Dedicated to musicians and performers of diverse styles and backgrounds, Marching Music Day celebrates all varieties of the art forms bringing us “music on the move.” 2026 marks the milestone 10th anniversary of the annual occurrence.
Drum Corps International founded Marching Music Day to celebrate and spotlight marching music as an engaging and ever-expanding art form around the world, and to help celebrate Music In Our Schools Month. As an ideal play on words, March Fourth was chosen.
Beginning in 2017, the registrar at National Day Calendar declared the day to #MarchForth into celebration annually.
One of the focuses of Drum Corps International’s annual #MarchForth outreach is the #MarchDrumCorps project. The fourth-annual initiative being coordinated by Drum Corps International focuses on matching prospective performers with open positions in corps nationwide.
Underway since mid-February, DCI has been working directly with its participating organizations to compile a bi-weekly list of current openings in every section of their corps and is sharing inquiries from interested performers for follow-up as the summer of 2026 continues to come into focus.
Other easy ways you can celebrate March Fourth:
1. Help even more people see drum corps in 2026
When drum corps comes to town, students get inspired.
Through nationwide school partnerships to house corps on the DCI Tour, we distribute thousands of tickets, giving host-school students the opportunity to see the groups that practiced in their own backyard on a national stage.
Your March 4th donation helps put students in the stands — many of whom are seeing drum corps for the very first time!
2. Complete the Marching Music Day Activity Book
Download and print the March Forth! activity book for a variety of fun coloring pages, games and more.
3. Rep your favorite drum corps or marching music swag
Dust off those corps jackets or break out your favorite marching group’s T-shirt or sweatshirt. Take a selfie and post it to your social media profiles tagging your posts with #MarchForth and #MarchingMusicDay!
Also, don’t miss out on a 25% discount on apparel and accessories from DCI’s online marketplace, March 4-6, with coupon code MARCH4DCI.
4. Get the band back together
From drum corps and marching bands, to SoundSport teams and winter guards, to military music groups, Mummers string bands, fife and drum groups, drill teams and step teams, marching musicians fall into a remarkable array of different styles, classifications and organizations. No matter your performance style, coordinate a group message string to get your friends together to make music today, tomorrow, this summer or whenever you see fit! DCI’s SoundSport International Music & Food Festival coming this August to Indianapolis may just be the perfect place for you to do so.
5. Make your plans to be on the field or in the stands this summer
Summer is just four months away! With all eyes ahead to 2026 DCI Tour, a huge number of drum corps are still recruiting prospective corps members to join them on the field this summer.
Learn more about open positions in 2026 drum corps
For those more interested in witnessing the 2026 DCI Tour from the stadium grandstands, tickets to an impressive number of shows on the more than 80-event DCI Tour schedule are now on sale including the three-day DCI World Championships August 6-8 in Indianapolis.
6. Share your marching resume!
Drum Corps International’s I Marched campaign brings the stories of generations of marching musicians to the forefront, and you can join the community!
I Marched
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