Northern Thunder Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'm honestly surprised that DCI approved their tour schedule this year if they ran into significant financial problems last year. Yes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) I guess it's appropriate that their 2015 show was entitled "Cast Into Darkness". This is a bit too much darkness. Edited July 22, 2015 by Northern Thunder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumManTx Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I feel terrible for all of those kids, but even more so for two of them who came over from England to march Coastal Surge. One is a good drummer who marched Surge last summer and could have gone "up the ladder" to another corps, so to speak, but decided to return to help build Surge and the other is a member of the guard. They marched together in a small corps in England and wanted to have the DCI experience. Welcome to America. That just makes me downright sad for those kids. It's a shame they couldn't have went somewhere like Louisiana Stars or similar that has a solid vision and restraint in what they're doing. I hope they're able to go somewhere else and their vision of American drum corps isn't spoiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsoprano Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Realistically, I don't even know what good it would do for them to try to find another corps with an opening due to an injury or something, since we're only two weeks from Indy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 They could have begun their tour this week with shows in Mississippi, Alabama, the Atlanta Regional and wrapped up at the Nightbeat show in Winston-Salem on Sunday (though this is a Tour of Champions event). And they could even have gone back to Atlanta on Aug. 1 and given an exhibition in a DCA show - go face to face with Carolina Gold. Also, I'm going to take this unfortunate occasion to throw a question at some DCP participants. On several occasions over the past two years when good news about the number of active corps is posted here--for instance, that there were a half-dozen new corps last year, or three new corps this year--a handful of DCP members will post sarcastic, taunting messages in those discussions that read approximately as follows: "Oh, see how wrong you whiners are that drum corps is dying?" But when we get sad information like this, or about City Sound not performing this year, those same people are nowhere to be seen, not even to offer their condolences. I'm not looking to say, "I told you so" (because I never said that drum corps was dying, and really very few people ever say that), but an honest acknowledgment of both the ups and downs of the state of drum corps would be appropriate. To me, this event is not really indicative of the health of drum corps (either good or poor) - more about drum corps' infant mortality rate - they only toured two seasons (one in exhibition and one in competition), before folding. What this IS indicative of, however, is the barriers to birthing more drum corps at all, many of which seem to be exacerbated, not alleviated, by DCI. Soundsport and drumline battles as an idea for growth? Nice, if you let any potential group perform in exhibition at your competition, but even so - there are only going to have a couple shows near a corps home base, most likely. However, as I understand correctly, not only do SoundSport groups not get any appearance fee, they actually have to pay for the opportunity to perform (~$20-25 per marcher) (which is "compensated" through free entry for the members to watch the rest of the show). So, for example, if you have a 25 member group, and want to attend 4 SoundSport exhibitions at local DCI shows, you are looking at $2,500 just to perform, on top of all the other costs - for a small group starting out, that might 1/5 of what they're collecting in members fees right there! Additionally, they have to provide proof of having secured licenses for all their music, which financially and logistically will be very difficult for a new corps (see how Louisiana Stars' music is all excerpts from Beethoven, which is public domain material and free). The barriers to entry and performance have to be reduced, and corps need to find a path that does not focus so heavily on the DCI competitive circuit as their sole raison d'etre. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsoprano Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I had no idea when I shot all these pictures at Surge's preview show Saturday night that it would be their final performance: https://www.facebook.com/mike.morris.581730/media_set?set=a.10153348636860910.1073741907.585195909&type=3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigken Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I feel terrible for all of those kids, but even more so for two of them who came over from England to march Coastal Surge. One is a good drummer who marched Surge last summer and could have gone "up the ladder" to another corps, so to speak, but decided to return to help build Surge and the other is a member of the guard. They marched together in a small corps in England and wanted to have the DCI experience. Welcome to America. I can't seem to understand how America is to blame for a corps' poor management. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjordansc Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 As many have pointed out, this happened last year, so the financial requirements to field a corps should be no surprise. You cannot count on a sudden influx of 20-30 new members paying full tour fees in June to get you on the road. I would wager the board new where everything stood and they refused to pull the plug early enough to allow the kids who wanted to march and compete this summer to find other drum corps homes. I am guessing the money these kids paid will not be fully reimbursed. I really feel for the kids. Not their fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I had no idea when I shot all these pictures at Surge's preview show Saturday night that it would be their final performance How was the show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Realistically, I don't even know what good it would do for them to try to find another corps with an opening due to an injury or something, since we're only two weeks from Indy. A lot can be learned in two+ weeks, even if it's not a full show. Even if I'm wrong ... DCA is another option (if they're able to stay an extra month). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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