BOISE, Idaho — Back in January of 2023, an upstart SoundSport team known as Boise Gems was able to get the word out and host its first rehearsal camp as a Drum Corps International affiliated organization.
“I was a freshman at the time, and I was telling all my friends, ‘What is this? I really want to check it out,’” Boise Gems drum major Maizy Little said. “So I went to my first rehearsal camp, and there were probably only about 20 people there altogether.”
Despite the tiny turnout at the very beginning, Little was thrilled to see that other people shared her curiosity and recognized the organization’s potential early on. She stuck with the program, marching as a mellophone player for three seasons ahead of the Gems’ biggest milestone yet: their debut as a DCI Open Class affiliate corps in 2026.
READ: Boise Gems make milestone step with unanimous Open Class affiliate approval
“With this being our first year in Open Class, we really wanted to make a statement. It wasn’t just, ‘Oh, we exist and we’re getting credit for existing,’” Gems director Austin Moldenhauer said. “We actually came out trying to raise the bar for what’s possible in our area.”
In the three years since the corps’ inception, Gems has developed a consistent recruitment strategy centered on social media and show design philosophy. To attract members in Idaho, the group focuses on spreading general awareness online and making early production announcements, giving prospective members a clear look at what their summer would look like.
“Anyone who wants to join can at least see what we’re doing before they feel the need to put a pen to paper, so to speak,” Moldenhauer said “Using that show design as a recruitment tool and also using it as a way of building excitement. I know a lot of parents were really excited about the show that we were doing this year too.”
For Gems’ first foray into Open Class competition, program coordinator Cooper Phillips and visual caption head Cade Robinson opted for a highly recognizable repertoire to generate energy around the 2026 production, “The Color of Chaos.”
“We had Radiohead, ‘Stranger Things,’ and for gamers out there, ‘Diablo.’ It was this cool, wide gamut of songs that blended together really well to create a product that was incredibly engaging for the audience,” Moldenhauer said. “It worked so well for us, both on tour and in connecting with our community. Obviously, the ‘Skyfall’ hit by Adele was really popular, too. I’ve already seen it going around on social media a bit.”
Gems amassed a corps size of 92 members to get the show on the road and they proved ready to shake up the Open Class division in the two competitive performances on their regional 2026 tour schedule. The corps’ run in the Pacific Northwest Youth Music Games in both Seattle and Portland became monumental for the group’s progress. They scored 57.700 and 58.950 in those events respectively, earning second place in both.
“I was with a group of Gems people, and we heard fourth place and then third place announced, and we were like, ‘Are we sure this was a scored performance?’ Because we all thought the corps did really great, and it was super impressive,” Little said. “Then they announced Gems, and we were just like, ‘Oh my god, what?’ It was so crazy and fun. Especially for the Portland show, I think that was absolutely the best run we could have ended on.”
Not only was this a milestone for the membership, but entering the competitive arena is proving to be an invaluable tool for the Boise Gems’ leadership. Having previously competed in SoundSport’s less intensive performance format, the group lacked a true frame of reference for Open Class judging. Now, with a full competitive season under their belt, Moldenhauer and his team are putting that feedback to immediate use.
“When they announced we were in second, we honestly couldn’t believe it — mostly because we had no idea what to expect,” Moldenhauer said. “Getting the judges’ feedback and seeing the results straight from the scorecard was so helpful. The design team is already planning the 2027 program, and they’re incorporating everything we learned.”
After a successful introduction to DCI’s Open Class division, Gems’ leadership has already turned its attention toward further expansion in 2027, looking to make this past season just the beginning of a bright future in Boise.
“We hope to have a longer tour next year. We want to improve every aspect of the program from year to year, just like we always try to,” Moldenhauer said. “For 2027, we’re looking to expand our horizons, capitalizing on our growth to better the entire program, as well as our music education and community service initiatives here in the Treasure Valley.”
