SDCA's historic beginning

[BeachDrums]

SDCA has Corps of different talent levels involved.

Minnesota Brass and Cavaleirs have ensembles in the Circuit. The ticket prices are reasonable and shows have a minimum of 4 groups performing.

We will be performing at SDCA in June in Wisconsin. It gives us a Circuit to perform in that doesn't ask for large fees and other red tape. Perfoming outside the Practice Hall helps build a Drum Corps.

Wow! I never heard of this. It reminds me of the days of Miller Blackhawks, Blue Bells, Conquestadors, etc. They all performed in gyms as well. Anyone out there remember these corps?

[HornsUp]

fun...painful....yeah.

You said it, bub. Just like some posts in this forum.

[dcf06]

. . .and now they have somewhere that they can compete and not get swallowed up in a circuit that only caters to the big boys that help to barely keep said circuit afloat.

Most people would celebrate something that welcomes more groups . . .of any stripe . . .into the activity, no matter what their membership numbers or talent level.

Stay at World Class finals and enjoy that; perhaps it will bring you less pain in the future.

Its ok, he wouldnt know a positive thing if he stared at it for two hours and it bit him in the ###.

I completely agree with you. You would at least think this would be true but some of the forums I have read about SDCA, people have been giving them Crap. Unforutunately these are the type of people who refuse to see anything lower than world class top 3. With DCM being gone I am gald that there is now a starting point for corps in the midwest. SDCA may have put hope back in to some of the corps that went under a fews ago. HOPE IS NOT GONE.

I can tell you with Recent talks that I have had with people, they were worried about was the money it would take to get back in DCI, the Number of kids you would need to be considered. SDCA will help some of these corps transition. Now a days you cant just walk up to someone and say I am going to start a drum corps, join. Your either going to get laughed at or they are not going to know what your talking about. You are going to have to start somewhere.

Some of the Alumni Board members of the Americanos Alumni Assoication went to take a peek at the event and were very excited when they came back. At the Board meeting the sat and talked with Butch about it. I am not pointing to any conclusions here, but people are starting to take this thing seriously. If only more people would be supportive about it, and have more of an open mind about it. I am going to use a qoute from a frequent poster on here. If you cant say something nice then shut the hell up.

Edited March 29, 2009 by dcf06

[CrunchyTenor]

I am going to use a qoute from a frequent poster on here. If you cant say something nice then shut the hell up.

Not every comment about a corps is going to be positive, but I know why you used that quote. You can be critical without being a jerk. It's OK to critique as long as you embrace the responsibility that goes with it.

Garry in Vegas

PS good luck to everyone involved in SDCA, including the organization, the participating corps, and the fans.

[Tom Brace]

Its ok, he wouldnt know a positive thing if he stared at it for two hours and it bit him in the ###.

I completely agree with you. You would at least think this would be true but some of the forums I have read about SDCA, people have been giving them Crap. Unforutunately these are the type of people who refuse to see anything lower than world class top 3. With DCM being gone I am gald that there is now a starting point for corps in the midwest. SDCA may have put hope back in to some of the corps that went under a fews ago. HOPE IS NOT GONE.

I can tell you with Recent talks that I have had with people, they were worried about was the money it would take to get back in DCI, the Number of kids you would need to be considered. SDCA will help some of these corps transition. Now a days you cant just walk up to someone and say I am going to start a drum corps, join. Your either going to get laughed at or they are not going to know what your talking about. You are going to have to start somewhere.

Some of the Alumni Board members of the Americanos Alumni Assoication went to take a peek at the event and were very excited when they came back. At the Board meeting the sat and talked with Butch about it. I am not pointing to any conclusions here, but people are starting to take this thing seriously. If only more people would be supportive about it, and have more of an open mind about it. I am going to use a qoute from a frequent poster on here. If you cant say something nice then shut the hell up.

Yeah...all lollipops and rainbows.

We should never say anything negative.

Why even have a forum?

Why even have a free speech provision in the US Constitution?

You're right...I shouldn't say what I feel, what I think. Bull hockey.

I'll tell you this...if the SDCA got $10 a ticket...looks like about 300 people...if all paid, that's $3K for a show. I don't know how much the judges are paid, or how much the "association" gets or what if any the school gym costs to rent, but...it's not a bad crowd on a cold early spring Wisconsin afternoon, I'll give them that much. I believe the June crowds may get tougher to come by...lots else to do that time of year.

But, hey...people still like Lawrence Welk, so hey...something for everybody I guess...I think I said that before.

[Harvey]

Yeah...all lollipops and rainbows.

We should never say anything negative.

Why even have a forum?

Why even have a free speech provision in the US Constitution?

You're right...I shouldn't say what I feel, what I think. Bull hockey.

I'll tell you this...if the SDCA got $10 a ticket...looks like about 300 people...if all paid, that's $3K for a show. I don't know how much the judges are paid, or how much the "association" gets or what if any the school gym costs to rent, but...it's not a bad crowd on a cold early spring Wisconsin afternoon, I'll give them that much. I believe the June crowds may get tougher to come by...lots else to do that time of year.

But, hey...people still like Lawrence Welk, so hey...something for everybody I guess...I think I said that before.

Actually, they said they had 500 in attendance, the "judges" are the audience (aka "free"), and the money is split as noted on the SDCA website: "From that gate money, SDCA will distribute the money to the participating corps in this manner: the host corps will receive $2.00 for each ticket sold; each participating corps will receive $1.00 for every ticket sold; SDCA will receive about $1.00 for every ticket sold."

Edited March 30, 2009 by Harvey

[Kansan]

Yeah...all lollipops and rainbows.

We should never say anything negative.

Why even have a forum?

Why even have a free speech provision in the US Constitution?

You're right...I shouldn't say what I feel, what I think. Bull hockey.

I'll tell you this...if the SDCA got $10 a ticket...looks like about 300 people...if all paid, that's $3K for a show. I don't know how much the judges are paid, or how much the "association" gets or what if any the school gym costs to rent, but...it's not a bad crowd on a cold early spring Wisconsin afternoon, I'll give them that much. I believe the June crowds may get tougher to come by...lots else to do that time of year.

But, hey...people still like Lawrence Welk, so hey...something for everybody I guess...I think I said that before.

The Crowd was much larger than I expected. I've been to WGI shows that didn't have that many and the one DCA show we performed at had less people in the stands. SDCA schedules their shows in conjunction with a local celebration. That gives the show a better chance of putting butts in the seats. Picture having a Drum Corps or Mini Corps show at your local Town Fair or State Fair. For many of these shows there is also a local Parade the Corps are able to march in as well.

Two shows are scheduled for each SDCA weekend which makes the travel distance worth the trip. The Corps are payed for the Shows and the Parades which is a plus to membership in this circuit.

Performing outside the Practice Hall helps build the Corps.

[DAvery]

Wow! I never heard of this. It reminds me of the days of Miller Blackhawks, Blue Bells, Conquestadors, etc. They all performed in gyms as well. Anyone out there remember these corps?

I was in two of those corps. It was kinda like lighting a firecracker inside a trash can. Not to mention having over 100 people on a gym floor with a couple of dozen throwing metal things in the air. Yea, lots of fun.