The event, led by local organizing committee and nonprofit organization Marching Music Made in McKinney, is the last stop on Drum Corps International’s annual Texas tour.
Eight drum corps from across the country will perform in the scored event less than three weeks ahead of the DCI World Championship Finals on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis.
“Think of it like marching band meets Broadway performances,” said Dean Cimini, the president of Marching Music Made in McKinney, of the drum corps performances.
The drum corps performing at the McKinney show include:
- The Carolina Crown from Fort Mill, South Carolina
- The Mandarins from Sacramento, California
- The Seattle Cascades from Seattle, Washington
- The Crossmen from San Antonio
- The Academy from Tempe, Arizona
- The Cadets from Erie, Pennsylvania
- Music City from Nashville
- The Troopers from Casper, Wyoming
Here are five things to know ahead of the 2023 DCI McKinney event.
1. A two-day event
There are two events planned in McKinney featuring performances by DCI drum corps members.
In addition to the July 25 show at McKinney ISD Stadium, a drum line battle will be held night before at The Stix Icehouse, located at 301 Eldorado Parkway, Ste. 100, McKinney.
The Drumline Expo, taking place from 4:30-9 p.m. July 24, will include battle-style performances by four DCI drum lines:
- Music City
- The Mandarins
- The Troopers
- The Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara, California
Marching Music Made in McKinney is a nonprofit organization that serves as the local organizing committee for the DCI McKinney event.
The organization was founded in 2020 and consists of five members, including Cimini. The organization’s leaders also partner with city leaders, McKinney ISD and local organizations to coordinate the event, he said.
“We're just five people who are passionate about leading this endeavor for the fans in the city,” Cimini said.
3. Supporting McKinney schools
Proceeds from both the Drumline Expo and the DCI McKinney show are donated to fine arts programs at MISD schools, Cimini said.
The 2022 events generated $30,000 in proceeds that were donated to MISD schools, he said.
In future years, the organization is considering adding band camps and other opportunities for local students to interact with the drum corps, Cimini said. DCI leaders also noted the possibility for future community interaction opportunities.
“Working directly with McKinney schools; we’re excited about the potential for the growth of educational events for local students as well,” DCI CEO Dan Acheson said in a statement.
4. Limited attendance
Attendance for both the DCI McKinney stadium show and the Drumline Expo have limited capacity, Cimini said.
About 150 tickets have been sold for the Drumline Expo, which is limited to 450 attendees, Cimini said. The DCI McKinney show is limited to about 6,000 attendees, and about 1,600 tickets had been sold as of mid-July, Cimini said.
The sold-out 2022 events saw most ticket sales in the four or five days immediately preceding the events, he said. Over 3,000 tickets were sold in the four days preceding the 2022 DCI McKinney competition with one day in that period breaking DCI’s single-day ticket sales record, Cimini said.
5. Community-focused events
The McKinney event offers community-focused events unlike other DCI tour stops, Cimini said.
The Drumline Expo is an opportunity for the touring drum corps to stay in the city an extra day and interact with the community, said Zach Samuell, a former DCI member and Marching Music Made in McKinney representative.
“It's a really memorable thing for [corps members] to have some time off to come into a city and ... be celebrated,” Samuell said.
In addition to the Drumline Expo, representatives of Marching Music Made in McKinney are considering opportunities to add events, Cimini said.
“Drum Corps International has worked with the local organizing committee in McKinney made up of civic leaders to create more communitywide involvement than what is typically realized at most DCI tour events,” Acheson said. “One of the ways we are doing this by partnering on the creation of new events in and around the show.”
For more information about Marching Music Made in McKinney or to buy tickets to the 2023 events, visit www.marchingmusicmckinney.org.
