Music City Legend
DCA All Age Drum & Bugle Corps / Nashville, TN - United States
Overview
Music City Legend Drum & Bugle Corps ("MCL") was founded in the summer of 2003. In its first year, MCL competed as a “mini-corps” at the Drum Corps Associates ("DCA") Championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on September 3, 2004, and placed 5th with a score of 86.5. There were 21 members in the corps. These 21 members are the Charter Members of MCL.
The following year, the corps advanced to field competition with nearly 60 members and placed 4th at the DCA Class “A” Championship, winning the High Brass award. MCL made the big leap into Open Class competition in 2006 and earned full membership in DCA. The Nashville-based corps completed its most successful season last year with its second consecutive 11th place finish in Open Class at the 2008 DCA World Championship, achieving its highest score and placement ever at that event.
Music City Legend has distinguished itself as a “crowd pleaser” by developing an original, family-friendly musical and visual entertainment package each season. The corps’ philosophy is: “Challenge the performer. Entertain the audience.”
Music City Legend is the only competitive “all-age” drum and bugle corps in Tennessee. MCL is a Tennessee non-profit, charitable organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status and an active participant in contests sponsored by Drum Corps Associates (DCA), Drum Corps Associates-South (DCA-S), and Drum Corps International (DCI).
The corps’ mission is to further and enhance education in music and performing arts through competitive drum corps. In the process, MCL increases public awareness of the social and historical significance of the drum & bugle corps activity to the Mid-South. MCL also serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Nashville area by providing entertainment at local events and representing the area with distinction when it is on the road for competitions, parades, and other performances.
MCL membership is open to adults over the age of 18 who have the talent and desire to participate in a competitive drum corps. The corps may accept members under the age of 18 with parental permission and approval by the Board of Directors. The corps draws its membership predominantly from Middle Tennessee with some members commuting from Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina. This includes former members of many different drum corps and marching band programs and a vast array of other musical backgrounds and experiences.
Each year "MCL" creates a different theme for its competitive show. One year the music may be jazz and the next will be something totally different. The corps rehearses one weekend per month beginning in November moving to a twice-a-month schedule in the late winter/early spring. The primary competition and performance season is in the spring and summer. Music City Legend participates in 5-6 drum corps competitions a year, as well as a handful of parades and other performances. The year culminates with the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) World Championship on Labor Day Weekend.
During rehearsals, the work ethic is strong. But when it’s time to relax, the attitude is friendly and fun. Music City Legend is special because members become more than part of a drum corps – they become part of an extended family. You’re cordially invited to become a part of the Legend, whether it be as a performer, volunteer, or fan.