Sure, it means you get to travel and perform, learn music, and make new friends. But membership also means taking responsibility for yourself and others around you. It means self-discipline, teamwork, and sharing.
Membership comes with a lifetime of memories.
Of course, not all drum corps have identical membership requirements. Generally, corps placing in the upper ranks of DCI demand more time, energy, and financial commitment of members than many other corps. Talent requirements vary accordingly. Membership in a highly competitive corps comes with heightened demands. It is possible to join some corps at anytime during the year, but new members will find that joining a DCI-member corps during the summer, when the corps is touring and competing, is difficult.