[Time to Sell DCI]

LOS seats 62,000 in the football configuration.

One who side is completely unusable, reducing it to about 40,000.

The endzone sides are equally unusable, bringing it down further to about 28,000.

Cut out the space from endzone to 20 on each side and you're down to probably about 22,000 or so.

I actually think seats from the 20's wrapping around to the endzone sides should be free. Anyone who wants to show up, with emphasis on local families bringing kids.

This should be for all major shows... fill the place up... get people there... who cares if the seats aren't great if it is free for them? These people will likely end up buying something else anyway... and it gets people there that are just simply curious or thought it would be something cool to take their kids to.

I think you're right on the free seats, but my original premise remains. Why is one side totally unusable? Because the programs currently being created aren't "readable" from the back side. Why is that? Does it have to be? I think the answer is no, and it's up to the creative people in the activity to put a readable program on the field. It has happened before. Carolina Crown did a chessboard show some years ago that actually was understandable from the sides and from the back.

[Time to Sell DCI]

Here's one question potential, profit seeking investors might ask of DCI.

Why do you hold your marquee events in stadia where the percentage of use vs. total capacity is so low?

If, for example, Lucas Oil Stadium has a capacity of say, 75,000, and finals draws 20,000, that's about 26% of capacity. Why would an investor or investment group put serious money in a venture that at best could draw 30-35% of the total number of seats where they hold a major contest?

Last year I went to Met Life to see the TOC show there. The week before, I ran into acquaintance who happens to be a supervisor of ushers there. When I mentioned the show, he smirked and said the number of people expected was so low he'd have to work as a regular usher.

DCI isn't football, I get that, but anyone serious about ROI would want to know why this happens at so many shows.

Of course, the solution would be to create shows that appeals to a wider expanse of seats, but that has only happened once that I remember.

Just asking.

[The "Music Corps Should Do" thread]

Somebody needs to play this, immediately. And yes, I'm completely serious:

Whoa!!! You're absolutely right! Not a big fan of Ms. Knowles, but this track would work for drum corps quite well!

[The "Music Corps Should Do" thread]

Don't know if this has already been suggested, but Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody #1 would hardly have to be altered.

[People who have influenced you?]

So this may be a little long, because I've been around for a minutes. But here goes.

Jack Dobson, Jackie Lester, Sgt. Frank Pollizzi, Carman Cluna, Eric Perrilloux, Dennis DeLucia, Wes Myers, Mike DiLorenzo, Ronnie Finley, Ritchie Warga, Fr. Dominic Schiraldi.

and last but not least, the person who taught me how to play, the most organized man I've ever met, a man who would tell me to open and close a long roll and told me I hadn't practiced enough before I even started......

The great Earl Sturtze!

Mark Riley

Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps

Newtown Striders

Ct. Yankees

Bpt. PAL Cadets

Milford Shoreliners

Sr. Rita's Brassmen

Sunrisers

Skyliners

Sky Alumni