As the entire drum corps community gets ready to celebrate the New Year and looks ahead to the summer of 2014, this week, Drum Corps International recaps some of the highlights of 2013, today with the most read headlines on DCI.org. The most popular news items of 2013, and consequently some of the most "liked" and shared of the year, were comprised of a mix of both in- and off-season topics including competitive wrap-ups, live blogs, news on upcoming events, and more.

1. Live Blog: 2013 DCI World Championship Finals


The field at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for the DCI World Championship Finals on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013.
Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013: Drum Corps International staff writer Michael Boo teamed up with "Field Pass" podcast correspondent and Drum Corps World reporter Mike Ferlazzo Saturday, Aug. 10, to report on all of the action live from Lucas Oil Stadium during the World Championship Finals competition. From the opening notes of the competition, to the history-making performance of Carolina Crown, Boo and Ferlazzo provided their expert insights and an inside look at what was going on in and around the stadium throughout the entire evening. Read the full text of this article.

2. A New Champion is 'Crowned'


Carolina Crown receives the Founders Trophy at the 2013 DCI World Championship Finals in Indianapolis.
Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013: Carolina Crown became a World Class World Champion for the first time in drum corps history Saturday, Aug. 10, as the 2013 DCI World Championships concluded at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Not since 1996 has DCI named a first-time World Champion, and never before has it had a Champion that started as an Open Class/Division II corps. The South Carolina corps' 2013 production "E=mc2" led them to victory, taking home a final overall score of 98.30 and caption awards for Visual Performance, Brass and General Effect. "For Crown coming from Division II way back when, it's unbelievable," Crown Executive Director Jim Coates said. "It shows that anyone can come from the last place we took our first year out. [This season] is not so much about the win, it's about the experience of excellence and teaching the kids."

3. Presenting DrumLine Battle and SoundSport


Open Class corps Gold puts on some high-flying acrobatics against the Spartans in the very first DrumLine Battle
event hosted as part of the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis.
Friday, January 18, 2013: Drum Corps International, the leader in producing stadium events for the world's most elite and exclusive marching music ensembles for student musicians and performers, is pleased to announce two exciting new additions to the DCI family of competitive event brands. DrumLine Battle?„? events providing drumming ensembles from across the globe, performing with less than 31 percussionists, with powerful opportunities to compete against each other in exciting new ways in a confined "battleground" environment. SoundSport® events showcasing instrumental ensembles of any instrumentation and any skill level year-round, spotlighting their unique talents and creativity like never before. Read the full text of this article.

4. 10 must-see parking lot videos of 2013


Boston Crusaders bass drummers warm up July 13, 2013 in Minneapolis.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013: While there's no denying that the football field lies at the heart of any Drum Corps International corps' performance, some say that the competition starts hours before in the parking lot, where corps assemble to begin warming up for the day's event. If they can find them tucked away behind buildings and other remote locations on the outskirts of the stadium, fans can catch an up-close glimpse of their favorite corps practicing before their members don their uniforms and march into the stadium. And if they're lucky, those fans will be treated to and witness the goose-bump inducing sounds of horn lines and drum lines in an intimate performance setting unlike any other. To give you a taste of what it's like in the lot at a DCI Tour event, we've assembled a list of some of our favorite videos from the 2013 summer season so far. Read the full text of this article.

5. Head-turning uniforms of 2013


Carolina Crown turned more than a few heads in 2013 taking the field with bright purple pants.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013: One of the most anticipated moments of the start of every summer season is when drum corps across the country get into their uniforms for the very first time. While some corps will take the field in 2013 wearing variations on a theme of their familiar garb, others will be taking a drastic departure that might leave some fans wondering, "Who is that corps?" To get you up to speed on the latest fashions of 2013, we've compiled a gallery of uniforms, both new and old, from corps who have been actively posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Read the full text of this article.

Other Popular 2013 Headlines

• Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013: 2014 Drum Corps International Tour schedule • Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013: Crown comes from behind during World Championship Semifinals • Friday, Aug. 9, 2013: Live Blog: DCI World Championship Semifinals • Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013: Recap Roundup: 2013 World Championship Finals • Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013: 35 drum corps uniforms that can double as Halloween costumes Stay on top of all of the latest news from Drum Corps International in 2014!