SALEM, Va. – A competition between the best of the best drum corps throughout the country returned to Salem Stadium.
The Summer Music Games features seven world-class corps from Drum Corps International. The tour goes all throughout the country, but Salem is one of the final spots before the national competition up in Indianapolis.
Ahead of showtime, 10 News got the chance to talk with Drum Major Hudson Scott of Carolina Crown.
“It’s amazing. This is the end of the season. We’re getting really good. Just getting to the nitty gritty here in this cool mountainous environment is just everything you can ask for,” Scott said.
While the event is a competition, the true winner is the Pride of Salem Marching Band. Summer Music Games is the primary fundraiser for the group. Profits from sponsorships, advertising, donations and show tickets are used to fund the many activities of the Salem Band programs.
Steve Belanger is the event coordinator.
“You get students here from all over the Roanoke Valley and all part of Central Virginia. Students are yelling, cheering, standing up [and] cheering. It will be between 3,000 to 4,000 people here,” Belanger said.
One thing common between the bands is the noise level.
“I think the most drawing thing is just how loud these ensembles can be,” Scott said.
Even during rehearsals, Carolina Crown sent chills up and down our spines as we watched drums, xylophones, trumpets, trombones, pianos, triangles, etc. come together in harmony.
Most of the crowd will be young students who one day dream of taking to the field to be a part of one of the groups.
“Don’t doubt yourself. I know it sounds cheesy but chase your dreams. They’re not as far away as you think they are,” Scott said.
The full list of drum corps included:
- Seattle Cascades - Seattle, WA
- Carolina Crown - Fort Mill, SC
- The Academy - Tempe, AZ
- The Cavaliers - Rosemont, IL
- Colts - Dubuque, IA
- Pacific Crest - City of Industry, CA
- Spirit of Atlanta - Atlanta, GA