garfield

Exactly.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THIS QUESTION, AND DEMAND THAT DCI BE FUNDED BY THE CORPS THAT MAKE UP ITS MEMBERSHIP.

From. The. Corps. Themselves. The corps have to commit to funding the operations. DCI gets it funding from exactly the same place as the corps themselves: from ticket sales.

All of which are at the corps level and none of which are at the DCI level! Why is this so hard to grasp by so many? DCI, the org, has NEVER had an accusation made against it. DCI, the org, was only recently assigned the responsibility to carry out member-safety duties at the DCI level! The attitude was always that the corps themselves were the center of the universe, not DCI. So, now that particular corps have been, and maybe will be, accused by new victims, NONE of it was at the DCI level! The Top Dogs, as you call them, demonstrate by the actions you describe that they are not qualified to keep their bias in check long enough to make decisions that protect the activity. Based on that alone, every effort should be made to push back against any notion that the corps themselves supplant any need for DCI. You blame circumstances on the DCI offices that are not in the purview of DCI to fix because the corps themselves have not, until very recently, given DCI the authority to act for the activity on these issues. Some people correctly treat DCI as a separate entity from the corps, which it is. Some people don't understand DCI's role and responsibility, much less understand that all of it is granted to DCI, the org, by the member corps. If DCI, the management org, has not addressed something it's because the office has never been given the resources, nor charged with the responsibility.

True, but those who understand the value of the brand of DCI drum corps, as opposed to the hubris that a single organization can make it on its own, in its own league, on entertainment value alone, will carry the activity forward. We have the single best example in Star. Drum corps' top corps are not monoliths no matter how much they want to think they are. The DCI competitive performance tour is the brand. DCI should be fully funded to carry that message forward.

CNN, shockingly, reports that crowd at about 50,000 in Belarus. Seems MUCH bigger than that. And about double the typical recent-years' finals attendance. Yes, this would be good for drum corps.

And, to be specific, the DCI contract has to be paid in full by no later than 24 hours prior to the show's start time. The promoter can't even rely on the gate for the contract fee. In this sense, either the host has to put up the funds, or there have to be enough pre-sale tickets to pay the contract by the deadline. (Our annual goal was always to have the pre-sales cover the contract by no later than one week before showtime so we'd know if we needed any last minute ad spending to get BITS.) Weather is of little consequence to show producers because there is no refund of the DCI contract if a "performance" is given (pay close attention) as a stand-up on the track. (No field or uniforms are required.) The chosen encore corps is usually the one that does the standup, even in the rain if necessary, so that the "fans are assured a performance", and, well, you can fill in the rest.

NE Brigand beat me to the funny retort line. You could surely go to all this trouble and fuss and then you'd be sadly disappointed. For this to work, DCI would need to change a key component of their rules: Any drum corps can do whatever it wants to raise funds, including performing at civic events and independent performance fundraisers. But, to the last of my knowledge, there is a provision binding all corps to not perform publicly with any other DCI member corps unless it is at a DCI-sanctioned event. DCI will charge you, the event-promoter, a fee per drum corps and you would pay that fee directly to DCI. DCI would then subtract its expenses and add the remainder to the payout "pie" to be paid out according to the already-agree-on payout schedule at the end of the season. So, yes, you could go to all this trouble. But no, you wouldn't get any corps to come and, of course, then you have no gate to pay all the production expenses. And, like trading options, you'll learn to never do that again. 🙂

SMH LOL

Yes you are. If you believe that the top corps are the draw, then you're trundling out a trope that was disproven a decade ago. You sit through all the corps; why is it so hard to believe that others do, too? You admit you've not been to finals in years. But we have and each year the quarter-finals crowd is bigger earlier. Are the stands as packed as they are Saturday night? No, but how much of that is because the other two nights of the competition, essentially, require travel and/or taking the day off? I contend fans DO come to see the O-13 corps. Cixel's point is the valid one: without the O-13, the "Top Corps" are the top of a small performance group with little relevance to the typical marching band potential MM. Everyone knows the challenge to the lower placing corps is hanging on to talented kids chasing a championship instead of an experience. But, by definition, it means that the most talented kids rise to challenge in auditions at those "top" corps. This is generations old. There are very few "Top" corps that grow their own champion performers.

I believe this is what the majority of people around these parts have been clamoring for since, well, forever. Most of them just didn't know it. The question is, of course, do the corps feel the same? And the other question is, if they do feel the same, how much cash are they willing to funnel out of their own coffers and into DCI's to accomplish a mission-driven organization?

And your comments among many - who is charged with fixing this? The corps? Stand in (insert your favorite corps director's) shoes and ask if they're promoting the activity or their corps? This is the crux of the issue and, I think, why the wise founders created the central DCI to begin with. Should DCI promote the activity or should the corps? Who funds DCI if it is to do it? How much should the corps dedicate to fund DCI or its own, central tour manager?

I truly hope others chime in to your post. It is, in its spirit if not its specifics, the central and core question to who gives how much power and money to DCI to accomplish the goals.

You are just PLUCKING my strings now, aren't you?! In a MINOR key with scratchy irritating articulation! What, in God's name, would make you think that salary caps, or limitations of any kind, will increase creativity that DRIVES student teaching trends? (see, sarcasm and hyperbole used to emphasize an, otherwise, vacuous point) There's SO much meat to discuss here: Does DCI market? In what channels do they market? DCI didn't set the terms of the Arms Race we agree about, the corps did. Why didn't the corps give DCI the power and authority to implement restrictions on the arms race? (see, I told everyone: we agree much more than not. Don't be tempted to the dark side. LOL)

I don’t think Jim’s experience is unique, there are lots of kids who only try out at their dream corps. This has been a problem, in one form or another, since drum corps began. But who’s responsibility is it to try to fix that problem, DCI’s or each drum corps? Kids moving from HS competition and indoor to beyond in their musical career respond overwhelmingly that they know and want the DCI brand, not their favorite corps. The Vaticinate study clearly showed that the activity has the brand and kids, first, want to march drum corps. Individual mileage may vary and that study is several years old. The vast majority of MMs are music majors or have such aspirations. Doing drum corps is a fun burnishment to music/performance resumes. Most school districts and many band directors don’t know PC from BAC, but they might know that DCI is the musical Major League.

Would it make sense that this follows the rules and examples of other summer sports/activities?

This last part is so true. The audacity of the design had a following. It had “zig, zig, ZAG” written all over it when the activity was getting very scripted. They were the perfect confluence of events, circumstances, and people that will likely never be reproduced.

Thanks for the compliment, and ditto. Your wit is often the glue here.

Wow! A fan! I had no idea, really. You LOVE me! Yours is the point and I wasn’t being anything Poppy accused despite the backslapping. The question is not about the corps or their narcissists or their spending. The question I pose is about the tour management and activity promotion functions of DCI’s mission. Who does those in any environment? Even the Founders created an entity and, so far, I’ve seen lots of presumption about what of DCI’s functions can be better done by the individual corps, but no real evidence to support the claim. Poppy’s most derisive comments were reserved for single, individual leaches in individual corps, but he did make accusations toward DCI that are worthy of challenge. To Cavalierly suggest that DCI isn’t a good choice because of their response to accusations or Covid, I’d simply like some corroborative evidence that they handled either poorly. Poppy will surely snap to the challenge, I’m sure and, until he or someone else does, I’ll reply that DCIs function, and possibly people, are the best option for the activity’s members to acquire a stage on which to perform, as well as a combined and unified message with which to explain, sell, and negotiate it. Now please, discuss. (BTW, anyone who’s been mildly paying attention knows that my Poppyseed Popsicle friend and I share many more opinions in posts here than not, not to mention a favoritism for a sharp, sardonic wit. Something tells me his scales give him very tough skin. An admirable opponent that sheds well on me.)

This IS the issue, IMO. I disagree, but I want to know more of why some seem to agree with Jeff (and the G7 mentality, BTW). What happens if it’s ONLY seven, not the G7, and they want to perform? Compete? Under what rules? Next year.

Now you’re just piling on. lol

Based on what I’m hearing, Stuart Pompel has shepherded in a spirit of “togetherness” not seen in many years. I’m hopeful that the spirit translates to funding DCI, too.

The irony is that this is true because the payout scheme favors the biggest/most successful corps who, to even a small degree, they rely much more on the “gate” than do the lower-placing corps.

Emotions run high in drum corps.

Which one of those is the brand? And is it PC, Mandarins, and Crossmen, too? All of those are the same brand? Do THEY feel that way?