What to do when several months of preparation and practice are wiped out and your summer plans are altered like never before? While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some industries to shut down completely, it’s caused others to reinvent their approach. When your business is music and leadership training, the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps chose the latter, developing an online curriculum to replace their normal summer tour.
The group typically brings about 200 students and staff to Dubuque each Memorial Day weekend to begin nearly 80 days of rehearsals and competitive performances around the country, but on March 26, the 2020 Drum Corps International summer tour was cancelled.
Using the moniker Colts Homeroom, the organization developed a 16-week program to give students the opportunity to continue their education at home through online classes, even as social distancing regulations evolve. To keep students engaged while they juggle other responsibilities throughout the summer, the classes are presented in an asynchronous format, allowing each student to work through lessons on their own time.
To read this and other featured articles in their entirety, pickup the July 2020 issue of Julien’s Journal magazine. Click to subscribe for convenient delivery by mail, or call (563) 557-1914. Single issues are also available in print at area newsstands and digitally via the Issuu platform.
