Future Corps
Encyclopedia
The Future Corps was a group of musicians who performed high energy instrumental music in the drum and bugle corps
style, primarily at the Epcot
theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort
near Orlando, FL. Made up entirely of brass players and percussionists, members were largely from competitive DCI
Corps. Disney provided the instruments (G bugles, first 2-valve and later 3-valve, and marching percussion), and the group's futuristic costumes were designed and maintained by the Walt Disney World costume department. Special outfits were sometimes worn for performances around holidays such as Christmas. A similar group (called the Magic Kingdom Korps) also played at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, alternating stints as both a part-time (seasonal) and a full-time group.
." The group was the second such brass and percussion band after the Future World Brass to play at Epcot.
The name Future Corps is simply a word combination of Epcot's Future World and Drum Corps. When group members performed together, outside the Disney parks, they used the name Encorps. The name of the group's one and only album The Future of Corps, was so named as a simple way to get a form of the group's copyrighted (and well-known) name onto their self-produced CD, not to suggest any connection to the future of the drum corps activity. The logo features the words Future and Corps very prominently, while The and Of are much smaller.
Over the years the group has occasionally included a mallet player, a 4-person color guard, an 11-man cymbal
section, a full size pit percussion setup, extra brass players for the Indy car race, and even a keyboard/guitar/electric bass setup for special performances like the Disney Ambassador ceremony and the Goofy Games, as well as Epcot's short-lived circus.
The corps has appeared on television for a live New Years Celebration broadcast for a Japanese TV station, served as the show band for two "Live" with Regis and Kathy Lee shows at Epcot, and appeared on Good Morning America
. The group has traveled to DCI Championships in '83, '92, and '94-'98, performed at the Music Educator's National Convention three times in various cities, and performed at both the International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Atlanta, GA and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Orlando, FL. Future Corps was flown to New York City to perform with many Disney groups from both CA and FL at the world premier of Pocohontas
in Central Park. They were also invited to travel as guest artists for Dynasty Music Products to a marching music festival in Okayama, Japan in '97, which included a tour stops in Yokohama and Kyoto, as well as a day of performances at Tokyo Disney. In October 2000, nearly 6 months after the group was disbanded, the group's one and only "reunion" performance took place, once again in Okayama, Japan.
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...
style, primarily at the Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
near Orlando, FL. Made up entirely of brass players and percussionists, members were largely from competitive 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...
Corps. Disney provided the instruments (G bugles, first 2-valve and later 3-valve, and marching percussion), and the group's futuristic costumes were designed and maintained by the Walt Disney World costume department. Special outfits were sometimes worn for performances around holidays such as Christmas. A similar group (called the Magic Kingdom Korps) also played at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, alternating stints as both a part-time (seasonal) and a full-time group.
History
Future Corps first performed on December 1, 1982 and began an almost 18 year run as a full-time atmosphere group (7 shows per day, 5 days per week) until May 2000, when the group became the latest victim of a massive round of entertainment layoffs. One Disney manager commented that the Future Corps "ran longer than CatsCats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
." The group was the second such brass and percussion band after the Future World Brass to play at Epcot.
The name Future Corps is simply a word combination of Epcot's Future World and Drum Corps. When group members performed together, outside the Disney parks, they used the name Encorps. The name of the group's one and only album The Future of Corps, was so named as a simple way to get a form of the group's copyrighted (and well-known) name onto their self-produced CD, not to suggest any connection to the future of the drum corps activity. The logo features the words Future and Corps very prominently, while The and Of are much smaller.
Over the years the group has occasionally included a mallet player, a 4-person color guard, an 11-man cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
section, a full size pit percussion setup, extra brass players for the Indy car race, and even a keyboard/guitar/electric bass setup for special performances like the Disney Ambassador ceremony and the Goofy Games, as well as Epcot's short-lived circus.
The corps has appeared on television for a live New Years Celebration broadcast for a Japanese TV station, served as the show band for two "Live" with Regis and Kathy Lee shows at Epcot, and appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. The group has traveled to DCI Championships in '83, '92, and '94-'98, performed at the Music Educator's National Convention three times in various cities, and performed at both the International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Atlanta, GA and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Orlando, FL. Future Corps was flown to New York City to perform with many Disney groups from both CA and FL at the world premier of Pocohontas
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
in Central Park. They were also invited to travel as guest artists for Dynasty Music Products to a marching music festival in Okayama, Japan in '97, which included a tour stops in Yokohama and Kyoto, as well as a day of performances at Tokyo Disney. In October 2000, nearly 6 months after the group was disbanded, the group's one and only "reunion" performance took place, once again in Okayama, Japan.
Discography
- Future of Corps - 1991, Encorps Productions, out of print. Recorded at James Madison UniversityJames Madison UniversityJames Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
- Live from Okayama - rumored
See also
- Drum Corps InternationalDrum Corps InternationalDrum 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...
- performance videos