Members must be age 21 or younger as of May 31 of the current season. Members must also remain in good standing by adhering to our rules and policies and by meeting all membership obligations in a timely manner.

NOTE: Sign up for more information to learn about our schedule plans for the 2022 season.

Members can join any time throughout the year until all performance and alternate spots are full. Our rehearsal season begins in November with auditions on Sundays in various locations and continues with rehearsal weekends (Friday night through Sunday afternoon) once a month through April. Rehearsals increase frequency in May and June, and our move-ins begin in June.

Move-ins will continue with rehearsals and performances until we leave for the DCI national tour around July 23. The tour will brings us through New England, Pennsylvania, and the Mid-West where we will complete the tour at DCI Championships in Indianapolis before returning home.

Drum and bugle corps is a marching art form mixed with pageantry requiring the highest level of athleticism and performance to create complex productions. While talent is an important factor, you are ready to be a Raider if you are willing to learn and work hard.

Auditions take place during the winter and spring, where aspiring Raiders receive feedback from our world-class educational staff. The corps offers online auditions by video for anyone who lives a large distance from our rehearsal location.

The Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps provides a program in music and performance training. Leadership, personal character, and social development skills are emphasized through the challenge, excitement, and self-discipline presented by the corps through travel, competition, and pursuit of excellence.

We maintain contact with our members’ parents. There is a Facebook group as well as a Slack channel that help us provide up-to-date information for parents.

All parents are welcome to attend any audition or rehearsal. During our Open House camps, we will have parents’ meetings where we will offer an overview of the Raiders and all details pertaining to the members’ commitment of staying with the corps through the entire season upon successful auditions.

Many parents volunteer to help the Raiders at our weekend camps or on tour. While we have an extensive staff and administration, many parents enjoy being around the group and helping out in various ways, whether for a few hours over the course of one weekend, staying with the corps for an entire weekend, or joining us for a segment of our tour.

Some of the roles parents help with include food preparation or service, driving (whether airport runs or one of our corps vehicles), building props, helping move equipment for our performances, our managing our souvenirs. Email harlan@raidersdbc.org if you are interested in volunteer opportunities.

We will update this section with the cost to participate in the 2022 DCI season as soon as possible.

We will not turn anyone away for financial reasons, and we offer assistance to all who need it. We offer fundraising opportunities, scholarships, sponsorships, and other opportunities for credits to help reduce the total cost.

The Raiders are approximately one-half the cost of other local drum corps and one-quarter the cost of a travel sports team—and we include a nearly year-round program.

The following information pertained to the 2020 Raiders season.

Rehearsal camps are $75 each when registering in advance. Virtual camps are free.

There is a one-time registration fee of $150 for all members who continue after auditions. We recommend attending all camps to guarantee your spot in the drum corps. Special consideration will be taken for members who live over 250 miles away.

Full tuition is $2,200 as of the 2020 season. Discounts for multiple-year members, fundraising credits, scholarships, and sponsorship are available to reduce that fee. 

The full tuition is due when accepting our offer of membership. An optional monthly payment plan is available. On the payment plan, the full tuition is $2,400 as of the 2020 season (minus any discounts or credits) and must be paid in full by June 15 to remain in good standing.