Arts & Entertainment
Video: Drums, Sweat and Flags
The Sacramento Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps spent the early summer practicing in Elk Grove, before heading out on a 25-state tour.
Tripping over teenagers and band equipment became a daily routine for several Elk Grove families who opened their doors to out of town members of the Sacramento Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps over the past few months.
The corps, a group of performers ages 15 to 21, has a large membership in Elk Grove, but its consistently high rankings have also attracted members from around the world.
Corps members attended intense, demanding training camps at and in June and July before heading out Monday for a monthlong, 25-state national tour that will end at the Drum Corps International in Indianapolis on Aug. 13.
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Founded in 1963, the Mandarins was originally an all Chinese drum and bugle corps, according to director Jim Tambuchi. Tambuchi was one of the first non-Chinese to make the corps, joining at the age of 15 as a trumpet player. The corps now allows members of all ethnicities.
Watch the video to see what it takes to be part of the Mandarins.
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