Drum and bugle corps
Before 1971, most North American Drum and Bugle Corps, or "Corps," performed in shows run by the American Legion and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). In 1971, 5 Leading Corps founded a new group, called the "Midwest Combine." Other Eastern and Western Corps did the similar things with their respective regions. These Corps formed their organizations because they did not like the rules put forth by the American Legion and VFW, which many believed prevented creativity. The Corps also believed that show producers did not give enough of the money from ticket sales to the Corps who performed. The different Corps decided that they would all perform together in shows, one after another, and never separately in different shows. This strategy went very well for the Corps, and in 1972, all the groups, plus a few other Corps, formed a new group called "Drum Corps International," or DCI. This gave the Corps more money from shows, and artistic freedom, controlling their own destiny. DCI's leadership is comprised of the Corps that perform in DCI, allowing the competing groups to change rules whenever they need to, rather than having someone not familiar with the activity make those changes.