#starofindianadrumandbuglecorps

[fugandhi]

1990 Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps

One of Star of Indiana’s most Powerful & Inspiring shows (in my humble opinion) is their 1990 program, “Belshazzar’s Feast.”

Based on a Babylonian King who had a sacrilegious feast (while disgracing Jewish temples) and his kingdom’s inevitable downfall which lead to Jewish Freedom - this show pulls no punches. My high school marching band ALMOST marched this show my junior year (UGH! I WISH!). With a director change, we ended up with Korean Folk Song which ended up Totally working out in the end (Can’t go wrong with Korean Folk Song - classic tune).

As far as Star performing this show: Absolutely Breath-taking work being done by that 1990 corps. By the end of the show the corps is ON FIRE! This show was the precursor to the next year’s show (notice the uniforms as well as that HUGE CROSS in the drill just like in the ‘91 closer). Totally one of the best Bronze Medalist corps of all time (Without a doubt)! It still amazes me just how much work was put into that corps. People will always look at Star as one of the most important drum corps in DCI history. I know I do.

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[fugandhi]

A brief (but Awesome) clip of Star of Indiana during a rehearsal in their last season (back in the day). Still one of the most impressive and forward-thinking shows I have ever seen, and still highly revered and regarded as one of the most innovative and artistic drum corps shows of all time (due much to the severely disciplined concept and show design - not to forget one of the strongest drum corps in DCI history).

What a shame they are not on the field today. I could only imagine what that corps would have looked like in 2019 if they were still around.

[fugandhi]

When Star of Indiana won the 1991 DCI Championship!

Star of Indiana was one of the best drum corps to have ever been organized. There are so many talented and noteworthy people who had either marched in or taught Star when they were on the field. 

Star of Indiana can be recognized as the key most influential drum and bugle corps that had shaped the remainder of the activity beyond it’s own time. Today’s Drum Corps International is what it is because of Star of Indiana. 

This is the drum corps that had an honorable contribution to the activity of drum corps and truly helped to elevate the overall understanding of what could be accomplished on and off the field (especially with Star transforming into Blast! which won a Tony Award). 

Everyone who marches drum corps today should be thankful for Star of Indiana’s 1993 show for pushing the envelope in high-brow conceptual design and a very cryptic level of storytelling.

In my own humble opinion, granted I’m not a fancy-shmancy DCI Judge - I actually still believe that Star of Indiana 1993 was one of the greatest drum corps snubs of all time - 1993 was Star’s year - hands down. The Cadets show that year was absolutely breath-taking (don’t get me wrong), but in retrospect when observing the two shows side-by-side - for me it was Star’s night that night and they should have been rewarded the Gold medal - That’s how I would have done it.

Enjoy! An excerpt from one of the most legendary drum corps shows in DCI (especially thanks to the perfection of the drill design - which oddly enough - there are stories that go around the drum corps campfire about how George Zingali had to place each member in those huge Roman Catholic Cross formations one person at a time during a rehearsal and just literally made it up on the spot ..(absolutely brilliant)….I never checked the validity of that with anyone who marched with Star of Indiana - however - there is no denying the pure genius and brilliance of the late and very-missed George Zingali by the drum corps community and his influence that carries with instructors and designers to this very day - God bless him).