Head Hunters

[BRASSO]

So how about if DCI collected the contact information for every single auditionee (or at least had the corps use a standard spreadsheet that they submitted), then made that information available internally to every DCI World and Open Class corps. Maybe set a rule that kids offered contracts or put on "call-back" notice are removed from each list. Then, if a corps has an opening, or maybe an Open Class corps is having trouble getting kids to come out, there's a ready-made national list that they could use to find local talent.

In addition, it would also give DCI a boost to their mailing / marketing and *alumni* lists, as well as being fairly easy to implement and execute.

Mike

Sounds good. Playing the Devils Advocate for just a moment, wouldn't such a system only entrench ( even more ) the top Corps getting the cream of the crop in such a national data base of available national talent. If a kid ( for instance ) gets a call from The Cadets and The Crossmen, where is he likely headed ?

[MikeN]

Such a kid would have to have tried out for a corps already (and not been offered a contract or a callback) else he wouldn't be on the list. So at that point, it's whoever calls him first and / or makes the better pitch. Honestly, it's more likely that the kid would next be contacted by an Open Class corps in need of a horn player / drummer / guard member, but you've still got to sell the kid on the corps. It's still the kids' choice where they go spend their time and money. :)

I just don't see a negative to corps having access to a list of kids who already know about drum corps and have even ponied up to try out once. I mean, contacting kids is half of the battle - right now we're throwing away literally thousands of kids that all they need is for another corps (either Open or World) to call them and make a good sales pitch. Right now, they're not even getting in the door to make the pitch, 'cause corps don't want to tell the rest of the world that the door is there!

Mike

[BRASSO]

I see no overt harm in instituting such a national list. So 'd be in favor of trying it out anyway.

[sday88]

I also find it interesting that there are some top level corps that loose people and don't/can't replace them. There was another thread about the Cadets having to bring in someone to fill their fourth tenor spot. Or how about that situation with the Bluecoats. They were all set to march 10 snares and 5 tenors, but due to circumstances, they are down to 9 and 4. Why didn't they replace those two members? Maybe they just didn't want to. Maybe they thought it was too late (although they replaced a tenor player last year mid season). Maybe they thought they couldn't. If the top corps have hundreds of people they turn away each year, many of which were maybe just not good enough, why can't they call those kids back? The last I heard was that Bluecoats were marching 145 total. Were they planning on marching 150 and couldn't get enough kids? Did they at one time have 150 and then lost some and then didn't/couldn't replace them? How many corps are actually marching 150?

[ouooga]

So how about if DCI collected the contact information for every single auditionee (or at least had the corps use a standard spreadsheet that they submitted), then made that information available internally to every DCI World and Open Class corps. Maybe set a rule that kids offered contracts or put on "call-back" notice are removed from each list. Then, if a corps has an opening, or maybe an Open Class corps is having trouble getting kids to come out, there's a ready-made national list that they could use to find local talent.

In addition, it would also give DCI a boost to their mailing / marketing and *alumni* lists, as well as being fairly easy to implement and execute.

Mike

I really like this idea.

I'm not talking about filling holes or getting people to audition in November. This is for now....there's so many holes being advertised on DCP right now, plus many that are not being advertised, and I am 100% positive that there is at least one kid somewhere in the world who would march one of those spots if they just had someone telling them about it. It seems obvious to us, but there are definitely kids who like drum corps at least to the extent of "Ya, that's cool. I'd do it if I had more information" but do not know about DCP or even DCI.org, so that kid is simply not marching this summer. If a staffer knew about them, either from a DCI list or through a band director or anything, and was also well versed in which corps have holes in June, they can connect the two.

Fine, some corps get their holes filled in November no problem each year. But there are other corps that do not, not to mention the injuries and just stuff coming up that happens with every single corps this time of year, regardless of the fact that shows are a week away.

And on the note that DCI wouldn't pick up the bill for this, this benefits DCI too. I've never understood DCI's lack of involvement in recruiting....if corps go away due to membership, so do shows, and eventually so does DCI. If it comes down to the point where there's just 12 corps left, the national tour is just going to be those 12 corps touring together for 2 months, which means there's only one or two shows MAX per night rather than 3 or 4, and that just hurts DCI. DCI needs members in the corps just as much as the corps need members. And if the corps paid for the head hunters, you'd have biased staffers. If DCI picks up the bill, you have staffers honestly and fairly filling holes just for the sake of getting more kids to march, instead of more kids marching at corps X.

[Design Hound]

I'm not talking about filling holes or getting people to audition in November. This is for now....there's so many holes being advertised on DCP right now, plus many that are not being advertised, and I am 100% positive that there is at least one kid somewhere in the world who would march one of those spots if they just had someone telling them about it.

Ah I get what you mean now. In that case, yeah I agree the list of auditionees (shared only with staffs of other DCI corps of course) could help a lot. I have winessed at least a couple of instances where something like this happened (sometimes holes were filled by members calling a friend that they knew wanted to march, etc.).

Not sure how that works in the less endowed corps, but it would also help them in the earlier months (the hundreds of people who audition BD and Cadets etc and end up not marching anywhere, just might decide otherwise if the caption head at corps X calls them and asks them to come out)

[MikeN]

Not sure how that works in the less endowed corps, but it would also help them in the earlier months (the hundreds of people who audition BD and Cadets etc and end up not marching anywhere, just might decide otherwise if the caption head at corps X calls them and asks them to come out)

*Exactly.* I think a lot of auditionees would be amazed at how many corps there are out there that they didn't know about, and how close they can be.

Mike

[drewbugler]

So how about if DCI collected the contact information for every single auditionee (or at least had the corps use a standard spreadsheet that they submitted), then made that information available internally to every DCI World and Open Class corps. Maybe set a rule that kids offered contracts or put on "call-back" notice are removed from each list. Then, if a corps has an opening, or maybe an Open Class corps is having trouble getting kids to come out, there's a ready-made national list that they could use to find local talent.

In addition, it would also give DCI a boost to their mailing / marketing and *alumni* lists, as well as being fairly easy to implement and execute.

Mike

I see it now....craigslist becomes "drumcorpslist" :) I like it!

[Daave]

Ah I get what you mean now. In that case, yeah I agree the list of auditionees (shared only with staffs of other DCI corps of course) could help a lot. I have winessed at least a couple of instances where something like this happened (sometimes holes were filled by members calling a friend that they knew wanted to march, etc.).

Not sure how that works in the less endowed corps, but it would also help them in the earlier months (the hundreds of people who audition BD and Cadets etc and end up not marching anywhere, just might decide otherwise if the caption head at corps X calls them and asks them to come out)

It's my understanding that this is exactly how former members of the Cascades and Southwind are currently kicking ### with the Troopers brass.

edit for spelling

Edited June 17, 2008 by Daave

[MikeD]

So how about if DCI collected the contact information for every single auditionee (or at least had the corps use a standard spreadsheet that they submitted), then made that information available internally to every DCI World and Open Class corps. Maybe set a rule that kids offered contracts or put on "call-back" notice are removed from each list. Then, if a corps has an opening, or maybe an Open Class corps is having trouble getting kids to come out, there's a ready-made national list that they could use to find local talent.

In addition, it would also give DCI a boost to their mailing / marketing and *alumni* lists, as well as being fairly easy to implement and execute.

Mike

As long as it is an optional item a potential can either opt into or out of when they apply to a corps, depending on how you set it up. Sending a person's contact info to a third party where they had not applied might be seen as a personal privacy issue.

I definitely think that the Open division needs to somehow get a larger presence at World Class audition camps.