drumline9 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 (edited) Nice guy..... Edited August 9, 2008 by drumline9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paradiddle Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 I can only speak for our corps. Being a start-up corps we don't have much of an "administration". I'm sure that will come in time but it's hard enough to recruit, try to collect dues, fill out and file the paperwork (membership, medical etc.) dispense uni's and instruments, feed people, set up motel rooms etc. with a small team. We have band director release forms but some of that stuff gets lost in the shuffle of getting a kid on the field. Some of these kids come on board after school is out (it's out early here in Fla. June 1) so the band director thing is gone. Now we are talking about kids that have a very short attention span, get hyped up in the moment and don't realize that they have conflicts coming up that they don't deal with. We also lost 2 DCI kids that have done the one show in July but can't do the late season stuff. (they were riding out a year and will be back in DCI as ageouts). We push on and we will be at Atlanta and Rochester. What a year.... I hear a lot of good stories about how a good band director would approve or kids that wanted it real bad they would do anything. What about the ones you lost or couldn't even get? We lost a bunch and then we get some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyjude1202 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Not always the case. Many corps don't post the entire schedule at the start of the season. They can't because many of the show dates aren't set until March. And if you're borderline 35 minimum, you don't even know IF you're going to DCA until maybe June. And even then, any sort of family emergencies could put you out of DCA in a heartbeat. Such is the woes of a hard set minimum. No 2 point penalty for each member under, just access denied. If you don't start your season with 50+ members, and are not local to DCA, you can't count on going to DCA. Not my rules, just the facts of current DCA life. Without show dates, you can't have a known schedule and be up front about the commitment that's needed from each and every member. I suppose you could, but if the show dates (when they become available) don't match your schedule, then I guess you're not going. DCA Championships has been Labor Day weekend forever. The date should be communicated to the perspective members ...whether you chose to attend or not as the season progresses. Never had to deal with the 35 member rule, so I am inexperience to discuss that factor regarding Championship weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyjude1202 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I can only speak for our corps. Being a start-up corps we don't have much of an "administration". I'm sure that will come in time but it's hard enough to recruit, try to collect dues, fill out and file the paperwork (membership, medical etc.) dispense uni's and instruments, feed people, set up motel rooms etc. with a small team. We have band director release forms but some of that stuff gets lost in the shuffle of getting a kid on the field. Some of these kids come on board after school is out (it's out early here in Fla. June 1) so the band director thing is gone. Now we are talking about kids that have a very short attention span, get hyped up in the moment and don't realize that they have conflicts coming up that they don't deal with. We also lost 2 DCI kids that have done the one show in July but can't do the late season stuff. (they were riding out a year and will be back in DCI as ageouts). We push on and we will be at Atlanta and Rochester. What a year....I hear a lot of good stories about how a good band director would approve or kids that wanted it real bad they would do anything. What about the ones you lost or couldn't even get? We lost a bunch and then we get some more. As a former DCA corps administrator, I can sympathize with you and offer some suggestions. Find a few good, qualified and dedicated people and divide the workload. It will help to alleviate having one person overwhelmed and make the organization appealing to those interested in marching. Also helps parents feel secure if they have contact people for specific items related to the corps. Passing the baton from one person to another when a parent asks a question, has a parent thinking twice about allowing their child to participate with the group. Encourage parents to help with food, uniform fittings, hotel prices..nothing that involves collecting money or gathering personal information from prospective members. Band director form? Never saw one, would be interested to hear about it. Use resources..many of the DCA corps have young members and the corps have established guidelines in place that they have used for years. Send an e-mail to the corps directors, bet they are willing to share their insight. From my experience many drum corps loving marching band kids never realize how much work is involved in marching drum corps. Many are overwhelmed with the intense rehearsal (yes DCA corps are intense), these kids don't last long. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 ..........From my experience many drum corps loving marching band kids never realize how much work is involved in marching drum corps. Many are overwhelmed with the intense rehearsal (yes DCA corps are intense), these kids don't last long........ Yep. I've seen that happen time and again. The Drum Corps version of "Jock Shock". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 From my experience many drum corps loving marching band kids never realize how much work is involved in marching drum corps. Many are overwhelmed with the intense rehearsal (yes DCA corps are intense), these kids don't last long. Good luck. Not that much of an issue in smaller corps. Aside from the being a small fish in a big pond, instead of a big fish in a small pond syndrome. When I marched the Kilties in 2006, I always thought to myself, man I'd hate to be a drumcorps virgin in this group. Intense rehearsals, fortunately they balanced it with after rehearsal social events. Something I miss in other corps. Doing corps rehearsal, then breaking for home with no meal break or anything, just makes it too much like work. Westshoremen at least got together for a meal afterwards. Cincinnati Tradition started leaning towards that shortly before I relocated. GCS had meal breaks to get some hang time, and DCA weekend was just one big party since we never made finals. Austin Stars does some things sometimes, but not nearly often enough IMO. World Gone Mad gets together for an after event meal. Sometimes a pre event meal. Still not quite the same as Jr. Corps where you had many hours on a bus to hang. And an occassional free day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 DCA Championships has been Labor Day weekend forever. True but how do you put that one on the schedule when you don't have anything for April-August yet? Or if you're not sure if you'll be able to go because of the 35 rule? Most times it's hard to get the administrative side not to schedule on certain weekends. Easter, DCI Championships. July 4th is pretty much a gig day for almost any corps. And various other events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 True but how do you put that one on the schedule when you don't have anything for April-August yet? Or if you're not sure if you'll be able to go because of the 35 rule? Most times it's hard to get the administrative side not to schedule on certain weekends. Easter, DCI Championships. July 4th is pretty much a gig day for almost any corps. And various other events. You put what you know. If the corps isn't sure that they will make the trek to DCA Championships, regardless of the reason, mark it "Tentative". At least the membership has an idea of what might happen and they aren't going to be blind-sided when a definite announcement is made. As for a schedule that includes Easter and DCI Championships, it is incumbent upon the membership to put management on notice as to what their personal plans are. Remember, even though corps management has to set the schedule, there will not be a schedule if there are no members. Managment has to remember that DCA isn't DCI, that work/school and family have to come first and that if things can't be worked out then maybe it would be better if there wasn't a corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 True but how do you put that one on the schedule when you don't have anything for April-August yet? Or if you're not sure if you'll be able to go because of the 35 rule? Most times it's hard to get the administrative side not to schedule on certain weekends. Easter, DCI Championships. July 4th is pretty much a gig day for almost any corps. And various other events. 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. because, even if thats all you have, you let the members know where and when that is. look at DCI....the tour schedule isnt built that early, yet everyone knows when and where finals are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_Bass Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 It being my 3rd year in GCS (and therefore DCA), I've had to miss the start of classes at Houston Baptist University since joining. Some of my professors aren't happy with me doing so. Its funny, I'm the only one at that school of music that does Drum Corps, and no one else even remotely knows what Drum Corps is, and the ones who do "gnash their teeth" at me for doing DC. Its what I get for going to a vocalist-heavy, classically (s)trained school of music... At least I have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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