Our story.
Who we are.
The Colts are a drum and bugle corps from Dubuque, Iowa, the smallest city nationally to host a Drum Corps International World Class drum corps. Founded in 1963, we have had four names and thousands of members. In our most recent history, we have become a championship corps, placing in the Top 12 at DCI Finals nine times.
We believe the greatest accomplishments start with individual details.
The Colts are comprised of 165 members, 40+ staff, and hundreds of volunteers who all care deeply about this activity. Membership comes from all over the nation and overseas. Typically, we begin rehearsals and auditions in November, meeting one weekend a month, for a rehearsal “camp” until June, when we go on tour until mid-August.
Anyone from the age of 16-21 with the desire and drive to achieve success without bounds may audition. The average age is 19. Anybody from a seasoned musician to a high school woodwind player can find their spot in drum and bugle corps.
We are limited to three components: brass, percussion, and color guard. Each of these captions is further divided into sections. Adding these three captions together plus our drum majors and conductors gives us the maximum World Class sanctioned member limit of 165.
What we do.
Immediately following our Memorial Day performance in Dubuque, we start Spring Training. This is where we learn the majority of our show, though it is revised and constantly changing all summer. We spend about one week at each school, rehearsing and performing for the town, before moving on to the next site. We travel to three to five rural tri-state communities in a four week period.
After Spring Training is over, we begin our touring season. We typically travel all over the midwest, down to the southern states and out towards the East Coast competing against other corps from all over the country.
We will attend and compete in DCI shows during this time, but will also devote several days to continued practice in order to perfect our program. DCI tour lasts about six weeks and includes performance venues such as the Alamodome in San Antonio and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Championships Week begins in mid-August and takes up the remainder of the season. The corps is in one location for Championships Week, performing up to three nights in a row at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. After the corps is dismissed on Sunday morning, members return home for the summer.
The summer is very demanding, but enjoyable. The members you stand and march next to all season long are there to lend their support and will become some of your best friends. It's not just about the performance, and scores – it’s about discovering who you are, where you can go, and what you are capable of. What you learn on and off the field will shape your personality and lead you to new places.
