NightmareBC

I respectfully disagree with your last statement. However I will concede that the scales are tipped a little bit more towards members spending a few years at a corps to gain experience and then go to DCI. Yet I can tell you from personal experience that there are still plenty of members who stick around for years. I personally just finished my 10th year, there are two people who also finished their tenth year with me. There are also people who finished their 11th, 15th, 17th, etc. So that is still very much the case in today's atmosphere. More importantly though, even if people aren't marching, the next year you can probably see them at the home show, and the year after. Even though more members may be using DCA as a chance to gain experience, they still make connections with the people around them and gain a family atmosphere. People stop marching for a bunch of reasons, but my personal experience is that everyone shows up again in one way or another for the people. That hasn't changed.

I agree with you completely, but my point is that these blog posts are made in reference to Bucs winning championships every year as the attributing factor to the death of DCA. I tried to show a few examples of why it's not dying and how "winning" is subjective. As well as give some other better examples about what DCA is about.

I rarely post in these threads and mostly observe, but I feel an aspect of this conversation isn't necessarily being discussed and I believe needs to be. With all the talk of "how to beat the Buc's" or anything like that one key aspect of drum corps is being completely overlooked by these blog posts... Drum corps is not all about winning championships. Here's a few examples, Example 1, I've been fortunate enough to have marched Bluecoats 2014. You know what part of that I take away as the greatest success? Not that we got 2nd and were the highest scoring Bluecoats ever (although I would be stupid to say that wasn't awesome too). But that score will be beaten, (hopefully) one day that placement will be beaten. What I take away from that year was I marched in a show that made and will make countless of younger people want to march in that organization. I participated in a show that inspired other's to join this activity. Does that happen in DCA? absolutely it does. Does it happen on as large of a platform or reach as many people? No not really, but that's because of so many other factors. Example 2, I have marched 10 years with the Connecticut Hurricanes. In my opinion one of the greatest years if not the greatest year in current history is 2009. After Prelims we were tied with Minnesota for 2nd. Finals we were passed by Empire and landed in 4th. Heartbroken? Yeah. Did everyone want to come back the next year and try again? Heck yeah. Just because we didn't win that year doesn't mean that we didn't all love every single second we spent on that field. In fact it fueled us to come back. I'm seeing the exact same fire, family atmsophere, and positive views from the people I know who marched Cabs this summer. Example 3. This season for the Hurricanes was a particularly special one. Why? Everyone though we were dead. People on this website though we had folded. We put together a corps, put together a show, and made finals. Was it our best show in history? Did we think we were going to win a championship? No. Did we end the season with a greater love and appreciation for the corps, the activity, and each other? 100 times yes. People forget what this activity is about. Some people paint it as a lesser DCI, some people paint it as anything else entirely. Yet what a lot of people don't realize this circuit is about, is for the people IN the organizations. This activity is our hobby, this activity is our break from the 9-5's. This activity is one where we can get together with friends and play, spin, march, or whatever. That's always what it's been about, communities. A lot of people can't afford to go over to Reading, they live too far away. So they join a corps closest to them and they become part of a family. Sometimes your family wins, sometimes it doesn't. That's why the Bucs aren't killing DCA, I don't even think it's dying. With a stronger top 10 then there's been in a little while, the fact that we still have two thriving classes, corps from oversea's competing, DCA is fine and everyone needs to stop worrying about who should or should not win and advocate for DCA for the right reasons.

What were your favorite moments from the 2014 championship weekend? It could be an on the field moment, or off the field. It could be a top 10, or just one favorite. Anything you like. This is an activity of shared struggles and successes, so it's always encouraging to read and hear the good things from each other. My favorite moment? Being able to sing the Hurricanes corps song again after being on tour. Nothing gives you a greater sense of family. What's yours?

The FOC does still exist here at WCU, but has gone back and forth between being mostly run by the current band director, or being operated by the students in the council. I can personally tell you that the most succesful groupings of FOC are comprised of those who have had more than one or two years of marching experience, as well as a multitude of us marching in DCI (for there still is a large pool of members in DCI from west chester.) These groups tend to work by themselves with very little help by the band director. However, there still is some input by him, whether it be a great amount, or just popping his head in every once and a while.

Perhaps what's most exciting about this is the future opportunities. As a future music educator it's exciting to think of all the opportunities I could get my students involved in. I personally grew up in an area where the marching arts were virtually non-existant, I was personally lucky to be brought up in a drum corps family. This presents a tremendous opportunity to give areas like mine the ability to broaden students horizons in something other than the concert ensemble. They can participate in this activity without having to extend their neck so to speak if it's not possible. I wish there were more details, but if this can get off the ground running, it could be beneficial for not just DCI, but the arts in general.

At the Hurricanes, we have a lightning bolt pendant that we give to every member. As well as two colored beads (one for each side of the pendant) that represent every year of participation in the organization!

*Kidsgrove Doing this from my phone

So I've started this thread for the past couple years and it's always entertaining to hear stories from the weekend. So what's your favorite moment from this year? It could be your favorite on field moment, or off field, even a top ten list of your favorite moments! I'll start. My favorite part was sharing most of the weekend with the Kidsgove Scouts. It's an amazing thing when you look around and see Hurricanes wearing Scouts souvies, and the Scouts wearing Hurcs souvies. An absolute fun time.

So I did this last year and figured i'd do it again. What was your favorite moment of the 2011 DCA Championships weekend? It could be a funny moment that happened off the field. Or it could be your favorite on field moment (preferred). Or even a top 5/ top whatever list of moments.

Watching every possible YouTube video of "Creep" until the replay button stops working.

Conversations With the Night - Andrew Boysen Sanctuary - Frank Ticheli both superb pieces that would transfer perfectly to the field.

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So I saw this thread last year and a different version in the DCI threads. What were your favorite moments of DCA weekend 2010? It could be anything that happened to you that particularly stood out, something funny, favorite moments in the performances (which is the preferred one haha), or like a top 10 of your favorites (which would be pretty cool too). Anyways, i'm really interested in what comes up, it was a really exciting year.

I think its safe to say that they will NEVER put that shuttle bus near us again