Drum Corps International

As the self-styled "Marching Music's Major League", DCI's mission is to create an environment for participating corps "to engage in education, competition, entertainment, and the promotion of individual growth." The organization also emphasizes positive life-transforming experiences for all participants.[12]

The Cavaliers, a DCI World Class member corps and seven-time World Champion.

To become a DCI member, or to maintain membership, a corps must pass an evaluation by the board of directors. The evaluation requires corps to submit data on their financial health, fund raising capacity and income, participants, staffing, and explanations of their administrative structure. All corps are required to be 501(c)(3) organizations.

Once approved by the board, a new corps must achieve certain competitive requirements, such as attending World Championships. The corps must then be approved by a majority of other members at a meeting following World Championships, usually the annual rules congress later in the year.[12]

All-age corps are ineligible for membership, but they may be qualify as a "touring" corps during a competitive season.[11] International corps, or corps based outside the United States and Canada, are also ineligible for membership. However, an international corps that adopts DCI's regulations, specifically instrumentation and participant age limits, may also qualify as a touring corps in either Open or World Class.

DCI limits the age of participants to "21 years of age and younger." A participant who is 22 years before June 1 would be unable to compete.[13] Some European and Asian drum corps associations have no age limit. Corps from those associations are allowed to compete at sanctioned competitions, and at World Championships in International Class.

Corps are allowed to set their own age limit to be younger than 21 years, such as Shadow, from Oregon, Wisconsin. Shadow limits its participants to high school students (18 years and younger).[14]

Individual drum corps derive a large part of their revenues from marketing their product, specifically memorabilia and souvenir sales. DCI derives income from ticket sales, and is the sole distributor of official media, such as championship DVDs and audio CDs. DCI is also the exclusive producer of all broadcasts of sanctioned competitions, including online streaming.

Edited versions of World Championship Open Class finals were televised by PBS from 1975 until 2004.[15][lower-alpha 4] From 2005 to 2007, a two-hour highlights program of World Championship Division I finals was broadcast by ESPN2.

Since 2004, World Championship World Class prelims have been broadcast to movie theaters by Fathom Events under the title Big, Loud & Live.[16][lower-alpha 5] In 2011, Fathom Events added the DCI Tour Premiere. DCI previously livestreamed a number of competitions throughout the season, including the entirety of World Championship, via the former "FanNetwork".[17] FloSports engaged in a multi-year agreement to livestream select competitions via the FloMarching platform.[18]

Frequent hosts of the broadcasts and streaming events have been former WWAY news anchor Steve Rondinaro, and percussionist Dennis DeLucia.[19]

In 2013, DCI launched two new competitive musical activities for small groups: SoundSport and DrumLine Battle. These activities are not restricted by an age limit, nor do they have the same competitive requirements as drum corps. BANDtastic! began in 2014.

The stated goal of SoundSport is to provide a competitive performance experience in a low-cost, local setting. Musical ensembles of more than five members, using any musical instruments, perform a 5-7 minute marching music show in an area measuring 30 yards (27 m) × 20 yards (18 m).[20]

Two SoundSport teams Guardians and Watchmen became an Open Class corps in the 2014.[21] Southwind, inactive from 2007 to 2013, competed as a SoundSport team in 2014, and returned to competition as an Open Class corps in 2015.[22]

Intended for drumlines, or battery percussion ensembles with no wheeled percussion. Competing drumlines are staged in two competitive zones opposite each other, with each demonstrating their skills as an ensemble in alternating rounds of two minutes each. Adjudicators do not restrict their evaluation to technical proficiency, and include showmanship and audience reaction.[23]

In 2014, E-Sarn from Thailand, competed in the DrumLine Battle held during World Championship week, defeating fifteen other competitors.[24] River City Rhythm, from Anoka, Minnesota, also competed in 2014, becoming a touring corps in 2015.[22]

BANDtastic is a program of middle school honor bands sponsored by DCI.[25] The program originated in 2013 with the Indiana "INpact" honor band, organized in conjunction with World Championships.[26] Similar groups have since been organized in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, and most recently Minnesota.[27][25]

The activities are held in conjunction with a local DCI competition, and World Class corps partner.[28]

The week-long championship have been hosted at college or professional sports arenas in eighteen U.S cities and Montreal. Since 2009, World Class Championships have been hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2015, DCI announced World Championships would remain in Indianapolis through 2028.[29] Championships were traditionally held the third week of August. However, the second week of August has been the preferred date due to trends in scholastic and collegiate schedules which pushed the start of the school year from early-September to late-August.[lower-alpha 6]

In 2009 and 2010, the Open Class preliminary competition was hosted at Ames Field in Michigan City, Indiana with semifinals and finals hosted a Lucas Oil Stadium. From 2011 to 2018 the Open Class preliminaries and finals were hosted at Ames Field. Open Class Championship was moved to Wildcat Stadium on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana in 2019.[30]

DrumLine Battle and SoundSport competitions were added to the week's activities in 2014.

The Individual & ensemble festival, also known as I&E, is also hosted near the championship site. Participants from all member corps are eligible to compete demonstrating their ability on their preferred instrument, or as part of a small ensemble or instrument choir. Color guard and dance categories are also available.

In the 2005, I&E was expanded to include woodwind and vocal categories.

The Madison Scouts, a DCI World Class corps and two-time World Champion

Currently, DCI groups corps from the US and Canada into two classes based on competitive level. Corps from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and anywhere other than the US and Canada are grouped into the International Class. Corps from all classes compete together but are ranked separately. In the past, classes have been fully or partially determined by the number of marching members in each corps; at present, all corps may march up to a maximum of one hundred fifty four (154) members.

World Class (formerly Division I) corps are the groups that have chosen to compete at the highest level and have proven to DCI leadership they have the ability to survive at this level both competitively and financially. The higher a corps is ranked at the DCI Championships, the higher the performance fees they will earn for the following season's performances.

Open Class (formerly Divisions II & III) corps are committed to a lesser competitive level and are generally smaller, although several corps have marched with maximum membership. In September 2007, DCI combined the former Divisions II and III into this new class.[31][32]

International Class is for corps based outside the US and Canada who wish to compete at sanctioned competitions. Corps in this class are allowed to follow the guidelines of their national governing body, such as: no age restrictions, smaller membership requirements, or the use of woodwind instruments. International corps which abide by DCI rules would be eligible to compete as Open or World Class corps.

Source: [3]

Source: 

• Open Class (1972–92) had a membership limit of 128.
• Class A generally had 90 members or fewer although the limit was 128.
• All-Girl Class was restricted to girls only: there was no equivalent all-boy class; the membership limit was 128.
• Class A60, and the later Division III, had a maximum of 60 members; a minimum of 30 members was added later.
• Division II had the same membership limit as Division I, but a generally lower level of competitive expertise.[33]
• Prior to 2003, Division I was increased from 128 to 135.
• World Class, the current Open Class, and International Class all had a membership limit of 150 from 2007 through 2017.[34]
• In 2018, the membership limit per corps was increased to 154.[35]

DCI's Adjudication Manual is based on three broad categories, Visual, Music and Effect.[36] Visual and Music categories are further subdivided into three analysis captions. If more than one adjudicator is utilized in any caption, their scores are averaged before being factored.

All-age corps may request to be adjudicated using scoring sheets provided by DCA. Many All-age corps may compete exclusively at DCI sanctioned competitions prior to attending DCA World Championships, which is traditionally hosted Labor Day weekend.