Drum Corps International's Individual & Ensemble Competition (I&E) is a showcase of the best drum corps musicians and color guard members. Participants will exhibit their individual and small group talent in musical and visual pieces prepared in the spare minutes outside of their normal corps rehearsal schedules. This year's competition will be held during the 2009 World Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis starting at 11 a.m. ET.



In addition to the traditional brass, percussion and visual categories, woodwind categories are also incorporated into I&E to allow drum corps members whose primary instrument may not be used in the normal field of drum corps competition, to continue to practice and develop their musical skills during the summer tour.



The 2009 Individual & Ensemble Competition will be sponsored for the 19th time by S.O.M.E. (Sponsors of Musical Enrichment). Established in 1978 as a nonprofit corporation in San Joaquin County, Calif., S.O.M.E. supports local youth organizations and performing arts projects. They also sponsor the annual Jim Ott Scholarship—named in memory of the legendary drum corps brass arranger and instructor—which is awarded to corps members who are pursuing music education degrees.



This year, Mid-Atlantic Arts Network for Youth (MANY) has stepped up as a second sponsor of the I&E Competition. MANY works to promote drum corps activities in the greater Washington, D.C., area, providing young people with the resources necessary to participate in a DCI corps.



To find out more about these two worthy organizations, visit someinc.com and manydc.org.



Download a complete Individual & Ensemble location map and schedule by room (PDF).