DCA..30 years later(some thoughts)

[gem2497]

I marched in 2 junior corps, 85 Caveliers and 86 Star of Indiana. The one thing I could remember about Senior corps back then was when the bus pulled in the parking lot and the doors open..the beer cans would roll out :P . It was sad because that was pretty much the reputation of Senior corps back then. The thought of aging out and joining a Senior Corps the next year was considered a bit of a joke.

So you can imagine my hesitance in wanting to join a senior corps almost 20 years later. I decided to see if Senior Corps changed from what I remembered back in the 80's. Well you can imagine my shock when I saw Corps like The Brigadiers,Buccaneers,Bushwackers,Empire Statesman, and Caballeros putting an incredible product on the field. I remembered when I saw last years Buccaneers show..I could'nt believe that was a senior corps . Then I borrowed a copy of 02 and 03 DCA finals and saw The Brigadiers . I realised, alot has changed.

The one question I could'nt stop myself from asking was "why did'nt I hear about this a couple of years ago"?

I sometimes wonder if it's not a marketing question. I live in Ohio and travel with about 6 people to play with the Brigadiers. We travel over 400 miles one way to be a part of this incredible corps. The sad thing is I still have friends who do not know about DCA, or still think that Senior corps is just a bunch of beer guzzling drum corps "wanna be's". I know these people don't think that about DCI. So I have to wonder if it is a marketing issue.

I know to those people who have seen a DCA competition show for the first time, are completely blown away by what they see. I know because quite a few of them have stopped me in the parking lot and told me so.

The good news is that the reputation od Senior Corps is changing, and for the better. More Senior Corps are popping up in places like Ohio(North Coast Rock), Kansas,Oklahoma,Texas,California,Tennessee,and all in the South. DCA now has a DCA Midwest, and a DCA South. Even though I have'nt seen alot of marketing done, what I do see is alot of former junior corps alumni wanting to relive those days of putting a quality product on the field and competing. It seems that it is taking off more by word of mouth.

[muzzicman1]

Sr corps are decidedly like many countries in the world, the gap between the prosperous and struggling is growing ever wider. Sr corps are obviously decidely smaller on one end...yet the likes of Empire/Brigs et al are VERY much booming.

MY QUESTION

With all the Jr corps around(DCI has actually grown in numbers)...I would have THOUGHT the jr ageouts would have populated the Sr corps like never before. Why hasnt that happened?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

30 years ago DCI was only 3 years old and there were approximatley 400 drum corps in America. We are down to about 40 juniors and 20 something seniors now.

The growth has really been in bands, Junior corps now refer to soprano's as trumpets, contra's as tuba's and color guards as dancers.

The Senior corps movement is now spreading nation wide. We have seniors in the south, mid-west and west coast. The forcast is for continued growth and its about time.

I also agree with the other post about the Alumni corps, if you haven't seen it, your missing it. Its the best kept secret on the East coast.

Muz

B)

Edited August 9, 2005 by muzzicman1

[mcg155]

You have to count one more senior corps in the picture in Western NY. That's the White Sabers. We're not going away as far as I know. I don't believe that corps should quit because they are small either. I believe firmly that they're just on a journey to bigger and better things.

Thirty plus years ago to recently, WNY had a number of DCI/junior corps. I"m betting the lack of money to support the increased demands to travel and perform at much higher DCI performance levels had a lot to do with most of these corps demise. You can't get more blood out of a stone if you know what I mean. Many of these corps had money making projects in place but still couldn't make enough money to support the added demands.

in my opinion, NYS is not a pleasant place for drum corps. the economy is moving towards the service industry base for the past 20+ years. If you're working for Wegmans or other food or hardware chains, chances are you're not able to play in a drum corps on the weekend. When a steady job means your working for McD's it's kinda sad. Food, Hardware, Walmart type stores, Schools, hospitals and nursing homes are the big businesses in towns now days. These businesses require people to work the weekends. The wages are low so people often work more than 1 or 2 jobs. There's not much time for anything, but working for nothing. Enough ranting. It must have something to do with being late with my car payment this month. lol

Then you have to look at the music programs in our NYS schools. I'm hoping that the money doesn't run out. There are still some great marching band pgms out there. Why is there so much put on Sports? I love sports, but come on. Its amazing to see some of the facilities around here. Our school here in town has a field house that rivals the university down the road.

So in saying that, why are there so many senior corps in WNY. The people that are lucky enough to get free on the weekends get recruited by very aggressive marketing. I think there's still excitment in spite of everything going against the activity. The corps that are left are creating an atmosphere of excitment that make people want to be a part of (a great product)it. There are a lot of very good people up here that know how to put out a great drum corps too.

sorry for the fragmented thoughts. My wife wants the phone. Got to go.

[MDempsey]

(make that DCA 20 years later LOL)

MUZ

While I have no data to refute your 400 corps number I do recall in upstate NY a time when there was a dearth of ranked Jr corps(St Joes/Mag Yankees/WG Squires/Auburn Purple Lancers/Greece Cadets/Starlighters,,heck there were 7jrs in Rochester alone at one time) and now NONE of them are around.(PS..I DID write 30 years ago, but memory failed to remember DCA shows I attended 20 years ago hehehe)

My point was aimed more toward the fact that upstate NY is now relatively isolated from the TOP Jr scene but has accounted for 10 DCA championships in the past 14 years(if my math is correct LOL). Just seems interesting to a former upstate NYer.

To my mind, with the quality I saw of Empire/Brigs recently and the logjam I see with Bush/Cabs/Corv/CaroG/Cru etc in Kingston...there is a quality product and ergo a quality experience to be had in Sr corps. With a shorter season than DCI and fewer restrictions(and maybe a tad less demanding overall) it is my opinion that Sr corps WILL grow. That is MY HOPE anyway;-)

On a side note...With all due respect to all the other corps, Ive rarely seen a more entertaining corps that the Empire Statesmen at any level and it had me thinking about getting the chops in shape and spending a summer in hometown Rochester,,,BUT a day later the fever died down and I decided just to be a rabid DC fan LOL

Regards

Mike Dempsey

(back in) St Petersburg Russia

[Robbie Ellis]

the beer cans would roll out

That would be Alumni corps. LOL

All kidding aside, the participants of a junior corps no longer consider senior corps to be the next step in their drum corps career. Drum corps has indeed changed and while similar in concept, DCI and DCA are apples and oranges. No touring is involved and I think there is a feeling that a DCA senior corps is not as talented as a DCI corps. Thus, a step down. I don't think that's the case but I do think the feeling is there.

DCA corps are immensely talented as are the Alumni corps but the mindset is to do corps as a hobby.

[muzzicman1]

My point was aimed more toward the fact that upstate NY is now relatively isolated from the TOP Jr scene but has accounted for 10 DCA championships in the past 14 years(if my math is correct LOL). Just seems interesting to a former upstate NYer.

DC fan LOL

Regards

Mike Dempsey

(back in) St Petersburg Russia

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I gotcha Mike, and btw while I have you online... :) ....didnt you guys play "a spoonful of sugar?" from Mary Poppins in 65?.....man, I have a record of Mag Yanks and it blows me away everytime I listen to it. Who were those guys in the French Horn section?.....plus the sops were awesome, ...just a great horn line for that day....

Muz B)

[Albus Doobiedore]

MY QUESTION

With all the Jr corps around(DCI has actually grown in numbers)...I would have THOUGHT the jr ageouts would have populated the Sr corps like never before. Why hasnt that happened?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome back!! :)

Pardon my cynical, but very honest point of view:

Perhaps it is because DCA is behind the times. Perhaps it is that a great, hardworking DCI corps member does not want to then go to DCA and be a peon working hard to only support a paid ringer who gets all the glory for standing in the pit for 90% of the show. DCI corps work very hard at every member contributing to the whole, this philosophy does not mean crap when the top DCA teams are judged how they are. In DCI the demand and its credit is member to member. In DCA who knows what it is? Maybe who has the nicest truck, or the skinnyest guard or the most money. It makes no sense.

So, You've got that, then you have corps who play the same fricken music for 40 years. Come on. DCI corps are progressive (like it or not, not saying it is good or bad, don't go there PLEASE) and DCA tends to stand for Dont Change Anything.

I am just being a devil's advocate here ( ^0^ ), trying to sport some thought...

while sitting here wishing I was still in corps. These are not my opinions, only ideas.

This old drummer really misses it.

[JimF-LowBari]

Also could be that Age Outs have more important things going on in their life by the age of 22. Not so little things like starting a career, moving out on their own, etc. etc.

Same reason I had to drop out of Sr corps at the same age (####### weekend and nights work).

[muzzicman1]

when the top DCA teams are judged how they are. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:feednotroll:

B)

[MDempsey]

I gotcha Mike, and btw while I have you online... :) ....didnt you guys play "a spoonful of sugar?" from Mary Poppins in 65?.....man, I have a record of Mag Yanks and it blows me away everytime I listen to it. Who were those guys in the French Horn section?.....plus the sops were awesome, ...just a great horn line for that day....

Muz B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right MUZ. Wasnt it St Joes that played "spoonfull"(Joes alums..yes/no?)I wasnt a member that year.

In 1965 I was fortunate to have been invited to be a member of Mag Yankees for NYS AL and Chicago Nationals (along with Dave Martin and Pat Siconolfi..all of us were Statesmen Jr at the time) and we showed up 3 days before and went on the field that weekend at AL NYS in Buffalo. The MAG YANKEES took 13th at Nationals that year(St Joes was 5th) in Chicago/McComick Place. MagYankees were the only corps with summer and winter unis and we stayed at the Hotel Knickerbocker in Chicago. Magnificent Yankees were a 1st class organisation.

Mike Dimeo was the MagYank sopsoloist and the baritone soloist was Marty Ischia...on whose chicken farm in Blossvale(near Utica) I stayed some of the time. I cant for the life of me name the french horn section..but I remember all their faces.

Many quality lead sops came from upstate, Donnie Allen, Jimmie Allen, Tom Cecere, Bob Simpson, Dave Martin, Mike DiMeo and names like Winkleman, DiMura,....and lately Pero...plenty of sop talent in upstate NY.(Rick Samsel, Ronnie Allard, Harold McJury, Dick Bargy..the list goes on! LOL)