Here’s a music activity you may not have heard of. The world championships of Drum Corps International kicked off with the quarterfinals last night in Indianapolis. Strictly DCI for those in the know, the self-described “nonprofit, global youth activity with far-reaching artistic, educational and organizational influence” is, in short, competitive marching band, born out of the grand traditions of military bandsmanship and traditional drum and bugle corps in the British style. These are formal brass and percussion bands, the brass limited to bugle instruments, meaning only valves. The corps perform 15-minute shows using many different varieties of trumpets. French horns and trombones are replaced by several ranges of mellophones and baritones. Tubas are carried over the shoulder. Combined with often stunning precision between the on-field drumline and non-marching percussionists, and with the color guard adding visual engagement with flags, sabres, rifles or the occasional “other,” the bands create a bold, commanding musical experience that has earned a devoted, if admittedly geeky, following. (Learn more about DCI as an organization and competition below.)

To watch the world quarterfinals, as audience members did last night in over 500 movie theaters nationwide, is to see a rolling interplay between old guard traditionalism and new wave theatricality. Among the old: traditional marching styles, including the stiff-leggedness familiar to anyone who has seen the Changing of the Guard or the high step still practiced by only a handful of college and professional marching bands. The new: big, showpiece numbers putting large props and backdrops on the field. One tradition that has not changed, to even my surprise, is the music. Anyone who imagines that younger generations do not respond to symphonic or classical music do not have to look farther than the young men and women of DCI for a counterargument. Audience members in the coming nights will enjoy tremendous, all-brass adaptations of music by Brahms, Bizet, Borodin, Khachaturian, Philip Glass, John Adams and several of today’s finest film composers, among many others. Two longtime favorite corps have made a point of turning to classical music as a return to their roots: the Madison Scouts offer an impressive Gershwin showcase, while the Santa Clara Vanguard’s 2010 show is entirely the music of Béla Bartók, not the first name in easy-listening classical music or something someone carrying a 30-pound tuba can easily march to (as you can see, with some shakes, on YouTube). Not only are the musical results impressive, edgy, powerful and inviting, they promote high-standard musical performance among some very young amateur musicians, both on the field and in the stands. They also help prove that orchestral music can, as ever, inspire great excitement and strong emotions—not to mention a little friendly competition. Two more nights of championship performances remain; you can watch portions of Saturday night’s finals free here.

A brief DCI primer: More than 8,000 students, 22-years-old and younger, audition for the fewer than 3,500 positions available in top-tier DCI member corps. Almost two dozen corps constitute that top tier, officially dubbed “world class” and ranging from those with lengthy histories of success and service—such as The Troopers, “America’s Corps,” founded in Caspar, Wyoming, in 1957—to relative newcomers—The Academy, from Tempe, Arizona, founded in 2001. The groups perform from June to August in an unrelenting schedule of appearances and competitions throughout the United States, including a recent stop in Rock Hill, South Carolina, home to our region’s own DCI corps, Carolina Crown. Several powerhouses have developed in recent years, namely the two leaders after last night’s performances, the Blue Devils—not Duke, the Concord, California, variety—and The Cavaliers, from Rosemont, Illinois. That does not mean there’s no room to compete. The Bluecoats of Canton, Ohio, have never placed higher than fourth in the world championships. They are currently in third place.