Behind the Music

When the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps emerged out of four charter buses at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, many didn’t know where they were or what day it was. Having been on the road since midnight, the 135 15-to-22-year-olds retrieved their bags and pillows and trudged groggily upstairs to the second level of the Bedford North Lawrence High School gymnasium.

“Everyone sees the performances and the uniforms, but not this stuff,” said drum major Mike Huebner, as everyone silently dispersed to set up air mattresses and charge cell phones.

They had 2½ hours to sleep before starting rehearsal day, one of their last before the Drum Corps International World Championships in Bloomington.

In such close quarters, privacy and modesty are nearly non-existent.

“You can’t be shy,” said Bluecoats member Brelyse Thornton, combing her hair. “You have to shower with every other girl in this drum corps.”

Before bed, most Bluecoats simply remove their clothes and plop into bed in shorts, T-shirts or sport bras. Some stay in jeans.

Traveling corps once slept in sleeping bags, but now only a few Bluecoats brave tours without air mattresses.

“Most people realize that an air mattress is the way to go,” said Huebner, plugging in his pump and peeling off his hoodie.

Having slept on the bus, he still had work to do. He threw on a fresh shirt and met with drum major Joe Falcon and executive director David Glasgow to find practice fields and plan for “tomorrow,” which for them wouldn’t start until wake-up call.

In drum corps, things normally taken for granted can be hard to come by. Falcon and Huebner are Bluecoats veterans, and they admitted that their lifestyle is unusual.
“Warm showers are a luxury,” noted Falcon, who would sleep just an hour before breakfast.

During lights out, several tip-toed across the concrete and slid into other beds. By the time Huebner made the 10 a.m. wake-up announcement, several couples had cuddled with limbs entwined.

Relationships start easily within the corps.

“I would say with the exception of people who are in long-distance relationships, 90 percent of the corps at some point has a relationship or a significant other,” said Vicky Wielosinski, who met her boyfriend through the Bluecoats.

Time in the corps is a priority in every way.

“You learn to schedule your time by the minute,” said Wielosinski. “You learn how long it takes from the bathroom to the food truck and you develop a habit.”

The drum corps rehearses daily for 8 to 12 hours. Days are divided into three blocks of rehearsal time: one for marching and visuals, a second for music and a third with everything combined. Each section has a job, such as unloading equipment or lining practice fields.

In between practices, everyone traipses to the food truck, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. Hot dishes vary from roast beef to pancakes to pizza. Peanut butter and jelly are always available.

The food truck is also where corps manager Bill Hamilton posts important post-championships announcements (“How are you getting home?”) and the day’s schedule. In a notebook, Hamilton charts the exact schedule of each day, sometimes down to 15 minute slots.

Every 10 days, Bluecoats members do laundry.

“We send out the four buses to four different laundromats, and we give them three hours,” Hamilton said.

In a full-corps meeting that morning, visual instructor Gene Monterastelli told members that the week would be very emotional. He urged them to remember why they were there.

“Ask yourselves, ‘Where did you start, where are you right now, and where do you want to end the week?’,” he said. “Make sure you maximize all of the things that you are here for.”

After Saturday, many look forward to seeing their families, resting and returning to school. For some, the end will be especially bittersweet, as they will be too old to return for another year.

“You’re with the same people everyday for three months,” said Wielosinski. “They’re your support, your family.”