elephanttalk

First off, GREAT discussion here. There have been some great points above. As background... I did not march; HS Band, Drum Corps, etc. I have zero musical talent. I have a MM... and have chosen to get involved in the activity because I think the overall experience ​for the MMs should be the activity's number one priority no matter what your "size." From that superior experience will come superior performance, better crowds and a thriving activity top to bottom. ​​To answer the question as posed ("what does it take to get to the next level") I think the answer is "a sustainable funding mechanism" and not just MONEY. This activity, like many non-profits... struggles in it's middle tier... to "survive" financially every year. There's been improvement in some of the profit sharing model from DCI... and I think that this is WELL understood by the various Boards that help guide this activity. But at the end of the day... while there isn't a single corps that isn't involved that wouldn't take $1M grant thrown at them now... a one time cash infusion would not sustainably move a corps in the 22 - 13 tier into the top 5. That, is Money. What is needed is a sustainable, growing business model to fund the core operations of the organization (Pay Dir salary, admin staff, maintenance & upkeep of corps assets like instruments, fleet, etc.) combined with a professional, systemic giving program to make up the difference between what the members pay and what the operating expenses are for a given year (instructional staff, etc.). That will enable the best staff to be hired & kept... and the MM's to have the best experience possible, which in turn sets off the positive chain of outcomes I've outlined above. My closing thought is this: There's not a single corps right now in the top 7 that isn't spending more than $1m annually at this point. And that is AFTER endorsement deals from instrument suppliers, uniform suppliers, etc. Let that sink in for a minute. That's what it costs to get into the top tier. And... I personally don't see how it will be any different going forward. That isn't good, or bad... but I do think that everyone involved in growing drum corps just need to acknowledge that as close to fact. YMMV. Opinion not valid in North/South Dakota, Guam & New Hampshire ​

Only reason I question whether or not they could do it was I was at an MLS game the other night (CenturyLink Field) that had to be played on the grass left from the international champions cup game (ManU vs Club America) because two days wasn't enough time to get the turf field properly prepped for play. Typically FIFA has a minimum 5-day "set period" for these international events so the grass is safe for play (minimal seams, not moving, etc.) They will have to brush otherwise the FieldTurf will be laid over... And slick!

It is temp grass for sure. Also I believe tarps were on the field in Denver which is also grass.

I'm just thinking there won't be enough time to get the grass up AND get the FieldTurf brushed and ready for Sat AM. My guess is... They're gonna be on grass.

In a strange twist of two interests, I'm currently watching the US play Jamaica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup (losing BTW). But the DCI side of me is looking at the GeorgiaDome surface which is currently GRASS for the soccer. Now... There is a second game tonight that won't be done until probably midnight eastern. The question is... Will they leave the grass down for the DCI regional or... Is it back to the fieldturf?

some new suprises coming tonight from #OC15.

#challengeaccepted Come on DCP... get out there and support your favorite Corps! Drumcorpschallenge.com

Hot... is an understatement. This one is always a boiler... and this year is no exception. Here's the link from weather.com: 97 at showtime. http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/USWA0338:1:US

Does this help? http://dciscores.com/world/

It is a shame that the DCI.org app isn't available across all platforms (Windows, Android). From a development perspective it is not that difficult to publish on all platforms... even streaming video (Look at the Drumscorps app as an example). Again.. it isn't really that hard.

It would be amazing but I'm not sure 65 is realistic for them first time out. Most of the corps in the 13-17 slots were about 61-62 first time out. We'll know shortly I suppose.

Any thoughts on scores for those who were there?

Typically, OC "Hosts" Corps for a free day and the 4th fireworks on the ocean after parade duty in Seaside, OR. My guess that all of the corps that perform in Renton will be invited for both the Parade and the 4th activities.

There are several efforts that are led both by DCI and by the corps themselves to help corps become more self sustaining and of course there is the yearly struggle between the "haves vs. have-nots" in terms of corps resources. However, ultimately it is up to each organization to build a sustainable base to fund their operations. For some, that is a rich (figuratively & literally) alumni base. For others, it is successful year-round businesses like music stores or bingo. For most corps, there is a level of corporate sponsorship available for the top performers that significantly reduce the cost of things like uniforms... instruments, etc. DCI has some very good individual deals on corps staples like gatorade and peanut butter... and historically has negotiated group rates on things like insurance, truck/vehicle rental, etc. This effort has been refocused this year as a new director of operations came on board for DCI... and more of these kinds of "member corps services" are something that DCI is interested in and tries to provide. It is difficult for an organization the size of DCI to get the attention of a Costco or WalMart though historically. But I think if you surveyed the boards of the World Class corps in terms of overall organizational maturity... they'd all agree that they all could improve their level of organization and functional expertise. The continous improvement of these elements will be the key to the long term viability of the organization.

All: Before you start teeing off "URL Mapping" let me explain to you how SEO actually works. Google & Bing will reindex the site. The more you visit it, the faster it will happen. Once that happens... the "old" links will start to naturally disappear and the new correct links will appear. DCI doesn't have much to say about this... and when switching platforms like this it would cost both a fortune both in TIME and $$$$ to hand map every URL to a new one on the site. So... please everyone... don't get your collective #dcppanties in a bunch on this. The new site is cleaner... and a lot easier to navigate. It has a great new social bar that follows you on the right... and I even got a "DCI CHAT SUPPORT" window tonight when I started the stream... which looks crisp and clear over wifi tonight. Great Job #SQUADDCI. Nice to see corps on the field... nice to see things moving forward. Oh... and BTW it seems to be responsive design... rendering on my tablet and mobile very well.

Just saw this and downloaded. As someone involved in the mobile ecosystem for their "day job" kudos to the team for the Windows Phone version... and well done all around!

One other significant item... cost of renting "california clean" diesel equipment to travel down there. That is a significant expense (tax) that no one has to pay in any other part of the country.

OC has moved in about 10-14 days earlier this year than in previous years. And... as others have said in the thread... they've stepped up levels in all captions. Corps is having one of their best springs ever stretching back to camps leading up to move-ins. #OC15 will be one to watch.

There's some good data out there from the US Energy Information Administration on fuel price estimates that we've used for our planning. In general, diesel fuel is going to be about a $1 a gallon cheaper during tour season this year over last, as is gasoline. A welcome break for the price escalation that has gone rampant on food and other corps staples. I tried to post the charts but the DCP forums would not let me so... you can build them yourself (if you want) via the link above.

In the audience tonight... Great evening and a full stadium are pluses. Jersey Surf show is well played but soft in tone, volume in person. Giving out the plumes is a nice touch. Good crowd...nice job.

Freely admit that there's some PBCK on this end in that I did not know the correct response to "what was the first elementary school you went to" because the login is shared between myself, my wife and my son. (BTW that's prounounced Peb-CAK and stands for Problem Between Chair and Keyboard) However, the notion that because I cleared cookies once forcing me into that loop is user-hostile at best. #idothisstuffforaliving

I can verify it is James Earl Jones.

I wish I was able to watch the OC get it but... alas in its infinite wisdom the Fan Network has decided that I needed to be locked out for some obscure reason. #grababatandbeatthatdeadhorse

responding late to the Crimson Kings thread. <snark> Now entering the field... playing selections from Beat, Discipline and Desire Caught by the Lone Rhino King, here are the Crimson Kings! </snark>

Yeah chance of storms right now for Allentown is 80% all day... 60% evening. Not conducive to running around on flat surfaces with large hunks of metal. #sigh...