Drumming Up Green on the Fields

There was a big announcement in Annapolis last week when the Conference and Visitors Bureau landed the biggest convention in their history.

Over Labor Day, 2012, the Drum Corps Associates will hold their World Championships at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. That translates into about 13,000 drum beating, horn tooting and flag waving marchers, plus family and friends who travel for the annual competitions and enjoy the long weekend in shops, restaurants and hotels. An estimated $10 million in revenue will be generated.

Snaring this gig involved months of negotiations and collaborations with the Naval Academy, city and county for facilities. So what does it have to do with sports, you ask? Plenty, Terry reminds us.

First of all, most D&B Corps are part of the pageantry that accompanies sports events – from the parades to the halftime performances and all the pep rallies in between. Secondly, they require the same infrastructure for their competitions – stadiums or arenas to perform in, fields to practice on, space for equipment, lots to park on, etc.

And marching bands are every bit as competitive as sports teams. They drill constantly, learn new routines regularly, and incorporate creativity into their play action. They also travel a lot – for parades, games, exhibitions, and competitions like this.

My son was in the marching band at Annapolis High, and he played the euphonium as only a mother could love. (Practice in the van on the way to rehearsals was an unforgettable auditory experience. I still cringe at the thought.) But I gained a great appreciation for the role the band played in his development and can understand why musicians find it a lifetime avocation. Many of these drum corps regulars probably started the same way.

(Brandon later abandoned the brass for guitar, which is easier to transport and more popular on the club circuit. Other than Governor O’Malley, I don’t know anyone with a band featuring a euphonium.)

So while this major competition doesn’t register as a huge spectator event, it will attract a boatload of visitors. It also provides one more example of how sports facilities intersect with tourism to benefit the local economy.

The network that supports this convention is now in place to attract many others. They're already trying to line up future championships.  Congratulations, Connie and Anne Arundel County.