Drum Corps Associates

In August 1963, Almo Sebastianelli, sponsor of the annual Parade of Champions drum corps competition, approached Henry Mayer, then-director of the New York Skyliners, to discuss problems affecting show sponsors and competing corps. Following their discussions, Sebastianelli and Mayer organized a meeting later that month, which was attended by representatives from the Archer-Epler Musketeers, Reading Buccaneers, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners.^[2]: 24 Five areas of concern were identified during the meeting:

• Conflicting contest dates.
• Inconsistent contest formats.
• Inconsistent adjudication.
• Uneven distribution prize money.
• Need to promote better relationships between competing corps.

At a second meeting held sometime in September 1963, by-laws for a new governing body were adopted, as well as the adoption of the name Drum Corps Associates. Mayer was elected the first DCA president.^[2]: 25 Charter members were: Reading Buccaneers, Connecticut Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Pittsburgh Rockets, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners.

DCA sanctioned one event in 1964, the 12th Annual Tournament of Drums in Waverly, New York.^[3] The first DCA World Championship was held in Milford, Connecticut on September 11, 1965. The Reading Buccaneers won the first of their 16 championship titles at this inaugural event.^[4]

Hawthorne Caballeros joined DCA in 1966, along with the Sunrisers, and Brigadiers.^[2]: 25 The Rochester Crusaders joined in 1967. Two decades later, in 1987, the number of corps competing in Open Class grew to 23.^[5] In 2008, twenty-four corps competed at World Championship, twelve in Open Class and Class A each.^[6]

Corps from Canada had been frequent competitors since DCA's founding, such as Les Metropolitains from Montreal, and Les Dynamiques from Buckingham, Quebec.^{[7]: 249–254} The Kingston Grenadiers, from Toronto, competed in 2010. Yokohama Inspires, from Japan, competed in 2005. The last competitors from the United Kingdom were Kidsgrove Scouts from Kidsgrove in 2017, and Cadence from Guildford in 2018.^[6]

DCA assigned all competing corps to four classes. No arrangements are made for corps from outside North America, as the same classification and adjudication applies to all competing corps. With the exception of mini-corps, all field corps performed in competition as one continuous flight, but scores and rankings were given by class.

World Class corps typically marched between 86 and 128 members who compete at the highest level.

Open Class corps typically marched between 65 and 85 members.

A Class^[b] corps were small, often young and developing groups, who typically marched between 24 and 64 members.^[8]

Mini-corps was a special class reserved for very small groups consisting of horns, and percussion or rhythm sections. These groups typically competed on a theater stage, and not on a football field, and were often no larger than twenty members. A Mini-corps championships was held the day before World Championship prelims.

DCA realigned its competitive classes in 1997,^{[7]: 249–254} and again in 2001. In 2022, DCA realigned its competitive classes based on ensemble size—World, Open, and A classes.^[8]

DCA's Adjudication Manual was based on three broad categories, Visual, Music and Effect.^[9] Visual and Music categories were further subdivided into three reference criteria, or captions: one caption for each of a corps' sections, and two ensemble performance captions. Unlike other adjudication manuals, DCA's manual included captions for individual or ensemble analysis, or design or effect analysis.

The manual included definitions for appropriate, and achievement, in lieu of proficiency, or attempt. This vocabulary reflects the style of programming utilized by modern all-age corps.^[10] Audience entertainment and engagement are also important factors in adjudication as well.^[9] Prior to 2011, nine adjudicators were required for each competition, using a different manual.^[10] The "European Music Games" adjudication manual published by Drum Corps Europe (DCE) was adapted from the previous DCA format.^[11]

• Drum Corps Europe
• Drum Corps International
• Drum Corps Japan
• Drum Corps United Kingdom
• Winter Guard International