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.

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.

[2]: 25  Charter members were: Reading Buccaneers, Connecticut Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Pittsburgh Rockets, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners.

With the exception of mini-corps, all field corps performed in competition as one continuous flight, but scores and rankings were given by class.

[8] 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.

DCA's Adjudication Manual was based on three broad categories, Visual, Music and Effect.

[10] The "European Music Games" adjudication manual published by Drum Corps Europe (DCE) was adapted from the previous DCA format.