Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps

Cincinnati Tradition
Location	Cincinnati, Ohio
Division	DCA Class "A"
Founded	1984
Director	Tom Slade

The Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps based in Cincinnati, Ohio that competes in the Drum Corps Associates circuit. The corps is a 501(3c) not-for-profit organization sponsored by The Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard. Open to brass, percussion, and dance/guard ages 14 years and up.

History

The Cincinnati Tradition Drum & Bugle Corps was formed in 1984. The founders, Tom Slade and Dan Hartwig decided to add to the championship drum line of the Silver Spectrum. With adding brass and color guard to the drum line, it was decided they needed a new name, thus the Cincinnati Tradition. With the help of the Pride of Cincinnati Drum & Bugle Corps which folded at the end of the 1984 season, they were able to acquire the much needed brass instruments. Tradition was also the Ohio VFW Parade Champions in 1984, 1985 and 1986. The Tradition took 1st Place at the 1988 Norwood Centennial Parade in Norwood, OH. They were also selected in 1988 to perform in the City of Cincinnati Bicentennial Parade. The Tradition took 2 years off in 1995 and 1996 to help Mike "Cozy" Baker form the Mirage Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps in Miamisburg, Ohio. In 1997 and 1998 some members went to march with the Bombardiers in Columbus, Ohio. In 1998 Tradition came back to Cincinnati and has been active in the Metropolitan Cincinnati area ever since.

Recently, the corps became a competitive all-age drum & bugle corps in 2010 within the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) circuit, and placed 10th at DCA Preliminaries in Rochester, NY. Cincinnati Tradition is an active member of DCA and travels to DCA shows in Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, and will compete in the 2012 DCA Championships in Annapolis, Maryland. Tradition also competes as an all-age corps in regional Drum Corps International (DCI) shows in Ohio.

Recent Years/Traditions

For most of its existence, Cincinnati Tradition has been considered a senior drum corps. In recent years, interest from high school students has allowed Tradition to transform into an all-age corps. For the past few seasons, Tradition has gone to the DCA championships as a mini-corps, but performed at local Ohio shows with a field show. Mini corps are all-age or senior drum corps who have no more than 21 performing members and perform their show standing on stage after Individual & Ensemble Performances.

Tradition, by rules of DCA, is an any-key ensemble. This means that all bell-front brass instruments are legal to play in competition, such as Bb trumpets, F mellophones, Bb Contra Bass tubas, etc. However, keeping with tradition of older drum corps, Tradition fields a corps of almost all G bugles. The current 2011 season has Tradition with a full G bugle line. This makes Tradition one of the last drum corps to field a full G bugle line. Other notable exceptions include The Commandant's Own U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and The United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. Not only does Tradition employ a full G bugle line, the corps is the only competing corps in the United States, DCA or DCI, to still use piston/rotor bugles. The Baritone and Contrabass bugle sections are a mix of piston/rotor, two valve, and three valve bugles. The mellophone section is three valve, as well as most of the soprano line, with a few two valve sopranos in the mix.

As of the 2011 season, Tradition no longer requires the use of piston/rotor or two valve bugles. Enough three valve bugles for the entire horn line to play on are either member-owned or corps provided. The 2010 drumline is very strong, even marching drums built specific to the 2010 show. These specially built drums were created from a standard set of quad-toms, which was reduced to a tri-tom configuration, allowing for the attachment of various cymbals, tambourines, or cowbells, thus eliminating the need for these instruments in a percussion pit, which allows for the corps to maximize the number of performers on the field for the best visual effects. In 2011, all of the battery percussion was returned to standard quint-tom configuration, and a pit was added to increase membership by those whose talents may lie elsewhere, such as with pit percussion, such as mallets, vibes, and gongs or bass drums.

The 2012 season of Tradition featured a progression in show design, staffing and membership. The corp continued with its weekend only philosophy but brought on additional staff and technicians from various Division 1 / World Class Drum Corps International Corps, Winterguard International, and Grand National Bands of America organizations. Recruiting paid off with new members from local high schools, universities, U.S. Military band program veterans, current band directors, and professionals pushing the corps to new heights including finalists in 4th place in percussion and color guard.

The 2014 season has the return of the Cincinnati Tradition Mini Corps at the DCA Championships. The Tradition also performed at the 2014 DCI SoundSport event in Indianapolis Indiana place 2nd with the Silver Award. The Tradition was also selected for the Labor Day Weekend Parade in Rochester New York. They will represent DCA on their 50th Anniversary.

Cincinnati Tradition made its first ever DCA Finals appearance placing 4th in Class A at the 2014 DCA Championships in Rochester New York. The Tradition then followed up with another Class A Finals finishing 4th again in 2015 for back to back Finals appearances.

Cincinnati Tradition won its first DCA World Championship in 2016. Tradition made history being the first world champion ever of any drum and bugle corps coming from the Cincinnati area.

Show Programs

1984

No show, this was the founding year of Tradition.

1985

First Year-

"Alabama Jubilee"
"Way Down Yonder"
"You'll Never Walk Alone"

1986

Favorites-

"Spain"
"Hang 'em High"
"Flintstones"
"You'll Never Walk Alone"

1995

Inactive, members went to Mirage Sr. Corps

1996

Inactive, members went to Mirage Sr. Corps

1997

Inactive, members went to Bombardiers

1998

Inactive, members went to Bombardiers

1999

A Tribute to Tom Slade Sr.-

"Taps"
"Hymn in F"
"Spain"
"Trumpeter's Prayer"
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
"Amazing Grace"
"God Bless America"

2000

"Nightmare Before Christmas"
"Something in theWind"
"Olympic Fanfare"

2001

Animated Classics-

"Nightmare Before Christmas"
"The Burning Bush"
"Deliver Us"

2002

Tribute To 9-11-

"Taps"
"Olympic Fanfare"
"God Bless America"
"Stars and Stripes"
"Taps"

2003

Jazz in the City-

"Birdland"
"Fantasy"
"MacArthur Park"
"Gospel John"

2004

Heritage-

"American Heritage"
"Irish Tunes From Derry County"
"Shaker Dance"

2005

Jazz in the 'Nati-

"In The Stone"
"Land of Make Believe"
"Gospel John"

2006

Law & Order-

"Peter Gunn"
"Naked Gun"
"Mission Impossible"
"Live and Let Die"

2007

Pop It!-

"Pop It Like It's Hot"
"Legend of the One Eyed Sailor"
"Channel One Suite"

2008

Tradition Spanish-

"Bully"
"Malaguena"

2009

Fun With Chuck-

"Echano"
"Land of Make Believe"
"Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor"

2010

Tradition Hispaña Segunda Parte-

"Bully"
"One More Time Chuck Corea"
"Zorro's Theme - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"

2011

El Corazón de Andalucía-

"Zorro's Theme - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"
"Diego's Goodbye - From the Motion Picture The Mask of Zorro"
"Malaga"

2012

An Evening with Stan Kenton-

"Here's That Rainy Day"
"Artistry in Rhythm Suite"
"Send in the Clowns"
"Malaga 2012"

2013

8R3AKDOWN-

"Joy (from Awakening)"
"Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again"
"Resistance"
"Creep"
"Breakdown"

2014

Finding Home-

"Fanfare and Allegro"
"Scramble"
Shenandoah Gifts"
"American Salute"

2015

Both Sides-

"Original Music"
"Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
"Both Sides Now"
"The Pretender"

2016

Invictus-

"Honor" Main Title from "The Pacific"
"New Frontier"
"Fairest Lord Jesus/Honor"

Scores

Starting in 2009 with the Mini-Corps performance, Tradition has become a competing DCA corps. For most of their existence, Tradition only performed field shows at exhibition, which means it was not judged or critiqued. 2010 marks the first season Tradition has received a score for a field performance as well.