What if I&E was mandatory?

[drumlaw80]

I was thinking about how some DCA corps do not allow their members to participate in I&E.

What if -- as a requirement of DCA membership, each DCA corps was required to have a competitive mini corps, have at least 10 members compete in I&E, and allow their entire corps to attend. In other words, a significant level of I&E participation was mandatory for every DCA corps, just like performing in Prelims. Maybe the average score of each minicorps and I&E performer could be mathematically factored into the Prelims seeding.

As as intellectual exercise -- could this work?

[drumlaw80]

And yes, I know this will never happen.

But thinking outside of the box for a second -- could this work, and if it did -- would it be beneficial to DCA?

[ajlisko]

And yes, I know this will never happen.

But thinking outside of the box for a second -- could this work, and if it did -- would it be beneficial to DCA?

I don't think the mandatory I&E / Mini Corps rule would work ... however, I've always thought (even back in the 60's) that DCA should have a "compulsory" routine, where every corps performs the exact same music and drilll and then a "free style" show ... prelims would be the compulsory and finals the free style ... similar to Olympic judging ... in my mind it would be the only performance element that puts everyone on an even keel to set a baseline ...

If you remember ... in the the 60's at I&E ... drummers had to play two standard rudiments and then their solo and horn players had to perform a bugle call and then their selection ... why this never translated to field competition I'll never know ...

Andy "I know I'm settin' myself up for a fall" Lisko

[JimF-LowBari]

Last year was the only I&E I ever attended, let alone perform. Know my nerves got the best of me but my main though the whole time was "What a ####### mad house!". Even Hershman had a dazzed look on his face. Can't image how many more performers and audience members this would add to the corn-fusion.

Edited May 8, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari

[Brent]

I was thinking about how some DCA corps do not allow their members to participate in I&E.

What if -- as a requirement of DCA membership, each DCA corps was required to have a competitive mini corps, have at least 10 members compete in I&E, and allow their entire corps to attend. In other words, a significant level of I&E participation was mandatory for every DCA corps, just like performing in Prelims. Maybe the average score of each minicorps and I&E performer could be mathematically factored into the Prelims seeding.

As as intellectual exercise -- could this work?

It would be a benefit to DCA in that you could sell the fact that 10,000 people will be in your downtown area watching free performances and eating and taking in libations and spending money in their fair city. It could easily mean another $200,000-$500,000 in tourism for the area.

Short term might mean more money out of the corps pockets because some will have to spend another night in hotels, although most of the competitive corps are already coming out on Thursday or Friday so that they can practice AND go to I&E.

[drumlaw80]

It would be a benefit to DCA in that you could sell the fact that 10,000 people will be in your downtown area watching free performances and eating and taking in libations and spending money in their fair city. It could easily mean another $200,000-$500,000 in tourism for the area.

Short term might mean more money out of the corps pockets because some will have to spend another night in hotels, although most of the competitive corps are already coming out on Thursday or Friday so that they can practice AND go to I&E.

Good points about the hotel. I wonder if DCA would make significant money if it charged a small fee for an all-events I&E wristband for the night?

Again, this is just thinking out loud ... not advocating anything be changed.

[OldManDrumCorps]

I think it would lower the quality of the performances. There would be people and groups that were only doing it because it was required. I think that would defeat the purpose.

[SaraNYC]

I think it would lower the quality of the performances. There would be people and groups that were only doing it because it was required. I think that would defeat the purpose.

On the other hand - who says that your I&E performers have to be current marching members? If you limit it to current marching members, then yes - I do agree that not only would it lower the quality of I&E performances, but also those of your competitive corps because you would have to fit in mini-corps rehearsals around other rehearsals and expect your members to learn 3 more tunes.

However...if you didn't limit it to marching members, it would be a great way to keep your alumni actively involved in your organization and allow people who's health or schedules conflict with full participation in a competitive corps to participate.

[Kamarag]

I'm not really an advocate of 'mandatory participation', but I would be very supportive of a circuit-wide ban on corps rehearsals during the I&E period, maybe even starting two hours prior to the start of the event.

I know that would never fly, but it would be fun to think that more corps members might choose to participate.

[Legalhack]

Among other things, there would be scoring issues. Presumably, there would be mini-corps performing than field corps (the minis of field corps plus minis that are not part of field corps). More competitors = larger spreads to avoid ties. Consequently, the differences in mini corps performances could have a greater than desired effect on the ultimate outcome.