What changes would you make to improve drum corps?

[Michael Boo]

What changes would you make to improve drum corps...for the marchers, the instructors, the management teams, the fans, the Tour and Event Partners (formerly known as show promoters), souvie people...whatever.

This is NOT a thread to complain about, "I'd get rid of all amplification and narration" or the sort. Those things have been beaten to death elsewhere and would simply derail this thread. Rather, this is a thread about things that are REALISTICALLY possible to pass through the DCI Board of Directors, or the contest committees or contest directors, or anyone who is in a position to change things.

I hope this is a thread of constructive suggestions that would trigger a person in a position to instigate said change to think, "hmmmmmm."

So, what changes would YOU suggest?

[comeonfhqwhgads]

some sort of draft cap.

like.. "okay, blue devils you guys won this year. you can't start the audition process until mid-january. Spirit, you can start in september if you want. Pioneer.. why haven't you started practices yet?"

i dunno. just something to break up the present top-three syndrome.

[DKracing]

EDIT: Ah, REALISTICALLY... well for entertainment purposes anyway...

Teleportation devices...

For recruitment and auditions: Quick and easy travel to a corps' audition sites. Staff thinks a member will fit in at another corps better? "Hey, jump in the teleporter, I'll have you at their camp in two seconds."

For winter rehearsal: Everyone can be at camps, or at as much of the camps as possible, especially corps that have many members from all over the country. International members might have to deal with any variation of passports and such that will surely arise with the advent of these machines though. I don't think it will be much worse than the current situation at airports. It may be easier in fact.

For "all days," "9-9s" what have you: Housing problems? Not anymore, the members could sleep in their own beds every night. Or on free days. This could have a negative impact though, as have cellular phones, in regard to members spending all their free time focused on things back home, instead of getting to know their fellow members.

For tour: Corps would only need one rehearsal site, all summer. Then, they'd just teleport to the show site for warmup, and teleport back after retreat! Plus, want to see Cadets and Jersey Surf in California in July? No problem! Pacific Crest and SCV the next night in Tennessee? With the time difference, Every corps could have a west coast, and an east coast show every night! How much money would each corps save on gasoline too, considering there would no longer be any need for tour buses?

For the fans: Assuming that this technology is available to anyone anyway, fans would have the ability to go to shows they otherwise couldn't make it to.

After finals: Within hours of finals retreat, everyone can be back home with their families and friends without the headaches of bus rides, airports, or road trips.

Banquet: There would be no reason for anyone in the corps not to make it to banquet, with teleportation making it so easy to make even a brief appearance.

This is all based on the assumption that these teleportation devices would be absolutely free, and easily obtainable. That way, every corps would be able to get one, even division 2 and 3!

(yes I know how ridiculous this idea is, but what the hay :P )

Edited August 27, 2007 by DKracing

[DKracing]

Realistically, I say that more schools and such need to be supportive of the activity as far as housing goes. As I understand it, corps lose more and more housing sites every year (aren't there no longer any shows in Florida because of all the housing problems that culminated in 03?).

[roosevelt]

1. It would be nice if every drum corps was required to share their cut lists. This would help lower corps fill up with quality members. The last 10 or 12 people cut from BD or Cavies are usually pretty good, and they often spend the summer sitting at home waiting for next year.

2. I have mentioned this in a previous thread, but I think random show order would be helpful as well. I feel like judges (in DCI at least) tend start low with the first corps and then work their way up. Usually it works out fine, but in a random order setting the judges have to work for it a little more. It would also give the audience a chance to see some corps they may not generally see. Drum corps audiences are notoriously late arrivers, and I think this would get them in their seats a bit earlier and therefore they would get to see more corps that they may end up taking a liking to.

3. Most importantly, they need to get the best judges that they can. People that are at the top of the activity (that are not teaching in DCI already of course). Currently there are some great judges out there, but they are in the minority. Most of those guys out there I would not want in front of a junior high band, much less a world class drum corps. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at the sheets and seen a someone on there judging that has one of the worst bands you have ever heard, but now they are going to sit in cirtique and tell you how to do your job when they obvioulsy cannot do their own.

We need great judges and the only way to do that is to go out there and find the best people in the activity and pay them a ton of money to judge. Then you will have people that will not be afraid to make a call and do what is right....even if it not what is expected.

[danielray]

A sort of rolling member sponsorship...

A kid can start on the process of getting sponsorship before he has made a specific corps. The sponsorship funds are managed and directed by a third party, which then directs the funds to whatever corps the kid actually makes.

This creates a scenario where they kid isn't scrambling to put the finances together once they make it, which could also help to completely eliminate the excuse some kids who have interest in marching but don't even audition because of finances.

Also, a scheme could be setup to where a kid would be able to build up a consistent set of sponsors that could say pay a small amount each month rebilled on a credit card... that would sponsor them for multiple years, regardless of where they chose to march from year to year.

More things like this need to be explored to eliminate the excuse of lack of finances.

Additionally, I would add that it could be interesting to create a list of certain types of items that corps use throughout the year... that kids could seek out in-kind donations for the corps for these items, with the retail price being credited toward their tour fees. For some kids, based on family or community relationships, it could be a very easy way for them to cover their tour fees by offsetting other capital expenditures of the organization.

[drumcat]

Realistically, I'd:

• Lower GE points relative to the total.
  
• Redefine GE to align with what your "first impression" of GE might be, which is to make it more about the connection with the audience and not the composition of the show.
  
• Eliminate all composition scores, and allow judges only one number.
  
• Combine D2/3 and adjust their sheets to no longer be "drum corps lite", but rather encourage them to play loud, hard, and go for entertainment (in lieu of utter perfection).
  
• Convert D2/3 to ordinal scoring.
  
• Create a simplified point system that fans could easily follow for seeding on Thursday, based on regional performance.
  
• Allow Tour Partners to have one ordinal or score for weekday shows, to be given or raffled or something.
  
• Enforce show minimum length penalties from Day 1.
  
• Require that all microphones and amplification/electrical equipment must be forward of the front sideline.
  
• Allow D2/3 to march off to a streetbeat at every show.
  
• Try to get to 15 minute windows per corps.
  
• Allow a video vignette of a staff member of 30-45 seconds before their show whenever video is available, or a printed primer with the schedules/programs.
  
• Clarify starting times by requiring a DM salute.
  
• Corps must trim their rosters to 153 by Feb 15.
  
• Corps making cuts must provide information to cuts about other corps, including contact information.
  
• Corps are limited to 3 alternates at all times.
  
• Disallow the use of any amplification equipment in the official warm-up area.
  

etc. etc. etc....

Edited August 27, 2007 by drumcat

[bluecoats88]

I would adjust the judging so all 8 captions have an equal wight (1/8th) of the total score instead of the two GE captions being 1/5th and the other 6 captions being 1/10 of the total score.

oh, and I would also bring back full retreat for major regionals held on a saturday night, and have the DCI finals retreat include corps playing themselves off and sluting the champion as they pass.

Edited August 27, 2007 by bluecoats88

[TerriTroop]

Agree about the cut lists, abolutely. I would take it a step farther and add that corps should work together directly to send kids to other corps. Just because a kid has their heart set on marching SCV or Cavies etc. doesn't mean they shouldn't give ensembles like Cascades or Troopers or Jersey Surf a chance. And maybe, just maybe, that member will appreciate their experience enough to stick with that corps and help build it. Even if they don't stay they've helped build the corps for one season.

2. Staff sharing (this may already be happening, so maybe we'll hear about it): Top tier corps who have really good techs with lower-tier caption head ability should encourage such people to seek out work with the lower tier corps. Again, certain corps could become specific partners in this endeavor. While some would say this might put the lower tier corps at risk for becoming "feeder" corps, I think it is more likely that most of these caption heads would rather stay and build a program over time. If the corps doesn't grow with them, then they move on.

[silvertrombone]

Alright, we're supposedly big time now, right? So let's start acting like it.

Shows in BIG stadiums (NCAA, NFL, etc), not high schools that have wooden stands. Ick! If you can perform in Illinois and Massachusetts, you can perform in Soldier Field and Foxboro. Wanna be taken seriously? Perform in serious venues. High schools can still be event sponsors in NFL stadiums--they're just providing the manpower.

Perhaps fewer shows, but all in the large stadiums. Funny thing about large stadiums, they're all in significantly populated areas! Chicago. Dallas. New York. DC. LA. etc. Big populations = big turnout.

Speaking of big turnout, give discounts to high school students. Not just musicians, but drill team members, cheerleaders, etc. Do some serious advertising with schools in each region.

Maybe have DC's hold camps in the off-season in areas where no other major corps exists and open up some rehearsal time for public viewing--generate even MORE excitement! Find out where the members are from and go to that state/city to have rehearsals. It's possible, don't tell me "that's too hard!" Bull.

Get some partnerships established between specific corps. Elites and lower D1's, 2's and 3's. Encourage members to march even if they're cut at their first choice. Generate interest in DC in general, not just 6 'Super' corps.

Broadcast full 1/4's in the theatres. Broadcast full semifinals on ESPN2--it has gotten THAT competitive! Then hype Internet broadcast and video sales of finals. And like my earlier proposal, MAKE ALL FINALS DVD's/CD's AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FOR FREE WITH ONLINE ADVERTISING. EVERY YEAR! 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's--EVERY YEAR! Online traffic is what drives google's profits and they're going gangbusters, guys. DCI needs to take a page out of this playbook. You heard it here first.

In fact, PARTNER with google, owner of youtube! Don't ban stuff online, ENCOURAGE IT! Rehearsal tapes, interviews, etc. DRIVE INTEREST AND THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW!

Quit thinking like a blasted non-profit, DCI! It's the 20th Century. If the current cast cannot do it, then bring in some Vice President of Marketing from the NFL and some Fortune 5 (as in top 5) corporation either on the voting Board, or even better, as Executive Director! Dan Acheson is fine, but fine ain't good enough if we're thinking BIG! And this thread is about BIG, so Dan just don't cut the mustard, as nice a guy and good a job as he's done. BIG, people--BIG!!

While we're at it let's start talking professional league for age-out's and Olympic Games. If we're going to think BIG then why put little limits on it, hmm? Let's think really...

BIG!!

DCI needs to start developing a Japanese tour. Work with existing Japanese tours/corps, and start sending corps to Japan and Europe every year. Send an elite and another D1, and maybe even D2/3 corps each to Japan and Europe. Start looking at China and India, too. Don't know that India would be interested, but I'm reasonably sure China would eat this kind of thing up! Olympics are there next year--why not have an all-Chinese D&BC on-hand for opening/closing ceremonies? They like militaristic stuff over there! Big parade nation--nothing better for a parade, you know?

And talk about BIG--China is all about BIG! And Japan already has quality marching stuff as we have seen right here on DCP. And Europe already has a reasonably well developed DC circuit. Put these contacts to work! That's well over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America, and we haven't even discussed south of the border yet!

Link up DCI and DCA. Whatever rift is there needs to be buried. Not in competition with each other, same concepts, different ages (basically), so partner together. Two heads and that whole concept.

DCI is starting to think like they're in the 20th Century--great! Catching up--keep it moving! Just one to go!

Great thread, OP.