Drum and Bugle Corps

Star of Indiana founder Bill Cook passes away

Bill Cook, Bloomington, Ind. businessman, philanthropist and founder of the Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps, died late Friday afternoon at the age of 80.

Cook, with a grant from his company Cook Group Incorporated, founded Star of Indiana in 1984. Under his leadership the corps quickly rose to competitive success, winning the Drum Corps International World Championship in 1991. After the 1993 DCI season, Star of Indiana morphed into the stage shows “Brass Theatre” and the Tony award-winning “Blast!”

Drum Corps International extends its deepest sympathies to the Cook family and the extended Star of Indiana family as well. We will look back at the life of Bill Cook in the coming week on DCI.org.

One era ends . . . a new one begins!

Drum Corps World is going electronic! May 2 will be the launch date of the new on-line magazine and it’s FREE. Go to www.high-velocity-media.com to sign up for issues sent to your computer, phone or tablet. The change is being announced today on multiple Web sites and all fans are welcome to sign up.

(dci.org)

2011 Premier Event Schedule

Indianapolis, IN
Tuesday, June 21
Northwest High School

Muncie, IN
Friday, June 24
Ball State University

Grand Rapids, MI
Saturday, June 25
Venue TBA

Stanford, CA
Saturday, June 25
Stanford University

Washington, DC
Saturday, June 25
Wakefield High School

Denver, CO
Saturday, July 9
Invesco Field at Mile High

Minneapolis, MN
Saturday, July 16
TCF Bank Stadium (University of Minnesota)

St. Louis, MO
Monday, July 18
McKendree University

Denton, TX
Thursday, July 21
CH Collins Complex

Odessa, TX
Friday, July 22
Odessa High School

San Antonio, TX
Saturday, July 23
The Alamodome

San Antonio, TX
World Class Individual & Ensemble Competition
Sunday, July 24
Downtown San Antonio

Dallas, TX
Monday, July 25
Lake Highlands High School

Little Rock, AR
Wednesday, July 27
Venue TBA

Hattiesburg, MS
Wednesday, July 27
University of Southern Mississippi

Gadsden, AL
Friday, July 29
Gadsden City High School

Atlanta, GA
Saturday, July 30
The Georgia Dome

Orlando, FL
Sunday, July 31
The Citrus Bowl

Allentown, PA
Friday, Aug. 5 & Saturday, Aug. 6
J. Birney Crum Stadium

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Tour of Champions Series

Saginaw, TX
Saturday, June 18
Saginaw High School

Austin, TX
Sunday, June 19
Round Rock High School

Omaha, NE
Sunday, July 10
Millard South High School

Rockford, IL
Sunday, July 17
Boylan High School

Houston, TX
Friday, July 22
Berry Athletic Center

Murfreesboro, TN
Friday, July 29
Middle Tennessee State University

Charlotte, NC
Sunday, July 31
Memorial Stadium

Annapolis, MD
Sunday, Aug. 7
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

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2011 DCI World Championships

Open Class Prelims
Michigan City, IN
Monday, Aug. 8
Ames Field

Open Class Finals
Michigan City, IN
Tuesday, Aug. 9
Ames Field

World Championship Hall of Fame Kickoff Party
Indianapolis, IN
Wednesday, Aug. 10

World Championship Prelims
Indianapolis, IN
Thursday, Aug. 11

Lucas Oil Stadium

World Championship Semifinals
Indianapolis, IN
Friday, Aug. 12
Lucas Oil Stadium

World Championship Parade
Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, Aug. 13
Streets of Downtown Indianapolis

Open Class Individual & Ensemble Competition
Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, Aug. 13
Indiana Convention Center

World Championship Finals
Indianapolis, IN
Saturday, Aug. 13 Lucas Oil Stadium

(madisonscouts.org)

When it comes to chocolate, Ton Stam knows his stuff. When it comes to running a business, he’s clearly figured that out as well. Chocolaterie Stam, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, now has numerous locations in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and North Carolina. Its latest store location, opening in Middleton, Wisconsin, will be unique in that all profits from the store will be directed to the benefit of the Madison Scouts.

Ton is a forth-generation chocolate maker from the Netherlands. The Stam family has been active in the chocolate business since 1913 and Ton specializes in the creation of rich, creamy chocolates developed in the European tradition.

His association with the corps is what brought him to the United States in the first place. Having marched in a traditional European military band, Ton pursued his dream to march with the world-renowned Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps. Having marched in 1981 and 1982, Ton was one of the first Europeans to cross the ocean and march American drum corps, creating a path for many others to follow.

“Now I want to give back to the organization in the best way I know how,” says Ton. “The Madison Scouts meant a lot for me personally and I want to make sure that opportunity exists for the next generation of Scouts.”

“Partnering with Chocolaterie Stam is a great fit,” explains Executive Director Chris Komnick. “Ton came to us with a fantastic idea for a new diverse revenue source for the corps. We have two historic organizations with a commitment to quality and it gives us a new touch point in the Madison community.”

“To get the store prepared in a cost-effective fashion we called on several alumni for assistance,” says store manager Steve Vickers. “Between painting, electrical, plumbing and contract management, we asked many local alumni to assist with the work. It’s been great to see everybody getting involved to help the Scouts.”

The new Chocolaterie Stam will be located in the Greenway Station outdoor mall located in Middleton (1651 Deming Way, Suite 114). The store is expected to open the second week of November in time for the holidays. In addition to the absolutely fabulous chocolates, the store will have gelato, espresso/coffee, hot chocolate and wide-array of other treats and gifts.

In addition, a series of special “fleur de lis” chocolates will be available to purchase online in time for the holidays. To learn more about Chocolaterie Stam, CLICK HERE.

(dci.org)

Being planned separately from the traditional format of the 2011 tour will be a handful of experimental drum corps events, also produced by Drum Corps International. The top eight finishing corps from 2010 have been invited to participate in this series, which will feature additional competitive and non-competitive performance material developed beyond the corps’ standard 11.5 minute production.

“This series will give us the opportunity to explore several new elements in the production of our events using a number of our very best ensembles,” said Mark Arnold, Chairman of the Board of Drum Corps International and Executive Director of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps. “By creating these unique opportunities for our corps and our fans, we hope to develop exciting new features for future DCI events, helping us to expand our audience while providing a thrilling and engaging experience for everyone.”

A unique competitive environment is also being developed for the experimental series which may include judging techniques not currently utilized under current DCI rules. Further details are in the preliminary stages of development, with additional information expected following the annual meeting in January.

“The opportunity to get everyone together in the same room is always productive for us, and this weekend was no exception,” said Acheson. We will continue to refine the schedule and gear up for the exciting new possibilities we are creating for 2011 and beyond. There are only 263 days until opening day, and we want to make sure that season number 39 is our best one yet.”

See also: Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic