On A Water Break

On A Water Break is your all-access pass to the marching arts — on the field, in the stands, and behind the scenes.

Join directors, instructors, performers, designers, judges, alumni, and fans for weekly conversations about marching band, DCI drum corps, WGI, color guard, indoor percussion, baton twirling, parades, education, design, and the stories shaping the activity.

Expect marching arts news, interviews, 32 Count Life Stories, 60 Second Tech Block, Water We Doing?!, Gush & Go, Quick Sips, OAWB With interviews, special coverage, and plenty of opinions from around the activity. Those recurring elements are part of the established OAWB format.

New episodes every week.

Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com
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Marching arts news: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/news
Meet the team: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/team
Join us: https://www.onawaterbreak.com/join-us

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

Color guard educator, choreographer and adjudicator Wanda Conway joins Whitney Stone, Sadie Wallace and Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today for a conversation connecting decades of color guard history to the activity today.

Wanda shares stories from growing up near George Zingali, Quasar and the 27th Lancers to teaching the Cavaliers as a teenager, working with the Cadets, teaching marching band in Indonesia, judging across the country and her current work with Onyx. The panel also digs into color guard fundamentals, writing choreography to music and drill, women in marching arts leadership, performer safety, physical preparation and the lifelong friendships built through the activity.

Marching Arts News: Southern University's Human Jukebox x Gap; BGSU's 600-member Falcon Marching Band; Barberton's Student Opportunity to Participate Fund; Cody Fry feat. The Blue Devils on “Magic in You.”

Chapters:
00:00 Meet Wanda Conway
02:06 Welcome
04:13 Human Jukebox x Gap
05:04 BGSU Hits 600
08:07 Barberton Participation Fund
09:33 Cody Fry x Blue Devils
13:14 Wanda's 32 Count Life Story
17:36 Teaching the Cavaliers
19:17 Teaching in Indonesia
24:17 Career Highlights
26:02 Choreography with Sadie
31:54 Fundamentals Still Matter
34:23 What Are We Doing?!
34:40 Women in Leadership
38:26 Writing to Music and Drill
40:54 Performer Safety
46:11 Physical Preparation
50:11 Gush & Go
54:40 Banana Ball Meets Marching Band
01:04:31 Closing Rehearsal

Panel: Whitney Stone @dancerwhit | Sadie Wallace @m.sadiewallace | Jeremy Svoboda / Drum Corps Today @drumcorpstoday

Guest: Wanda Conway

Presented by Guard Closet. Listen everywhere, explore Marching Arts News, meet the hosts and find more On A Water Break.

What happens when Phantom Regiment alumni step back onto the field for the corps’ 70th anniversary?

Ricardo Robinson-Shinall talks with Jamison Williams, Dr. Taylor Clements, Nikki Brose and Megan Mbengue about returning to drum corps after years away, what their bodies remembered, how the rehearsal culture felt different as adults, and the emotional payoff of performing at DCI World Championship Semifinals in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The group also gets into Water We Doing?!, Gush & Go, electronics, judging technology, alumni costuming, women in leadership and why an alumni corps can feel like finding home again.

Guests:

• Jamison Williams — @titan_of_la
• Dr. Taylor Clements — @Dr.TClements
• Nikki Brose — @therealdrumcorpstea
• Megan Mbengue — @megan_mbengue

Host: Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson.

Presented by Guard Closet: GuardCloset.com.

On A Water Break:

Website • Listen everywhere • Join us • YouTube.

Related: DCI 2026 Finals recap • DCI Finals Week.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Phantom Regiment Turns 70
01:06 Welcome + Meet the Alumni
02:01 32 Count Life Stories
09:20 Sections + Jamison’s Viral Photo
13:52 Why They Said Yes to the Alumni Corps
17:59 First Rehearsal Across Generations
22:26 What Came Back Fast — and What Didn’t
26:41 The First “This Is Phantom” Moment
28:50 Guard Closet Break
31:01 What Phantom Regiment Gave Them
38:45 Back on the Field as Adults
41:28 Rewriting Old Drum Corps Memories
46:23 DCI Semifinals Night at Lucas Oil Stadium
49:53 “Phantom Regiment Is…”
50:59 Water We Doing?!
54:45 Could Technology Make Visual Scoring More Objective?
56:23 Phantomettes, Uniforms & Alumni Corps Costuming
1:00:08 Women at the Decision-Making Table
1:00:49 Gush & Go
1:03:08 Could You March Again?
1:06:16 Ricardo’s Cavaliers Challenge
1:07:21 Guest Socials + Closing

Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts.

On this episode of On A Water Break, Jeremy Denzer welcomes Courtney Coffey to the team! Courtney shares her 32 Count Life Story before joining Jeremy and Bill “Woody” Woodward for conversations about the biggest topics happening throughout the marching arts.

Courtney shares her journey from Honolulu, Hawaii, to James Madison University, teaching, choreography, and creating Simply Color Guard.

In this episode: Is marching band a sport? Why technique and physical preparation matter. Building stronger rehearsal environments. Professionalism and expectations in the marching arts. How marching arts communities support students.

Marching Arts News: Trump Administration Declares Brass Instruments a National Security Threat: Classic FM |

Why Marching Band Isn't Exactly a Sport: USA Today |

McKinney High School Band Dress Code Discussion: WFAA |

Menasha Marching Band Finds Comfort and Connection After Tornado: We Are Green Bay

60 Second Tech Block: Courtney Coffey discusses why dance technique, movement fundamentals, and performer preparation create stronger performers.

Water We Doing?!: The team discusses skill development, rehearsal expectations, communication, professionalism, and whether physical activity should ever be used as punishment.

Gush & Go: Celebrating positive moments, new opportunities, and growth throughout the marching arts community.

Referenced Episodes:

DCI Finances: Jeff Gill on Drum Corps Costs, Dues & Sustainability |

On A Water Break Rehearsal Block featuring Dalton Stout |

DCI 2026 Finals: Bluecoats Win, Spirit Returns & Rita Moreno

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

Find On A Water Break: Website | OAWB Links | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Be A Guest

Presented by Guard Closet.

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

Bluecoats finish an undefeated season as the 2026 DCI World Champions, Spirit of Atlanta returns to Finals for the first time since 2013, Carolina Crown wins the Jim Ott Award, and Rita Moreno returns to the DCI broadcast 46 years after her original appearance.

Ashlee Amos is joined by Bobbey Biddle and Haley Harrington to recap championship weekend, including Blue Stars' historic sixth-place finish, the DCI All-Age Championship, Cincinnati Tradition's record score and the Phantom Regiment Alumni Corps. They also discuss the construction reshaping downtown Indianapolis and what it could mean for future DCI and BOA visitors.

Bobbey takes the 60 Second Tech Block with a practical challenge for every design team: hire a drill writer who understands how the color guard contributes to the full production. The conversation continues with intentional transitions, giving designers room to create, stronger musicality in baton twirling and more collaboration across the performing arts.

Panel
Ashlee Amos — @famousamossss_
Bobbey Biddle — @bobbeyboy107
Haley Harrington — @h_harrington14

Chapters
00:00 DCI Championship Weekend Highlights
03:47 Welcome to On A Water Break
04:58 Spirit of Atlanta Returns to Finals
08:13 Bluecoats, Crown and the 2026 DCI Results
14:29 DCI All-Age and the Phantom Regiment Alumni Corps
19:08 Downtown Indianapolis Construction
23:54 Rita Moreno Returns to DCI
31:07 Break
33:11 60 Second Tech Block
35:07 Better Drill Design for Color Guard
41:50 Water We Doing?!
42:34 Stop Boxing In Your Drill Writer
46:31 Baton Twirling Needs More Musicality
53:20 More Collaboration Across the Performing Arts
59:22 Gush & Go
01:11:10 Closing Rehearsal

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 | Be a guest or join the team
Follow @onawaterbreak on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

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

DCI Finances: Jeff Gill on Drum Corps Costs, Dues & Sustainability | Quick Sip

Can drum corps keep increasing spending without making the activity less sustainable or less accessible?

Trish O’Shea and Ricardo Robinson-Shinall sit down with Jeff Gill, former Cavaliers board member and treasurer, to discuss his “Follow the Money” analysis of publicly available Form 990 filings from DCI corps.

Jeff walks through what he believes the data suggests about spending and competitive placement, rising operating costs, member dues, reserves, and the different revenue models behind today’s organizations. He also explains the limits of the available tax data and why it cannot tell us whether props, uniforms, staff, or touring are specifically driving the increase.

IN THIS QUICK SIP
• Why Jeff started studying drum corps finances
• Spending and competitive placement
• Rising costs and a shorter DCI tour
• Corps with outside revenue engines vs. corps depending more heavily on dues and reserves
• Affordability and socioeconomic barriers for performers
• Standardized financial reporting and DCI governance
• A possible premier/elite-class model
• Four reasons the sustainability issue is difficult to address

FEATURED
Trish O’Shea — @trishdish1102
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — @ricardorrobinson
Jeff Gill — Instagram @jeff.sfo | Facebook jeff.gill.sfo

READ JEFF’S ANALYSIS
Follow the Money — Part 4: Nobody Owns This Problem

Listen everywhere: https://plinkhq.com/i/1653637341?to=page
Website: https://www.onawaterbreak.com
Follow @onawaterbreak.

00:00 Quick Sip Intro00:23 Meet Jeff Gill + Ricardo Robinson-Shinall01:12 Jeff Gill’s 32 Count Life Story02:49 Why Drum Corps Sustainability Matters04:48 Jeff’s “Follow the Money” Series05:24 Does Spending Predict DCI Placement?08:46 Are Props and Uniforms Really the Problem?12:19 Should DCI Standardize Financial Reporting?14:58 Why Jeff Won’t Use 2026 Results Yet17:18 Two Very Different Drum Corps Financial Models19:15 Are Member Dues Pricing Performers Out?21:10 What Happens Next?23:48 Four Reasons the Problem Doesn’t Get Fixed27:11 Final Takeaways27:55 Where to Find Jeff Gill28:24 Quick Sip Closing

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

#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: [email protected]

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