Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.
A Podcast for Marching Arts Enthusiasts — On the Field, In the Stands & Behind the Scenes.

DCI 2026 Finals Week is here. Chris Rutt, Whitney Stone and Jeremy Svoboda from Drum Corps Today break down the final stretch of the drum corps season after DCI East, including Bluecoats tying the Allentown stadium record, the fight for Saturday night, Open Class in Dayton and Phantom Regiment’s 70th Anniversary Alumni Corps.

The episode also moves beyond scores: allegations involving the Denver School of the Arts band program lead to a conversation about student safety and rehearsal culture; Music for All names Anne Fennell Senior Director of Education; and WGI’s July Board meeting brings changes for the 2027 Color Guard, Percussion and Winds seasons.

In this episode:
• Bluecoats ties the DCI East/J. Birney Crum Stadium record at 96.825
• Blue Stars, Madison Scouts, Pacific Crest and the fight around the Top 12
• Student safety and allegations involving Denver School of the Arts band
• Anne Fennell joins Music for All as Senior Director of Education
• WGI 2027 proposal and championship updates
• The Battalion, Gold and Blue Devils B after Open Class Prelims in Dayton
• DCI housing sites, rehearsal limits and the All-Age championship schedule
• Govenaires prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2027
• Water breaks, heat safety and long walks from warmup lots
• Why color guard phrases need more choreography and less trick-to-trick staging
• Phantom Regiment’s 70th Anniversary Alumni Corps

Panel:
Chris Rutt — @wildhornbrass1
Whitney Stone — @dancerwhit
Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today — @drumcorpstoday

Presented by Guard Closet
Uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment and design services for the marching arts.
GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

Find On A Water Break:
Website: onawaterbreak.com
Listen everywhere: plinkhq.com/i/1653637341?to=page
YouTube: @OnAWaterBreak
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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 DCI East, Bluecoats, Crown & the Fight for Finals09:58 Welcome to On A Water Break11:51 Denver School of the Arts Band Director Allegations17:00 Music for All Names Anne Fennell Senior Director of Education20:42 WGI Announces 2027 Rules & Championship Changes23:54 Bluecoats Tie the Allentown Stadium Record30:21 Water We Doing?!30:54 DCI Championship Housing & Rehearsal Problems32:48 Jeremy Svoboda on the Govenaires35:23 Govenaires Prepare for Their 100th Anniversary37:13 Give Performers More Water Breaks38:08 Why Are Warmups So Far From the Stadium?41:50 Color Guard Needs Complete Choreography Again44:29 Gush & Go44:44 DCI Open Class, The Battalion & SCV49:13 Getting Ready for DCI Finals Weekend50:14 Phantom Regiment’s 70th Anniversary Alumni Corps51:55 Closing

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

A Podcast for Marching Arts Enthusiasts — On the Field, In the Stands & Behind the Scenes.

FloMarching camera angles, college marching bands, DCI drum corps and Santa Clara Vanguard’s jump-rope choreography are on the sidelines this week.

Whitney Stone, Ricardo Robinson-Shinall and Sadie Wallace discuss how drum corps broadcasts can better capture the moments designers intend audiences to see. Producer Jeremy Williams joins the conversation with a practical solution: better communication with design teams, show-specific production rundowns and directors who know when the major visual moments are coming.

In this episode:
• FloMarching camera angles and drum corps broadcast direction
• USA TODAY’s Best College Marching Band vote
• SCV working with 31-time jump-rope world champion Tori Boggs
• J. Birney Crum Stadium expansion funding
• Sadie’s original 1982 Garfield Cadets instructor jacket
• Why Florida still needs a DCI Tour event
• Boston Crusaders’ Building A Champion documentary
• Carolina Crown, band camp and the final DCI push

This week’s panel:
Whitney Stone — @dancerwhit
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson
Sadie Wallace — @m.sadiewallace

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to On A Water Break
00:58 – Meet Whitney, Ricardo and Sadie
06:28 – Previous episode and Blue Devils bus fire recap
08:03 – Marching arts news
08:21 – Best College Marching Band vote
11:23 – J. Birney Crum Stadium funding
15:27 – SCV jump rope with Tori Boggs
20:39 – 60 Second Tech Block
22:56 – Sadie’s 1982 Garfield Cadets jacket
28:05 – Water We Doing?!
28:27 – Stadium logos and field presentation
35:21 – Why Florida needs a DCI event
37:40 – FloMarching camera angles
39:02 – A production-rundown solution
43:51 – Gush & Go
44:09 – Building A Champion
46:00 – The final DCI push and band camp
47:14 – Carolina Crown
48:23 – Behind-the-scenes OAWB shoutout
49:32 – Submission callout
51:19 – Closing rehearsal

News & resources:
Best College Marching Band vote
J. Birney Crum Stadium funding
SCV and Tori Boggs
Building A Champion

Presented by Guard Closet
Uniforms, flags, costumes, consignment and design services for the marching arts.
guardcloset.com | @guardcloset

Find On A Water Break:
Website | Listen everywhere | YouTube | All links and guest application

Email: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

#OnAWaterBreak #MarchingArts #DCI2026 #DrumCorps #ColorGuard #MarchingBand

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Marching band heat safety, Fusion Winter Guard’s pause after winning the 2026 WGI Independent World Championship, and the future of regional DCI Open Class drum corps lead this week’s On A Water Break.

Joey Montes III is joined by Nicole Younger, Ricardo Robinson-Shinall, Jeremy Denzer and Haley Harrington to discuss Fusion’s decision to pause beginning with the 2027 season, Boise Gems’ inaugural Open Class campaign, mandatory Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature monitoring for Texas marching bands, the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands moving to AT&T Stadium, marching arts performers at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game and the legacy of Bands of America founder Larry McCormick.

In this episode:
• Fusion Winter Guard pauses after winning WGI Independent World
• Boise Gems completes its first DCI Open Class affiliate season
• The case for smaller corps and shorter regional tours
• Texas mandates WBGT heat monitoring for marching band activities
• HBCU marching bands head to AT&T Stadium in 2027
• Remembering Bands of America founder Larry McCormick
• Ricardo’s 60 Second Tech Block: performance is more than a smile
• Respecting color guard equipment and putting flags on the pole correctly
• Building shows around the performers you actually teach
• Making room for rest, recovery and life outside rehearsal

Featuring:
Joey Montes III — @marchingbymontes
Nicole Younger — @o2bnpjs
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson
Jeremy Denzer — @jeremydenzer
Haley Harrington — @h_harrington14

Presented by Guard Closet
Your one-stop shop for color guard, marching band and the marching arts.
GuardCloset.com | @guardcloset

Find On A Water Break:
Website
YouTube
Listen Everywhere and Find All Links
Be a guest: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

Follow @onawaterbreak on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

A Podcast for Marching Arts Enthusiasts — On the Field, In the Stands & Behind the Scenes.

• 00:00 Welcome and panel introductions
• 05:53 Previous episode recap
• 07:04 HBCU bands and the 2027 National Battle of the Bands
• 12:23 Texas mandates WBGT monitoring for marching bands
• 21:54 Boise Gems’ first DCI Open Class season
• 24:12 The case for smaller corps and regional tours
• 28:44 Marching arts performers at the MLB All-Star Game
• 31:52 Remembering Bands of America founder Larry McCormick
• 35:08 Fusion Winter Guard pauses after winning WGI
• 40:04 60 Second Tech Block
• 43:19 Performance is more than a smile
• 49:46 Water We Doing?!
• 50:14 Stop carrying rifles by the strap
• 53:09 Design for the performers you actually have
• 58:15 Respect your color guard equipment
• 01:00:07 Please stop mounting flags upside down
• 01:02:01 Removing stains from white uniforms
• 01:06:40 Make time for yourself
• 01:08:45 Gush & Go
• 01:15:06 Closing rehearsal