A letter to Open Class Corps folks

[audiodb]

If the point of OC isn't to be a mini-WC corps for people who aren't ready for WC for whatever reason or don't have as much experience on their instruments but still want to do corps, then what is the point of it?

Who cares? Smart world-class corps do parades, clinics, stage shows and various other performance opportunities for the various financial and recruiting benefits they provide. Suggesting that open-class units do the same in their locales would actually be emulating world-class in a sense.

[ItsOnTheField]

Then why should these kids pay nearly as much money to an OC corps when they can go to a DCA corps and pay half as much in dues and get just as many performance opportunities while still working a job?

Just as many performance opportunities? Really? How many DCA corps have greater then 10 performances? Greater then 15?

There are several OC corps that have more then 15 DCI performances, not including any other scheduled performances the corps may add in.

[wturner901]

great questions, both.

Open Class corps should perform. 90% of their performances should be local. DCI should be an afterthought. If you can afford it and it's worthwhile for the organization then do it, otherwise...and take note from SCVC...skip it and stay home. Trust me, SCVC is not lacking for members this summer.

Think local, raise money from performing. Skip DCI if it's not in the cards. In short, survive. By the way, I have never bought into the old...well, if we don't tour, we won't have kids. There will always be kids...maybe not as talented...maybe not the kids who want to go on tour in DCI, but, there will be kids. Staff just has to....wait for it...teach. Yes, not just 10 minutes of music, but how to play and how to march and how to perform at a high level.

Being an OC performer myself, I have to disagree. I would not have signed up with a corps if they said "We are not going to Lucas Oil Stadium, we are staying local this year." I would have lost all motivation, would not have wanted to sign on, and probably not marched. And trust me, I am NOT one of a kind. Tour is what we live for, and if it's local, it's not worth it.

If the top 12 in OC go local, you will see a massive slump in membership.

[Richard]

Being an OC performer myself, I have to disagree. I would not have signed up with a corps if they said "We are not going to Lucas Oil Stadium, we are staying local this year." I would have lost all motivation, would not have wanted to sign on, and probably not marched. And trust me, I am NOT one of a kind. Tour is what we live for, and if it's local, it's not worth it.

If the top 12 in OC go local, you will see a massive slump in membership.

QFT. Kids are competitive and competition is what drum corps boils down to. Obviously the life lessons and experiences of a tour with corps are tremendous contributing factors, but most kids march drum corps because they want to compete and win.

Moreover, the most talented kids tend to be the most competitive. They're good because they work at it. They work at it so that they can be good and recognized as such. I think that an annual local-only tour will not only cause a decline in membership but a decline in talent as well.

I think you can attract kids with the promise of building up an organization to attend Nats in the future. A lot of kids will take pride in being a charter member of an organization and "being there from the beginning", and those are the kids you want in your organization anyway.

SCVC is a terrible example of a corps with strong membership while not attending champsionships. Kids will march there because they're multiple-time Div II/Open Champs, because they can provide a foot in the door with SCV, and because they'll likely go to championships in 2011. When you combine those three reasons it provides plenty incentive to march a corps not attending championships, and most corps cannot provide those incentives.

A better example would be Gold. They haven't come out east ever(??), but they appear to have a solid membership base every year and put up competitive scores to boot. I would be very interested to know how they continue to attract members while not going to Indy. More power to them!

[MikeN]

I would submit there's room on both ends, to localize your tour and performances and still make your one "big trip" to Nationals. This would do a tremendous amount to relieve some of the logistical and financial stress on the OC corps, I think.

Part of the problem IMO is that the OC corps contain two distinct classes - corps that are practically mini WC corps and those that are almost already limited regional groups that would be better served under a different structure. And right now the tiny groups are having to play by the same rules as the big ones.

Mike

[CitBos]

Just as a quick question I have to the last few posters. Ya'll keep saying that Open Class corps should perform locally, and that's fine. There's always parades and such in the town they come from and other towns/cities in the area. But what if they want to compete in a drum corps show? Since so many corps have folded, there's obviously aLOT less corps, and the corps that are still around still have to travel to do a competion anyways. (Teal Sound is not only the only corps in Florida, but the only one in their class in the southeast. Troopers are the only one in their class in the northwest. There's only one World Class corps, and two/three Open Class corps in New England.) The only exception is the state of California, where there's several in central state, and another several in the southern state.

Basically, what I'm saying/asking is that staying local is nice, but just about every corps is going to have to do some traveling to compete...

[wturner901]

QFT. Kids are competitive and competition is what drum corps boils down to. Obviously the life lessons and experiences of a tour with corps are tremendous contributing factors, but most kids march drum corps because they want to compete and win.

Moreover, the most talented kids tend to be the most competitive. They're good because they work at it. They work at it so that they can be good and recognized as such. I think that an annual local-only tour will not only cause a decline in membership but a decline in talent as well.

I think you can attract kids with the promise of building up an organization to attend Nats in the future. A lot of kids will take pride in being a charter member of an organization and "being there from the beginning", and those are the kids you want in your organization anyway.

SCVC is a terrible example of a corps with strong membership while not attending champsionships. Kids will march there because they're multiple-time Div II/Open Champs, because they can provide a foot in the door with SCV, and because they'll likely go to championships in 2011. When you combine those three reasons it provides plenty incentive to march a corps not attending championships, and most corps cannot provide those incentives.

A better example would be Gold. They haven't come out east ever(??), but they appear to have a solid membership base every year and put up competitive scores to boot. I would be very interested to know how they continue to attract members while not going to Indy. More power to them!

Gold is one thing.

I would not march Gold simply because the don't tour. Tour is what we LIVE for. We get to go and compete, and then watch some of the best corps in WC.

You take away the DCI Tour, you take away a LOT of membership.

Please, don't argue, and take it from someone who has MARCHED in OC. 90% at least of the people in our corps would not have gone through the hell that is spring training if we weren't going on tour. It would NOT be worth it.

You all talk about how open class corps are dying... Open class itself might die if almost all tours only go local.

Edited December 22, 2009 by wturner901

[Blake13]

wturner- I couldn't agree with you any more as an OC performer and someone who has obviously been impacted by why this topic started.

The DCI summer tour is pretty much what all those camps before spring training, the hell we go during spring training, and all of the other work we all do is for. What's the point of having a corps that only does parades and local shows? Member wouldn't come in and the corps wouldn't have membership. A lot of member of OC corps are looking for their start in DCI, and no one wants to start doing three shows. No one, not me, not anyone in OC. I surely would not have traveled to Columbus, Ohio every month just for three shows. Tour is DCI, members live for it. What if BD did just local shows and parades? Sure it's not happening anytime soon and their WC and they have money, but the fact is the same. Any corps who wants to do just local shows won't get the people to fill their spots

Also, everyone seems not to care about OC going inactive. I can tell you, everyone one of the 70 some people who marched with Capital Regiment are almost heartbroken over this. We were all looking forward to marching again so let's not forget what it does to the members. The most important part of DCI...

[Richard]

Gold is one thing.

I would not march Gold simply because the don't tour. Tour is what we LIVE for. We get to go and compete, and then watch some of the best corps in WC.

You take away the DCI Tour, you take away a LOT of membership.

Please, don't argue, and take it from someone who has MARCHED in OC. 90% at least of the people in our corps would not have gone through the hell that is spring training if we weren't going on tour. It would NOT be worth it.

You all talk about how open class corps are dying... Open class itself might die if almost all tours only go local.

Uh...what? I wasn't arguing with you. QFT = Quoted For Truth. I also backed up your points quite a bit. I simply cited Gold as a rare example of a corps with decent member retention and quality instruction that does not attend finals. For the record, I marched corps, I teach band and I teach corps, I know how competitive members are first hand. Also, I would probably march Gold, because they have a good thing going and I would like to be part of building that up. I'm really looking forward to the day when they do make it to Indy, because I'm guessing they'll be a top 6 OC competitor.

[audiodb]

This is becoming an interesting dichotomy.

On the one hand, I can relate to those who declare that going to DCI Championships every year is vital to recruit/retain kids. I have heard this from successful open-class corps directors.

At the same time, some of the biggest success stories of open-class have been corps that were not taking that trip. Gold is one example, having grown to membership numbering in the 80s. Academy drew tons of kids even when they were just a clinic program, and fielded full corps for their local seasons in '04 and '05. Before them, Pacific Crest built up to full size and stayed there before ever attending DCI Championships. Evidently, there is more to it than just the promise of a championship tour.