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
Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @onawaterbreak
Be a guest: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

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

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

Marching arts news moves fast, and this week the panel takes on two stories reaching well beyond the rehearsal field: the ICE detention of Maria Rosales after a trip to Boston with members of her performing team, and a packed national championship season for baton twirling.

Ashlee Amos leads Bill “Woody” Woodward, Bobbey Biddle, Kim Webb and Haley Harrington through the news, a practical 60-Second Tech Block for band directors, and a Water We Doing?! conversation about DCI streaming, ensemble culture, burnout and the way performers are treated online.

THIS WEEK’S PANEL
Ashlee Amos — @famousamossss_
Bill “Woody” Woodward — @remoking100
Bobbey Biddle — @bobbeyboy107
Kim Webb — @kimpossible413
Haley Harrington — @h_harrington14

IN THE NEWS

• The detention of Maria Rosales at Boston Logan Airport and what the story means for educators traveling with performers, students who are afraid for their families and adults responsible for keeping young people safe.
• Inside baton twirling’s national championship season, including the U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships, America’s Youth on Parade, Miss Majorette of America, Grand National competition and international qualification for the Nations Cup, World Championships and Inspiration Cup.

60-SECOND TECH BLOCK
Kim Webb explains why singing and humming with your band can improve intonation, listening, intervals, phrasing and musicality. Her starting point is simple: if students cannot hear and sing the phrase, they are not ready to play it correctly.

WATER WE DOING?!

• West Coast DCI shows that begin near bedtime for East Coast viewers.
• Leaving color guard and percussion outside the full ensemble culture.
• Educators who never make room for a life beyond marching arts.
• What the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders documentary gets right about performers as athletes.
• Adults who criticize performers online for design decisions the performers did not make.

GUSH & GO
Bobbey celebrates a historic Miss Pennsylvania win for Miss Philadelphia, Haley finds a better way to stay hydrated, and Ashlee previews “Joyride,” her upcoming marching band production.

NEWS & RESOURCES
ICE detention following a Boston concert trip — The Boston Globe
U.S. National Baton Twirling Championships — USTA
America’s Youth on Parade 2026 — NBTA

PRESENTED BY GUARD CLOSET
Your one-stop shop for color guard, marching band and the marching arts.
Shop Guard Closet | @guardcloset

FIND ON A WATER BREAK
Website | Listen Everywhere | All Links | Be a Guest
Email: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com
Follow @onawaterbreak on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Blue Devils transportation team member Greg Case gives a firsthand account of the 2026 bus fire, how everyone got to safety, what members lost, and how the Loveland community helped the corps keep moving. Trish O’Shea, Nicole Younger, and Jeremy Williams also cover Brad Furlano’s appointment as DCI’s next CEO, Denise Bonfiglio becoming WGI Color Guard Chief Judge, and the marching bands that found new stages after America 250 parades were canceled by extreme heat. Then Greg takes the 60 Second Tech Block with a lesson on driving a sleeper bus while an entire support team is trying to sleep.

In this episode:

• The Blue Devils bus fire and community response
• Drum corps transportation, tour logistics, and driver responsibility
• Brad Furlano’s appointment as DCI’s next CEO
• Denise Bonfiglio’s appointment as WGI Color Guard Chief Judge
• Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. parade cancellations
• Friends of DCI seating, FloMarching access, and weather backup plans
• 60 Second Tech Block: the art of driving a drum corps sleeper bus

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome • 02:07 Meet Greg Case • 04:37 Blue Devils bus fire • 11:51 Brad Furlano and DCI • 15:20 Denise Bonfiglio and WGI • 17:52 America 250 parade cancellations • 25:58 60 Second Tech Block • 31:57 Water We Doing?! • 42:58 Gush & Go • 50:22 Closing

Guest and panel:
Greg Case — YouTube @gregcase221 | TikTok @gregcase75
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Nicole Younger — @o2binpjs
Jeremy Williams — @guardcloset

News sources:
Blue Devils incident update • 9NEWS community coverage • DCI appoints Brad Furlano • WGI appoints Denise Bonfiglio • Philadelphia parade coverage • Bands perform after the cancellation • Farmington High School finds a new stage • Washington, D.C. parade cancellation

Related episode:
OAWB S4EP24: Blue Devils Bus Fire, WGI 2027 Calendar, DCI Houston Move & Marching Band Cuts

Sponsored by Guard Closet:
New and consignment color guard, winter guard, and marching band gear at GuardCloset.com and @guardcloset.

Find On A Water Break:
Website • Listen Everywhere • YouTube • Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @onawaterbreak • Be a guest • onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

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

Color guard, winter guard, marching band, drum corps, DCI 2026, and WGI are all on deck this week. Whitney Stone is joined by Sadie Wallace, Jeremy Svoboda from Drum Corps Today, and special guest P.A. Kelly / Patti Ann Rego for a Water Break Weekly episode connecting old-school drum corps history to the 2026 season.

P.A. shares stories from the Bronx, Blessed Sacrament, Santa Clara Vanguard, the Blue Devils, rifle lines, inspection lines, the Bottle Dance, Blue Devils “Betties,” and the generational shift from early drum corps to today’s DCI and WGI world. The panel also talks Big, Loud & Live, FloMarching, DCI West, River City Rhapsody, the 2026 MLB All-Star Game field cast opportunity in Philadelphia, first DCI scores, ticket prices, the tour model, and the peak Backyard Betty conversation.

Segments:

• Guest Spotlight: P.A. Kelly / Patti Ann Rego on Vanguard, Blue Devils, gold medals, rifle lines, and drum corps history
• News: Walnut Hills practice time, Blue Devils bus incident, DCI Houston relocation, WGI updates, Big Loud & Live, FloMarching, DCI scores, and MLB All-Star field cast opportunity
• Water We Doing?!: DCI ticket prices, smaller lineups, the tour model, and modern show design
• Gush & Go: Momix, the Human Library, Govenaires, Blue Knights, moving, not moving, vintage rifles, Blue Devil Betties, and Backyard Bettys

Panel: Whitney Stone @dancerwhit • Sadie Wallace @m.sadiewallace • Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today @drumcorpstoday • Special Guest: P.A. Kelly / Patti Ann Rego

Sponsored by: Guard Closet — guardcloset.com — @guardcloset

Source Links: Walnut Hills: https://local12.com/news/local/cincinnati-marching-band-miss-season-after-practice-time-cut-walnut-hills-high-school-students-bands-marching-instruments-talent-controversy-controversial-frustrations-state-finals-performances |

Blue Devils: https://bluedevils.org/news/article.php?ID=1291 | DCI Houston: https://www.dci.org/news/katy-isds-legacy-stadium-to-host-2026-dci-houston-event/ | WGI proposals: https://www.wgi.org/26adboardresults/ |

WGI alumni casting: https://www.wgi.org/wgi-opening-ceremony-alumni-casting-call/ | Big Loud & Live: https://www.dci.org/cinema/ | DCI/FloMarching: https://www.flomarching.com/articles/16020294-subscribe-to-flomarching-to-watch-the-entire-2026-dci-season | DCI scores: https://www.dci.org/scores/ |

BD Entertainment: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreBDE/ | MLB All-Star Week: https://www.mlb.com/phillies/fans/all-star-game |

MOMIX: https://www.momix.com/ | Human Library: https://humanlibrary.org/

Find On A Water Break: Website: onawaterbreak.com | Listen Everywhere: linktr.ee/onawaterbreak | YouTube: @Onawaterbreak | Instagram/Facebook/TikTok: @onawaterbreak | Be a guest: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Color guard, winter guard, and marching band news are moving fast as DCI 2026 gets rolling and WGI 2027 starts coming into view. Nicole Younger hosts Stephen McCarrick and Jeremy Svoboda for a Water Break Weekly episode covering Walnut Hills High School marching band rehearsal access, the Blue Devils travel incident, DCI Houston’s move to Katy ISD’s Legacy Stadium, and the newly released WGI 2027 Color Guard, Percussion, and Winds regional calendars.

In this episode:

• Walnut Hills marching band practice-time concerns and why rehearsal access matters
• Blue Devils members and staff reported safe after a tire-related bus fire
• DCI Houston moving to Katy ISD’s Legacy Stadium for the 2026 tour
• WGI 2027 regional calendars for color guard, percussion, and winds
• 60 Second Tech Block: Stephen on training technique through muscle awareness
• Water We Doing?!: late DCI show announcements, rehearsal leaks, copyright realities, and respecting admin teams
• Nicole highlights the African American Legacy Corps and its 2027 DCI plans
• Gush & Go: Eastern University, Phantom Regiment, Colts percussion, Eagles Drumline, and FIFA performance life

Related Episodes: S4EP23: Summer Color Guard Training, WGI Rule Changes & DCI Houston Relocation | Color Guard & Marching Band Design Analysis | Pro Tip Besties

This week’s panel: Nicole Younger @o2binpjs • Stephen McCarrick @stephenmccarrick • Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today @drumcorpstoday

Sponsored by: Guard Closet.

Find On A Water Break: Website | Listen Everywhere | YouTube | Instagram/TikTok/Facebook: @onawaterbreak | Be a guest: onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com

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

Color guard, winter guard, and marching band summer prep are on deck this week. Grantis Peranda is joined by Jeremy Denzer and Emily Nee for a Water Break Weekly episode covering DCI Houston, major WGI 2026 proposal results, the WGI 2027 Opening Ceremony Alumni Casting Call, Pride Guard season, and practical summer training before band camp.

Episode Highlights:

• DCI Houston relocation and summer tour updates
• WGI proposal results, including Scholastic A seeding and scholastic promotions
• WGI 2027 Opening Ceremony Alumni Casting Call
• 60 Second Tech Block: summer training that matches your performers
• Water We Doing?!: spin clinics should build confidence, not confusion
• Summer opportunities: DCI shows, clinics, local spin days, Pride guards, and parade performance
• Gush & Go: New England Pride Color Guard, forward-moving parade shows, Taiwan travel, and Seattle solstice creativity

Panel: Grantis Peranda (@grantisimo_p), Jeremy Denzer (@jeremydenzer), and Emily Nee (@tch.makes.art).

Sponsored by: Guard Closet (@guardcloset).

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