Drum Corps France on track

The brand new young 'Federation for Drum Corps and Marching Bands of France', better known as 'Drum Corps France', has just organized the audition of its first 'instructor' candidates this Sunday, November 28th.

Created in February of this year, this new organization of wich the main goals are to develop and promote music societies in drum corps and marching band style in France, now includes more than 10 corps coming from 9 departments of different areas of the country: from the north to the south, and center areas like the east side.

Their board of directors wanted to present an instructional team to its members, which would be able to teach at clinics, the musico-artistic techniques used in the drum corps or marching band activity, in order to help these music groups to progress more quickly in a qualitative way as well musically as for choreography.

Thus, candidates coming from already prestigious and experienced corps like Edelweiss, La Vaillante and USA, met to an audition session in front of a judging team. This team consisted of amateur and professional music teachers linked to the drum corps and marching band activity from The Netherlands, Belgium and France. The session was held in the rehearsal rooms of Louvres Marching Band, close to Paris.

DCF can now use an instructional staff for all captions of the activity: marching percussions, marching brass, keyboards, pit instruments and accessories, color guards and marching & manoeuvering/drill designing. This staff will improve itself by following advices and special clinics given by foreign instructors of a higher level.

It is with a great enthusiasm that the DCF chairman, Nicolas Dufour, has announcing the first French marching bands festival which will be held in the 'Palais des Sports' of Saint Quentin (northern France - department of Aisne) on Saturday, September 10th, 2005. A call is also launched by the executive director of DCF, Thierry Plume, to all the French music societies wishing to evolve/move in the drum corps or marching band styles, to join this dynamic federation which has great objectives and the will to achieve them.

To contact Drum Corps France, please visit their website at www.drumcorpsfrance.org or www.marchingbandsdefrance.org.