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History of Drum Corps and Yamaha

Partnering and innovation for success at DCI.

Yamaha has been supplying drum corps with quality instruments for over 30 years now. At first it was just marching percussion, then brass. Now our Pro Audio systems are also being used. We are proud of the drum corps who have played Yamaha instruments over the years, and of their place in our shared history. This trip down memory lane provides insight into the drum corps, their success at Drum Corps International (DCI) and the related innovations that have come from Yamaha.

Here are some of the accomplishments each year, along with a timeline. As you can see, each drum corps has been notable in its achievements:

  • Longevity: In 2015, the Madison Scouts and Yamaha celebrated 30 history of working together. The Cavaliers and Yamaha celebrated 25 years of marching together in 2010.
  • Placement: The corps that use Yamaha instruments have consistently done extremely well, having won 18 DCI Championships, 15 Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Awards and 13 Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Awards.
  • Commitment: In the beginning there were a limited number of groups using Yamaha Percussion, and the competition was tough among music instrument manufacturers. Since then, the number of groups using Yamaha instruments has grown from zero to over thirty-four. In fact, more drum corps play Yamaha Percussion than any other brand of percussion instrument.
  • Product Development: Over the years, the number of Yamaha products available to drum corps has grown. Yamaha has taken its time, completed the required testing and ensured that the products that are released to the marketplace are the best possible instruments with the most advanced music technology available.

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