Nationally known Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps and Color Guard from Milwaukee, Wisc., made a stop in Union Thursday for rehearsals on its way to competitions in Dothan, Ala., the next day and Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday.
The group of more than 100 performers up to age 21 rolled into town on Thursday morning coming from Little Rock, Ark., needing a day of rehearsals before two big competitions.
Ally Farrand of Eau Claire, Wisc., said the group came together on May 27 and have been together ever since. They will continue to be together until they get to Drum Corps International World Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Aug. 11.
“We pretty much see each other 24/7,” Farrand said. “We become like one big family.”
Drum and Bugle Corps are different from most high school marching bands because they only use brass, percussion and color guard, sometimes known as the battery. There are no woodwinds and majorettes, although the guard is likely twirling and tossing anything from flags to swords.
Farrand is a member of the battery, and she helps the battery add the visual element of the Pioneers’ show. Those who are watching the Pioneers show this year might be watching the battery transform a football field into a dragon’s lair.
“Because our drum corps has an Irish tradition, our show takes on some kind of an Irish theme this year,” Farrand said. “So in this year’s show, we are watching a dragon come to life.”
One of the best parts of the summer, Farrand said, is being welcomed into communities like Union. At the end of their grueling day of rehearsals, they performed for the people of Union on the Union High School football field.
“I just love being able to come to places such as Union and meeting people from different parts of the country,” Farrand said. “Being in drum corps is great. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun.”
