After the devastating announcement last week that the 2020 drum corps season had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we reached out to a few members to hear what they thought of the situation. Here’s what they had to say;

“This summer would have been my 5th and final summer with my Phamily. I have found love, belonging, confidence, and resilience, among so many other amazing things. It’s tough for me to pick a favorite moment as often, I do not even realize how special a moment is until much, much later.

I think the summer of 2019 was so special. It has been my favorite summer so far. The colorguard was incredibly close, and we all got along so well. Getting to see the growth in my team both as humans and as performers throughout our season was nothing short of amazing.

I know we are all hurting with the recent news of the cancellation of DCI 2020. One memory that is helping me to keep my head up amid my sadness is finals night in 2019. The audience was giving us all the energy we were giving them and then some. Towards the end of the ballad, I was making my way toward the 50 to run through the hornline. I got to the center prop and lifted my sabre up into my ending pose. I decided to really take in that moment with the audiance. I watched as they jumped to their feet, and tears filled my eyes. I thought to myself, “it doesn’t get better than this,” but it did! We started our closer, and the whole corps was singing our battle cry, you know the one. We started our rifle feature, and I once again caught a glimpse toward the audience. The entire corps staff was sitting in the lower stands in front of us, all on their feet, giving it up for us, cheering, singing, clapping, and yelling. The way that our staff was determined to help us push to the end was so unique. We got off the Lucas Oil field, and the energy was unreal. I had fallen in love with my corps all over again.

That is what I am holding on tight to, to carry me to 2021, when I get to live my age out for real. Year 5 may not look like I thought it would, but Regiment and the Regiment Colorguard are not going anywhere. We are the 2020 Phantom Regiment, and we will be back even stronger in 2021. Year 6 is going to be incredible. Just you wait!”

SUTA,
Hannah Reese

“In 2019, I spent my first summer with Phantom Regiment. It was hands down, the greatest summer of my life.

I remember so much about the day-to-day grind that comes with drum corps: loading and unloading twice a day, practicing in the morning, moving during meals, hot gyms, cold showers, sleeping on the bus, and so on. I also remember the way it felt to finish our first full run, to play Elsa’s for the first time, to put on the uniform, and to stand on a field for 12 minutes and give the audience the Phantom Regiment.

So many of my favorite memories with Regiment happened off the field and outside of block, but one moment was particularly special to me. The Charleston encore was the last time we played Elsa’s as a full corps. We had a great show that night, and playing our corps song was an especially powerful experience for me. The sense of unity, resilience, and power showed how the growth and persistence of that drum corps paid off. Most importantly, it reminded me what a privilege it is to be a member of the Phantom Regiment and how lucky I am to call this drum corps my home.

There’s a picture of Charlotte and I hugging after that performance. I learned so much marching with her, and I’m honored to call her my friend. Moments like that remind me that when the summer is over, it comes down to the people. The people I spent my summer with were more impactful than any other aspect of my experience. From members, staff, and admin, to volunteers, the people I spent every day with showed me the importance of selflessness, humility, and hard work.

Being a member of the Phantom Regiment is a privilege that started as a dream. I look forward to sharing that privilege with my fellow members in 2021. For now, we keep pushing. We pick up our horns, our mallets, our drums, and our equipment. We wake up and go to work. Why? We Are The Phantom Regiment.”

SUTA,
Megan Raughter