MikeD Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 That's not entirely accurate Mike. The Hurcs (DCA) still maintain an Honor Guard. This is a DCI forum, don't forget. And...the Hurcs color guard (one of the best in DCA) doesn't really guard the colors...their honor guard is made up of just a few people who do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 OK, I understand, I must be on the "Pay No Mind" List ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 ok, then let me ask you a question. if the past is the past, then why is it year after year, many of the biggest touring acts money wise every year are older groups? Why is the Stones, who are what...70 now?...still pack them in everywhere, and hot new acts are playing far smaller venues and not selling out? I look at who has played hershey the last few years, stadium, arena or pavillion, and the most seats sold are hands down older groups. hell Motely Crue and Poison packed in a huge house 3 weeks ago....so did Nsync for Gods sake. these are groups living off their past. Most of their new stuff isn't selling. While there are some younger fans of the old groups, a lot of the audience is made up of people who were young when the groups you mention were at their peak. Its one thing to go to a concert to hear the old tunes every now and then, but that is not the same thing as trying to get young kids to join a group that is purposely limiting itself to what was current decades ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) This is a DCI forum, don't forget. And...the Hurcs color guard (one of the best in DCA) doesn't really guard the colors...their honor guard is made up of just a few people who do that. A DCI forum? Any dummy who can still pull their head out of their own butt knows that. It was a reference to the Drum Corps activity as a whole. Edited August 2, 2011 by Piper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 A new class RETRO drum corps No A&E no more than 5 in the pit Drill Style of the 80's-90's 128 member limit 5 circuits NE South Midwest Southwest Northwest You compete in all your regional shows and the top 30% of corps in each division can compete in Championships 128? I think a 10 member limit might be sufficient for going with a retro corps. Though, you might have difficulty recruiting even that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Because not every group has the richest man in Indiana to bankroll it. Star was an exception. Cook was a fish that jumped in the boat. It is uncommon that fish actually jump in the boat, but it is not uncommon to catch big fish. No one else, it seems, has even bothered to go fishing. Regarding the Magic situation in 2002, that rule requiring all new or re-emerging (more than one season off) corps compete in a lower division is no more. Now there is a review committee that come to evaluate your corps. They look at all aspects, including finanaces, to determine if your corps is even ready to compete at all. After the evaluation your are informed if you are deemed capable, and which division you will compete in. It is possible to start-up and go right into World Class, but not probable...unless you have the richest man in your state bankrolling you. I believe Star and Magic doing this is not an anomaly, just no one else is following their formula. It can be done. How much is in your bank account, Dan? Wanna start a corps? I believe there is at least a few dollars in there. Haven't actually looked in quite a lot time. Well, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a corps director when I grew up. I haven't ruled out the possibility of actually growing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 When I buy tickets to a musical, I don't want to see a ballet. DCI 2020: Cesario: Do you not know that His Majesty has expressly forbidden ballet in operas? Hopkins: It's not a ballet, it's a dance at Figaro's wedding. Cesario: Exactly. A dance. Hopkins: Surely, His Majesty didn't mean no dancing when it's in the story. Cesario: It is dangerous to interpret his edicts. Give me your score, please. Thank you. Hopkins: What are you doing? What are you doing? Cesario: Taking out what you should never have put in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I marched in the Garden State Circuit in 68-69 and taught and judged there from the mid-70's to around 1980...attendance at shows was sketchy at best. Many a show was held to an audience of friends and family of the competing corps. I remember ODCA shows as being well attended in the '70s and '80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyWonder1911 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 My concern about this idea would be, would there still be anything resembling the high quality we have toady? You have to admit that the quality of the entire current top 12 corps is a lot better than the corps were 40 years ago, when you had hundreds of corps. The fact of the matter is that we have a bunch of corps that are super-good. The top corps only take the best of the best that comes to auditions - and they have a lot of auditionees. But if you had 300 corps instead of the current 50 (including open class), then where are they going to get those kids from? The people who audition for drum corps for one season put together wont fill 30 corps. They just don't have that many kids interested in marching, for some reason or another. And even still, the "famous" corps will still get the best of the best. What are they going to do, make it against the rules to play for a corps a certain amount of miles away from your home town, and instead make you play for a corps close to home? And even if the reason for not marching was money, would reduced tour fees bring more kids in if they were going to just tour locally for the first 75% of the season? And where are they going to get staff from? Good staff is hard to find. Good players are hard to find. Qualified judges are hard to find. Money is getting hard to find, and we won't even mention housing sites... If we went back to local touring and 300 corps, I very highly doubt you would see the kind of quality we have in today's corps. Oh - and having just a small amount of large competitions rather than a bunch of smaller ones won't work. Not with the way things are right now - it is hard enough to find housing sites for all the corps as it is - not to mention places willing to hold competitions, parking nightmares, logistics is hard, etc. And smaller competitions still bring in that much-needed money. Every corps gets paid for a competition. I think that it may even be true that some smaller competitions bring in more money per corps than the larger ones! If there are 3,000 spectators watching 6 corps, with avg ticket price $30, that's $90,000. $15,000 in revenue for each corps (not saying the corps get this much, just a number). If you had 20,000 spectators avg ticket price $40, and 23 corps, that's average of $35,000 in revenue per corps. A lot of smaller competitions would bring in more revenue than a large competition every 2 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 They just don't have that many kids interested in marching, for some reason or another. The barrier to entry, in terms of cost, is too high. If it cost half as much to participate you'd likely see more kids. If it cost under $500, you'd see loads more kids involved. If it was free, you'd see the top 20 corps nearly as good as the top 8 and open class on about the same level as corps in the current 17-20 range now. My view is that corps should focus on sponsorship as a way to be able to provide the experience to performers at a much lower cost, rather than expanding program offerings. Participation numbers really have a lot to do with accessibility, of which cost and proximity are the key factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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