Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps

Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps is an all age Drum Corps Associates A Class summer drum and bugle corps based in Denton, Texas (USA).

Frontier operates under the umbrella of the Frontier Performing Arts Association (FPAA) [http://www.frontierperformingarts.org/] , which, in addition to Frontier, operates Texas Independent Winterguard [http://www.txindependentguard.org/] , Open Range brass ensemble [http://www.openrangebrass.org/] , the Sky Ryders Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps [http://www.skyrydersalumni.org/] , and Outlaw mini-corps [http://www.theoutlaws.org/] . Also in development are the Frontier Cadets Corps for youths aged 8-14 [http://www.frontiercadets.org/] and a general-purpose solo and small ensemble group called Frontier Degüello [http://www.frontierdeguello.org/] . FPAA is sponsored by Lone Star Percussion [http://www.lonestarpercussion.com/] .

About

Uniform

In its first two years, the corps uniform consisted of khaki pants and tops with a black belt and cross-belt, a uniform reminiscent of the 27th Lancers. Since 2007, Frontier wears a chocolate and crimson uniform with brass buttons and white gauntlets and glovescite news | title = Help Frontier Get New uniforms In 2007 | url = http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/content/view/896/29/| publisher = Drum Corps Planet | date = 2006-09-25 | accessdate = 2006-09-25] . For 2008, the uniform was changed to incorporate silver buttons, red gauntlets with black gloves, and a red sash with silver sequins.

Instrumentation

The corps currently performs using 2-valved and 3-valved bugles. In 2008, the corps purchased a new set of drumline and front ensemble equipment from Dynasty USA, and the percussion section uses Vic Firth sticks and mallets.

Repertoires

Frontier has programmed music from a wide variety of musical genres, including jazz, classical, Broadway, folk, and movie tunes [http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=651&corpstype=Senior] .

Logo

The corps logo is the word Frontier with a shooting star crossing it from left to right. The logo colors suggest a frontier sunset: a dark orange sun under a darkening blue sky. The corps song is Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel.

Members

Frontier's membership draws on a large population of displaced drum corps veterans, but welcomes adults with any musical and/or visual experience. Members come from as near as the Dallas metro area and other parts of Texas to as far as Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and California. The corps continues to grow in size and mature in quality.

Scope

Frontier is an associate member of DCA and a charter member of DCA-Central. Frontier is also lending support to help establish Masquerade Drum and Bugle Corps [http://www.maskdrum.org/] in Ruston, Louisiana, Crosswinds Drum and Bugle Corps [http://www.crosswindscorps.org/] in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and other all-age drum corps in the south and southwestern United States.cite news | title = Starting a circuit in the southwest -- one corps at a time! | url = http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?id=569 | publisher = Drum Corps World | date = 2005-08-03 | accessdate = 2005-08-03]

History

Frontier was formed in the fall of 2004 by executive director Chris Green.

In the arts world, Frontier has enjoyed a close relationship with the world famous Turtle Creek Chorale men’s chorus, performing in several concerts and television broadcasts. With the Chorale, corps members participated in recording sessions for the nationally-distributed compact disk "Songs of Our Nation" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P58PFM/] cite news | title = Frontier Featured On Nationally Released CD | url = http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/content/view/611/29/ | publisher = Drum Corps Planet | date = 2006-07-21 | accessdate = 2006-07-21] , an award-winning documentary entitled ”Power of Harmony” [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E60Q5Y/] , as well as the 2006 Christmas concertcite news | title = Turtle Creek Chorale to perform five concerts | url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/dn/neighbors/pdfs/coppell121606.pdf | publisher = Dallas Morning News | date = 2006-12-15 | accessdate = 2006-12-15] .

Frontier has also performed in exhibition at the annual Texas Drum Corps Previewcite news | title = Texas Drum Corps Rock Austin | url = http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/content/view/522/28/ | publisher = Drum Corps Planet | date = 2006-06-26 | accessdate = 2006-06-26] , the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival [http://www.dentonjazzfest.com/] in Denton, Texascite news | title = Frontier To Perform At Denton Arts & Jazz Festival | url = http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/content/view/36/29/ | publisher = Drum Corps Planet | date = 2006-03-11 | accessdate = 2006-03-11] , at a roller derby game of Assassination City [http://www.acderby.com/] , and at home games of the Dallas Diamonds [http://www.dallasdiamondsfootball.com/] women’s professional football team.

Competitions

Each year since 2005, Frontier has competed at the DCA World Championships, Brass on the Bayou [http://www.gulfcoastsound.org/brassonthebayou-index.html] sponsored by Gulf Coast Sound, as well as annual contests sponsored by Minnesota corps Govenaires and Minnesota Brass, Inc..

As of 2007, Frontier also competes at local DCI contests.

Frontier sponsors an annual competition in the Dallas/Fort Worth area called Brass Hysteria. [http://www.brasshysteria.org]

Seasons of note

2005

In its inaugural season, the corps received a score of 70.713 and finished 16th, performing its debut show Lasso the Sun.

2006

With their show, entitled Fire, Frontier improves nearly 10 points from its inaugural season, finishing 14th and posting a semifinals score of 80.288 [http://www.corpsreps.com/scores.cfm?view=scoreshow&showid=2006732] while performing in less-than-ideal conditions in the rains of Hurricane Ernesto. In recent times, the only all-age corps to post a more significant improvement from one year to the next was the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, who improved 10.3 points from 2000 to 2001.

2007

Frontier takes a step forward with the introduction of its new (and current) uniform. The corps makes its DCI debut at the Lake Highlands Festival of Drums & Bugles on July 19th. The 2007 production, 1968, comprises music released in that year, including The Age of Aquarius from the musical Hair and Bridge Over Troubled Water (song), which has become the corps song.

2008

The 2008 production, entitled There And Back Again, will take viewers on a musical journey, beginning with the modern classical piece "Ride" by Samuel Hazo and continuing with a lush arrangement of "I'll Be Seeing You" based on the version by New York Voices. Then the corps takes a jazzy turn with the classic "Caravan", and finally returns "Home" to the strains of Michael Bublé's hit single of the same name.

References

External links

* [http://www.frontiercorps.org/ Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps]
* [http://www.frontierperformingarts.org/ Frontier Performing Arts]
* [http://drumcorpswiki.com/index.php/Frontier Future DrumCorpsWiki Article]
* [http://www.corpsreps.com/scores.cfm?view=scorecorps&corpsid=651&corpstype=Senior Frontier historical scores]
* [http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=corpsdet&corps=651&corpstype=Senior Frontier historical repertoires]
* [http://www.dcacorps.org/ Drum Corps Associates]