Five favorite Individual & Ensemble Competition moments

The 2004 Spirit Cymbal Ensemble

There is a story unfolding on the Drum Corps International Tour. It’s about a competition between brass lines – a ladies vs. guys duel. It’s Mandarins’ all-female trumpets, aptly called “Boy Killers,” going up against the all-male “Girl Crushers.” And the showdown between these groups and many others will be this Sunday, July 24 in San Antonio, Texas during DCI’s World Class Individual & Ensemble Competition (I&E). From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 300 performers from DCI’s finest will step out to display their talent, techniques, and unique performances at San Antonio’s Historic Sunset Station (1174 E. Commerce), just a stone’s throw away from the Alamodome. New this year? A medal ceremony starting at 1:30 p.m. that will immediately recognize the winners. If you have never been to I&E or haven’t been in a while, now is your chance to see something akin to America’s Got Talent – without a Hoff or Howie. What you may be seeing is a future drum corps celebrity on the road to discovery. The performances are as varied as the individuals. And it is in those differences we can see the glimmer of greatness stretch from the field to the stage – a peek under the shako. Yet, “different” is relative. Someone’s rudimentary snare licks can be a thrill to percussionists or a yawner to the uneducated. These days I&E performances can be clever, funny, poignant, but always amazing. Some I&E moments have reached near perfection; some actually did. It’s a box of chocolates, unknown until tasted, enticing and unique. I&E moments that are still talked about today are remembered not because of perfection in technique or score, but rather showmanship. Here are but a fraction of the thousands of I&E performances over the years that have caught my attention through talent and what Simon Cowell calls, the “X” factor. It’s just a hint of what you could see this Sunday in San Antonio!