Drum Corps International (DCI) launched two exciting new ventures that have the potential to bring music and marching competition to any location in the world. DrumLine Battle gives drum lines with 31 members or less a chance to compete in a confined space, while SoundSport showcases instrumental ensembles of any size, skill level and instrumentation.
“Drum corps has been kind of exclusionary in that we don’t include other instruments; we wanted to include more people,” says John DeNovi, senior director of business development for Drum Corps International. “Drum corps can be expensive; kids can do it and raise the funds, but it’s a challenge. By creating these programs, we’ve created a performance opportunity that’s local and low-cost. New groups that want to form can be up and running quickly.”
Since the announcement, more than 500 inquiries from 42 states and 21 countries have poured into DCI. DrumLine Battle’s first Online Battles will begin in April with four demonstration groups: the Denver Broncos Stampede Drumline, Madah Bahana University of Indonesia, Center Grove High School Drumline from Greenwood, Ind., and Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps from Mount Holly, N.J.
Participating groups can compete in both Virtual Competitions and Live Competitive Events. Live events could take place in public venues such as shopping malls or parks.
SoundSport hopes to also announce inaugural events soon. “We’re open to any group that’s interested in developing a SoundSport or DrumLine Battle team; we want to make more opportunities for more people to do more music,” DeNovi says. “We want new groups to start up and give inactive groups the chance to come back in a low-cost way. We want to give kids in school the opportunity to be involved in drum corps events. We won’t exclude any instruments, and if you’re past the age of 21, we want to give you the opportunity to make music.”
For more information on both programs, visit www.dci.org.
