Hello! My name is Jordyn Flores and I am a high school senior on Oahu, Hawaii. I am excited to announce that I have been given the opportunity to conduct for the Seattle Cascades drum and bugle corps for the 2026 season. DCI is a dream to many marching musicians around the world and very few are able to participate. It has been a dream of mine from the time I first started marching band and I am so happy to finally make it come true this year. I believe that this will be a life-changing experience for me and help me deepen my knowledge as a musician, improve my discipline and work ethic, and possibly inspire others to reach for their dreams.

What is DCI?

Drum Corps International or Drum and Bugle Corps is one of the most elite marching ensembles around the world. It is an extremely competitive marching art for young adults who are ready to take marching to a higher level of commitment and demand. Members/participants go through rigorous training physically, musically, and mentally to produce an outstanding 7-10 minute performance and compete against other corps. Corps go through over two months of summer training and tour across multiple states in the US, leading to the DCI Championships at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

What is Seattle Cascades?

A drum and bugle corps based in Seattle, Washington. They are the oldest marching arts organization in the Pacific Northwest and have been competing in the world-class division since 2002.

My why

DCI is an opportunity only a small portion of marching musicians get each year with an even smaller group of musicians coming from Hawaii. I believe that participating in DCI will help me become a better and more knowledgeable musician as I begin to pursue music education. One of my biggest goals as a future music teacher is to be able to one day guide my students and offer all my wisdom and knowledge to those who wish to pursue or take music to a competitive or collegiate level. DCI will be one of the first steps to ensure a better education for the next generation of musicians.

However, this won't be possible without proper funding. Seattle Cascades' tuition is $5,500 and this does not include other expenses such as flights, equipment costs, and essentials/necessities during tour and training. This cost is also on top of my tuition for university this upcoming fall. I have already applied for and won numerous scholarships, saved money over the last few years, and am still looking for other ways to fund my DCI experience.

I am hoping that I've been able to educate others on the importance of DCI and would be forever grateful to those who are able to share this with their friends and family or donate.

Thank you for reading this and for everyone's love and support in this journey so far!

Sincerely, Jordyn Flores