Where are they

[soccerguy315]

i came in here as well to post that the Cadets are looking for a trumpet player...

and saxaphone... see signature.

[Phantombari1]

I'm not sure how things are done these days so someone can fill me in if I'm off base here.

I think for the sake of the activity corps should share information on those that just missed making the grade. Maybe create a talent pool from their auditions and have the corps then recruit from that pool. Lets face it if BD, Cavaliers, Phantom, Cadets and on down the line have people who just missed making it and are not going to be placed in their backup pool, with that person permission, why not send that information to the corps lower down. (Maybe during auditions make it a requirement to have each individual bring a CD so they can record the actual audition.)

Then make it the responsibility of those corps to recruit that talent with Incentives...the worst that can happen is they can say no....I think you would have better odds of someone saying yes.

IMO there is no reason why any corp in the top 15-20 should fall short on filling spots.

Edited June 26, 2008 by Phantombari1

[Design Hound]

A point I was trying ot make on the other thread that's about this exact same topic (why two? *shrug*)...

We're all looking at it (so it seems) in a way that sees anything less than 150 members as a loss, or shame, or whatever...

If all these lower corps have 135, or close to 135, members this year, they're doing just as well (or better?) than last year. Even 138 (soemone said that's how many Madison has?) is 3 more people in the activity who may not have marched otherwise.

[greggmanX-Kingsmen]

From an outsider’s perspective, it appears decisions are being made by a few influential people for the benefit of THEIR corps, and not the overall health of the activity. I’m guessing within five years, or less, DCI finals will consist of only 8 corps, not 12.

[BX5CM]

Actually, most corps charter today (SCV being a notable exception), so the costs isn't QUITE that bad, although it's styill gonna tale a bite.

Back to the OP...I think Laura nailed it with her own experience....if some kid REALLY wants to march PC for example and doesn;t make it, and doesn't WANT to march anywhere else, that kid ain;t gonna GO anywhere else....not even in LaLa Land, which has 6 OTHER Jr corps and 2 Srs...

I know people who have told me this exactly... they didn't make Cadets, PR, Cavaliers, etc. so they just didn't march. It does happen, the kid doesn't care about another corps, they wanted to march with one corps... what that kid doesn't realize is, one way to gain a HUGE advantage for getting into said world class corps the following year is to march a year at a good senior corps and/or open class corps. In fact, they are usually ENCOURAGED by the world class staffers to go get more experience and come back. For some reason, that doesn't happen as often.

Edited June 26, 2008 by BX5CM

[rut-roh]

I know people who have told me this exactly... they didn't make Cadets, PR, Cavaliers, etc. so they just didn't march. It does happen, the kid doesn't care about another corps, they wanted to march with one corps... what that kid doesn't realize is, one way to gain a HUGE advantage for getting into said world class corps the following year is to march a year at a good senior corps and/or open class corps. Unfortunatly many kids aren't that forward-thinking.

And there's really not much we can do to force them to try out for a corps they do not wish to march in.

Also, many of the kids who get cut are just simply not cut out for the activity, and most of them remove themselves from the equation. It's either too demanding physically or musically, too much money, too much time, too much this, too much that...I've known many kids over the years who were fine in the auditions, and many even given spots, who simply stopped showing up and cut themselves. This activity just isn't for everybody.

[MikeD]

I know people who have told me this exactly... they didn't make Cadets, PR, Cavaliers, etc. so they just didn't march. It does happen, the kid doesn't care about another corps, they wanted to march with one corps... what that kid doesn't realize is, one way to gain a HUGE advantage for getting into said world class corps the following year is to march a year at a good senior corps and/or open class corps. Unfortunatly many kids aren't that forward-thinking.

Also have to figure in the cost in $$$ to march...plus the lost revenue if the person stayed home and worked a summer job. Is THAT total $$ investment worth marching in a 3rd or 4th place choice to the student?

We tend to look at this from the wrong end, IMO. WE know the experience is great...we know a person will probably have a wonderful summer whereever they march, but what WE know makes not difference at all. It's not our time and our $$$. You have to look at this issue through the eyes of the auditionee, not the corps-experienced person.

[Nizerifin]

Compared to college basketball, DCI lacks the incentive to stay in the activity even if you didn't make your corps or get recruited by the school you wanted to play for.

If a graduating high school senior wants to play for Duke but isn't recruited, he goes to his next best choice school. If he shines and plays well, he can possibly get drafted into the NBA. Obviously the worst option there is to just not play basketball. Then he has no chance of making the big bucks in the NBA, ever. In DCI, it's exactly the opposite. The kids want to make that top corps that hooked them with exciting shows in the past and if they tryout and get cut, there's no incentive to stay in the activity. Instead, they could pay to march with an under performing corps and get labeled as not good enough to make a top corps (in their head or by their peers.) Best to just wait and try again next year, right?

Ultimately, I blame poor show design. Designing comfortable shows that don't appeal to the kids results in a poor recruiting package for those who will ultimately skip out on marching for that corps. The Blue Devils and Cadets of the activity bring a "next-gen" show every year that results from careful planning and results in high recruitment. If the Cadets marched the exact same show as a lower-tier corps, sure, they'd still have a good turn out the next year, but after five- or ten years of that, I believe recruitment would dwindle.

Just my theory, but in a economic sense, a product creates demand, and DCI upped the supply (150 kids). Obviously, the demand isn't meeting the supply.

[contrajedi8]

From an outsider’s perspective, it appears decisions are being made by a few influential people for the benefit of THEIR corps, and not the overall health of the activity. I’m guessing within five years, or less, DCI finals will consist of only 8 corps, not 12.

DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!! WHAT DO WE HAVE FOR HIM, JOHNNY?!?!

[Richard]

I think we've basically gotten down to the heart of the issue: the kids. Many kids have the close-minded view that if they don't make corps X then it's not worth marching anywhere. Others can't do it for reasons already stated (location, time, money). That's just the way it is. I don't think there's much blame to lay on Hopkins and his ilk at all in this situation. I think it's even gotten better lately with corps like Bluecoats and Crown that have become 'destination corps' similar to BD, Cadets, Cavaliers, SCV, and PR. The way I see it, kids want to go somewhere particular because of two things: Tradition and/or Excellence. It takes some time to develop either one of those things, and Excellence tends to far outweigh tradition.

Aside: I believe the primary reason for the 150 member rule was to fill the current 54 seat busses. 135 or 150, you still need 3 busses. This reduces costs per member for the corps that are filling those seats. If it let's 15 more stubborn kids march the corps of their choice instead of sitting at home, that's good too!