Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps

The Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps that competes in the Drum Corps Associates circuit,^[1][2] It was founded in 1981 in Harrison, New Jersey.^[3] The corps is based in Princeton, New Jersey and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The Corps has won the Drum Corps Associates Open Class World Champions six times, and the corps' percussion section is the only one in either junior or senior corps to ever win six straight High Percussion Awards at Championships: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991.^[4]

The Bushwackers

Location	Princeton, New Jersey
Division	Open Class
Founded	1981
Director	Jim Dugan
Championship titles	DCA: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993

History

The Bushwackers Drum and Bugle corps was formed as a parade corps in 1981^[5] with a field corps forming in 1982. They were once located in Harrison, New Jersey.^[6] During their first year of competition, The Bushwackers were able to make DCA finals in 8th place. In 1983, the corps was very competitive and ended the season with a fifth place showing. The corps continued to grow until 1986, with a brand new staff, The Bushwackers captured their first DCA title. This placed The Bushwackers in the upper echelon of DCA corps. The Bushwackers would go on to win the DCA twice more before the end of the decade. In the 1990s, The Bushwackers continued their championship ways, going on to take DCA’s top spot again in 1990, 1992, and 1993. The corps has been a top ten Finalist of DCA in 35 of its 38 years. In 2013 the Corps made its television debut on The Daily Show.^[7] In 2014 the Bushwackers performed as the opening act at the Special Olympics USA closing ceremony.^[8][9] In 2017, the Corps collaborated with ASPIRA of Pennsylvania to establish the Bushwackers Academy, an educational organization.^[10]

Show summary (1982–2025)

Source:^[11][12]

Key

Goldenrod background indicates DCA Open Class Champion

Blue background indicates DCA Open Class Finalist

Year	Repertoire	Score	Placement
1982	Clash of Titans by Laurence Rosenthal / Fish Legs by Walter Murphey / Mickey Mouse by Frank Churchill / That Cat is High by J.M. Williams / Snowbird Fantasy by Robert James / Chariots of Fire by Vangelis	70.550	8th Place Open Class Finalist
1983	Cleopatra's Asp by Doc Severinsen / Emerald Eyes by Louis Alter / Egyptian Danza by Al Di Meola / Quensabe Los Suertas de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / Chariots of Fire by Vangelis	82.650	5th Place Open Class Finalist
1984	Santos by Louie Bellson and Remo Palmier / Quensabe Los Suertas de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / Egyptian Danza by Al Di Meola / I'll Be There by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, and Willie Hutch / Thriller by Rod Temperton	89.000	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
1985	The Epic by / The First Circle / Supertonic Suite All by the Pat Metheny Group	86.550	4th Place Open Class Finalist
1986	Santos by Louie Bellson and Remo Palmier / Quensabe Los Suertas de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / La Suerte de Los Tontos (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / Egyptian Danza by Al Di Meola / Ayres Eyes by Author Unknown	92.450	1st Place Open Class Champion
1987	Pellet Suite by Ian McDougal / Marguerite by Sammy Nestico / Corner Pocket by Freddie Green / Ayres Eyes by Author Unknown	92.960	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
1988	Pellet Suite by Ian McDougal / Inner Crisis by Larry Willis / Mira, Mira by Matt Harris / Out of Africa (from Congo) by Marilyn Bergman	96.360	1st Place Open Class Champion
1989	Time Check by Donald Menza / In Her Family by Pat Metheny / No Pasaran by Jeffrey Schanzer / Mira, Mira by Matt Harris	95.100	1st Place Open Class Champion
1990	Prototype Prototype by Steve Melillo	96.900	1st Place Open Class Champion
1991	Son of Storm Son of Storm by Steve Melillo	94.000	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
1992	Sweeney Todd History of the World / The Ballad of Sweeney Todd / My Friends (from Sweeney Todd) / Worst Pies in London (from Sweeney Todd) / Epiphany (from Sweeney Todd) / Nothin' Gonna Harm You (All Sweeney Todd Music by Stephen Sondheim)	96.700	1st Place Open Class Champion
1993	Sunday in the Park with George Putting it Together (from Sunday in the Park with George) / Color and Light (from Sunday in the Park with George) / Sunday in the Park (from Sunday in the Park with George) / Sunday (All by Stephen Sondheim)	96.600	1st Place Open Class Champion
1994	A Nightmare Before Christmas What's This? / This is Halloween / Making Christmas / Kidnap the Sandy Claws / Sally's Song / What's This Reprise (All from the Nightmare Before Christmas by Danny Elfman)	94.200	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
1995	A Symphony For Drum Corps Mathis der Maler by Paul Hindemith / Age of Anxiety by Leonard Bernstein	93.600	4th Place Open Class Finalist
1996	Sunset Boulevard As if We Never Said Goodbye / Let's Have Lunch / The Car Chase / With One Look All from Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber	91.500	4th Place Open Class Finalist
1997	El Congo Valiente (from Cuban Fire Suite) by Johnny Richards / Verde Luz by Caban Vale Antonio / Festival de Ritmo by Dave Weckl / A Mis Abuelos by Arturo Sandoval	89.600	5th Place Open Class Finalist
1998	Jeckyll & Hyde This is the Moment / Facade / Murder, Murder / Transformation / Alive / Take me as I Am All from Jeckyll & Hyde by Frank Wildhorn & Leslie Bricusse	85.200	8th Place Open Class Finalist
1999	Sondheim Snapshots Overture (from Merrily We Roll Again) / Next (from Pacific Overtures) / Pretty Woman (from Sweeney Todd) / Putting it Together (from Sunday in the Park with George) (All by Stephen Sondheim)	87.800	7th Place Open Class Finalist
2000	Music from the Dark Side The Duel of Fates (from the Phantom Menace) / The Battle (from A New Hope) / Battle in the Snow (from The Empire Strikes Back) / The Crash (from The Return of the Jedi) / The War, Ewok Battle (from The Return of the Jedi) / The End (from the Phantom Menace) (all by John Williams)	82.100	10th Place Open Class Finalist
2001	The Raging River Into the Raging River by Steven Reineke / On the Waterfront by Leonard Bernstein	92.400	5th Place Open Class Finalist
2002	The Myths of Fire Inferno (from Divine Comedy) by Robert W. Smith / Vesuvius by Frank Tilcheli / Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky	91.100	7th Place Open Class Finalist
2003	Journey to the Moon Twelve Seconds to the Moon by Robert W. Smith / Star Trek: First Contact by Jerry Goldsmith / To Tame the Perilous Skies by David Holsinger	91.038	7th Place Open Class Finalist
2004	Early American Landscapes Symphony No. 9 (from The New World) by Antoin Dvorak / Amber Waves by Martin Gould / William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini	88.638	8th Place Open Class Finalist
2005	Russian Winter Portraits Russian and Ludmilla by Mikhail Glinka / Dance of the Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Romeo and Juliet / 1812 Overture (Both by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky)	94.738	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
2006	Stages: A 25th Stages Anniversary Celebration Fanfare for the New by Hugo Montenegro / The Perfect Year (from Sunset Boulevard) by Andrew Lloyd Webster / Rocky Point Holiday by Ron Nelson	95.638	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
2007	Around the Town	94.575	4th Place Open Class Finalist
2008	Gypsodic!	93.425	6th Place Open Class Finalist
2009	Scenes from a Psychotic Circus Parade of Characters / Circus Normalus / Death Defying Feats / Freak Show / Three Ring Psychotic Circus (all from Scenes from a Psychotic Circus by Key Poulan)	88.963	9th Place Open Class Finalist
2010	Voodoo Origins / Rituals / Gris-gris / Black Magic All from Voodoo by Key Poulan	86.763	9th Place Open Class Finalist
2011	A New Beginning First Climb / Rest at High Camp / Second Climb and Avalanche / To the Summit (all from Everest by Key Poulan, Paul Rennick, and Sandra Rennick)	79.800	11th Place
2012	American Roots Scarborough Fair (Traditional) / Chester by William Billings / Shenandoah (Traditional)	80.200	11th Place
2013	WE ARE Intro by Dennis Argul / I am the Doctor (from Doctor Who) by Murray Gold / Some Nights by FUN / Tonight Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins	87.430	8th Place Open Class Finalist
2014	The Resistants Supremacy by Muse / Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan / Knights of Cydonia by Muse / Symphonic Metamorphosis by Paul Hindemith	89.800	7th Place Open Class Finalist
2015	Industrial (r)Evolution Industrial Evolution, The Factory & Wild Ride (by Robert W. Smith) / Tempered Steel by Charles Rochester Young / Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar	82.300	12th Place
2016	Piano Forte Piano Concerto No. 1 by Keith Emerson / Selection by Claude Debussy / Selection by Billy Joel	85.280	9th Place Open Class Finalist
2017	Where We Belong Music from The Wizard of Oz by Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg / Creep by Radiohead / Orawa by Wojciech Kilar / Blue Shades by Frank Ticheli	89.830	8th Place Open Class Finalist
2018	Pablo The Canyon by Philip Glass / Nature Boy by Eden Ahbez	92.725	5th Place Open Class Finalist
2019	Diverge Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber / Fearful Symmetry by John Adams / Us and Them by Richard Wright / Land of Make Believe by Chuck Mangione / Libertango by Astor Piazzola	91.625	5th Place Open Class Finalist
2020	Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021	Reminiscor Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson / Children's Dance by Howard Hanson / Original Music / Reflections of My Life by Marmalade	90.300	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
2022	Canyon Fanfare For The Common Man / Horse With No Name / Hallelujah / Original Composition / Short Ride in a Fast Machine	94.600	3rd Place Open Class Finalist
2023	Hollywood: A Walk in Their Shoes: A Tale of Tinseltown Dedicated to The One I Love by The Mamas and the Papas / Paparazzi by Lady Gaga / Car Chase by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Original Music	92.200	3rd Place World Class Finalist
2024	The Ride Last Train Home by Pat Metheny / Let You Break My Heart Again by Laufey / The Great Locomotive Chase by Robert W. Smith / Home Sweet Home by Nikki Sixx & Tommy Lee	92.625	3rd Place World Class Finalist
2025	Where Do We Begin? Caves by Cody Fry / Air Waltz by Oliver Davis / You and I by Stevie Wonder, arr Jacob Collier / Bucimis by The Swingles	94.250	3rd Place World Class Finalist