A history of brass bugles in American drum and bugle corps

Abstract

Bugles have long played an important role in American bands and corps, reaching beyond their military origins. As early as the 1920s, competitive drum and bugle corps performed in national competitions sponsored by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Modern drum corps continue to compete through organizations such as Drum Corps International and Drum Corps Associates. While brass bugles in these competitive drum corps began as military signaling devices, successive modifications made them capable of greater ranges of music. These traditionally valveless, key-of-G bugles evolved to include pistons and rotors, gaining notes beyond a single harmonic series. Instrument sizes were varied to permit pitch ranges from contrabass to soprano. The corresponding music in these shows thus expanded from bugle calls to classical, jazz, and popular genres. This talk will trace the evolution of bugles and their capabilities in American drum corps from their 20th century history through the current day.