cybersnyder

Ok, you're right. YEA! is the priority.

https://issuu.com/drumcorpsinternational/docs/dci_2017_strategic_plan_final_print

On paper, I’d agree that the program is expendable. But everyone knows that YEA! is The Cadets and it gives YEA! a marque status, until recently. If they can’t repair the band competitions / participation loss, the organization will likely fold. They know this and are likely working to repair the losses. IMO, the biggest looming threat is if Hopkins wins the severance pay lawsuit. Insurance won’t cover that.

Then relocate or lobby for changes to the laws. There are pros and cons to every location.

I agree that this admin team is just trying to dig out from the hole dug by previous errors. They have their work cut out for them. I do not envy their task.

Over the past several months I've developed a pseudo hobby of reading corps' 990 filings - and it has been depressing. There's a lot of love out there otherwise people are crazy to do this. So, seeing a strategic plan warms my heart.

From their (YEA!) 2017 990, USBands delivered about $700k of profit and Cadets operated at about $700k in the red. I would have to look at more years to see if that holds up, but given their current financial woes, I’m not sure if that’s even meaningful today. The 2018 1099 only covered three months and was the dead time of year (Jan-Mar), so it mostly show expenses with no revenue.

A spending cap would have to have so many caveats. Would there be limits on the fundraising you can do? A standard membership fee for all corps? Will organizations in higher rent areas be given more money to cover those costs? West coast corps given more budget because they usually have more miles travelled? In principle, I think a spending cap would make corps more competitive, but I also think it would water down the large corps that put the butts in the seats.

I guess the NFL has the New York office reviewing calls, but they have a slightly higher IT budget and are ruling on whether a catch was in or out of bounds. Something like GE really can’t be judged at a distance.

I just hope the Cadets do well.

Network connections are not 100% reliable. No.

This is probably negative thinking, but does DCA want to change much of anything?

Ok, I don't like props either, but using someone falling off of a truck as an excuse to ban props is kinda silly. Shouldn't we be banning trucks?

Would a pro certify a design that isn't static?

If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, don’t count on the money from a settlement. Your health insurance provider or the hospital can go after the funds. I believe the legal term is subrogation.

Ok, I'll drop out from the convo and see you at Finals 2025. Yeah, right.

Sure, we can stop talking about marching bands and just get fans from off the street. Yes, that was sarcasm.

How about a band competition on Facebook? Post a video of your high school band playing their favorite song on Facebook and tag DCA. Every week DCA will select one band and highlight them on their website / Facebook page. Every band that enters will be in the running to win Finals tickets for their entire band and they can perform, if desired. I'm guessing that there are 200 unsold tickets for Finals. The band provides their own transportation. This gets the bands involved in the competition, they follow DCA for updates on the competition, if the whole band is involved in creating the video they will all be made aware of DCA, waiting for the results and the weekly updates will provide engagement. Just trying to come up with something that wouldn't cost a lot, will engage people most likely to be or become interested in DCA and doesn't require a lot of work on DCA's part. I'll take a wild guess that they would view giving away tickets as a huge expense, but it's only an expense if those seats would be filled otherwise. Likely that DCP members would be happy to assist with compiling contact lists for band directors.

What are we brainstorming towards? Increasing attendance at finals? Keeping corps around or at least enough to have a finals? Does DCA itself have any goals? I read their "About" on the website and summed up, we provide rules and encourage corps to be entertaining, but stay away from DCI rules. If DCA has no real interest in investing time in effort in growing the product, there isn't much that can be done. Even the low hanging fruit of sending out a mini poster to high school and college bands in the adjacent areas doesn't seem to be of much interest. I think it's just continue to coast until there are only 7-8 corps and keep lobbying for handrails.

Are you sure about AGT? https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/weekly-ratings/broadcast-top-25-network-rankings-sept-2-8-2019/

Kinda just looking to play, maybe some Christmas brass caroling. I'll keep my eye out for used instruments. $10k for the one I want is probably overkill.

I learned of DCA while in college and a member of the Caballeros brought in a video tape of Finals, I believe. A corps had a parachute tarp on the field is all I remember and someone made a comment about being an excuse to drink on the weekend. Circa '91-92.

Ok, my "positive" is going to a post-DCA world. Individual corps match up with their closest compatible DCI corps and form an all age division which could become a feeder for DCI corps and a feeder from Jr corps to all-age corps age-outs. It's easier and less expensive to retain a customer or member than build a new relationship. It seems like a situation of this nature could be beneficial to both the Jr corps and the all-age corps. The culture shock of such an arrangement may be unsurmountable.

I'm 50 and I've always wanted to try playing Contra. Is it too late? I've played trumpet / mellophone / baritone / euphonium and a lot of electric bass. The thing that kicked this itch off was 2012 or 2013 maybe an outside chance of 2014 while I was in the Baltimore Ravens Marching band a Fusion Core contra was warming up across the street at Havre de Grace, younger African American guy. He was apparently improving on some walking bass lines and it was very cool. I have ~10 electric basses at home, so wouldn't a contra be something different to add to the lineup? Always in high demand for cover bands, right? </sarcasm> My heart says "get a contra", my head says, "an upright would get you a ton more gigs".