For most students, marching band is something they experience through their high school or university. For Jacob Curtis, however, marching became an opportunity to take his passion to a much higher level. This past summer, Curtis competed with The Cavaliers, one of the premier drum and bugle corps in the country, participating in the demanding world of Drum Corps International. From grueling rehearsals and travel schedules to performing in front of thousands of people, his experience pushed him as both a musician and a performer.
Born in Texas, Curtis moved to Oklahoma at an early age. He began taking music seriously in the sixth grade, when he fell in love with the trumpet. He joined the marching band right when high school started and from there got introduced to something called drum corps, which was something he wanted to do with his friends as he started his first year of college. For those unfamiliar with the world of competitive marching, Drum Corps International, DCI, is a professional marching organization where performers travel across the country, competing and performing for audiences throughout the summer.
Curtis explained, “It’s an all day thing with many different segments and small breaks throughout the day, but it all adds up to about 12 hours of practice.”
When Curtis talked about his experience through his three years of marching he stated, “My favorite experience about it is connecting with other people that are focused on the same goal. It’s a bunch of like-minded people just working toward the same goal of getting to the world finals.”
When asked about his competitiveness, Curtis described, “I’m very competitive; I love to compete, [and] this is an opportunity to give it my all. [It] will be something that I’ll never forget.”
When asked about what a typical day in DCI looked like, he said, “During spring training, they start early with breakfast and then go through different classes with breaks in between because they can vary from 3-4 hours long.”
Once spring training ends, performers travel across the country for competitions and performances. Curtis recalled traveling from Michigan through Oklahoma and Texas before eventually heading to the East Coast and Indianapolis.
“Sometimes we can be on a bus for two hours or ten hours,” he mentioned.
When asked about the memories he created as well as some special moments, Curtis described, “My favorite memory was performing in the Indianapolis Colts stadium at world finals every year. It was incredible playing in front of 30,000 people every night.”
Although DCI provided Curtis with memorable experiences, his time competing has a limit. Performers can age out of DCI after the season in which they turn 21, depending on the organization’s age rules.
The most important part of the time spent with Curtis was the last part of the conversation.
He explained, “I feel fulfilled with my time in professional marching. I wanna take what I have learned and apply it to students at SNU because I am a music educator and starting to be a band director.”
After talking with Curtis about his experience, it is clear that his time with The Cavaliers is something he will never forget. From traveling across the country to performing with people who share the same passion for marching band, Curtis got the chance to experience something that many students only dream about. His story shows that marching band can be more than just something you do at school. For Curtis, it became an opportunity to travel, meet new people, challenge himself, and create memories that he can carry with him. His experience with DCI is just one chapter in his marching career, and it will be interesting to see where that passion takes him next.
Photos provided by: Jacob Curtis