Shadow_7 Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 look, DCA finals are that weekend...even if nothing else is set, and, lets be honest, it probably never will be until april, you put down finals. Well for smaller corps even DCA finals is NOT set. Aka 35 minimum rule. This year we have 9 horns, 1 drummer, 9 guard, and a drum major. Combined and the stage for minicorps isn't big enough for us. Separated and we don't even qualify for the minicorps minimum. Not much point on making that trip(at great expense) if we don't even make ANY of the DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Well for smaller corps even DCA finals is NOT set. Aka 35 minimum rule. This year we have 9 horns, 1 drummer, 9 guard, and a drum major. Combined and the stage for minicorps isn't big enough for us. Separated and we don't even qualify for the minicorps minimum. Not much point on making that trip(at great expense) if we don't even make ANY of the DVDs. Not sure I understand the size issue...isn't minicorps still 11-22 members? Your count shows 20....you're within the size range. That being said, I would agree that going all that way for one performance at mini may not be worth the financial or logistical trouble....that's why En Garde is staying in SoCal (besides...DCI's minimum is 30 people...a LITTLE easier to make) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvt_cairns Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I've had school conflicts with DCI and DCA in the past. Sometimes I was able to work around them, sometimes I wasn't. My opinion remains the same, drumcorps comes second to school. If it's a graduation or something voluntary that you can miss then by all means miss it. However I've had professors and teachers tell me they would fail or drop me for missing, so I didn't. Drum Corps can not become an obsession that affects your life in a negitive way, it's supposed to be an obsession that affects the rest of your life in a positive way. Real life comes first, unless you are one of the very few that can actually make a living from drumcorps. And while I love marching it's not worth losing 2 grand a class, and having to end up taking extra semesters. Might sound like common sence, but I've known more then a few that have balked school in favor of drumcorps, every one of them regrets it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paradiddle Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 (edited) Well for smaller corps even DCA finals is NOT set. Aka 35 minimum rule. This year we have 9 horns, 1 drummer, 9 guard, and a drum major. Combined and the stage for minicorps isn't big enough for us. Separated and we don't even qualify for the minicorps minimum. Not much point on making that trip(at great expense) if we don't even make ANY of the DVDs. You can still do Mini-corps as you just get a penalty for being undersize. Ask Amoskeag Sound, they did pretty well with 10 or 11 last year and took the penalty. Edited August 12, 2008 by paradiddle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Not sure I understand the size issue...isn't minicorps still 11-22 members? Your count shows 20....you're within the size range. Numbers wise we are within the range with EVERYBODY. But our guard accounts for nearly 50% of our corps. And the stage isn't big enough for the equipment and manuevers they do this season. We're actually doing drill despite our small size. Without the drill I don't think we'd have our awesome guard. And that just won't do. Without our guard, we don't even meet the minicorps minimum. ###### if you do, ###### if you don't. Bear in mind that drum majors and honor guard don't count towards those numbers. I so need to organize Crunchy Armadillo. 200 honor guard and 11 brass, on that dinky minicorps stage. Technically legal according to the "rules". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Numbers wise we are within the range with EVERYBODY. But our guard accounts for nearly 50% of our corps. And the stage isn't big enough for the equipment and manuevers they do this season. We're actually doing drill despite our small size. Without the drill I don't think we'd have our awesome guard. And that just won't do. Without our guard, we don't even meet the minicorps minimum. ###### if you do, ###### if you don't. Bear in mind that drum majors and honor guard don't count towards those numbers.I so need to organize Crunchy Armadillo. 200 honor guard and 11 brass, on that dinky minicorps stage. Technically legal according to the "rules". Ahhh....now it makes sense. Thanks for teh clarification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crudirect1 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 This is a subject that drives me nuts. Our schedule is put together in February. Saying that there is always a way if you try. For example, my son, who has completed 4 years and a degree in Geology with a 3.8 GPA and is now entering his third and thank God final year of law school has NEVER missed a show. He would go to his professors and let them know he wouldn't be at class and get the work he needed to do. "You gotta wanna", I guess is my theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 This is a subject that drives me nuts. Our schedule is put together in February. Saying that there is always a way if you try. For example, my son, who has completed 4 years and a degree in Geology with a 3.8 GPA and is now entering his third and thank God final year of law school has NEVER missed a show. He would go to his professors and let them know he wouldn't be at class and get the work he needed to do. "You gotta wanna", I guess is my theory. Well, the differance there is, he's an adult and can make his own choices and deal with the consequences.....that's not the case for someone in high school. BTW....tell him to avoid family law at all costs....he'll thank me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Well for smaller corps even DCA finals is NOT set. Aka 35 minimum rule. This year we have 9 horns, 1 drummer, 9 guard, and a drum major. Combined and the stage for minicorps isn't big enough for us. Separated and we don't even qualify for the minicorps minimum. Not much point on making that trip(at great expense) if we don't even make ANY of the DVDs. If all you want is a DVD, rent some good equipment and do it in Texas. The minimum numbers horse is DEAD. Please stop beating on it! But, if your corps had 18 brass, 8 perc. and 9 in the guard, and back in the spring you didn't mention the Labor Day weekend show, you could have personal conflicts such that the corps wouldn't meet the minimum. IMO, if you have seven members and a ham sandwich in the spring, you still put that weekend on your schedule. Otherwise, you don't have much of a carrot to dangle out there as a membership enticement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellodoug1 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 well it wasn't dca back then, but my band director said he would throw me out if I missed something for drum corps... I believe I told him he could uncurl my french horn and insert it where the sun doesn't shine.. but back then... band directors either loved or hated drum corps and mine hated... my high school band career was short... (lol happened in my freshman year... all I remember is the show in question was Ottawa Ont. and I wasn't about to miss a contest and let down my brothers)as for the rest of the posts, most are good answers.. if you can - you do... it may be hard - but you find a way... As for Mr. Nalls... all I can say is that it's a good thing your boss wasn't at Renegade's hotel... Mr Tom Peashey is right about the band directors in that day, they were "LOVE or HATE" drum corps. I did not know any that loved or even respected a very good drum corps. My situation was as follows : The year was 1962. I entered the band room in my freshman year of public high school. I came from a porochial school where all I had to date was chorus / some basic note skills by sight ....FACE & EGBDF. Then there was my drum and bugle parade corps taught by ear/wrote. My dad had played fife and after WWII rejoined and then played snare. When the band director of the high school asked me what I was doing there in the band room, I told him I was interested in music. He asked me then what I played ..... I verbally gave him my porochial minimal backgrond. I guess I made a mistake when I exposed the fact I was playing a soprano G bugle with the local drum corps. He then told me he was not interested in me because of the drum corps affiliation and told me there was NO ROOM in the high school band for me. I wasn't hurt then .... just really ######. Today I still am upset ....maybe more so now than then, as I reflect back. I turned 60 this year and was on the field with CRU @ The Barnum Festival. I founded "Ghost Riders" in 1996 and we have had a succesful run. This year being Ghost Riders 13th consecutive DCA mini corps championship appearance......We Rock ..!!!!! My old band director I'm sure never has experienced the wondreful musical moments I have experienced through my years. Music is music ....and if it's in your soul no one can take it away. Small minded people such as that band director (name not mentioned) at that high school hurt my basic early learning skills which crippled my speed in learning....but not my desire, feeling or end result. He should be dead by now, I would think !!!! .... it's OK with me. I am glad to see the tide changing as music is music and we embrace it!!!! Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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