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The DCI Drum Major Leadership Summit — an annual gathering geared toward the education and networking for drum corps student leaders — served as a highlight of the 2025 DCI Annual Meetings, held January 8-12 in Indianapolis.
The summit, spearheaded by DCI Hall of Fame member Gene Monterastelli and a group of former DCI drum majors, featured a jam-packed weekend schedule including presentations from various figureheads in the drum corps activity, educational sessions, interactive activities, and social events.
“It's building a drum major community,” Monterastelli said. “It's helping them build their skills. It's giving them a chance to talk over real-life situations. And hopefully, that helps them, from a personal standpoint.”
While the Drum Major Leadership Summit features an array of returning faces — whether those who have served as drum majors and attended the summit before, or those who have marched in a drum corps and have now risen to the rank of drum major — it’s also an introductory opportunity for those with less experience.
The opportunities provided by the summit for new participants was especially evident at 2025’s meetings, as a number of All-Age Class drum majors — as well as a pair of international drum majors from the Calgary Stampede — were in attendance for the first time.
“To be able to be the first couple of (drum majors) who have this opportunity is just fantastic,” Calgary Stampede drum major Ariel Frank said. “There's not many people in Canada anymore that do what we do, so talking to all of these young people who know exactly what it's like is fantastic.”
For many of the more than 40 drum majors in attendance, the weekend was about building further community and sharpening skills heading into their summer season as veteran drum majors.
Boston Crusaders drum major Wes Booker, the 2024 winner of DCI’s Jim Jones Leadership Award, spoke highly of the experience, with 2025 being his third season as a drum major.
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According to Booker, the opportunity to develop community with individuals in similar leadership positions — who have their own unique perspectives — is invaluable.
“This is so cool to see so many people who have the exact same interests and passions as me,” he said. “I've learned a lot about how different people lead in totally different ways, and how that's totally normal. And (with those examples) there's something I've learned and taken back for myself every single year.”
One of the key pieces of the Drum Major Leadership Summit is not only information sharing and training, but also mentor leadership.
While Monterastelli serves as the main organizer of the program, several former DCI drum majors come back each winter to share their expertise and advice with the next generation of drum corps student leaders.
Among this year’s many alumni leaders was former Troopers drum major Gabe Gallegos, who won the Jim Jones Leadership Award in 2017 and now is an elementary school teacher.
“I came back because I remember 10 years ago was the first time I got to be a drum major, and got to come to the summit, and I was so scared,” he said. “I was able to put on a brave face and just quietly stand in the back. Everyone in there seems so confident and so ready for whatever challenges they have ahead, and so determined. It's a really cool environment to be in.”
With their annual summit in the books, DCI’s many drum majors will look ahead to winter and spring rehearsals, as the DCI Summer Tour nears.