Drums Across Kansas

Six Drum and Bugle Corps teams from across the country performed before a crowd of fans and judges in the seasonal contest held annually, known as Drums Across Kansas.  Drums Across Kansas presents the Drum Corp International Tour (DCI) each year, and this is the fourth year for it to be held in El Dorado at BG Veterans Stadium.

EDCF Color Guard presented the colors prior to the start of the competition.

Percussion, color guard, and marching, as well as the general effect of design and musicality are scored by the judges, according to Anthony DiCarlo, DCI tour manager. The world championship will be in Indianapolis, in August. Santa Clara Vanguard is the current reigning champion. 

Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps are the reigning champions and placed second at Drums Across Kansas.

The other teams are the Mandarins from Sacramento, California; the Crossmen from San Antonia, Texas; the Blue Knights from Denver, Colorado; The Cadets from Allentown, Pennsylvania; the Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara, California; and the Blue Devils from Concord, California.

Drum Corps International Tour Manager, Anthony DiCarlo, with Miss Teen El Dorado Naomi Galindo and Miss Teen Frontier Brooklyn Terrones. 

Blue Devils took first place with a score of 88.400, Santa Clara Vanguard was a close second with 88.350 points, and Blue Knights rounded out the top three with 83.300 points. 

Drum and Bugle Corps members, like the Crossmen, pictured here, were dressed in costumes that added to their performances.

Drum Corp International was formed in 1971 to organize and unify leadership for youth-focused competitive drum corps events throughout North America. 

Drums Across Kansas is made possible in part to due to the hard work of volunteers.  Pictured here is City Clerk, Tabitha Sharp (in orange) and Butler Mission Week volunteers.