The details
The competition is one of several stops for the Drum Corps International Summer Tour, which began in June and features marching ensembles from across the country. The event, led by local organizing committee and nonprofit organization Marching Music Made in McKinney, is the last stop on DCI’s annual Texas tour.
“For people who don’t know, [drum corps] is marching band meets Broadway show,” said Dean Cimini, president of Marching Music Made in McKinney. “The theatrics that go along with the show are pretty substantial.”
The drum corps performing at the McKinney show are:
- Blue Knights from Aurora, Colorado
- Blue Stars from La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Genesis from Austin
- Jersey Surf from West Berlin, New Jersey
- Mandarins from Sacramento, California
- Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara, California
- Seattle Cascade from Seattle, Washington
- Troopers from Casper, Wyoming
There are two events planned in McKinney featuring performances by DCI drum corps members.
The first event, a drumline battle, will be held July 22 at Tupps Brewery. The event will feature drum lines from the Troopers, Santa Clara Vanguard and Blue Stars drum corps.
The DCI show will be held at the McKinney ISD Stadium on July 23. The show will begin at 8 p.m., with gates opening at 6:30 p.m. This year’s event will also be broadcast online through FloMarching, a first in the three-year history of the event, Cimini said.
Ticket information for both events can be found through Marching Music Made in McKinney’s website.
The background
The first DCI McKinney event was held in 2022. The 2022 show included performances by six drum corps with about 5,000 fans in attendance across the two events, Cimini said
Proceeds from the McKinney events go directly to McKinney ISD’s band programs, Cimini said. The nonprofit’s aim is to donate $100,000 to MISD by the end of the program’s third year. The program donated about $30,000 each year in 2022 and 2023, he said.
Participating in a high school band program can cost students and their families around $500-$700 a year, Cimini said.
“We can do some things [with] our organization to give a kid a chance to participate, who may have not otherwise had a chance, and we’re really excited about that,” Cimini said.
Learn more
More information about Marching Music Made in McKinney can be found here.
