The mission statement of Drum Corps International is clear and simple.
To bring the life-enriching benefits and enjoyment of marching music performing arts to more people worldwide.
Ultimately, the performing arts span far outside the bounds of what happens on the 90-some football stadiums that lay out the annual DCI Summer Tour. In 2013, DCI’s SoundSport program was formed to start bridging that gap.
Since then, dozens of events all over the country and world — including several in conjunction with DCI Tour events, and the annual SoundSport International Music and Food Festival in Indianapolis — have opened up performance opportunities to ensembles of any size, age, instrumentation and style.
“Soundsport is much more than a way to start or develop a new drum corps,” SoundSport coordinator Dave Eddleman said. “If you go to our Soundsport International Music and Food Festival, you see that very clearly, with all different kinds of instrumentation from all different kinds of places.”
Now, in its 10th year of existence, SoundSport is set to further bring the excitement of performance and the positive benefits of artistic growth to more communities than ever before, through the program’s newest venture — SoundSport Scholastic.
The vision of SoundSport Scholastic is to simply generate the caliber of performance opportunities that one might experience on the DCI Summer Tour and bring them to school programs across the country — and namely, those that might not otherwise participate in events of such scope.
Whether it be middle schools, high schools or colleges, institutions whose music and arts programs may not be inclined to participate in competitive circuits or large-scale festivals will have the opportunity through SoundSport Scholastic to provide their students with a stage on which to showcase their talents.
“Through SoundSport Scholastic, we're able to offer opportunities for performances in an indoor arena, similar to the same size as a SoundSport space that we use in the summer,” Eddleman said.
And according to Eddleman, the bounds of SoundSport Scholastic are, essentially, limitless.
“Bands, orchestras, choirs, any school performing group can participate,” he said. “Dance teams, show choirs, cheerleaders could all come, to provide new opportunities to perform together at a high school. And then the really exciting part comes when these groups get to perform together with groups from other schools."
With 2022 being the inaugural year of the SoundSport Scholastic program, Eddleman and DCI director of business development John DeNovi noted plans for five events to be held at universities throughout the country during the fall months.
“These strategic or ‘premier’ events that we’re placing at universities will have a really great environment and atmosphere for these kinds of activities,” Eddleman said.
Among many key initiatives for SoundSport Scholastic, one goal of the program is to directly engage with as many different types of groups across the performing arts spectrum.
“We're really excited about how we can collaborate with mariachi ensembles, with HBCUs; there are schools that have bagpipes, there are schools that have jazz ensembles that add a little bit of movement, you can introduce your dance team, your color guard,” DeNovi said. “And now, you have a whole new experience.”
While the SoundSport Scholastic program has the ability to provide opportunities for exhilarating performance, its events go far beyond the stage itself, and will engage school programs on an educational and social level as well.
Throughout a given SoundSport Scholastic event, students will be able to take part in educational clinics and work with other participating ensembles toward a joint performance alongside a notable musician or performer.
“It's a full interactive day,” DeNovi said. “Really, a much different approach than what you'd see at a typical Saturday band contest or indoor (drum line or color guard) show.”
While any scholastic ensemble can thrive in the SoundSport Scholastic experience, the program will especially provide those schools who aren’t as inclined to participate in large-scale competitions a chance to experience what performance is like without the pressure of stringent judging criteria.
“There are many, many schools that don't go to top-tier competitive marching events,” DeNovi said. “And we see an opportunity to engage those schools, engage those students, and to mix and match the performing arts on their campuses in ways that currently aren't.”
And when push comes to shove, it’s those inclusive and engaging characteristics of the SoundSport Scholastic platform that align fluidly with the mission of Drum Corps International.
“This program helps us fulfill our mission in a way that we can't simply just do during the summer,” DeNovi said. “This gives us opportunities to bring all kinds of musicians and all kinds of instrumentation and all kinds of ability levels and economic levels and backgrounds to what we do.”