Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps

The Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps (also known simply as Star) is a defunct competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Bloomington, Indiana, the corps was the 1991 Drum Corps International (DCI) Open Class (now World Class) World Champion.

Star of Indiana
LocationBloomington, Indiana
DivisionDivision I
Founded1984 (1984)
Disbanded1993 (1993)
(Left competition)
Championship titles1991

History[1][2][3]

The DCI Years

The Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1984 in Bloomington, Indiana. Its startup was funded with a grant of $1,000,000 from Bill Cook and his medical device manufacturing company, the Cook Group. Marching a then-maximum one hundred twenty-eight members under the directorship of Jim Mason, at the 1985 DCI World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, Star of Indiana became only the second corps to earn a spot among DCI's Top Twelve Finalists in its first season of competition; the first corps to do so was the 1972 Bleu Raeders. Star of Indiana marched in DCI competition for only nine seasons, but finished in DCI Finals every year, twice finishing third, second once, and winning the 1991 DCI Open Class World Championship. In addition to its DCI title, Star also won the Drum Corps Midwest Division I Championship, 1991–93; the U.S.Open in 1988 & '89; the DCI Preview of Champions title, 1991–93; and ten DCI Regional Championships, 1988-93.

Brass Theater

As early as 1992, Star's staff knew that they wanted the corps to do more than perform a ten-minute drum corps competition program. After the 1993 season, Star of Indiana departed the competition field and developed a new way of presenting drum corps. "Brass Theater" was designed to apply the powerful brass and percussion and the exacting choreography of drum corps to pop, Broadway, movie, and classical music to create an all new type of stage entertainment. Touring with the Canadian Brass, the world's most popular brass quintet, "Brass Theater" was a hit with fans and critics alike on a ten city tour in 1994. Star and the Canadian Brass toured again in 1995 and '96 as "Brass Theater II" and "... III" to even greater acclaim. The two groups also recorded three CD's of the "Brass Theater" programs. Then, in 1997 and '98, Star settled down to perform "Brass Theater" at the Grand Palace Theatre in Branson, Missouri.

Blast!

In 1999, Star premiered the stage show Blast! at the Hammersmith Theatre in London, England. After an unimpressive start, its audience steadily grew, until it became a top ten hit on the London stage. After a year in London, "Blast! returned to the U.S. in 2000, debuting on the Broadway stage to rave reviews. The show won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, and, when it was videotaped for PBS, it won the 2001 Emmy Award for Best Choreography. After its Broadway run, Star took Blast! on the road, with companies touring the country each year to large and enthusiastic audiences. Casts were also developed to perform long-term engagements at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Blast! continued to tour through 2012.

Alumni Corps

In August 2010, Star of Indiana returned to the DCI World Championships. The alumni had previously gathered to perform, but on August 11, the Star of Indiana Alumni Corps performed after the last competing corps in DCI's semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.[4]

One group of Star of Indiana alumni formed Star United, a mini-corps that competes at the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) senior drum and bugle corps championships. Star United won the DCA mini-corps championship 2006-2012 and 2014–18,[5] and scored a perfect 100.00 in the 2011 Finals. Star United also performed as a SoundSport team at the 2014 & 2017 DCI World Championships in Indianapolis.

After the 2010 alumni corps experience another group of Star alumni, consisting of past members of the Star of Indiana drumlines, decided to compete in the Drum Corps Associates ensemble competition by entering a 12 man drumline in 2011. They finished first place in their initial year. They continued to compete in the ensemble competition, fielding a 9 man drumline in 2012.[6]

Show Summary (1985-1993)

Sources:[7][8]

Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist.

YearThemeRepertoireScorePlacement
1985A Salute to Walt Disney:
A Musical Extravaganza
in Three Acts		When You Wish Upon a Star by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline / Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert /
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston / The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas /
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? by Frank Churchill and Ann Ronell / Mickey Mouse Club March by Jimmie Dodd /
It's a Small World by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman		85.5010th
1986Out of this WorldAdventures on Earth (from E.T.) / Selections from Close Encounters of the Third Kind / The Throne Room & Finale (from Star Wars)
All by John Williams		90.508th
1987Greatest Show on TurfBarnum and Bailey's Favorite by Karl King / Ritual Fire Dance (from El Amor Brujo) by Manuel de Falla /
Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian / Comedians: Galop by Dmitry Kabalevsky /
Entrance of the Gladiators (aka Thunder and Blazes) by Julius Fučík		90.007th
1988George Gershwin's
"Porgy and Bess"		Overture / I Can't Sit Down / Summertime / The Hurricane / Bess, You Is My Woman Now / Oh, Lord, I'm On My Way
All from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward, and Ira Gershwin		92.807th
1989British InvasionHenry V by William Walton / Song Without Words (I'll Love My Love) & Fantasia On The Dargason by Gustav Holst /
Crown Imperial by William Walton		95.306th
1990Belshazzar's FeastPraise ye the God of Gold & Then sing aloud to God our strength
From Belshazzar's Feast by William Walton		96.503rd
1991Immaggini di Roma
(Roman Images):
The Music of
Ottorino Respighi		Roman Festivals (First Movement) / The Pines of Rome (First Movement) / Roman Festivals (Second, Third & Fourth Movements)
All by Ottorino Respighi		97.001st
1992American VariationsStar Spangled Overture by Morton Gould / Chester Overture by William Schuman /
Amber Waves by Morton Gould / Flag of Stars by Gordon Jacob		96.703rd
1993The Music of Barber and BartókParados & Kantikos Agonias (from Medea) by Samuel Barber /
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste (Second & Fourth Movments) by Béla Bartók / Adagio (from Piano Concerto No. 2) by Béla

Bartók /

Dance of Vengeance (from Medea) by Samuel Barber

 97.302nd

Caption awards

At the annual World Championship Finals, Drum Corps International (DCI) presents awards to the corps with the high average scores from prelims, semifinals, and finals in five captions. Prior to 2000 and the adoption of the current scoring format, Star of Indiana won these captions:

High General Effect Award
  • 1991 (tie)

High Brass Performance Award
  • 1990, 1991 (tie), 1992, 1993 (tie)

High Percussion Performance Award
  • 1991 (tie), 1993

References
  1. A History of Drum & Bugle Corps Vol. 2; Steve Vickers, ed.; Drum Corps World, pub.; 2003
  2. http://corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpshist&corps=31&corpstype=Junior
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2014-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. http://www.middlehornleader.com/Star%20Returns%20in%202010.htm
  5. http://www.starunited.org/
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-05-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=31&corpstype=Junior
  8. http://www.allmusic.com/
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