Picturesque weather, powerful performances, a wide array of exhibits and food trucks, and an energized audience made for the perfect start to the 2024 DCI Tour’s final day, as the SoundSport International Music & Food Festival presented by Jazz Wealth took over downtown Indianapolis Saturday morning and afternoon.
Positioned on South Street in the shadow of Lucas Oil Stadium, the annual SoundSport event brought a lively atmosphere to the epicenter of the marching music universe.
“We lucked out with some really good weather this year,” North Montgomery High School band director Andy Simpkins said. “Just to have the crowd out here, really close, and just to be able to perform next to Lucas Oil is a unique experience. I’m really glad to be able to give that to our performers.”
The festival featured several categories of performing ensembles, including several groups under the well-known SoundSport heading.
SoundSport — which, originally formed in 2012, provides an all-age, all-instrumentation performance platform to organizations through the world — served as the competing category for more than a dozen of Saturday’s featured acts. The day’s SoundSport Best of Show award went to Bluecoats' Rhythm IN BLUE.
“Just the excitement of being around these musicians, and putting on a great show, it’s just a blast,” Rhythm IN BLUE member Jalen Pappe said. “I thought we had a great performance."
The Saturday event also provided a stage for hundreds of middle and high school students to showcase their talents.
The Indiana Band Showcase fueled by Unleaded 88 — which was won by the Frankton/Lapel Marching Band — featured eight bands from Hoosier State high schools.
2024 marked the second year of the Indiana Band Showcase, with many of 2023’s performing groups returning for another appearance after a positive experience last August.
According to Crawfordsville High School band director Jonathon Tebbe, the event not only offers school programs exposure in front of a large marching music-oriented audience, but also offers students exposure to the many avenues available to them in performing arts.
“It’s exposure for the students and the fans,” Tebbe said. “A lot of people come to DCI, but they might not have seen Indiana bands in the circuits that we do. And for the kids, it's great to be able to experience DCI as a whole, as something they might want to do in the future.”
Middle schoolers in the nearly 600-member INpact Band program also made their annual appearance at the SoundSport festival, prior to kicking off a night of performances at the DCI World Championship Finals in Lucas Oil Stadium.
An annual highlight of the SoundSport festival, DCI’s popular DrumLine Battle also fueled by Unleaded88 featured competition from an array battery percussion ensembles. 7th Regiment took the top prize in the final DrumLine Battle presented by Pearl.
“It’s absolutely unreal,” 7th Regiment snare drummer Connor Post said. “This is my third year in a row winning this, and every time, the energy is just awesome. The people that came here to support us never failed and it’s really become a family here.”
SoundSport International Music & Food Festival Results
Bluecoats Rhythm IN BLUE
Gold Rating
Minnesota Brass
Gold Rating
Northern Lights Drum & Bugle Corps
Gold Rating
Eclipse
Gold Rating
Frankton/Lapel Marching Band
Gold Rating
Impact
Gold Rating
Montgomery County United Band
Gold Rating
Golden Pride Marching Band
Gold
Sonus Brass Theater
Gold Rating
Knights Legacy
Gold Rating
Conquest
Gold Rating
Steel City Ambassadors
Silver Rating
Northview Marching Band
Silver Rating
Latrobe Music Center
Silver Rating
Phoenix
Silver Rating
Jacksonville Drumline Institute
Silver Rating
Bishop Dwenger Marching Band
Silver Rating
Green Beret Marching Band
Silver Rating
Alexandria Marching Tigers
Silver Rating
IPS Combined Marching Band
Silver Rating
Southwestern Marching Band
Silver Rating