Music to fill TCF Bank Stadium July 14-17, 2010
Marching bands members and world-class drum corps will converge at the TCF Bank Stadium in July for the largest drum corps competition ever held in Minnesota.
Drum Corps International (DCI) will present DCI Minnesota, featuring twenty-four drum corps from across the United States. The high energy music and marching units will compete at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota. The top ten corps from the 2009 DCI World Championships including the defending World Champion Blue Devils of Concord, California will all perform. “This is an amazing line up of drum corps!” comments Minnesota Brass Development Manager, Brent Turner, who is working with DCI, System Blue, and the University of Minnesota, to bring this event to the Upper Midwest.
"With the combination of a venue like the new TCF Bank Stadium, an incredible line up of corps, the always enthusiastic fans in the area, and a significant effort by the Minnesota Brass volunteers, DCI Minnesota is the must attend event of the 2010 DCI Tour,” said Dan Acheson, Executive Director of DCI. Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps of Saint Paul will serve as the local Tour Event Partner for the events. Tickets for DCI Minneapolis are available exclusively through www.dci.org
Leading up to DCI Minnesota from Wednesday July 14 through Saturday July 17, the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanquard of Santa Clara, California will be artists in residence during the System Blue Marching Band Skills Camp. High school and college band students, directors and staff are invited to work with these world class drum and bugle Corps. Together the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard have won 19 DCI World Championship titles since 1972. “System Blue events are designed to create unparalleled interaction with our outstanding performers, instructors and designers in person,” said Blue Devils Executive Director David Gibbs. Students and marching band staff will work directly with design staff and performing members of both the Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard. The camp will take place in the TCF Bank Stadium and The University of Minnesota Marching Band facilities prior to the DCI Minneapolis competition. Additional details and registration materials will be available on www.bluedevils.org.
Local support for both the DCI Minneapolis competition and the System Blue Marching Band Skills Camp will be provided by Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps, based in Saint Paul. Minnesota Brass is the premiere all-ages drum corps in the Midwest and will perform at the DCI Minneapolis show. The new DCI Minneapolis and System Blue camp join existing drum corps events sponsored by Minnesota Brass including Drum Beauty in Stillwater, Minnesota on June27, 2010 (www.lumberjackdays.com) and Sounds of Minnesota in South St. Paul on August 22, 2010 (www.soundsofminnesota.com).
