Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps


The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Jersey Surf was founded by Bob Jacobs and is based in Camden, NJ, the Jersey Surf is a member corps of Drum Corps International.

History

The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps was started in the winter of 1990 in Camden County, New Jersey by a group of area school band directors, led by Bob Jacobs, who wanted more performance opportunities for their students than halftime shows during football season. When an organizational meeting was held at Edgewood High School, more than fifty prospective members arrived from the southern New Jersey area, as well as from Pennsylvania and Delaware. The organization was chartered as Explorer Post 333 and began holding rehearsals at the Berlin Community School, moving to Berlin Park when warm weather arrived. The corps made its public debut on June 29, 1991, playing the National Anthem at the Independence Classic drum corps show at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The corps wore rented high school band uniforms.
When the Surf entered competition in 1992, it had one hundred two members. The corps was undefeated in the Garden State Circuit. They also competed in three Drum Corps East shows, and, in its first-ever DCI show, the Jersey Surf finished fourth of seven Division II and III corps at the DCI East Regional prelims. The corps, now based at Edgewood Junior High School in Atco, New Jersey purchased the corps' first equipment truck and two blue school buses. The corps made its debut at the DCI World Championships at the Division II prelims in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1994, finishing in fifteenth place among eighteen corps. In 1995 the corps added championship-caliber staff members and bought a semi-trailer equipment truck.
The 1996 Surf bought diesel buses, and after winter rehearsals at Fort Dix, was ready for the season and made its first Finals at DCE. Bus problems almost scuttled the tour to DCI at Orlando, but they arrived and finished seventh of thirteen Division II corps with their program "Cool Tunes from the Back of the Bus" that enhanced their growing reputation as a crowd-pleasing corps. In 1997 and '98, the corps expanded its touring and returned to DCI in Orlando, finishing in sixth both years and just missing the five corps Division II Finals. The 1998 corps was voted "Most Improved Division II Corps" by the Division II corps directors. The 1999 Surf was again Garden State Circuit Champions. They toured into Canada for the first time on the way to DCI World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. At Camp Randall Stadium, the corps got the first of three standing ovations for their warm-up tune, "On, Wisconsin!" Finishing in fifth place of the twelve corps in prelims, the Jersey Surf made their first DCI Division II Finals. The 2000 season found the Surf riding the crest of the wave. They won three contests, including the DCI Atlantic championship, on their way to a return visit to Division II Finals. At College Park, Maryland, they were fifth of fourteen corps in prelims. Their fourth-place finish in Division II Finals earned them a berth in the Division I Quarterfinals, where they finished twenty-first.
Over the next six seasons, the Jersey Surf would be a consistent finalist within Division II, but would not truly challenge for the title until 2007. In 2004, the corps moved from Berlin to Mt. Holly, although they continue to have facilities in both Berlin and New Brunswick and have camps in Sicklerville. The 2007 corps toured the West Coast, winning shows in Washington, Oregon, and California en route to DCI Championships in Pasadena. The Jersey Surf was in first place after DCI's Division II Quarterfinals, but was passed by the Spartans in Semifinals and took second place in Finals. In 2008, the Surf was undefeated until meeting the Blue Devils B in Ohio. Then, they were third in Open Class Quarterfinals in Michigan City, Indiana, a position they held through Semifinals and Finals in Bloomington.
When the DCI Board of Directors approved the new, two-division competition format beginning in 2008, only World Class corps were guaranteed being paid for their performances. In light of this, following the 2008 season, the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps elected to leave Open Class and compete in World Class. After being evaluated by the DCI Board as to the organization's competitive and fiscal stability, the corps became a DCI World Class corps in 2009.
In April, 2015, a music video was released on YouTube featuring 50 members of the Jersey Surf performing the song "Don't Look Down" with singer/percussionist Janina Gavankar.

Sponsorship

The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps is a 501 musical organization that has a Board of Directors, corps director, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. The Executive Director is Bob Jacobs.

Show Summary (1992-2020)

Source:
Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist; pale green background indicates DCI semifinalist.
YearThemeRepertoireScorePlacement
1992Classics by Harry Connick, Jr.
and Doc Sevrenson		We Are in Love by Harry Connick, Jr. and Ramsey McLean / Stardust by Hoagie Carmichael /
The Jersey Bounce by Tiny Bradshaw, Eddie Johnson, Bobby Plater, and Buddy Feyne
1993A League of Their OwnSelections from A League of Their Own by Hans Zimmer
1994The Music of Barbra StreisandRepertoire unavailable74.20015th Div. II
1995New Age Jazz of
John Tesh and Yanni		Repertoire unavailable83.2008th D.v. II
1996Surf, Wind and Fire:
Cool Tunes from
the Back of the Bus		Got To Get You Into My Life by John Lennon and Paul McCartney /
Don't You Worry Bout A Thing by Stevie Wonder /
Mr Toad's Wild Ride by Greg Adams /
It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian /
Fantasy by Maurice White, Verdine White, and Eduardo DelBarrio		84.1007th Div. II
1997More Cool TimesGot To Get You Into My Life by John Lennon and Paul McCartney/
Through the Fire by David Foster, Tom Keane, and Cynthia Weil /
Rock That by Maurice White and David Foster / For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder		81.3006th Div. II
1998Pictures of Spain -
Interpretation of
a Larry Kerchner Original		Portraits of Spain by Larry Kerchner /
Spanish Fantasy by Chick Correa / A Mis Abuelos by Arturo Sandoval		89.5006th Div. II
1999It Ain't Necessarilly
Summertime		Summertime by George Gershwin / Take Five by Paul Desmond /
Waltz of the Mushroom Hunters by Greg Hopkins / A Night in Tunisia by John Birks Gillespie /
It Ain't Necessarily So by George Gershwin		88.7005th Div. II
2000re-in-CARMEN-ationSelections from Carmen by Georges Bizet90.850
71.400		4th Div. II
21st
2001Are We There Yet? -
The Music of Mays and Metheny		Are We There Yet? by Lyle Mays / Have You Heard & See the World by Pat Metheny /
Heat of the Day & The Awakening by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays /
In Her Family & The Truth Will Always Be by Pat Metheny /
First Circle by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays		89.8506th Div. II
2002Our Side of the Story:
Celebrating the Spirit of Youth		Prologue, Cool, I Feel Pretty & America by Leonard Bernstein87.7509th Div. II
2003Down the Shore
with The Jersey Surf		Theme from A Summer Place by Max Steiner /
Wipeout On The Waterfront / Set Free On the Boardwalk 		89.9005th Div. II
2004Lounging Around
with the Fabulous Jersey Surf		Shangri-la by Matty Malneck, Robert Maxwell and Carl Sigman / This Could Be The Start of Something Big by Steve Allen /
Girl From Ipanema by Antônio Carlos Jobim / Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss /
See See Rider / Hound Dog & Jail House Rock by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Can't Help Falling in Love by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss /
My Way by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, adapted by Paul Anka		86.700
85.875		8th Div. II
10th D II/III
Grand Finals
2005The Jersey Surf Enjoys
an Evening at the Pops		Symphony #5 in C Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven / William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini /
Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach / Poet and Peasant Overture by Franz von Suppé /
Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini / 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt /
1812 Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa		88.325
89.750		8th Div. II
7th D II/III
Grand Finals
2006The Jersey Surf
Visits the Moulin Rouge		Selections from Moulin Rouge by Craig Armstrong, Baz Luhrmann, Many Others86.1757th Div. II
2007Snapshots From
An American Journey		California Dreamin' by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips / Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes /
A River Runs Through It & Four Count Rhythm by Mark Isham /
Unsquare Dance by Dave Brubeck / LA Confidential by Jerry Goldsmith		95.7002nd Div. II
2008The Jersey Surf: So FarHow Far We've Come by Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook, and Brian Yale /
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel / One Day I'll Fly Away by Joe Sample and Will Jennings /
Thnks fr th Mmrs by Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz		96.0503rd Div. II
2009Mozart EffectOverture from The Marriage of Figaro / Inspirations from Symphony #40 in G Minor /
The Lacrimosa from Requiem / Magic Flute, Act II: Pa-Pa-Pa-Papageno & Der Holle knocht in meinem Herze /
Symphony #50 in G Minor / Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
All by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		78.55020th
2010Living the DreamOrgan Variations on America by Charles Ives / America the Beautiful by Samuel A. Ward /
Festival Variations On A National Air by Dudley Buck		75.70021st
2011Petal Tones:
Shades of Rose		The Flower Song from Carmen by Georges Bizet / Bad Romance by Nadir Khayat and Stefani Germanotta /
Habanera from Carmen by Georses Bizet/ Libertango by Astor Piazolla / Kiss from a Rose by Seal /
Tango de Roxanne by Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner and Mariano Mores,
adapted by Craig Armstrong /
Toreador Song from Carmen by Georges Bizet		71.35025th
2012Bridgemania!In the Stone by Maurice White, Allee Willis, and David Foster /
Land of Make Believe by Chuck Mangione / Tell William by Gioachino Rossini /
Pure Imagination by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley /
Party Rock Anthem by Stefan Gordy, Skyler Gordy, Jamahl Listenbee, and Peter Schroeder		75.45020th
2013Soul Surfin' –
Bring on the Funk		Soul Intro by Jaco Pastorius /
Higher and Higher by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith /
Faces by Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White, and Verdine White /
Always and Forever by Rod Temperton / Let's Groove by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughan /
That's the Way by H. W. Casey and Richard Finch /
Proud Mary by John Fogerty / Apache by Jerry Lordan / Play that Funky Music by Robert Parissi /
I Want You Back by Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards /
Respect by Otis Redding		75.40022nd
2014Pay It ForwardA Fantasia on Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland /
I Think It's Going to Rain Today by Randy Newman / Lean on Me by Bill Withers		75.80022nd
2015Sun SurfingAwakening by Colin Bell / Here Comes The Sun by George Harrison /
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me by Elton John and Bernie Taupin /
Wipeout by Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Jim Fuller, and Ron Wilson /
Good Vibrations by Brian Wilson and Mike Love		68.75028th
2016Ebb & FlowLa Mer by Trent Reznor / La Mer by Dr. Andrew Yoziviak /
La Mer by Charles Trenet & Georges Augustin / Maelstrom by Robert Thatcher and Colin Bell
Asteraw from "Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana" by Nick Littlemore		71.98826th
2017Make It Our OwnShofukan by Michael League / Chandelier by Sia and Jesse Shatkin /
An Olive Tree by Kevin Robinson, Basia, and Danny White		71.61327th
2018Music for Pieces of Wood by Steve Reich / Cornfield Chase by Hans Zimmer /
Variations on Manuel de Falla's Ritual Fire Dance by Andrew Yozviak /
Etude Op 10 No. 12 in C minor, Revolutionary by Frederic Chopin /
Behind Blue Eyes by Peter Townshend / Symphony No. 4 by David Maslanka		69.92530th
2019FantaSeaOceans by Goff Richards / Moses and Marco Polo Suite by Ennio Morricone /
The Legend of Atlan by Rupert Gregson-Williams /
Op. 28: The Sea, Fantasy in E major for Orchestra by Alexander Glazunov /
Aurora Awakes by John Mackey / He Commands the Sea by Rupert Gregson-Williams		75.90024th
2020Season cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic