Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps

Pre-DCA/DCI (1950–1965) Founding (1950) The Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1950 in Lakeview, West Hempstead, Long Island. Its origins trace to a meeting of a Marine Corps League, during which John Hodge, a World War II veteran and former U.S. Marine, proposed establishing a youth music program. Hodge’s proposal led to the creation of the Marine’s Memorial Drum Corps of Nassau County, initially operating as a junior parade corps. From 1954 through 1957, the Sunrisers were a prominent corps in the Long Island area, participating in numerous parades and exhibitions, competing in standstill competitions, and winning in all categories. Sunriser lead soprano Frank Dorritie, Grammy-winning artist, recounted his experience as he stepped onto the stage:''"...the curtain opened and spots and footlights nearly blinded us. Squinting, I could make out the edge of the stage, boom stands holding Dick Blake's microphones and finally, the people in the balconies that seemed stacked one upon the other to the sky."''A significant milestone came when the corps earned third place at the Roosevelt Stadium prelims, placing among top competitors. That performance—highlighted by a Billy Cobham–inspired drum solo—marked a major turning point for the organization and signaled the Sunrisers’ emergence as a rising force on the competitive field. 1968 – American Legion National Championship title In 1968, the Sunrisers won the American Legion National Championship. 1969 Although the corps did not receive any major awards, the 1969 season is generally considered the Sunrisers’ finest of the decade. Highlights included their notable performance of “Procession of the Nobles,” the first DCA corps to introduce a female guard member as well as a mixed-gender guard, and the incorporation of G-F bugles into the corps. This year was also significant as John Sasso, former principal horn of the New York Philharmonic, began integrating ensemble etudes, exercises, and chorales into brass training. Rookie lead soprano Wayne Downey would later adapt the studies he learned at Sunrisers for use with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1974, Mike DeLorenzo was appointed as the corps’ new director. The Sunrisers began to attract an influx of younger members from New Jersey, New York City, and Westchester County, New York. However, the corps struggled with a small hornline and ultimately finished in eighth place. The season also featured a memorable incident involving the Westshoremen at finals: after their performance, the Sunrisers released a flock of birds that were expected to fly away but instead remained on the field, delaying the Sunrisers’ start. DCA judge Walter Kelly allegedly fired a pistol in an attempt to scare the birds away. The following year, 1991, the corps missed finals entirely, finishing 11th in prelims. DCA A Class (2003–2004) In 2003, the Sunrisers returned to the field in the DCA Class A division, scoring 73.238 at the DCA Class A & Open Class Finals in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 2012, the corps again placed fifth, improving their score slightly to 75.050. However, citing rising costs and reduced membership, the corps announced the suspension of the 2022 competitive season. The corps also did not field for the 2023 season.--signified the Sunrisers’ return to competition for the first time since 2021, and their first participation in live competitive events since 2019. Following the absorption of DCA by DCI, the Sunrisers joined the DCI All-Age A-Class under the direction of David Hobart. The Sunrisers experienced an undefeated season with their show "The Light Within", featuring selections from "Black Hole Sun", "Daylight", "Lux Aurumque", and "Becoming One of the People". The 2024 season marked the first time the corps performed at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, for DCI Finals. At finals, the corps placed ninth with a score of 83.475. == Culture ==

Women in the Sunrisers The Sunrisers are recognized in the marching arts scene for their progressive approach to gender inclusion. The Sunrisers included the first DCA female color guard member in 1969. The same year, they introduced a mixed-gender guard, paving the way for broader participation of women within the corps. Carol Ann Schaffer (later Fallon), who joined the Sunrisers in 1973, became the corps’ first female lead soprano and went on to become the first female lead soprano soloist in DCA history. Songs The Sunrisers’ corps song is "Battle Hymn of the Republic," which members sing before every show. • 1965: The jacket design was then swapped to a dolman-styled tunic. • 1976: The corps adopted Aussie-style hats with light orange feathers and removed the dolman tunic. • 1984: Blue pants were replaced with white pants. • 1992: The tunic color was changed to white. • 1997: The drum majors’ uniforms were updated with blue tunics and white sashes. The corps returned to scarlet tunics, white pants, and orange feathers. A sequined blue sash was added, and the Aussie hats were colored white. • 2003: Drum major uniforms returned to white with a blue sash. • 2014: The corps adopted new uniforms featuring traditional black shakos with white plumes. A diagonal white streak extended from the right shoulder to the right breast, with the other half in black, and the Sunrisers logo was added to the right breast. A sash combining orange and sequined blue was introduced, paired with black pants. White-and-black gauntlets were added. Drum major uniforms became entirely black, with the Sunrisers logo on the chest, a black sash with reflective shards, and an insignia on the shoulder. • 2024: A black shoulder pad was added to drum major uniforms and shakos were removed. Membership The Sunrisers have historically faced challenges in maintaining membership since their founding in 1950, due to shifts in corps age demographics, interest in drum corps, and relocation efforts. Originally, membership was limited to youth Marine Corps League members. In 1953, the corps opened its ranks to include former players from pre-war corps who had relocated to Long Island. From 1958 to 1965, the Sunrisers saw a modest increase in younger members due to limited junior corps opportunities in New York. Starting in 1974, the corps attracted more young members from New Jersey, New York City, and Westchester County. Membership sharply declined in 1980 and was further affected by the corps’ relocation from Long Island to New Jersey in 1985. An influx of members in 1994 helped, but numbers remained low. In late 2008, the Sunrisers returned to Long Island after nearly 25 years, but were unable to field a corps due to insufficient membership. The 2016 season marked the highest membership since the corps first went inactive after 1999. Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, membership again declined sharply. By 2024, the Sunrisers shifted recruitment toward younger students. Hobart and Kamping described Long Island as a “large, thriving marching band hotbed,” and the corps focused on training student performers to strengthen their school and college programs. This strategy increases the likelihood that schools will encourage students to join the Sunrisers. == Show summary (1960–present) ==

Source: • 1960–1965: Competitive Circuit Years • 1966-2023: Drum Corps Associates (DCA) • 2024-Present: Drum Corps International (DCI) == References ==