Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps
Encyclopedia
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 Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
that competes in the Drum Corps International
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...
(DCI) circuit. Founded in 1938, it is the third oldest corps in the DCI circuit, after the Cadets
The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cadets are a Drum Corps International World Class drum and bugle corps based in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, and the Racine Scouts
Racine Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps
The Racine Scouts - formally the Racine Explorer Scouts - based in Racine, Wisconsin, are the oldest continually competitive Drum Corps in North America. Beginning in November 1927 as the Boy Scout of America Troop 15 of the Lutheran Church of the Atonement, the Racine Scouts are the oldest musical...
, founded in 1934 and 1927, respectively. The corps is one of two remaining all-male corps, the other being The Cavaliers
The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
The Cavaliers are a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Rosemont, Illinois and founded in 1948 by Donald Warren, and are a member corps of Drum Corps International, marching music's major league. The Cavaliers are currently under the direction of Adolph DeGrauwe...
. The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps belongs to the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association umbrella organization.
Being of Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
origin, the corps symbol is the fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
. The members of the corps were registered with the Glacier's Edge Council
Scouting in Wisconsin
Scouting in Wisconsin has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
as Venturers
Venturing (Boy Scouts of America)
Venturing is part of the program of the Boy Scouts of America for young adults, men and women, from the age of 14 years old or 13 years old and completed eighth grade through 21....
.
The Madison Scouts chose to let their charter with Glacier's Edge Council expire in June 2011 and are no longer registered in or covered by the Council as Venture Scouts.
The corps song of the Madison Scouts is "You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone (song)
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
".
History
The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1938 after a group of Madison businessmen saw the Racine Scouts Drum and Bugle CorpsRacine Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps
The Racine Scouts - formally the Racine Explorer Scouts - based in Racine, Wisconsin, are the oldest continually competitive Drum Corps in North America. Beginning in November 1927 as the Boy Scout of America Troop 15 of the Lutheran Church of the Atonement, the Racine Scouts are the oldest musical...
perform and thought that Madison should have its very own Boy Scout drum and bugle corps. Clarence H. Beebe led as executive director soon after the corps was conceived and continued in that position until his death in 1968.
In 1951, the corps split into the Madison Explorer Scouts and the Madison Junior Scouts, with the Junior corps serving as a feeder group for the Explorer corps. The Explorers were the first recognized musical post in the Boy Scouts of America and evolved into the current-day Madison Scouts. In 1995, the Juniors merged with the Capitolaires Drum and Bugle Corps
Capitolaires Drum and Bugle Corps
The Capitolaires Drum and Bugle Corps was an all-female drum and bugle corps in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. They merged with the Madison Junior Scouts in 1995 to form the Capital Sound Drum and Bugle Corps.-History:...
(an all-female corps) to form the Capital Sound Drum and Bugle Corps.
In the early 1960s, corps members Rich and Dennis Stone, with the assistance of color guard instructor John Price, designed a flag to be used to represent the corps' home city of Madison as the corps toured throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country. In a resolution dated 12 April 1962, the City Council officially adopted the design as the flag of the city of Madison
Flag of Madison, Wisconsin
The flag of Madison, Wisconsin, was adopted by the municipal government on April 12, 1962. It consists of a light blue background bisected from lower left to upper right by a white band. These symbolize Lake Mendota and Lake Monona and the isthmus between them...
. To this day, the flag may be seen flying by such places as the city municipal building, Monona Terrace, or the State Capitol. In commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the corps and the forty-fifth anniversary of the flag's adoption, the city presented a copy of the flag to the corps in 2007, which has traveled throughout the country with the corps ever since.
The corps is a founding member of Drum Corps International. During the 1971 season, both the Explorers and Chicago Cavaliers (now The Cavaliers) performed shows that pushed the envelope of creativity. The American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
(VFW) circuits imposed strict rules on competition in which no participating corps had a say. To overcome this, several youth corps, including the Madison Scouts, banded together to form DCI. The first DCI world championships were held in 1972 in Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Whitewater is a city in Jefferson and Walworth Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.-Geography:...
's Perkins Stadium
Perkins Stadium
Perkins Stadium is a stadium in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the 2007, 2009 and 2010 Division III Football Champion University of Wisconsin–Whitewater "Warhawks". Perkins Stadium opened in 1970 as Warhawks Stadium and held 11,000 people...
. From 2003 to 2006, the corps has begun every summer by learning the show on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and performing its dress rehearsal
Rehearsal
For other uses, see Rehearsal or Dress rehearsal A rehearsal is a preparatory event in music and theatre that is performed before the official public performance, as a form of practice, and to ensure that all details of the performance are adequately prepared and coordinated for professional...
in Perkins Stadium before going on its national tour. During the time between the 2009 and 2010 seasons the corps hired the help of Jim Mason, the founder of Star of Indiana and Blast!, as the program coordinator for the 2010 season. He enlisted many of his former colleagues to be on the instructional team for the Madison Scouts. The corps now rehearses at the former Star Hall outside of Bloomington Indiana.
The corps employed the use of a single female in the color guard in 1971 and in 2005 for the roles of Alice (Alice in Wonderland) and Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, respectively. Neither female was admitted to the corps as a member.
The corps was DCI World Champion
DCI Division I World Champions
At the end of the summer season, Drum Corps International World Class corps compete to earn the title of DCI World Class Champion . The championships consist of 3 rounds—Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals—held on the first or second Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of August...
in 1975 and 1988. In addition, it placed second in 1974 and 1976 and third in 1981.
1971
The corps used a female to play the role of Alice from Alice in Wonderland in its field show. It placed 10th in the VFW Nationals with a score of 84.85.1975
The corps won its first DCI championship with a score of 92.50 after narrowly missing it in the 1974 season. They edged out The Santa Clara Vanguard by 1.5 points, after missing the title by .65 of a point to Santa Clara in 1974. With a score of 92.50 the Scouts 1975 show was the first to break the "90" barrier in Drum Corps InternationalDrum 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...
history as well as being the highest score as of 1975. In 2005, the 1975 Madison Scouts performance was voted as one of the shows to appear in the DCI Classic Countdown, a film of the top twelve shows of all time, with one show for each corps.
1988
The Scouts won their second DCI championship with a score of 97.10, beating the undefeated Blue DevilsBlue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Concord, California and founded in 1957 as a Drum and Bell corps, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
and edging out the Santa Clara Vanguard by two-tenths of a point. After spending several weeks of the summer touring Europe as part of their 50th anniversary celebration, the corps entered the DCI Championships as a dark horse
Dark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
. The finals followed a unique preliminary competition that included undisclosed scores and placings. The last half of the show was Malagueña, a corps classic. This show was selected by fans for the second Classic Countdown in 2006.
1995
The corps performed "A Drum Corps Fan's Dream: A Day in the Life of a Bull Fighter", placing 4th with a score of 95.40. The closing was Málaga, a corps classic.This show was picked for the third DCI Classic Countdown.
1996
The corps, following their performance from the previous year, played a show entitled A Drum Corps Fan's Dream: Part Dos.1997
Near the end of the finals performance, the drum major picked up a camera, turned around and took a picture of the audience. The same move had first been made by a Madison drum major, to close out his 8th season in 1980 in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. The corps placed 5th with a score of 93.90 and an entitled "The Pirates of Lake Mendota". (Lake Mendota
Lake Mendota
Lake Mendota is the northernmost and largest of the four lakes near Madison, Wisconsin. The lake borders Madison on the north, east and south, Middleton on the west, Shorewood Hills on the southwest, Maple Bluff on the northeast, and Westport on the northwest....
is one of the lakes on which the city of Madison was founded.)
1999
The corps performed a show based on the music of Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
and finished in 6th place with a score of 93.40. This show had the biggest crowd reaction of any Madison Show in history.
2002
With a program entitled "Conquest", the corps placed 14th in the semifinals with a score of 84.85 and did not advance to finals. This was only the second time since the inception of DCIDrum 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...
that the corps did not make it to the World Championship finals, the first time being 30 years earlier at the first DCI, when the corps also placed 14th.
2005
The all-male corps featured a female in its field show for the second time in its history, with the guest performer portraying the role of CarmenCarmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
from the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
of the same name. The show was entitled "The Carmen Project", and featured the music of West Side Story, in addition to that of Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
. The corps climbed to 6th place and had a score of 92.625.
2007
2007 brought another staff change for the Scouts, including the second director in four years. Madison's season started out roughly, with only a single DCI Division I corps not having posted a higher score than the Scouts. In response, the corps' field show was completely rewritten in midseason, and they rebounded to achieve 15th place at the semifinals, their lowest placement ever at semifinals and the third time the corps did not advance to finals. The program was entitled "Unbound" and included the music of Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's Kashmir
Kashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
, Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's Uninvited
Uninvited (song)
In October 2007, a new Freemasons electro/house version was released, featuring a vocal by Bailey Tzuke. This version is shorter than their earlier mix and arranged in a more radio-friendly way....
, the "Pie Jesu" and "Agnus Dei" movements of Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
's Requiem Mass, Astor Piazolla's "Libertango", and El Tango de Roxanne, from the movie Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
. Post season saw another change in staff of the Madison Scouts. The brought in famous names in the Marching Industry from the West Coast including Ramiro Barrera, Vince Oliver, and Ken Karlin as the new Design Team.
2008
2008 saw a return to the World Championship finals for the Madison Scouts. Although the corps struggled early on in the season, placing as low as 18th place, it came from behind to capture 12th place by the end of the season. The program "La Noche de la Iguana" featured music celebrating Latin American culture. During the post-season, the Madison Scouts had another change in the staff. The design team looked out west for a different visual staff to complement the strong brass finish that the Scouts had enjoyed in '08. They brought in Neil Adkison from the west coast along with many talented instructors from the west coast.2009
In 2009 the Madison Scouts performed a classic Latin show, with a musical program called Relámpago. The repertoire was:- Part I. The Forces of Nature — Original music by Vince Oliver and Malaga by Bill Holman
- Part II. Two Left-Footed Mambo — Baron Cimetiere’s Mambo by Donald GranthamDonald GranthamDonald Grantham is an American composer and music educator.Grantham was born in Duncan, Oklahoma. After receiving a Bachelor of Music from the University of Oklahoma, he went on to receive his MM and DMA from the University of Southern California. For two summers he studied under famed French...
- Part III. Love Is in the Air — Original music by Vince Oliver
- Part IV. A Turn to the Dark Side — Candela by Gabriela Ortiz
- Part V. Relámpago’s Triumphant Return — Margariteña by
The show was about the life of a Mexican superhero named Relámpago. The Scouts ended in 15th place at Drum Corps International
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...
semi-finals at Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Scouts again made a push through the season starting as low as 19th place. Near the end of the season the Madison Scouts once again had design problems, and the board once again decided on a new direction on design.
2010
In the 2009 off-season, the Madison Scouts hired a new distinguished design team. The team included: James Mason, Donnie VanDoren, Jim Prime, Thom Hannum, John Vanderkoff, Jeff Lee and Jim Moore. The design team have all worked together in the M.E.G. (Mason Entertainment Group) corporation and have achieve great success with Blast!, Shockwave, Star of Indiana, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, and The Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. The corps' 2010 musical program did not have a title and included Gershwin's "Rhapsody in BlueRhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
" and "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue is a ballet with music by Richard Rodgers and choreography by George Balanchine. It occurs near the end of Rodgers and Hart's 1936 Broadway musical comedy On Your Toes. Slaughter is the story of a hoofer who falls in love with a dance hall girl who is then shot and killed...
" from the musical On Your Toes
On Your Toes
On Your Toes is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. It was adapted into a film in 1939....
. The Madison Scouts once again defied the odds and made the step from 15th to 10th. According to many people in the Drum Corps community this is "the best Madison we've seen in a decade.
See also
- Scouting in WisconsinScouting in WisconsinScouting in Wisconsin has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
The Scouts ended the season with a 10th place finish at the DCI World Championships.