NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Dale Antoine with Drum Corps International and a former director of the Hutchinson Sky Ryders Corps is excited about the drum corps event coming to Gowans Stadium on July 16.
"We're going to have five Drum Corps from across the country," Antoine said. "We're going to have the Blue Stars, which are out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. We're going to have the Madison Scouts, which are out of Madison, Wisconsin. We're going to have the Troopers, which are out of Casper, Wyoming. We're going to have the Battalion out of Salt Lake City, and a group called the Colt Cadets out of Dubuque. Three of them are what they consider world-class corps. Two of them are in the top 12 in the country, and two are considered open-class corps."
The Hutchinson Sky Ryders will also perform for the first time in decades.
"We are going to have our first performance ensemble, it's what we call a sound sport ensemble," Antoine said. "We have, as of right now, around 62 kids signed up for our first performance in 35 years."
Sound sport is the new way that Drum Corps International lets new organizations get into the activity. The Hutchinson kids will stand and play on the 16th, without a drill.
"What they don't want is a drum corps to come out and say, hey, we're here, and they really don't have their act together, and they end up around for a year and really then going away," Antoine said. "They want to make sure that you start, you have all the things that you need to have done as far as your organizational, you have finances available. So it starts on a very smaller scale. It's about a two to three-year process, and then you would petition to go into work to open class for a year or so, and then you can petition to go into world class. It's a way to start that you can indoctrinate kids into what this is all about that maybe don't know exactly, and parents don't know what drum corps is, and take it kind of slow and make sure you have all the things that you need to have done in order."
The Sky Ryders did clinics this fall, and the performers are basically coming in on Monday and practicing most of Monday and all day Tuesday to perform that night. Box Office Assistance will be available starting at 6:30 p.m., with gates opening at 7:30 p.m. and the performances starting just before 8:30 p.m., with the Sky Ryders leading off.
The best way to get tickets is online, they range from $25 to $32.
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