This letter to potential Colts members appeared on the Colts' Web site: My name is Kent Lineberry, and I'm the tenor tech for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, from Dubuque, Iowa. I've been with the Colts since 1996 (1996-1999 quad lines, percussion staff 2000-present). The upcoming 2005 season will make an even decade for me with the Colts. We've had ups and downs, both competitively and organizationally, but this year on the whole was an "up."

The Colts' drum line lines up outside INVESCO last summer.
I saw a fresh group of youngsters fill the battery, and they were the most improved Colts drum line I know of. The percussion caption head, Ryan Thomas, did an outstanding job with the writing, and led this section to strive for excellence on and off the field. This drum line got markedly better during the last week of tour, which is a hard thing to do. The tenor line overcame the near loss of a member mid-season, and played their hearts out on finals week to send off their three age-outs. The snare line grew together and fully overcame some personnel disagreements to become a very strong section. The bass line played unbelievably well during finals week, proving that their youth would not define them. The cymbal line, consisting of six vets (100 percent), was one of the best cymbal sections on the field. The front ensemble always met adversity head-on and performed well all season. Read more, including upcoming audition information.