FalloutTheory05 Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 With Pacific Crest, Impulse, Mytikal, VK, Gold, Yamato and the corps that are just starting up who many have probably not heard of such as....Incognito, and Synergy....With all those corps in the So Cal area do you think thats the reason so many corps Have trouble getting members? and were mostly all DIV 3(I am aware of the name change) the last couple of years with the expeption of Pacific Crest. Or do you guys think if some of these corps were in other areas of So Cal they might have better luck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex VK DM Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 IMHO, there are 2 main reasons for “lack of members” in the smaller corps of So.Cal. One being that we are in the shadow of the big boys up north and kids just don’t want to march a smaller corps period. In 06 when Impulse marched 22 horns I know PC had more kids than horns at their camps and rehearsals. When those kids were cut, they just didn’t march. If they can’t march BD or SCV, PC is their last stop before not marching. The second reason is that running a corps from So. Cal. isn’t cheap. Tour fees are to the point where we loose more kids as soon as they find out how much it cost. When you have to pay as much as some World class corps to march an Open class corps, there’s a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skluyuk Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Southern California is one of the most populous areas of the country. There is basically one continuous stretch of residential areas going from Ventura County all the way down to the border. That means there are lots and lots of people with lots of kids from which many would no doubt be interested in our activity. This is one of the most untapped markets for Drum & Bugle Corps in the whole nation. Why the current flock of SoCal corps is not succeeding at a higher level is a mystery to me. They certainly have a talent pool to draw from if they would be more aggressive in promotion. I think that SoCal drum corps is kind of in a growth period trying to decide if it wants to break out. If it catches on down here...look out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Too many outside distractions to pull people away from drum corps as well....ones that don;t require the same kind of time commitment. Please explain Incognito and Synergy....would love to hear more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Too many outside distractions to pull people away from drum corps as well....ones that don;t require the same kind of time commitment.Please explain Incognito and Synergy....would love to hear more! I was in Cognito once...just north of San Diego if I remember correctly. Great fish tacos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulsebaritone Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 IMHO, there are 2 main reasons for “lack of members” in the smaller corps of So.Cal.One being that we are in the shadow of the big boys up north and kids just don’t want to march a smaller corps period. In 06 when Impulse marched 22 horns I know PC had more kids than horns at their camps and rehearsals. When those kids were cut, they just didn’t march. If they can’t march BD or SCV, PC is their last stop before not marching. The second reason is that running a corps from So. Cal. isn’t cheap. Tour fees are to the point where we loose more kids as soon as they find out how much it cost. When you have to pay as much as some World class corps to march an Open class corps, there’s a problem. Hey Bill, I just had to throw this out there. Those 22 horns were the best kids I have ever worked with ever. They did everything we asked them to do and more, they laid it all on the line and I think they were rewarded for all that effort at the end of the season. That's hornline and drumline both worked harder than any kids I have ever seen and were ready to rehearse every minute right up until Div 2-3 Finals. Those were some exceptional people. I have no opinion on why the corps in So Cal are generally smaller groups though. I just had to throw that first thing out there though. HA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickk3 Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I want to preface this by admitting that I can be overly simplistic at times.. and perhaps I don't have a grasp on the technicalities involved in the following suggestion, but I'm of the mind that if you want something badly enough, you go out there and give it! (as my Dad says). I want to also preface this by telling you I've had 2 vodkas on an empty stomach - LOL! That said - There's no shame in small numbers, but there's something I'm not 'getting' about this So. Cal. Drum Corps scenario. We live in Los Angeles; the second most populated city in the country, 7th most populated city in the world, and nationally, the first-most populated suburban population - yet we have no formidable So. Cal. Jr corps. Seeing that there are several smaller corps, wouldn't it be a more expanding experience for the members if two or three of the smaller corps merged to form one more exposed, and larger, entity? The ego factor, naturally, forms a company front. MY corps, MY ideas, MY position. I imagine I'd hesitate to share the little 'empire' I'd worked for (I project that being a director is a day to day trial, not an ideal) one crisis at a time. But, we ask our young adults to do it; to forfeit ego and 'self' for the greater good of 'cause', and we tout that that's what we're all about in drum corps, so why draw the line there - why don't directors and corps-staff forfeit their aspirations for the 'cause'? Isn't what drum corps folks are addicted to, isn't what really keeps us going - our need to strive? Wouldn't 3 directors (or any odd-number, for voting purposes) be just as good as one? Wouldn't it actually be less expensive, per capita, to run a full corps rather than to run an under-150 corps? I mean, if a bus holds 42 people and you need two for the 70 members you have, wouldn't it make sense to have 84 members paying their membership rates while filling empty, cost-free, seats and fuel? As a corps is already paying for a cater-craft to make food for the corps, doesn't it make sense to utilize that 'facility' to the fullest therefore proportionately saving money - again tour fees covering actual foodstuffs but the cater-craft payments differed by the difference in memberships fees and fund-raisers? Do gymnasium floors have a cap on sleeping space? Does bingo make less money with twice as many attendees? Doesn't it stand to reason that a non-profit couldn't expand it's intake by nearly two-fold by adding only a third more members to their roster, or as I'm suggesting, to their merger? Erm.. I'm probably only making sense to myself, so I'm gonna close. (a big L.A.) Buh-Bye - mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalloutTheory05 Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 Too many outside distractions to pull people away from drum corps as well....ones that don;t require the same kind of time commitment.Please explain Incognito and Synergy....would love to hear more! Incognito is a winter percussion program from Garden Grove, CA and now Brea, CA I believe but they are adding a Drum corps to their organization this year. And Synergy from what I have heard and know is based out of Orange CA, they started with a drumline this past summer that practiced at the SKB cases parking lot. They decided to start with drums and are going to be adding a hornline and guard. FYI im not involved with any of these corps this is just what I know and have heard BUT I have seen Incognito during Indoor season and I saw synergy at some rehersals and at the HB 4th of July parade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 So. CA also has a large number of competing/competative High School marching bands, many of which rehearse during the summer and won't allow their kids to participate in outside activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I have this certain feeling that a new star may be rising... B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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