Gatekeepers Drum and Bugle Corps

Since the disbanding of the Belleville Black Knights in 1989, members of the St Louis marching community have had to travel four plus hours and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to participate in higher levels of marching music, namely Drum Corps International and Drum Corps Associates. One of the recently developed competitive divisions in Drum Corps International (DCI) has presented an opportunity to revive that once great tradition, and put St Louis area competitive marching back on the map. The aim of this group is to begin developing a new music program that would allow students from St Louis area schools a low cost alternative to more expensive programs while competing in Sound Sport and, eventually, DCI.

The group will consist of students between the ages of 14 and 21 with any level of marching experience. However, this will not be the sole demographic and we hope to teach the marching arts to students of schools that do not have any such program. The initial ensemble will consist of percussion and brass sections in addition to a single conductor. We hope to field a group that would not only march in St Louis area parades, but perform in exhibition at competitions throughout the summer and fall as well as compete in one or two Sound Sport level competitions either virtually or live. The long term goal is to build enough interest and capability to field a traveling corps to compete in the Open Class division of DCI.

The goal of this group, however, is not just to compete, but to teach. As with most music programs, the purpose of this group would be to give students something they can succeed at through practice, which provides them with a sense of purpose and pride. It will also help students to develop skills such as time management, communication, patience, and perseverance, while concurrently allowing them to express themselves in ways that sitting at home all day never could.