Come join us on the field for another exciting season!
Are you
interested in joining the River City Regiment for the 2007 season? Here you will find most of the information
you will need to help you make your decision to get back out on the field. There is a form you can complete at the bottom of this page
so we can learn a little about you.
Please complete this form or email us if you have any questions that are not
answered in our FAQ.
Frequently asked questions:
What is
River
City
Regiment (RCR)?
What is a drum and bugle corps and
how is it different than a band?
What are the differences between a
"junior" or "DCI" corps and an "all-age",
"senior", or "DCA" corps?
Who is eligible to join RCR?
How much time do I
have to commit to be a member?
What if I can't
make it to everything because of my work and family commitments?
What if I don’t
have time to be an active member, but I still want to
help?
How much does it
cost to be a member?
Is there a way to work off some
of the above costs?
What brass
instruments do you use?
What percussion
instruments do you use?
Do you use any
instruments beside brass and percussion?
Do you have a pit?
What color guard
equipment do you use?
What if I have
never marched in a drum corps or anywhere else?
What if I haven't
marched in a long time?
Where does RCR rehearse?
Where does RCR perform?
How do you get to your performances?
What if I want to
participate as a staff member?
What is RCR’s
mission?
OK. I’m sold…how do I join RCR?
What is River City Regiment
(RCR)?
The
River City Regiment (RCR) is an All-Age Drum & Bugle Corps
based out of
West Sacramento
,
California. We are a
non-profit public benefit 501© 3 corporation.
What is a drum and bugle corps and
how is it different than a band?
Drum
and bugle corps is an activity similar to marching band, but with different
instrumentation. There are three sections in corps - brass, percussion,
and color guard. There are no woodwind instruments in corps, such as flutes,
clarinets, or saxophones. Competitive field shows are usually performed
on football fields, while the corps may also perform in parades and in "concert"
or standstill performances.
What are the differences between a
"junior" or "DCI" corps and an "all-age",
"senior", or "DCA" corps?
 The
major difference between the two is the fact that DCI corps have
a maximum allowed age restriction of 21 years of age. DCI also allows 135
performing members on the field of competition. DCA corps have no age restrictions, although some DCA corps may have
individual policies regarding age. A few senior corps choose
to limit membership to performers 18 years of age and older, while the great
majority of DCA corps have no age restrictions whatsoever. DCA corps are limited to 128 performing members at this time. In
addition, DCA does not allow the use of amplification at this time.
Who is eligible to join RCR?
We
welcome all brass, percussion and color guard personnel who are
18 years of age or older to join.
Previous experience in a musical performance ensemble is
helpful but not required. We
will likely have some members who are fresh out of a junior drum
& bugle corps and some who have not touched a horn, drum or
flag in years.
There
are minimum basic performance standards for each section that
have been established by the Creative Staff.
The RCR Corps Director, with input from the Caption Head,
has the final say regarding membership.
There
are many ways to participate with RCR.
We welcome anyone who is interested in volunteering his
or her time “behind the scenes”.
This includes helping out with marketing recruitment web
maintenance, equipment or uniform maintenance, running our
souvenir stand or helping in the moving of equipment to and from
the field at shows.
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to FAQ list
How much time do I
have to commit to be a member?
RCR rehearsals are on two Sundays a month. The
first Sunday is a 4 hour rehearsal and the second Sunday is a
full day from 9 to 6. This schedule changes in April to two full
day rehearsals on Sundays twice a month. The field competitions
go from June to the end of August with a large competition on
the east coast. Additional rehearsals are scheduled for the days
prior to a performance. In addition to the field competitions
RCR performs in a number of parades and special events through
out the year. Changes and updates are frequent and attending all
rehearsals is encouraged, however we understand family and work
obligations which might hinder attending all rehearsals which
RCR is very understandable.
What if I can't
make it to everything because of my work and family commitments?
Attendance at rehearsals and corps
functions is important. Attendance at all weekend rehearsals is
crucial. We don't have a lot of full corps rehearsal time, so we
need to make the most of it! We must stress that there are no
individuals in RCR. It is entirely a group effort that will help
the corps to be successful.
Our
schedule is not as demanding as a junior corps, and we do
understand the importance of your work, school, and family
obligations. We expect you to try and make as many rehearsal and
functions as possible, as the rest of the members are counting
on you just as much as you count on them. This includes not just
rehearsals but all corps functions including fundraising or
public relations events that help to advertise the corps.
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What if I don’t
have time to be an active member, but I still want to
help?
Additions
to our support staff are ALWAYS welcome.
We are constantly looking for people to sew uniforms and flags, carry
water during parades, help with marketing, recruitment, web maintenance,
equipment maintenance, running our souvenir stand, or helping in the moving of
equipment to and from the field at shows.
The list goes on and on. As
anyone who has ever been involved in Drum Corps knows...a lot of work goes into
fielding a "Competitive Drum Corps”. Volunteers are essential to our
success. Please contact us so that we can
see where your skills may best fit in with RCR.
How much does it
cost to be a member?
RCR
is a business and as such, it does take funds to operate.
Dues help cover the cost of staff, rehearsal facilities, equipment, and
other costs associated with running the corps.
Dues for the 2007 season are $500.00, with tour fees being a maximum of
$450 (Two tours are being planned: Southern
California and
Rochester
,
New York
). In addition, Guard members are
required to pay up to $100 toward the cost for the guard uniform.
Items not covered by dues or tour fees include costs associated with
travel to and from local (non-tour) shows and meals.
Is there a way to work off some
of the above costs?
Members
may work to pay up to 75% of their tour fee during the course of
the year. Special considerations and arrangements can be made
with the Executive Director in case of financial hardship to
exceed 75% plus membership dues.
All hardship cases will be reviewed on an individual
basis.
In
addition, we will be staffing some Raley's Field concessions in
the spring during River Cats baseball games.
Members volunteering for these events will receive $40.00
per game off of their tour fees.
Dates and signup times will be posted on the web as soon
as they become available.
You
may also solicit friends and family to make donations to your
dues and tour fees.
All donations made to the corps on your behalf are tax
deductible.
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What brass
instruments do you use?
In
2005, we purchased a brand new set of Dynasty bugles (Sopranos, Mellophones, Baritones, Euphoniums, and Tubas). They are in the key of “G”, with the
exception of the tubas, which are Bb.
RCR will provide horns to players who need them. However, you will need to bring your own
mouthpiece.
 What percussion
instruments do you use?
In 2005, we purchased a brand new
set of Dynasty marching percussion instruments (snares, tenors, and 5 basses). For
percussionists, snare drummers will be responsible for purchasing the sticks of
choice for the line. Due to their high cost, bass drummers, tenors and mallet
players will be supplied implements by the corps.
Do you use any
instruments beside brass and percussion?
There
are three sections in RCR - brass, percussion (including a pit), and color
guard. If you don’t already play a brass or percussion instrument, or
spin a flag or rifle, we hope you will consider trying one of them. In addition, we would like to march with an
American Flag Squad, so this could be another option.
Drum
and Bugle Corps do not use woodwinds, but many woodwind players have become
good brass players in a short amount of time. If you can read music, and you've
got some experience playing another instrument, it really doesn't take all that
long to achieve proficiency on a brass instrument. PLAYING A BRASS INSTRUMENT
WILL NOT HURT YOUR WOODWIND CHOPS! In fact, it will help it!! Most woodwind players
report that the breathing training involved in our brass program actually helps
their woodwind playing!
Most
woodwind players find that if they attend our winter program rehearsals, they
are very well prepared by the time the summer competition season rolls around.
Some of them have become quite accomplished brass players.
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Do you have a pit?
We had a near full pit section in
2006, and hope to expand on it for the 2007 season.
What color guard
equipment do you use?
We use standard guard
equipment. The 2006 season saw the use
of flags, rifles and sabers.
What if I have
never marched in a drum corps or anywhere else?
Prior marching
experience (high-school, college and drum corps) is not a
prerequisite. No matter what your level
of experience, we can find a spot for you in RCR. Any brass player, percussionist, weapon or
silk performer who has the time, enthusiasm and energy to commit to the corps
is welcome. Dedication, a strong work
ethic, and a positive attitude are the true factors of a successful drum corps
experience. There are many people in RCR
who are happy to work with less experienced performers who have the desire to
participate.
What if I haven't
marched in a long time?
RCR has members who marched back in the 70’s. If you have the time, enthusiasm and energy to commit to “working out the kinks”, we
encourage you to participate. We will
work with you to get your “chops” back in shape and teach you what you’ve been
missing all these years.
Where does RCR rehearse?
Most
of our off-season (November through May) rehearsals have been at
River
City
High School
in
West Sacramento.
On
show days, we may rehearse at
River
City
High
School
or find a rehearsal location closer to the
performance site to allow more time between the end of rehearsal and the report
time at the performance site.
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Where does RCR perform?
 RCR
performs in field show competitions in stadiums throughout
California
(Stockton,
Modesto
and
the Bay Area) and even the East Coast. Most of the shows are in
California,
including the West Coast
Showdown, which is a DCI-sanctioned show sponsored by RCR. In addition, RCR performs in parades and
other special events (We have some of our fondest memories from performances
from the Sacramento Jazz Festival) throughout the
Sacramento
region.
How do you get to your performances?
For
shows in Northern California (
Stockton
,
Modesto
, the Bay Area,
etc.), everyone provides their own transportation. Members have been known to carpool to help
save on expenses. RCR will provide
transportation for trips to
Southern California
or out of state.
What if I want to
participate as a staff member?
If you’re interested in becoming
part of RCR’s instructional staff, you should contact
our Staff Coordinator
Cecile Freeman
at staffcoordinator@rcrdbc.org to discuss your
interest and qualifications.
What is RCR’s
mission?
To
provide an appreciation of the marching arts through the Drum & Bugle Corps
activity; to bring the highest performance quality of an All Age Drum &
Bugle Corps in any performance venue; to be a Family oriented organization above
all; and to have fun.
OK. I’m sold…how do I join RCR?
The best way to join is to come to
our next rehearsal. See our online
schedule for the time and location.
Another way to join is to contact us and let us know when you will be
coming to a rehearsal.
Please complete this form so we
can learn a little bit about you.
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