DCI: What it is and why you need to know about it

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

As August is beginning, we are about to enter the DCI World Championship and I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite activities with y'all.

DCI stands for Drum Corps International. Founded in 1972, it features 47 marching bands with 154 members per band usually aged between 18-21. Every spring, thousands of young adults auditon around the United States to be a part of one of the corps. In the summer the groups practice every day from sunrise to sundown competing to be the world champion. In mid August the World Championship is held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

DCI is essentially what the NFL is to high school football. The top corps are very physically straining and one of the most emotional and physical draining activities there are. In my dream world DCI is as well known as other sports such as football and basketball.

The difference between DCI and regular high school bands are they DCI has no woodwind instruments. The corp is only made up of percussion, colorguard, and brass. DCI is more competitive than typical high school bands and convey a theme throughout their show.

Here are a few short clips of some of my favorite corps

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

Rahfiki · Aug 2, 2018

Honestly came in expecting something about a new DC Comics venture, read the op, watched the videos, and now care about it slightly more than football. However, definitely have a lot of respect for how much effort these people put into their craft and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. The more you know and all

Nubzcake · Aug 2, 2018

Ugh now I needed to watch drumline again

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

Nubzcake said:
Ugh now I needed to watch drumline again

Please don't do that to yourself.

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

DCI is a scam and a cult through and through. Stay the fuck away.

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

Accidental double post

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
DCI is a scam and a cult through and through. Stay the fuck away.

But it's a fun cult to watch

Rahfiki · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
DCI is a scam and a cult through and through. Stay the fuck away.

I'm curious have any links/videos to throw down? Find this kinda thing fascinating

philipnorth · Aug 2, 2018

How do you have a world championship with US only?
Hoe do you have a world championship with drumbands?

I mean, cool music and show but errrr how?

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

luffxan said:
I'm curious have any links/videos to throw down? Find this kinda thing fascinating

There's been a few reports of older members harassing younger members. Earlier this year George Hopkins, the director for a Corp called The Cadets was accused of raping some of the girls in the corps.

Also a few reports that some of the props that have been used are unstable and could be dangerous. As corps get more and more competitive the risk of injury grows greater. I'll link a show where you can see where the prop everyone is standing on looks like it's about to fall apart. It's worse by the short time corps have to set up the props.

Steve9842017 · Aug 2, 2018

Went to a few camps for SCV almost ten years ago right after high-school (quads), but wanted to focus on college and my chops waned quickly.

Still have my quad practice pads somewhere.. Still have fond memories of marching band and SCV in general.

My aunt and uncle were both in SCV back in the '70s and actually met due to their dots being right next to each other in drill at one point.

Eat My Jorts · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
DCI is a scam and a cult through and through. Stay the fuck away.

The kids who came back to our band after doing this during the summer were always all about their drum corps afterward. Little cog necklaces and the like.

I hated marching band and was surprised to find out that people did it for fun in their downtime.

\/———— Did see a lot of what's said in this post in person.

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

luffxan said:
I'm curious have any links/videos to throw down? Find this kinda thing fascinating

It's a pretty typical cult cycle. DCI has an age limit, and many of the people who age out have little to no career prospects as the cost of participating is similar to that of funding a college education (if you're going somewhere not super expensive). Their only choice for a job is to work in a high school band program as instructional marching staff. As marching staff, they preach about how great DCI was, showing films of performances and professing the appeal of victory in competition. They turn many young, impressionable musicians into obsessive acolytes of the organization. Many DCI age-outs also start inappropriate sexual relationships with high school students as a side effect of their relative age (22-25) and their position as militaristic instructors and emotional manipulators.

These kids turn their plans for college into plans for DCI, throwing away their future to corrupt organizations that exist solely on the financial support of the performers and begging for donations from friends and family of the performers. They leech as much as they can out of their followers until, whoops, they age out, and have to go work at a high school band program. The way members are treated commonly crosses the line of physical and emotional abuse but the Kool-Aid is strong, and only drives them further into dependence on the program and its staff.

DCI is a disgusting parasite on public education music programs that exists solely for the financial gain of the organizers. The "sport" has no fans, no audience, minimal sponsorship, and no legitimate reason to exist. It distills art into a false hope of winning a trophy for being the best at something literally no one cares about.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

philipnorth said:
How do you have a world championship with US only?
Hoe do you have a world championship with drumbands?

I mean, cool music and show but errrr how?

Same reason why the MLB has the World Series.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
It's a pretty typical cult cycle. DCI has an age limit, and many of the people who age out have little to no career prospects as the cost of participating is similar to that of funding a college education (if you're going somewhere not super expensive). Their only choice for a job is to work in a high school band program as instructional marching staff. As marching staff, they preach about how great DCI was, showing films of performances and professing the appeal of victory in competition. They turn many young, impressionable musicians into obsessive acolytes of the organization. Many DCI age-outs also start inappropriate sexual relationships with high school students as a side effect of their relative age (22-25) and their position as militaristic instructors and emotional manipulators.

These kids turn their plans for college into plans for DCI, throwing away their future to corrupt organizations that exist solely on the financial support of the performers and begging for donations from friends and family of the performers. They leech as much as they can out of their followers until, whoops, they age out, and have to go work at a high school band program.

DCI is a disgusting parasite on public education music programs that exist solely for the financial gain of the organizers. The "sport" has no fans, no audience, minimal sponsorship, and no legitimate reason to exist. It distills art into a false hope of winning a trophy for being the best at something literally no one cares about.

Tons of people I know who are in DCI are also in college. The program only is in the summer and doesn't effect your ability to go to college. If you still have class in the spring, corps will work with your school schedule.

Or they go to a community college for the first two years while they're also doing DCI and work as a high school band instructor during the fall as well.

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

MrConbon210 said:
Tons of people I know who are in DCI are also in college. The program only is in the summer and doesn't effect your ability to go to college. If you still have class in the spring, corps will work with your school schedule.

Or they go to a community college for the first two years while they're also doing DCI and work as a high school band instructor during the fall as well.

I have a lot of connections to what are typically considered the top tier corps and while it doesn't necessarily prohibit a college education, it does make getting one significantly more challenging at no benefit to the participants

They string along their members with a sense of greater purpose while simultaneously denying them better lives, physically and emotionally abusing them, taking money from them and their relatives, then hang them out to dry at 22 with nothing to show for it. They come back changed, obsessive people who furiously defend the orgs in the face of the potentially dire state of their lives and the sad reality of their experiences.

DCI is a cult.

MazeHaze · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
It's a pretty typical cult cycle. DCI has an age limit, and many of the people who age out have little to no career prospects as the cost of participating is similar to that of funding a college education (if you're going somewhere not super expensive). Their only choice for a job is to work in a high school band program as instructional marching staff. As marching staff, they preach about how great DCI was, showing films of performances and professing the appeal of victory in competition. They turn many young, impressionable musicians into obsessive acolytes of the organization. Many DCI age-outs also start inappropriate sexual relationships with high school students as a side effect of their relative age (22-25) and their position as militaristic instructors and emotional manipulators.

These kids turn their plans for college into plans for DCI, throwing away their future to corrupt organizations that exist solely on the financial support of the performers and begging for donations from friends and family of the performers. They leech as much as they can out of their followers until, whoops, they age out, and have to go work at a high school band program. The way members are treated commonly crosses the line of physical and emotional abuse but the Kool-Aid is strong, and only drives them further into dependence on the program and its staff.

DCI is a disgusting parasite on public education music programs that exists solely for the financial gain of the organizers. The "sport" has no fans, no audience, minimal sponsorship, and no legitimate reason to exist. It distills art into a false hope of winning a trophy for being the best at something literally no one cares about.

This is accurate, can confirm.

Pretendo Switch · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
It's a pretty typical cult cycle. DCI has an age limit, and many of the people who age out have little to no career prospects as the cost of participating is similar to that of funding a college education (if you're going somewhere not super expensive). Their only choice for a job is to work in a high school band program as instructional marching staff. As marching staff, they preach about how great DCI was, showing films of performances and professing the appeal of victory in competition. They turn many young, impressionable musicians into obsessive acolytes of the organization. Many DCI age-outs also start inappropriate sexual relationships with high school students as a side effect of their relative age (22-25) and their position as militaristic instructors and emotional manipulators.

These kids turn their plans for college into plans for DCI, throwing away their future to corrupt organizations that exist solely on the financial support of the performers and begging for donations from friends and family of the performers. They leech as much as they can out of their followers until, whoops, they age out, and have to go work at a high school band program. The way members are treated commonly crosses the line of physical and emotional abuse but the Kool-Aid is strong, and only drives them further into dependence on the program and its staff.

DCI is a disgusting parasite on public education music programs that exist solely for the financial gain of the organizers. The "sport" has no fans, no audience, minimal sponsorship, and no legitimate reason to exist. It distills art into a false hope of winning a trophy for being the best at something literally no one cares about.

I was involved in WGI (percussion) and DCA (drum corps without the age limit) and really disagree with what you're saying. I know hundreds of people who were involved in DCI/WGI and the majority moved on from the activity just fine. Most were in college at the same time as participating as well. I taught drum lines and marching bands myslef. It was a good way to pay for my college tuition.

That is quite the gross generalization you're making there.

PMS341 · Aug 2, 2018

One of my best friends is an instructor of sorts for the Cavaliers. I believe he is with them right now.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

MylesDevin said:
I was involved in WGI (percussion) and DCA (drum corps without the age limit) and really disagree with what you're saying. I know hundreds of people who were involved in DCI/WGI and the majority moved on from the activity just fine. Most were in college at the same time as participating as well. I taught drum lines and marching bands myslef. It was a good way to pay for my college tuition.

That is quite the gross generalization you're making there.

The line about how many of the people who do DCI are also child predators is such a gross and bizarre conspiracy. Nobody I have met who has done DCI is a child predator.

Rahfiki · Aug 2, 2018

MrConbon210 said:
There's been a few reports of older members harassing younger members. Earlier this year George Hopkins, the director for a Corp called The Cadets was accused of raping some of the girls in the corps.

Also a few reports that some of the props that have been used are unstable and could be dangerous. As corps get more and more competitive the risk of injury grows greater. I'll link a show where you can see where the prop everyone is standing on looks like it's about to fall apart. It's worse by the short time corps have to set up the props.

I see what you mean that thing definitely doesn't look like something I'd feel comfortable standing and moving around on for any amount of time with that many people.

GrizzNKev said:
It's a pretty typical cult cycle. DCI has an age limit, and many of the people who age out have little to no career prospects as the cost of participating is similar to that of funding a college education (if you're going somewhere not super expensive). Their only choice for a job is to work in a high school band program as instructional marching staff. As marching staff, they preach about how great DCI was, showing films of performances and professing the appeal of victory in competition. They turn many young, impressionable musicians into obsessive acolytes of the organization. Many DCI age-outs also start inappropriate sexual relationships with high school students as a side effect of their relative age (22-25) and their position as militaristic instructors and emotional manipulators.

These kids turn their plans for college into plans for DCI, throwing away their future to corrupt organizations that exist solely on the financial support of the performers and begging for donations from friends and family of the performers. They leech as much as they can out of their followers until, whoops, they age out, and have to go work at a high school band program. The way members are treated commonly crosses the line of physical and emotional abuse but the Kool-Aid is strong, and only drives them further into dependence on the program and its staff.

DCI is a disgusting parasite on public education music programs that exists solely for the financial gain of the organizers. The "sport" has no fans, no audience, minimal sponsorship, and no legitimate reason to exist. It distills art into a false hope of winning a trophy for being the best at something literally no one cares about.

Oof that sounds pretty horrible especially considering it would be so easy to convince high-schoolers considering so many of them are looking for some kind of direction in their life. Have always hated how a lot of organizations recruit kids to compete in something they may have an interest in but charge them crazy fees to participate in something that means jack in the real world. Hell I was president of a not so trash one of those organizations in school (just to mess around and help my teacher out) and even though they promoted career readiness they charged absurd amounts for everything. I remember doing the numbers for winning and going to nationals to compete for the sake of paperwork and it came out to somewhere between 5-10k per student for a week of competition (if I remember right). This of course after paying like $200 for a mandatory uniform, 4-500ish for the local competition, as well as various other fees. At the very least though people came out the other end with generally marketable skills (even if the organization itself didn't teach them at all). Had the same issue with older members/alumni harassing younger members though. That funneling into a cycle of supporting DCI their whole life sounds like something of Scientology rip

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

MylesDevin said:
I was involved in WGI (percussion) and DCA (drum corps without the age limit) and really disagree with what you're saying. I know hundreds of people who were involved in DCI/WGI and the majority moved on from the activity just fine. Most were in college at the same time as participating as well. I taught drum lines and marching bands myslef. It was a good way to pay for my college tuition.

That is quite the gross generalization you're making there.

MrConbon210 said:
The line about how many of the people who do DCI are also child predators is such a gross and bizarre conspiracy. Nobody I have met who has done DCI is a child predator.

Tell that to the guard girl who married one of our marching instructors immediately after finishing high school. Tell that to my best friend who was constantly sexually harrassed by the percussion instructor. Tell that to the entire marching staff that was fired from my school when it was discovered they had inappropriate personal relationships with the students outside the school. Tell that to one of my own friends, in my graduating class, who went off to DCI, then came back to work at my high school, and was caught, yes, sexually harassing high school students. Again.

I guess it's nice to dismiss my experiences as a conspiracy even though I've heard confirming reports from people at other schools in other parts of the country just because your time involved doesn't line up with the depth of corruption and evil right beneath the surface of the whole thing I saw firsthand.

Look at the title of this thread "what it is and why you need to know about it" and the fact that only the people who were in it are defending it.

Pretty accurate representation of what I've witnessed myself.

Look, I get it. Not everyone involved is gonna see the same fucked up things I've seen. But I know firsthand there is way more of it than anyone on the inside will ever admit, and it purposefully creates an environment that allows these sorts of things to happen. We're all better off without it.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

luffxan said:
I see what you mean that thing definitely doesn't look like something I'd feel comfortable standing and moving around on for any amount of time with that many people.

Oof that sounds pretty horrible especially considering it would be so easy to convince high-schoolers considering so many of them are looking for some kind of direction in their life. Have always hated how a lot of organizations recruit kids to compete in something they may have an interest in but charge them crazy fees to participate in something that means jack in the real world. Hell I was president of a not so trash one of those organizations in school (just to mess around and help my teacher out) and even though they promoted career readiness they charged absurd amounts for everything. I remember doing the numbers for winning and going to nationals to compete for the sake of paperwork and it came out to somewhere between 5-10k per student for a week of competition (if I remember right). This of course after paying like $200 for a mandatory uniform, 4-500ish for the local competition, as well as various other fees. At the very least though people came out the other end with generally marketable skills (even if the organization itself didn't teach them at all). Had the same issue with older members/alumni harassing younger members though. That funneling into a cycle of supporting DCI their whole life sounds like something of Scientology rip

The price is something that's understandable super expensive. It's generally under $4,000 to be in one of the top corps and an open class (less competitive) is about $2,000. However that is factoring in the cost of the whole summer of housing and food which makes the thought a bit more bearable.

Auditions are a few days long so most people audition to a few different corps and see what the style is like. People who are looking for a more relaxed experience can join an open corps or somebody who is looking for a difficult experience can auditon for one of the World Class. You have to be really good to join so it's not something like the army where people go when they are lost in life.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

GrizzNKev said:
Tell that to the guard girl who married one of our marching instructors immediately after finishing high school. Tell that to my best friend who was constantly sexually harrassed by the percussion instructor. Tell that to the entire marching staff that was fired from my school when in was discovered they had inappropriate personal relationships with the students outside the school.

I guess it's nice to dismiss my experiences as a conspiracy even though I've heard confirming reports from people at other schools in other parts of the country just because your time involved doesn't line up with the depth of corruption and evil right beneath the surface of the whole thing I saw firsthand.

Your school situation sucks however is hardly an indicator of all schools. A big factor is the director and establishing boundaries for the students and instructors.

The first thing my director said every season is, "we aren't your friends. We aren't your buddies. We are your teachers and are in charge of your life for these months we're together. If you want to be buddies after high school that's great. But now is not the time for that."

Size is also a big factor. My junior year my band had about 120 members and we were much more relaxed with our instructors. Nothing inappropriate just generally more open with each other. My senior year when my band grew to 350 members, the dynamic was completely different.

Deleted member 4482 · Aug 2, 2018

MrConbon210 said:
Your school situation sucks however is hardly an indicator of all schools. A big factor is the director and establishing boundaries for the students and instructors.

The first thing my director said every season is, "we aren't your friends. We aren't your buddies. We are your teachers and are in charge of your life for these months we're together. If you want to be buddies after high school that's great. But now is not the time for that."

Size is also a big factor. My junior year my band had about 120 members and we were much more relaxed with our instructors. Nothing inappropriate just generally more open with each other. My senior year when my band grew to 350 members, the dynamic was completely different.

Think about it this way. My time around DCI and the people it spits out was deeply problematic. Yours wasn't. One person in this thread agrees with you, and one agrees with me. This isn't a scientific poll but if I have people backing up my claim that DCI is a garbage fire populated by assholes, maybe there's something to what I'm saying.

MrConbon210 · Aug 2, 2018

https://www.flomarching.com/events/6180291-2018-dci-world-championships

For those who are interested in watching the World Championship, it starts exactly one week from now. You can buy a 1 month subscription to watch it (though I'm sure you could find a *cheaper* livestream somewhere else).

They use to air it on ESPN but that was back when EPSN was doing a lot better than it is now and they could afford to show it.

DCI: What it is and why you need to know about it

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