Drum Corps International's Individual & Ensemble Competition 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 2006 World Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison starting at noon.
In addition to the traditional brass, percussion and visual categories, a new woodwind category was added last year to allow drum corps members whose primary instrument may not be incorporated in the normal field of drum corps competition, to continue to practice and develop their musical skills during the summer tour. The 2006 Individual & Ensemble Competition will be sponsored for the 16th time by S.O.M.E. (Sponsors of Musical Enrichment). Made up of many drum corps alums, S.O.M.E. was established in 1978 as a nonprofit corporation dedicated to serving San Joaquin County, Calif. The organization's objectives center on advising and assisting youth activities and promoting goodwill in the community.