KeithHall

I do know that throughout the 1980's, 90's and 2000's, Empire Statesmen and Crusaders went to band shows to recruit. That is good corps need to do this BUT maybe we should all back up and look at the big picture! Our country is/has been changing and the drum and bugle corps activity is changing! When you compare DCI 1976 to DCI 2019, the biggest change is the amount of corps. The quality is better today than 1976 but it's also different from top to bottom. DCA 1976 saw 17 corps in only one class and today only 5 (maybe 6) are still active. 1976 DCI saw 81 corps in 3 classes with only 10 corps still around today. Many reasons why corps folded up their tents and that is another post. What can DCA do better to market what they have TODAY? Is following the DCI model the answer? Is there another model to copy or can the corps put together something that is unique and only DCA? We all agree recruitment is important and that should be on the individual corps correct? DCA management has nothing to do with that. Let's keep this going!

Ideas then! Oh and not wanting to sound like an OLD GUY but can we stop talking about marching bands?

Lets not fault the DCA Management as they are doing what the corps want! So going after Allen is NOT acceptable. He and the others run DCA in accordance with what all the voting corps want! So lets get back to how can we help DCA? Using technology is good but it will cost corps more in fees to make that happen. How about PBS? It worked for DCI in the 1970's and 80's! All corps have to do their own PR to get the word out in their area and same holds true for a competition that they sponsor. DCA has to do the PR for Championships!

POSITIVE BRAINSTORMING! SOLUTIONS!!!!

This was NOT a post to ATTACK DCA or ANYONE!!! We were doing fine up till this post! I know Allen too! I will say it's NOT an easy job for ANYONE to head any group to include DCA. My hat off to anyone who has the guts to be a leader in anything. I don't agree with your post whatsoever!!!

I am not in favor of fan votes as I am not in favor of voting for my choral leadership at my school. It becomes a popularity vote and in drum corps it'll be the corps that is closest to that community. Nice idea though! What are two to three things that DCA can address short term? long term? Problems that exist today? Problems that have always existed? Problems that may arise in the future? We know that corps are dying (Empire Statesmen, Crusaders, Brigadiers, Grenadiers, Westshoremen, etc.) Ultimately it's the corps that have to draw in the membership BUT DCA can help (somehow). Public Relations....NOT just for championships either. Can DCA come up with a media package to present to show sponsors that would cover TV, Radio, Websites, etc? Is championships held at a stadium that is conducive for the brand to sell to the public? Other factors.....Adjudication education. Is there enough education so that the judges know exactly what they are suppose to judge? I say this based on experience in the band and choral world. Not fully understanding the criteria for each box. Something else to ponder.......Is DCA and the corps monitoring who they bring into their organization? Enough to keep us going LOL

Is DCA failing or are the corps failing? DCA is run by the corps and DCA Management is just that...managing DCA for the corps! Unless something has changed. So blame should NOT be on DCA management but on the corps...correct? The corps reps make decisions on what happens each year, changing rules, adopting rules, etc. All Allen and his crew do is manage it the best they can. Now I could be wrong, so if I am, my apologies!

I changed my mind! Do whatever makes everyone happy!!! You have persuaded me to think like you all!

Would LOVE to see all corps cater to the people who buy the tickets! Play music that is recognizable and make the show FUN for the performers and the fans! What a concept! Designers might be able to outdo themselves OR NOT!

The other issue to look at is the amount of corps participating in a/any show. Years ago when I was with Crusaders, it was the same 4 corps at a show...Cru, ES, Brigs and Grenadiers. If we traveled east we'd see Cabs, Bucs, Bush, etc. But look at today....how many shows are there each week and how many corps participate in each show? Is it safe to say there are 7 to 8 weekends of DCA Competition? Also the corps from the south and Mid west don't come up to northeast every weekend and NE corps have rarely gone south or west. So couldn't the DCA season be shortened by 2 or 3 weekends and have their championships the weekend after or before DCI? Now mind you, these aren't concrete idea I have but things I'm throwing out to all of you. I am NO expert and will never claim to be one. I leave that up to the experts! (Whoever they are). Some of us old timers are always thinking Labor Day weekend because it's tradition. However traditionally DCA was known as the senior corps circuit and comprised of people 22 and older. Today it's a different story. How many young people use DCA corps as a stepping stone to march with the top corps in DCI? How many MM's are over 40? 50? 60 today? How many DCA corps are maxed to the number? Can DCA get by with putting out 6 competitions a year that have a great line-up and make it more enjoyable for audience members? Something else to consider.....almost every rule DCI implements is also implemented with DCA. Also, as DCI corps change the way they present shows, so does DCA corps. The quality maybe less than DCI but still...... Just somethings to ponder and continue the brainstorming about the drum corps activity!

Ideas!!!!

Do you think that the majority of the corps would be in favor of merging with DCI? In years past, there were more corps as well as the S and E portion, so why not ....... Thursday .......Quarterfinals 9 am till? DCA Prelims 6 PM Friday............Semi Finals after noon DCA Finals 7 pm Saturday....... DCI Finals Now years ago this would be a problem due to age of most DCA MM's but today? Those that do work can get vacation time off to participate in DCA and then watch/support DCI. This gives the DCI MM's a chance to see that they could continue after their DCI age out. The same activity working together will (hopefully) strengthen the activity for years to come!

Would this mean an earlier start to the competitive season (as was in the early days)? OR is the amount of competitions enough to take care of the DCA corps at this time?

Would this mean an earlier start to the competitive season (as was in the early days)? OR is the amount of competitions enough to take care of the DCA corps at this time?

I'll start this! Been reading a lot about the impending death of drum corps for a while so I thought I would start a POSITIVE brainstorming post on finding solutions that DCA can or might try to build up the brand. Now the keyword is POSITIVE! GO

I think instead of us talking about the demise of DCA (or drum corps in general) maybe all of us highly intelligent people (I can't put myself in that group) can brainstorm solutions with DCA to improve the brand! Social media, to me, allows some people a chance to say whatever they want (and that's okay) but how about talking about solutions? If I were on the DCA Management team I'd be angry! But NOW if we, collectively, find solutions maybe DCA can be improved! It's just an idea.

Seems Leanlion could be Eddie Wilson (Eddie and the Cruisers!) On top for a brief minute and Gone!

I remember Sharpsburg Cadets. Nice corps! I am from North Tonawanda, was that the NT Open show you were talking about Rocketman?

We all had that ONE show that we still remember! Where was it? What year? Why was it great? Memory about it? GO

To ALL performers, staff, fans and DCA administration....Love and Prayers to you ALL. Be safe through your travels and Championships! Wish you all the VERY BEST!!!!!

Maybe, over the years, the people who run DCI are making good money and maintaining the archaic way of running DCI. Any new model would find that some people are making an abundant of money and then, possibly, there would be another issue found in the national news. I'm NOT saying this is true but look how drum corps were run 30 and 40 years ago. I was with a corps who's corps director was caught red-handed stealing money from the Bingo fund and was doing it for years. That corps was done in 1982.

There are hundreds more to add to this list. The one's in your list were/are ALL important. It saddens me that they are gone! The corps will never return and what we had in the 1970's and 1980's will never happen. All we have are our memories and hopefully a video.

Ithaca....interesting stadium and a huge hill to get buses up!

Marion, OH...maybe 1973 or 1974 and "A" Class prelims were at another school which (if I remember correctly) had terrible grass and out in Farm-land. I was always happy to march in North Tonawanda at the high school stadium (NT Open). Great crown and the grass was well maintained.

Losing Empire Statesmen, Rochester Crusaders, Syracuse Brigadiers, Westshoremen, Kingston Grenadiers, Heatwave, Alliance, Kilties(?), Renegades. Can we go further back to Matadors, Yankee rebels, Les Dynamiques, Chieftans, Generations, Steel City Ambassadors, Bayou City Blues, Night Storm, etc. Its a lot of corps to lose since 1990. Is there a miracle? I don't think so