Three months after the final notes of the 2018 Drum Corps International World Championships sounded at Lucas Oil Stadium, marching music will come alive again in downtown Indianapolis during two very special events.
Things kick off Thursday, November 8, as the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships take center stage at Lucas Oil Stadium, featuring the competitive performances of some of the country’s top high school marching bands.
Watch the BOA Grand Nationals live via FloMarching.com
Drum Corps International will have a presence in the event’s festival marketplace on the main concourse of the venue, where you can stop by to learn more about the upcoming release of the 2019 DCI Tour schedule, drum corps auditions, and much more.
At the booth, Bands of America attendees can visit with representatives of IN STEP: Women of DCI to learn more about the evolving program. After appointing a new chair at the end of September, the initiative continues to gain momentum through activities such as a recent Marching Roundtable podcast. IN STEP chair Genevieve Geisler will be available at the DCI booth Thursday (11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET), Friday (4 p.m. – 8 p.m.), and Saturday (1 p.m. – 5 p.m.) to talk more about upcoming IN STEP initiatives. DCI Board of Directors chair Kathy Black will also be on hand to greet visitors, and BOA spectators can stop by at any time to sign up for more information about the program.
Another special event supported by Drum Corps International will be the Future Music Educators’ Experience, which gives college students studying music education the opportunity to spend the day at the BOA Grand National Semifinals on Saturday, November 10, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the event while learning from leaders in the fields of marching music and music education.
The following week, November 14-17, all things percussion will be featured in downtown Indy as the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) gets underway. With more than 120 educational presentations and interactive sessions on the schedule and an expo hall with more than 100 industry-related exhibitors, PASIC is a one-of-a-kind annual event for percussionists.
The centerpiece of PASIC’s marching music track of events will be Drum Corps International’s DrumLine Battle™, where a variety of high school, college and independent percussion ensembles will square off. The first matchup in the bracket style competition will kick off at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, November 16, in Hall B of the Indiana Convention Center.
Two DCI drum corps will also make their presence felt during PASIC 2018. On Friday afternoon, The Cavaliers’ bass drum line will be featured as part of an hour-long session led by staff member Russell Wharton on “Building a Great Subsection.” The Boston Crusaders will follow up on Saturday afternoon as staff members Colin McNutt and Iain Moyer give attendees a “Day in the Life” view of a DCI percussion section.
Another session on Thursday, November 15, titled “60 Years of Championship Snare Solos” will feature the likes of DCI Hall of Fame member Scott Johnson and longtime DCI percussion judge Jeff Prosperie.
View a complete schedule of PASIC events
As the holidays approach and drum corps across the country awaken out of their off-season slumbers, November marks the unofficial start to the 2019 DCI season with audition camps and other educational opportunities taking place on an almost weekly basis.