Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps
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  • Home
  • Store
  • Support
    • Sponsors
    • Become a supporter
  • About
    • About the corps
    • Our Staff
    • NLDBC Blog
    • Contact Us!
    • Awards
    • Corps Song
  • 2024 Season
    • Join
    • 2024 Program
    • 2024 Schedule
    • Prospective Members
  • Report A Concern
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9/14/2023 0 Comments

Unveiling the 2024 Season Schedule for Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps


As the church bell echoes of the 2023 season fade into memory, anticipation is building for the next firey chapter in the Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps journey. The 2024 season promises to be an exciting and transformative experience for the corps and its members, and fans alike. We are thrilled to announce our season schedule!

Virtual Informational Q&A Sessions:
Get to Know NLDBC! 

Our Virtual Q&A Sessions offer an excellent way to learn more about Northern Lights, get to know our board of directors and dedicated staff. 
  • ​General Q&A on 10/26/2023 @ 8pm, Facebook Live Event
  • Parent/Guardian Q&A on 11/2/2023 @ 8pm, Facebook Live Event

These sessions will be broken down for general Q&A and a parent/guardian session where we will dedicate our efforts to ensuring that our members' biggest fans are fully informed about what it means to be a member of the Northern Lights.   

Audition Camps:
Where Stars Begin to Shine!

Our journey to excellence begins with the audition camps, where we welcome talented musicians and performers from around the country to join our ranks. These camps provide aspiring members with the opportunity to showcase their skills, learn from our dedicated staff, and immerse themselves in the Northern Lights family. Mark your calendars for these audition camp dates:
  • Audition Camp on 11/18/2023 @ 9am-5pm, Newaygo HS
  • Call-Back Camp on 12/16/2023 @ 9am-5pm, Newaygo HS
These camps are not only a chance to prove your mettle but also to form lasting friendships with fellow performers who share a passion for the marching arts.


Rehearsal Camps:
Stoking the Flame & Forging Unity!

Once our roster is complete, the real work begins. Our spring and summer rehearsal camps are the crucible where raw talent is forged into a harmonious and synchronized corps. Here are the crucial dates to remember:
  • Virtual Rehearsal 1 - Saturday, January 6th, 2024: 7pm to 8pm​ on the BAND app​
  • Winter Camp 1 - Saturday, January 20th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Virtual Rehearsal 2 - Saturday, February 3rd, 2024: 7pm to 8pm on the BAND app
  • Winter Camp 2 - Saturday,  February 17th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Virtual Rehearsal 3 - Saturday, March 2nd, 2024: 7pm to 8pm on the BAND app
  • Winter Camp 3 - Saturday, March 16th, 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Spring Training Day 1- Friday, April 5th 2024: 1pm to 5pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Spring Training Day 2 - Saturday, April 6th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Spring Training Day 3 - Sunday, April 7th 2024: 9am to 1pm @ Newaygo HS
  • Spring Drill Install 1  - Saturday, April 20th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS 
  • Spring Drill Install 2  - Saturday, May 4th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS 
  • Spring Drill Install 3 - Saturday, May 18th 2024: 9am to 5pm @ Newaygo HS 


These camps are where the magic happens. Months of hard work and dedication culminate in the formation of a tight-knit, high-achieving ensemble.

We have virtual rehearsals through the winter which act as memorization checks for at-home practice. Then we step off our spring program with a three day "Spring Training" event, which breaks up fundamentals blocks across spring break weekend and gives our members that feeling of moving into a touring corps.

Then through the spring months, we begin to put the show on the field with drill camps so come summer we'll be ready to perform our field show!


Performance Dates:
A Showcase of Excellence

The Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps has begun to build a tradition of blowing our audience away. The months of May, June, and July are for cleaning the show as we prepare for our culminating performance in August.
  • Memorial Day Parade –Monday, May 27 2024 - TBD
  • Rehearsal  - Saturday, June 1st 2024 
  • Rehearsal - Saturday, June 15th 2024 
  • Week of June 29th - DCI Show or Rehearsal TBD
  • Week of July 13th - DCI Show or Rehearsal TBD
  • Week of July 27th - DCI Show or Rehearsal TBD
  • Friday, August 2nd - Parade TBD
Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for venue announcements and ticket information for these performances.

Burning Bright in Indianapolis:

A Season to Remember

The highlight of our 2024 season will take place in Indianapolis, where we will compete against other elite corps and celebrate the culmination of a successful season. This event promises to be a spectacle of music, movement, and emotion as we strive to leave a lasting impression on judges and fans alike. Save the date for our grand finale:
  • Shining a Light on Music Education Friday, August 9th 2024 – TBD
  • DCI/SoundSport Championships Performance Saturday, August 10th 2024 - TBD 
  • Return home – Sunday, August 11th 2024 - TBD​

As we embark on this exciting journey, the Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps invites you to be a part of our 2024 season. Whether you're a dedicated performer, a passionate fan, or someone who simply appreciates the beauty of music and artistry, we welcome you to join us in creating a season filled with unforgettable moments.
  • If you are interested in joining us as a member of NLDBC this year, please complete our interest form HERE.
  • For more information about ways to support accessible drum corps here in Mid-Michigan, please visit our support page HERE.


We can't wait to share more about our 2024 Northern Lights season with you. It's gonna be HOT! Be Where The Northern Lights Are!

Misty Olmstead
#NLDBC Executive Director
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7/9/2023 0 Comments

It's the best time of the season!

One of my favorite days of a drum corps season is the very first full production run of a show. There's an exulted feeling when the trials and errors of learning a show are finally past, and you know that the only things remaining ahead of you is shaping the final product. To be totally transparent, our show was written to be a DCI caliber program and so we're very excited to bring it to SoundSport to trial our first season in front of an audience. I really believe that we're going to have a positive reception when we finally start performing this show in August.

It is humbling to see the community support that's been rallying around us. From the warm welcome at the DCI Midwest Tour Premiere, to the recent donation of a drumline from the Belvederes Alumni Corps, it's truly incredible to me how much selflessness and generosity this activity brings out in people. At some point you would think this would stop being a surprise and you'd get used to it, since from the beginning the community has been so supportive of us, but each time someone steps up to help support our members it is a humbling reminder that we needed to form this corps.

Which is another reason I am so excited for August-- it will be nice to pay off that generosity. At our Send-Off Concert on the 5th, we'll finish with a meet and greet so members of the community can chat with members of the corps, and we can experience first hand what good our donators and sponsors have brough to Michigan. Following that we have several performances in and around Indy during this year's world championships celebrations, when we get to mingle with others in this activity and share in our collective successes as an activity.

2023 has been such a growth year for me personally, and to watch that growth happen in this form and our members and staff clicking into that next gear only gives me continued optimism for the future of drum corps in Michigan.

As always, stay tuned to the site for new info, and check the FB page for constant updates. Until next time, Be Where the Northern Lights Are.

​-- Doug Olmstead, operations director
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6/1/2023 0 Comments

ICYMI: We're ready for summer!

The summer season has finally arrived and we're looking forward to it! As I say in this video, we're really feeding off the energy of seeing the world class corps begin their move-ins, which marks the true beginning of a drum corps season. This is the time when all the prep work begins to pay off and the show starts to take shape. 

For us, we take it up another gear from our semi-monthly winter camps to 2-3 rehearsals a month. In the month of June we'll be working to get 2/3rds of the show learned, if not more, so a majority of July can be used for cleaning and preparing for our shows in August.

Our members, me included, are chomping at the bit to get to see each other more than once per weather cycle! June is looking to be beautiful, albeit warm, and the energy and buy-in is such a great sign for us. 

Check out the ICYMI video below for news and updates from our last spring month. The corps is set, the show is about to take shape, and we can't WAIT to show DCI what we can do in August.

-- Doug Olmstead
Brass and Ops Director
Horn Sergeant

​#BTWNLA
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4/30/2023 0 Comments

ICYMI, Fundraising, & Camaraderie - HAPPY MAY!

As you can see from our April "In Case You Missed It" video, NL had a very eventful April. With all that and another month before our summer season officially launches on June 3, you'd think that the NLDBC admin staff would be taking a much-needed breather, right? No Way! We are even more energized and running full speed for the 2023 season! Click READ MORE for some important May details you won't want to miss!!   ​

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4/16/2023 1 Comment

That's a wrap on Spring Camp!

It really was a beautiful day for drum corps as Northern Lights held Spring Camp on April 15th. The weather allowed for us to spend the day making moves and music outdoors in the sun, and the projected rain even gave way to sunshine. The smell of sunscreen and the piercing "blip" of the met made me smile as I realized - this is what it's all about - this is drum corps season!

We spent our morning working on marching basics with our visual instructor Chase outside the Muskegon Community College Music and Arts building. Our members range in experience from none to much - so a review of the basics was in order before moving into more advanced marching. After getting a good workout in, a hungry crowd head inside where they were greeted with lunch generously donated by Brian and Carole Olmstead (thanks mom and dad!). The heat was starting to crank outdoors, so it was hugely welcome to sit indoors, refuel and recharge. 

After lunch, we spend the the afternoon in sectionals and at the end of the day we came together as a full ensemble for the first time this season, and when I tell you I got chills - I'm not joking. I can't believe the work our members are putting in between camps - and showing up ready to show out. 

After dismissal, some members of the corps met up at Applebee's for food, fun, and laughter. As with most valued traditions, heading to 'Bee's after camp just sort of happened and is becoming a regular occurrence. That's part of the fun with creating something new like Northern Lights -- we've gone with no expectations and a whole lot of hope... and we get to see some amazing habits, norms, and traditions starting to form. Can't wait to see where we are in 5 or 10 years and which of our corps traditions at the time got their start right here - in our first season. 

Next time we come together will be on June 3 where we'll really hit our stride and move into every other weekend rehearsals.  Setting drill and preparing for the SoundSport International Food & Music Festival in Indianapolis this August! I can't wait to share our corps with you everyone. We've really got something special going! ​
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