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

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

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!!   ​