Slim pickings for DCA corps in the South......

[Shadow_7]

you say that like it's not a work day in the North either.

it's called taking a vacation day or personal time off based upon hours accrued. pretty much all employers offer these perks! :)

But in the north, you can work that day AND do minicorps. Or work a half day AND do minicorps. We have to take Thursday AND Friday off in order to make it in time to perform for minicorps (sometimes without enough time left over to even warmup before the performance).

Sure most companies offer time off. But many don't let you have much choice of when you use them. And then there's that pager rotation thing, where even if you are off, your NOT off. As previously mentioned, schools down here startup the week before labor day. So if you're a teacher you probably can't take Friday off. And your kids probably can't take friday off. The best you can hope for is to fly up friday night or saturday morning and make it in time to perform at Prelims. Baring any flight delays due to weather.

As far as the entire corps flying, I don't think anyone does that. Someone has to drive the equipment truck to get the heavy stuff up to DCA and back. I know many borrow a drum major podium and stuff. But contras don't make good seat partners on a plane. Much less marimbas, timpany, bass drums, .......

[LegalEagle50]

for your information there are schools up here in the north start the week before Labor Day too. at least PA & CT do. not sure if all of upstate NY doesn't, though i know the NYC area does not.

if mini-corps is such a problem for anyone who isn't from the northeast how is it the Renegades come all the way out from CA and do it? they certainly aren't working Thursday or Friday, and i'm pretty sure school starts in CA before Labor Day, yet they make it. add to that list Minni-Brass, as well as others.

additionally you're acting like it's a hop, skip and a jump for anyone in the northeast to make it to DCA's. Northwestern CT to Rochester was still 6 hours with only 2 10 minute stops.

to say you can work the whole day or even a half day and make it for mini corps, along with your lack of knowledge about when schools start in the entire area, plus implying that the only corps competing are from the north east, you've shown how jaded you are. you've made it abundantly clear that you don't like DCA time and time again. thankfully there are still a whole bunch of corps who do their best to make it work.

[hairbear]

GREETINGS ALL! I havebeen following the thread about drum corps in the south,west etc............well I remember the old days of DCA when I was a member of Ohio Brass Factory,from Alliance,Ohio.....1980,81,82and 83.we never made the cut!!Then,later (1987)...I went to Steel City Ambassadors.Steel City had a flag they carried around to shows,that said DCA WEST! Those were interesting times.A corp from anywhere else was a novelty,in those days!(non-north east).These days...well I get a smile on my face every time I see Minnesota Brass place higher in DCA! In my humble opinion,MBI made it possible for "other corps" (those not from eastern states) to be sucessful in DCA! They sorta opened up the proverbial floodgates!I have been away from the activity for a while,and to see all these corps from all over the country,has been a GAS! DCA seems to be growing,and thats a good thing.It is too bad there is not a "smiley face"with 15 inches of black hair on it,to "click on"! Then you all might know who I am,or better yet........was. WWBD!

[brassomaniac]

But in the north, you can work that day AND do minicorps. Or work a half day AND do minicorps. We have to take Thursday AND Friday off in order to make it in time to perform for minicorps (sometimes without enough time left over to even warmup before the performance).

Sure most companies offer time off. But many don't let you have much choice of when you use them. And then there's that pager rotation thing, where even if you are off, your NOT off. As previously mentioned, schools down here startup the week before labor day. So if you're a teacher you probably can't take Friday off. And your kids probably can't take friday off. The best you can hope for is to fly up friday night or saturday morning and make it in time to perform at Prelims. Baring any flight delays due to weather.

As far as the entire corps flying, I don't think anyone does that. Someone has to drive the equipment truck to get the heavy stuff up to DCA and back. I know many borrow a drum major podium and stuff. But contras don't make good seat partners on a plane. Much less marimbas, timpany, bass drums, .......

Most of us here could not work on Friday and make the Friday night show. I'm pretty close, East of Albany, and it's still over 4 hours, with no stops. The I&E show gets started at 5:30(?) and you can't just pull in town , jump out of the car and play. And most of the participants are from much farther away than I am.

So it appears that we're talking one day difference, for most, if you're taking Thursday off.

OK, it's clear that it's more convenient for us here, where there are more corps, participants and fans in close proximity to each other.........But... oh yeah... THERE ARE MORE CORPS, PARTICIPANTS AND FANS, HERE, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER!

That's why this is the center of the universe for the 'all-age" activity. And nobody just plopped it here, overnite. The activity, participant interest and fan base has been built, brick by brick, over MANY decades.

When those numbers shift somewhere else, it'll make sence for the rest us us to all go THERE. This is just a silly argument. Moving the championship around or enforcing travel on corps just isn't going to happen.

If you want less travel, there need to be more and bigger corps in your region(s) and the all-age activity needs to be marketed to a big enough audience to fill seats outside of the Northeast.

I cannot imagine a scenario where the economics would make sense to send corps over the road PAST markets that want them, to perform very far outside the Northeast. Somebody `splain that one to me.

Edited October 4, 2007 by brassomaniac

[ContraRich77]

doo mow ma nang

[supersop]

.....snip......

OK, it's clear that it's more convenient for us here, where there are more corps, partipants and fans in close proximity to each other.........But... oh yeah... THERE ARE MORE CORPS, PARTICIPANTS AND FANS, HERE, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER!

That's why this is the center of the universe for the 'all-age" activity. And nobody just plopped it here, overnite. The activity, participant interest and fan base has been built, brick by brick, over MANY decades.

When those numbers shift somewhere else, it'll make sence for the rest us us to all go THERE. This is just a silly argument. Moving the championship around or enforcing travel on corps just isn't going to happen.

If you want less travel, there need to be more and bigger corps in your region(s) and the all-age activity needs to be marketed to a big enough audience to fill seats outside of the Northeast.

I cannot imagine a scenario where the economics would make sense to send corps over the road PAST markets that want them, to perform very far outside the Northeast. Somebody `splain that one to me.

Not that this is my opinion, but it seems clear that some would opine the following:

It would be a matter of reciprocation and fair play. Granted, the NorthEastern DCA corps have had an active and successful circuit for decades and those corps may feel that the upstarts are eating from the fruits of their labors. However, the fruit is quite expensive. At what cost and to what end will the sacrifices of the regional corps equal the investment made by the original establishment? Investing countless thousands of dollars (both personal and within the organization) on their respective region and in support of DCA, in order to build the fan base and seed additional corps, is a reality that some may fear you don't understand nor are willing to understand.

If anything, some would wonder why the long established organizations out East have not taken a posture of propriety and ambassadorship toward the rest of the world, just as the establishment expects propriety and respect toward them in return. It does not take much to do the right thing for the good of all. That, in and of itself, is the absolute driving force behind the expansion and prosperity of the regions. Sometimes, showing up is the hardest thing to do, but it's the right thing to do.

[Kansan]

Not sure where you got that from.

I was a co-founder of Gold and I am from NC, never really heard of DCA before then, other than seeing the midwest corps.

MCL was founded by Brent, who also wasn't a northerner transplanted.

Frontier was founded by me

other corps I am not real sure of, don't know how many connections to the north there are.

The south is growing now because people down here see it as something they want. It takes time to build. I want more corps, but I also want the ones out there now to all take huge leaps forward in 08.

I'm originally from Louisville, KY and I'm working on a Corps in KS.

[I.R. Baritone]

We still haven't given up hope on bringing a corps to southern WV. It's just not in the cards right now. We gotta educate the people here as to what drum corps is. After that, who knows?

[brassomaniac]

Not that this is my opinion, but it seems clear that some would opine the following:

It would be a matter of reciprocation and fair play. Granted, the NorthEastern DCA corps have had an active and successful circuit for decades and those corps may feel that the upstarts are eating from the fruits of their labors. However, the fruit is quite expensive. At what cost and to what end will the sacrifices of the regional corps equal the investment made by the original establishment? Investing countless thousands of dollars (both personal and within the organization) on their respective region and in support of DCA, in order to build the fan base and seed additional corps, is a reality that some may fear you don't understand nor are willing to understand.

If anything, some would wonder why the long established organizations out East have not taken a posture of propriety and ambassadorship toward the rest of the world, just as the establishment expects propriety and respect toward them in return. It does not take much to do the right thing for the good of all. That, in and of itself, is the absolute driving force behind the expansion and prosperity of the regions. Sometimes, showing up is the hardest thing to do, but it's the right thing to do.

What????

Who up here is complaining that anyone is "eating the fruits of their labors"? It's repeatedly suggested on here that the NE corps are somehow dissing and using the other corps'. Failing to show respect and do the right thing. Where does that come from?

It'd be all so nice if all the corps could just travel around and pay the south and west back for all their efforts. But, It's a simple economic fact: there are not the resouces to transplant the Northeast corps, in enough quantity and frequency to make the difference that you're suggesting.

And it just doesn't make fiscal or competitive sense. And, in the end THAT is what has to drive the machine. All the talk about reciprocity and fair play ignores 50 years of market building for the senior activity in the Northeast. I'm not saying that you owe the NE anything for that... just that there is an economic REASON for the center of the activity being here. THAT can't be adjusted for fair play. It is what it is.

Occaisional visits by a few Northeast corps' to another market just isn't going to change this, IMHO. Especially if they travel to these shows and face mostly empty seats. Sorry to be so blunt, but, this isn't an activity (DCA, that is ) supported by huge corporate sponsors that could underwrite this noble "reciprosity" and "ambassadorship" and we ARE limited by the combination of the "weekend" nature of the activity and the geography involved.

And again, a few seasons of occaisional visits peppered through-out the summer just cannot replace decades of participant and fan base development

You have to build your own organizations and regions to the point that they can draw players and create a market that includes substantial ticket buyers. Sending corps across the country is not going to fix things in the way that is constantly suggested here, unless you could set up a DCI-like system that spreads the talent, regularly, around all of the markets. I don't see the resources in DCA to even consider that.

I don't see any shortcut to building a market for your product in the old fashion way. The corps' need to be bigger and better, and there needs to be more OF them, so that you can promote regional shows with strong line-ups that can be sold to the public at, at least, a break-even level. THEN, you STILL have a major marketing effort to educate the public about the product, and to drag them to the shows.

I DO appreciate that the west and south corps' have an enourmous burden in having to travel so much to particiapte.

But, right now, THIS is where it's at. The activity would not survive with the center moved AWAY from where THE PEOPLE are.

As the other regions gain strength, corps will naturally cross over to neighboring regions when and where that makes sense. And, sure..., there will be extrodinary efforts, by those corps who can afford it, to travel and support their well-derserving brothers in the South and the West. But, you have to build much of it yourself, and it's going to take time and perseverence - and a lot of money and sweat.

Of course, I am no longer involved in the field acitivity. And if someone can convince DCA and/or the NE corps' to do what you're suggesting, more power to ya! But you may have to come up with a stronger agrument for it than reciprocity and fair play. And a market study or at least some results that demonstrate the strength of your argument that it would make a ounce of difference.

All that said.... good luck. I hope that all of your corps do exceptionally well. And that they'll come a day where the center of the activity DOES move westward.

That will only mean that great things are happening for the activity.

Edited October 4, 2007 by brassomaniac

[JohnZ]

GREETINGS ALL! I havebeen following the thread about drum corps in the south,west etc............well I remember the old days of DCA when I was a member of Ohio Brass Factory,from Alliance,Ohio.....1980,81,82and 83.we never made the cut!!Then,later (1987)...I went to Steel City Ambassadors.Steel City had a flag they carried around to shows,that said DCA WEST! Those were interesting times.A corp from anywhere else was a novelty,in those days!(non-north east).These days...well I get a smile on my face every time I see Minnesota Brass place higher in DCA! In my humble opinion,MBI made it possible for "other corps" (those not from eastern states) to be sucessful in DCA! They sorta opened up the proverbial floodgates!I have been away from the activity for a while,and to see all these corps from all over the country,has been a GAS! DCA seems to be growing,and thats a good thing.It is too bad there is not a "smiley face"with 15 inches of black hair on it,to "click on"! Then you all might know who I am,or better yet........was. WWBD!

HAIRBEAR!!!

Good to hear from you, and truer words have never been spoken. Sorry I wasn't at DCA this year to see you again, maybe next year. same arguments, same perceptions, twenty years later - makes for mildly entertaining reading for us old guys!

...That 'DCA West" flag still exists...