(Photo credit Vincentia Thatcher)

I wish I didn’t have to sleep every night just so I could spin. Colorguard is the foundation from which I seek my inspiration and what I am passionate about most. Unfortunately, humans definitely need sleep. With my late nights working at the restaurant to the hours I’ve spent studying for my tests, colorguard remains a constant in my life.

I first began colorguard in the middle of my freshman year of high school. Bored, lonely, and unsatisfied how I was spending my days, I took a leap of faith to join the winterguard team. What started from that moment led to an unbreakable and insurmountable bond and passion I had gained for the art. I’ve tried, I’ve failed, and I’ve succeeded in this activity, but all the while, I’ve always been drawn back to it. Despite all of the bumps and bruises my body has accumulated, colorguard has given me a new outlook on life and has put purpose in my actions.
    Fast forward to my junior year in my high school colorguard journey, and I felt unsatisfied with what I was able to do with just my team. Don’t get me wrong- my high school guard has some amazing instructors and members that have only continued to help and push me to be better, but I wanted to be completely surrounded by the activity. That spring, I started photographing colorguard groups at local competitions on the weekends when our team wasn’t competing. To say this opened a new avenue for how I enjoyed and experienced this art would be such an understatement. It multiplied my passion for colorguard and made me a much more dedicated performer.

    Furthermore, in the summer, I began to attend colorguard spin clinics, basically colorguard classes hosted by schools and independent winterguard groups, from around the mid-atlantic region. These clinics not only improved my skill, but they also gave me an amazing opportunity to meet people who cared just as much about this activity as I did. I truly felt embraced by a community of people who had so much dedication and reverence to this activity.

    Come late July of 2025, I attended DCI Allentown with family and friends. There, I didn’t just see drum corps, I felt it. You might be asking: “What is drum corps?” Drum corps essentially the NFL of marching band. Performers tour nationwide performing high intensity shows in a competitive format against one another, and after my Allentown experience, I became more and more sure about my commitment to marching in a drum corps the next summer. I realized I needed to be completely surrounded by people who were as devoted as I was to the marching arts. 

From there, I practiced and repped through everything I could to give me the best shot during my drum corps audition. It was clear my dedication had paid off once I was awarded a contract to march at the Madison Scouts Drum Corps this past December.

    I didn’t prepare for my audition without any inclination of the financial expenses also associated with participating in drum corps. While it is a great opportunity to grow as a person and find fulfillment, it can be quite expensive considering the transportation, housing, and food involved for a period beginning in late-May and ending in mid-August. Additionally, transportation from Virginia out to the midwest isn’t cheap. Out of every paycheck I have received since around February of 2025, I have been putting money into a savings account to help fund my experience at the Madison Scouts this summer.

    With that in mind, I am humbly asking you for financial support to help cover my drum corps tuition, equipment preparing for or throughout the tour, and travel/food on rest days (on rest days, members explore a city and are expected to cover food expenses). If you are willing and able, any financial help no matter how big or small would mean the world to me. In return, I will make sure to send status updates and photos throughout my season to keep you in the loop about what I am up to while I’m away.

    By participating in drum corps, I’m not just learning a marching band show, but also learning valuable, life long skills of leadership, resilience, and performing under pressure that will help me in my future career. From what I’ve heard from other people who have marched drum corps, the experience completely changes someone, molding them into a better version of themselves and pushing them past what they thought they could achieve. Even $25 could help fund a few meals on a free day, or go toward my laundry.

    If you’d like to support me financially and offset some of the costs, please consider donating right here on this website, dci.rallybound.org/SupportWillStarr, additionally, my Venmo account is @willestarr4. Once again, thank you so much for your consideration and/or donation to my experience this summer with the Madison Scouts.