Drum Corps Associates is the governing body for modern senior or all-age drum and bugle corps

Drum and bugle corps (modern)

A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...

 in North America. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps International

Drum Corps International

Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...

 (DCI) which governs junior drum corps. DCA was formed in 1965 as the first heir to the modern drum corps activity, breaking from the classic

Drum and bugle corps (classic)

Classic drum and bugle corps are North American musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units returning from World War I and succeeding wars. Traditionally, drum and bugle corps served as signaling units as early as before the American Civil War, with these signaling units...

 style, and has crowned 49 Open Class World Champions

DCA Open Class World Champions

During Labor Day Weekend, Drum Corps Associates Open Class corps compete to earn the title of DCA Open Class World Champion. The championships consist of 2 rounds held on 2 consecutive nights . All corps compete at Prelims, with the top 10 Open Class and top 4 Class A corps competing at Finals...

 (two ties) and 16 Class A World Champions

DCA Class A World Champions

During Labor Day Weekend, Drum Corps Associates Class A corps compete to earn the title of DCA Class A World Champion. The championships consist of 2 rounds held on 2 consecutive nights . All corps compete at Prelims, with the top 10 Open Class and top 4 Class A corps competing at Finals...

 (one tie) in 47 years of Open Class and 15 years of Class A competitions.

For many years, the corps in DCA were concentrated in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada, with the occasional corps from further away (for example, Minnesota Brass).

However, starting in the late 1990s, more all-age corps started up in areas traditionally not known for all-age corps; for example, in the South (examples: Atlanta CorpsVets, Music City Legend, and Carolina Gold) and the state of California (examples: Renegades

Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps

The San Francisco Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age Drum and Bugle Corps from San Francisco, California. The Renegades, a 501c3 non-profit organization, were founded in 1996 and competes in the Open Class division of the Drum Corps Associates circuit....

 and SoCal Dream).

In part this can be attributed to the sudden availability of G bugles from DCI

DCI

-Technology:* D-chiro-inositol, an isomer of inositol* Data, Context, and Interaction, an architectural pattern in computer software development* Direct Count & Intersect, an algorithm for discovering frequent sets in large databases...

 corps that switched over from G to B flat instrumentation starting in 2000. DCA adopted any-key brass shortly thereafter. Given that buying an inventory of G bugles prior to the any-key rule would always be very expensive, the adoption of any-key brass greatly aided the almost explosive increase in the number of all-age corps hitting the field.

The "all-age" moniker has taken on additional weight in DCA in recent years. The expense of DCI membership (travel, camp fees, tour fees, tuition, and membership fees) has made membership prohibitive for some performers who are eligible to participate. An additional attraction for DCA performers is that most DCA performances are within a few hours travel from home. DCA corps typically rehearse and perform on the weekends. Likewise, family members can attend most performances, and there is time during the week to meet work and family obligations.

DCA Corps

Corps	Location	Website	Status as of 2011
Alliance Alliance Drum and Bugle Corps The Alliance Drum and Bugle Corps is an Open Class drum and bugle corps based in Gainesville, Georgia. It is the regionally undefeated South Class A champion since 2005....	Alpharetta, Georgia Alpharetta, Georgia -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...	alliancedrumcorps.org	Open Class
Atlanta CorpsVets	Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...	corpsvets.org	Open Class
Brigadiers Syracuse Brigadiers Drum and Bugle Corps The Brigadiers are an all-age drum and bugle corps operated by the Brigadiers Music Association, a 501 non-profit organization. The Brigadiers are charter members of Drum Corps Associates. They are based in Syracuse, New York.-Early years:...	Syracuse, New York Syracuse, New York Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...	brigadiers.com	Inactive
Buccaneers Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age or senior drum and bugle corps based in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Buccaneers, also known by the nickname The Bucs, are charter members of Drum Corps Associates.-Pre-DCA :...	Reading, Pennsylvania Reading, Pennsylvania Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...	readingbuccaneers.org	Open Class
Bushwackers Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps The Bushwackers is an all-age drum and bugle corps that competes in the Drum Corps Associates circuit, and is a 501c3 Not-For-Profit Organization. The corps is based in Windsor, New Jersey while its offices are located in Norwalk, Connecticut...	Harrison, New Jersey Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at ....	bushwackers.org	Open Class
Caballeros Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps The Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps from Hawthorne, New Jersey are one of the oldest and the most decorated summer drum and bugle corps in Drum Corps Associates...	Hawthorne, New Jersey Hawthorne, New Jersey Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...	cabs.org	Open Class
Carolina Gold	Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...	carolinagold.org	Class A
Chops, Inc.	Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...	chopsinc.com	Inactive
Cincinnati Tradition Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps The Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps based in Cincinnati, Ohio that competes in the Drum Corps Associates circuit. The corps is sponsored by Charles R. Gailey VFW Post #7340, the Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post #2105, and the Pride of Cincinnati...	Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...	cincinnatitradition.org	Class A
Crusaders 2	Rochester, New York Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...	rochestercrusaders.org	Inactive
Empire Statesmen Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps The Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age or senior drum corps based in Rochester, New York. They hold the distinction of being the only all-age corps to place in the top 4 of DCA finals for 23 years straight including 5 first place finishes in that same span.-History:For the past...	Rochester, New York Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...	statesmen.org	Open Class
Excelsior	Troy, New York Troy, New York Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...	excelsiordrumcorps.org	Class A
Frontier Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps Frontier Drum and Bugle Corps is an all age Drum Corps Associates A Class summer drum and bugle corps based in Denton, Texas .Frontier operates under the umbrella of the Frontier Performing Arts Association , which, in addition to Frontier, operates Texas Independent Winterguard, Open Range brass... 1	Denton, Texas Denton, Texas The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...	frontiercorps.org	Inactive
Fusion Core 1	Morris County, New Jersey Morris County, New Jersey Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....	fusioncorenj.homestead.com	Class A
Govenaires Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps Govenaires Drum and Bugle Corps is an all age Drum Corps Associates Class A drum and bugle corps based in St. Peter, Minnesota .- Uniform :... 1	St. Peter, Minnesota St. Peter, Minnesota St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,196 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nicollet County.St...	govenaires.org	Class A
Grenadiers	Kingston, Ontario Kingston, Ontario Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...	kingstongrenadiers.com	Inactive
Gulf Coast Sound 2	Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...	gulfcoastsound.org	Inactive
High Country Brass	Golden, Colorado Golden, Colorado The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...	highcountrybrass.org	Class A
Hurricanes	Seymour, Connecticut Seymour, Connecticut Seymour is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Governor Thomas H. Seymour. The population was 15,454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...	cthurricanes.org	Open Class
Kidsgrove Scouts 3	Kidsgrove, England Kidsgrove Kidsgrove is a town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It has a population of 24,112...	kidsgrovescouts.com	Active, did not attend DCA
Kilties Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps The Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps are an all-age drum and bugle corps competing in the Drum Corps Associates circuit. It is a 501 non-profit organization based in Racine, Wisconsin.-Junior Kilties:... 1	Racine, Wisconsin Racine, Wisconsin Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...	kilties.com	Open Class
Lakeshoremen	Troy, Michigan Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...	lakeshoremen.org	Inactive
Minnesota Brass	Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...	mnbrass.org	Open Class
Music City Legend 2	Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...	musiccitylegend.org	Inactive
New York Skyliners	New York, New York	nyskyliners.org	Inactive
Renegades Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps The San Francisco Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age Drum and Bugle Corps from San Francisco, California. The Renegades, a 501c3 non-profit organization, were founded in 1996 and competes in the Open Class division of the Drum Corps Associates circuit....	San Francisco, California San Francisco, California San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...	renegades.org	Open Class
Shenandoah Sound 2	Manassas Park, Virginia	shenandoahsound.org	Class A
SoCal Dream 1	Lake Forest, California Lake Forest, California Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...	socaldream.org	Active, did not attend DCA
Sun Devils Sun Devils Drum and Bugle Corps The Sun Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum and bugle corps based in North Port, Florida. The Sun Devils are in their third year of existence in Class A of Drum Corps Associates.- About :Sun Devils competitions this year-...	North Port, Florida North Port, Florida North Port is a city in southern Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,797 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,308. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...	sundevilscorps.org	Inactive
Sunrisers Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps The Sunrisers Drum and Bugle Corps is an All-Age Corps, or Senior Corps, that performs in the Drum Corps Associates circuit. The Sunrisers was started as the Marine Memorial Drum Corps of Nassau County in 1950 by a man named John Hodge. It was originally a junior corps until 1953, when Hodge...	Long Island, New York	sunrisers.com	Class A
Tampa Bay Thunder	Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....	tampabaythunder.org	Open Class
Vigilantes	Richardson, Texas Richardson, Texas Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...	vigilantescorps.org	Inactive
White Sabers 2	Dansville, New York Dansville, New York Dansville, New York may refer to:* Dansville, Livingston County, New York* Dansville, Steuben County, New York...	whitesabers.org	Class A
Windsor Regiment	West Windsor, New Jersey	windsor-regiment.org	Class A

¹ Associate member of DCA

² Affiliate of DCA

³ Touring from the UK for the 2010 season.