If one were to research the history of DCI’s Individual & Ensemble (I&E) competition, research might lead to the following Wiki entry:
The Individual & Ensemble festival, also known as I&E, is also hosted near the championship site. Participants from all member corps are eligible to compete demonstrating their ability on their preferred instrument, or as part of a small ensemble or instrument choir. Color guard and dance categories are also available. In the 2005, I&E was expanded to include woodwind and vocal categories.
The information is mostly true (vocals didn’t become part of the equation until 2011), but it doesn’t begin to encompass the depth and legacy of its 47 years.
Gathering details of this legacy, information or even scores, is a challenge because no centralized database exists for the event. Just finding the exact year of the competition’s birth took a bit sleuthing. It actually began in 1973 during DCI’s second championship series in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
This was discovered while researching Rob Carson’s illustrious snare drum career. The then 15-year-old Santa Clara Vanguard percussionist won DCI’s first gold medal on snare drum in 1973 and again in 1978. From 1974 to '76, he came in second place. For the curious, Carson did not compete in 1977 and the snare crown momentarily went to crosstown rival, Blue Devils’ Scott Johnson. Perhaps a story for another day.
In its infancy, DCI Hall of Famer and longtime judge Dave Richards tended to the new activity. From an article in the 1983 DCI Yearbook, Richards recalled, “It’s grown from about 50 contestants to 300 entries [in 1982].” It did expand over the years and in the 1990s for example, the snare category alone could often reach 100 competitors.
In those early years, categories consisted of just brass and percussion. Like ice-skating compulsories, participants had to begin with scales and cadences before performing their composition. Eventually, DCI added color guard, woodwinds and vocal categories and dropped the obligatory rudiments.
Richard’s vision for the future of I&E was very telling in the article: “A showcase where people can buy tickets, come in, sit down, and enjoy themselves would be ideal.”
What a visionary thought!
DCI Virtual Performers Showcase | #DCI2020
During the summer of 2020, Drum Corps International will transform the DCI Performers Showcase into a digital format, giving performers of all ages and from any location around the world the opportunity to compete. Registration will open June 18.
Learn more about the 2020 DCI Performers Showcase presented by System Blue