FYI: Who are the Blue Stars?

In my podcast last week I discussed the social media of Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. I explained a little about their background but I have a lot of personal experiences that might help you clue into what my time there meant to me.

The Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a competitive, educational experience while touring the country for three months. They essentially are the NFL of marching bands. A drum corps consists of brass players, marching percussion, a front ensemble and a color guard. Members are ages 15-21 from all over the country and world. To be a member you have to go through an extensive audition process and work during the year on assignments and physical workouts to prepare for the touring season.

Each section works together to perform one show to the best of their ability. Shows are about twelve to fifteen minutes in length. Members never stop moving. One would think that a drum corps just marches around the field, but actually members are running, playing, dancing and moving their way through forms.  Each run through of the show a member burns anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 calories. Corps often do a run through at the end of the rehearsal or large chunks on top of the physical performance each evening.






Ten years ago ESPN did an athletic analysis of the physical demands a member has during a performance.


There are current studies being done to see what the average heart rate is during performances as well as the effect of playing and marching at the same time, but none are published at this time. There are physical trainers and athletic trainers that travel with us to make sure the members are being taken care of after working out for extreme hours in extreme conditions.

A day in the life of the member during spring training would look something like this. Keep in mind the season is every day from the end of May to the first two weeks in August. Lots of time is being put into making the final product great.

• Wake up 7:00 a.m.
• Breakfast from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
• Visual Block 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
• Lunch 12:00 p.m. -1:00 p.m.
• Music Block 1:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m.
• Dinner 5:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m. 
• Full Ensemble 6:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m.
• Stretch/Dance Block 9:00 p.m.-10 p.m.
• Fourth Meal 10:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m. 
• Physical Therapy/Ice Baths 11:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. 

On a show day one of those four hour blocks would be dedicated to eating a meal, packing your belongings, cleaning the housing site and loading your items on the bus. In three months, the Blue Stars travel 12,000 miles across the country. They stay in a different high school gym each night on sleeping mats and air mattresses to pack it all up before the show to travel to a different location. After a show it is not uncommon to get to a housing site at three in the morning to unpack and go to bed. 

Sounds crazy, right? Members don't get paid to go on tour, despite being the best of the best competing against world-renowned groups. The members do this craziness because of the quality education they are getting from the staff and because of the people they meet during the tour. Members experience so much together that the friendships and memories created through your time with the Blue Stars are unique and lasting. 

I had a unique position this previous season in that I had family members on tour with me. My younger brother and my cousin marched with me. Being my third year it was nice to know some members from my previous seasons, but to be able to experience traveling the country and performing with my family is something I will hold onto forever. Marching with the Blue Stars has shown me the true meaning of working hard for something I love. Their corps motto finis coronat opus, or the end crowns the work will be a phrase that drives me in whatever work I will be doing.

There are several groups like the Blue Stars based near here. The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps have used Ohio Northern as their housing site for the past two years. The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps are based out of Canton, Ohio and recently won the world championships. I would highly encourage you to go see a drum corps show this summer and experience the raw sound of brass and percussion. It won't be something you will forget. 

Here is a short clip of our show from last year that will help you get a feel for what the final product of the show looks like. Hopefully this gives you a more clear context of what the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps is and how they have affected my experiences.