Drum Corps Associates

Drum Corps Associates (DCA) was a governing body for modern all-age and senior drum and bugle corps in North America. Its responsibilities included sanctioning competitions, certifying adjudicators, maintaining and enforcing rules of competition, and hosting an annual World Championship during Labor Day weekend. Historically, DCA members were referred to as "senior corps" in contrast to the "junior corps", who limit participants to a maximum 22 years of age. As DCA had no age restriction, the term "all-age corps" has come into common use.

On May 31, 2023, Drum Corps International and DCA announced a partnership to create an all-age class for the 2024 and 2025 competitive seasons. In August 2023, DCA announced that the all-age drum corps platform will fully exist and operate within DCI from 2024 onward. As such, 2023 was the final year of the Drum Corps Associates World Championships.

History
In August 1963, Almo Sebastianelli, sponsor of the annual Parade of Champions drum corps competition, approached Henry Mayer, then-director of the New York Skyliners, to discuss problems affecting show sponsors and competing corps. Following their discussions, Sebastianelli and Mayer organized a meeting later that month, which was attended by representatives from the Archer-Epler Musketeers, Reading Buccaneers, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners. Five areas of concern were identified during the meeting:
 * Conflicting contest dates.
 * Inconsistent contest formats.
 * Inconsistent adjudication.
 * Uneven distribution prize money.
 * Need to promote better relationships between competing corps.

At a second meeting held sometime in September 1963, by-laws for a new governing body were adopted, as well as the adoption of the name Drum Corps Associates. Mayer was elected the first DCA president. Charter members were: Reading Buccaneers, Connecticut Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Pittsburgh Rockets, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners.

DCA sanctioned one event in 1964, the 12th Annual Tournament of Drums in Waverly, New York. The first DCA World Championship was held in Milford, Connecticut on September 11, 1965. The Reading Buccaneers won the first of their 16 championship titles at this inaugural event.

Hawthorne Caballeros joined DCA in 1966, along with the Sunrisers, and Brigadiers. The Rochester Crusaders joined in 1967. Two decades later, in 1987, the number of corps competing in Open Class grew to 23. In 2008, twenty-four corps competed at World Championship, twelve in Open Class and Class A each.

Corps from Canada had been frequent competitors since DCA's founding, such as Les Metropolitains from Montreal, and Les Dynamiques from Buckingham, Quebec. The Kingston Grenadiers, from Toronto, competed in 2010. Yokohama Inspires, from Japan, competed in 2005. The last competitors from the United Kingdom were Kidsgrove Scouts from Kidsgrove in 2017, and Cadence from Guildford in 2018.

Classification and adjudication
DCA assigned all competing corps to four classes. No arrangements are made for corps from outside North America, as the same classification and adjudication applies to all competing corps. With the exception of mini-corps, all field corps performed in competition as one continuous flight, but scores and rankings were given by class.

Current Classes
World Class corps typically marched between 86 and 128 members who compete at the highest level.

Open Class corps typically marched between 65 and 85 members.

A Class corps were small, often young and developing groups, who typically marched between 24 and 64 members.

Mini-corps was a special class reserved for very small groups consisting of horns, and percussion or rhythm sections. These groups typically competed on a theater stage, and not on a football field, and were often no larger than twenty members. A Mini-corps championships was held the day before World Championship prelims.

Historical classes and divisions
DCA realigned its competitive classes in 1997, and again in 2001. In 2022, DCA realigned its competitive classes based on ensemble size—World, Open, and A classes.

Adjudication
DCA's Adjudication Manual was based on three broad categories, Visual, Music and Effect. Visual and Music categories were further subdivided into three reference criteria, or captions: one caption for each of a corps' sections, and two ensemble performance captions. Unlike other adjudication manuals, DCA's manual included captions for individual or ensemble analysis, or design or effect analysis.

The manual included definitions for appropriate, and achievement, in lieu of proficiency, or attempt. This vocabulary reflects the style of programming utilized by modern all-age corps. Audience entertainment and engagement are also important factors in adjudication as well. Prior to 2011, nine adjudicators were required for each competition, using a different manual. The "European Music Games" adjudication manual published by Drum Corps Europe (DCE) was adapted from the previous DCA format.

Past champions
Below is a list of past champions organized by class. DCA realigned its championships classes in 1997 with the introduction of A Class, and again in 2000 with the introduction of Mini-corps into competition. In 2022, DCA realigned classes based on ensemble size which split DCA member corps between three new divisions—World, Open, and A classes.

At the 2022 World Championships, the Hurricanes won their fourth class championship: three championships in Open Class between 1967 and 1981, and a fourth as champions of the new Open Class. Also in 2022, the Buccaneers won World Class bringing their premier class championships to eighteen, and Fusion Core won their second championship in A Class.

2023 marked the final year of the Drum Corps Associates World Championships, in which the Buccaneers, Hurricanes, Rogues Hollow Regiment, and Freelancers took first in World Class, Open Class, A Class, and Mini-corps respectively.