This summer Austin Smith, a senior from the Seymour High School Band, will be the first percussionist in Seymour Band’s history to march with the Drum Corps International (DCI).
College and high school musicians from across the country try out for various DCI corps with the hopes of being selected and going onto the national tour each summer.
Thousands will audition but each corps is only allowed to field 150 performers. The process takes many weekends of intense camps with several rounds of cuts before the final roster is set.
Drum Corps International is marching music’s Major League. The world of competitive drum and bugle corps is an intense choreographed musical experience staged in football stadium fields by students achieving high levels of excellence in performance.
The drum and bugle corps activity combines artistic training and physical fitness in a unique way that entertains millions through live performances.
Over the past several years Seymour has had a few brass players make it into DCI, but Austin will be the first percussionist. He will be marching the bottom bass drum.
Hundreds of percussionists will try out for each corps. The average drum corps marches fewer than 20 drums.
Most of those spots are filled with veterans from previous years so each year there are few open spots nationwide.
Seymour has had several percussionists audition over the last 30 years, and few have made it past the first round.
In 1992 Michael Carter made it through the final round but was unable to go to the final camp because of an automobile accident. In 1983 Bill Wilson did make the final cut, but was unable to go due to the financial obligations of traveling with the corps.
This is a huge honor for Smith and a proud moment for the Seymour High School Band.
He will be touring with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2011 season this summer.
The corps will leave to start a tour in July that will take them throughout an eight state area for performances – including one in Sevierville on Aug. 1 at Sevier County High School.
The cost for touring with Music City this season is $1,500. This is a great chance for the community to help sponsor one of its own as he represents Seymour in his travels.
Anyone interested in sponsoring Smith is asked to call SHS Director of Bands Rhett Butler at (865) 573-6191, Seymour Band Booster President John Staser at (865) 724-0394 or Austin’s mother at jeamom@charter.net.

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