jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and first performed by Duke Ellington in 1937. Irving Mills wrote the lyrics, but he sometimes is not credited on the many instrumental versions. Its exotic sound interested exotica musicians; Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman both covered it. Woody...
, and finally returns Home
Home (Michael Bublé song)
"Home" is a song recorded by Canadian pop-jazz musician Michael Bublé. It was released on March 31, 2005, as the second single from his album It's Time. The song was written by Bublé, along with Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies. "Home" was a hit for Bublé in both Canada and the United States,...
to the strains of Michael Bublé's
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
hit single of the same name.