Color Guard

The Colorguard of the Fort Madison Marching Bloodhounds

Members of the Color Guard are full members of the Marching Band and are entitled to the same privileges and subject to the same responsibilities as every other member of the band. Admission to the colorguard is based on audition, which take place in May. Once accepted as a member of the guard, a student is not required to re-audition each year.

Color Guard members may be subject to additional required rehearsals to accommodate the presence of the additional staff required for effective instruction. Such rehearsals are always communicated to students well in advance to allow families plenty of time to play accordingly.

Guard Resources

  • One of the best online resources for learning basic through advanced color guard techniques can be found here at the Colorguard Tutor. There are links to how-to videos and other resources to help boost your understanding and skills with dance and flag, as well as rifle and sabres. There are even some routines to learn!
  • Director’s Showcase International (DSI) Dance Warm Up Routines featuring Vincent Thomas, the dance coordinator for the Color Guard division at the Music For All Summer Symposium.
  • DSI and Marching Show Concepts bring you these exercises for Flag Technique.
  • Here is an excellent Flag Routine with instruction utilizing the techniques used in the previous link.

Incredible Moments

Check out this montage of some of Drum Corps International's finest Color Guard moments. Incredible design, motion, and execution!