bluecoats88 Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 It's an interesting question that doesn't deserved to be derailed.In the early 2000s my little corps had less than two weeks of everydays, with a handful of camps before that. Of course, it was run a group of well-meaning incompetents, so I don't think my experience really reflects that of most of those who marched in the big, nationally touring corps. So it would be cool to hear from more people (like contrajedi) who marched these corps. How many camps did your corps have when you marched (and how long was everydays)? Has the amount changed over time? What's the reasoning behind the change? Has anyone been dissuaded from marching because of the cost of these camps? when I marched we had camps (sat&sun) every third weekend starting with Thanksgiving weekend. In april the drum line would have an additional camp and in may we would go to every weekend. We would move in on the sunday before our first show (which was usually the second friday in June. But this was a long time ago and things have drastically changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearz Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 First thought that comes to mind is this: "Why should it cost thousands to be a member in the first place?" Oh, I forgot -- we no longer have such things as 'local' corps with weekly rehearsals that would make expensive travel and expensive monthly camps unnecessary. Silly me, I'm another one of those old 'dinosaurs,' left over from an era when you joined the corps in your neighborhood, or at least near enough to travel to each week. Now, it's far more attractive to travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to be a member of a more select, elite corps, rather than building from the ground up in your own area. Forgive the cynicism, but this is one of the things that irks me and many of my generation. Eh, in 1976 or 77 the Blue Stars had 12 members from the deep south who traveled to practice every month. A very large part of the rest of the corps came from 3 or more hours away. And there were several corps in our area we could have joined. It just wasn't the Blue Stars. Many corps had it that way back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from Kansas Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Send us your cuts and we will teach them what drum corps is. We have no problem with that...we actually teach kids that have the desire to be in drum corps.NO February camp, next camp is March 12-14 and then April 30 weekend and then move ins Memorial Day weekend. Camp fees are only 60 dollars for the first camp and 30 dollars after that. Major airport (O Hare, Milwaukee) pick up and drop off... World Class tour for $1800 includes travel, equipment, instruction, and housing in Milwaukee and on the road. The corps eats well, and there is a family type atmosphere. There are opportunities for lower dues and payment plans to help students get a World Class touring experience. And any corps management will tell you that if you are lucky enough to get a Pioneer kid in your corps, you have a kid that is respectful to staff, has good training, and a great sense of what membership is. http://pioneer-corps.org 414 327 2847 Better Every Day! Amen, Donny. And that is why I am proud that my son marches in Pioneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Send us your cuts and we will teach them what drum corps is. We have no problem with that...we actually teach kids that have the desire to be in drum corps.NO February camp, next camp is March 12-14 and then April 30 weekend and then move ins Memorial Day weekend. Camp fees are only 60 dollars for the first camp and 30 dollars after that. Major airport (O Hare, Milwaukee) pick up and drop off... World Class tour for $1800 includes travel, equipment, instruction, and housing in Milwaukee and on the road. The corps eats well, and there is a family type atmosphere. There are opportunities for lower dues and payment plans to help students get a World Class touring experience. And any corps management will tell you that if you are lucky enough to get a Pioneer kid in your corps, you have a kid that is respectful to staff, has good training, and a great sense of what membership is. http://pioneer-corps.org 414 327 2847 Better Every Day! Well it's great to know with the absolute absence of education in drum corps that at least ONE corps is still teaching. I got no beef with Pioneer but that comment kind of stuck in my craw a little bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed from Kansas Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Well it's great to know with the absolute absence of education in drum corps that at least ONE corps is still teaching. I got no beef with Pioneer but that comment kind of stuck in my craw a little bit. The bold was yours, not Donny's. It just happens to be the truth. If that sticks in your craw, so be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Now, now...that is not what was said or implied AT ALL. What was said is that we give kids that want the experience of drum corps a chance even if they have no drum corps or band experience at all. I have started kids in June that were playing every note by August almost every year I have been there. That is what was meant by this post. No one said that other corps dont teach or there is a lack of education every place else in DCI. The point is that we will teach kids with a desire that would perhaps NOT make another corps... providing they are willing to try hard. I learned this activity in the 60's and if we didnt take everyone that wanted to try there would be NO drum corps today, I dare say. Ask some of the mentors in this activity and you will find out that some of the best instructors and soloists and performers BITD couldnt read music, and most corps were made up of more than half of the membership that was like that. Please don't take it to a place that it doesnt need to go to. Donny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 It would be an understatement to say that how corps have rehearsed and learned their shows for the last 25 years is significantly different than the system in place before. Of course, much of that has been dictated by national touring and national recruiting. Local corps had the luxury of local rehearsals and could do it in one night a week through the fall; add another rehearsal in the winter; start learning drill on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, sometimes in an indoor facility depending on the local weather; then a fuller rehearsal/practice schedule as the season began (usually in late May in SoCal). I'd say for the most part the corps actually practiced more hours as a unit in the off-season BITD, and it was necessary due to the limited abilities of rookies and the conversion to V/R bugles by people experienced in 3V trumpets, concert French horns, trombones, concert baritones/euphoniums and sousaphones/tubas. Contemporary drum corps requires a lot of individual effort by scattered membership, and the members have to have the discipline to do it so "rehearsals" at camps can proceed without becoming "practices". Plus, we could always call an extra sectional or two as needed. That's not quite so simple now. When I was marching in VK's tenor line, we regularly got together on our own time, and it paid off. We had a seven tick SEASON in 1972. Apples and oranges, IMO Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetman1287 Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 The main reason why there are no local corps is because they have been replaced by high school bands. Many corps instructors teach in HS and vice versa, so that's not the problem xsnare. I think the camp schedule is worth looking at. It seems like an arbitrary decision to have them every month and most corps are too afraid to do anything less. Realizing you have to fly or drive 5-10 hours to a camp is a serious deterrent to people joining our activity. DCI should not be bragging about cuts. The idea that 500 kids can show up to a camp should show something to DCI - the interest is there! Maybe they can formalize this process. If you show up and don't make it, your name and contact info is taken in by DCI (not just the corps), and they can send you some training videos throughout the season. We shouldn't be forgetting about all the people interested in the activity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xsnaredrummer Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 The main reason why there are no local corps is because they have been replaced by high school bands. Many corps instructors teach in HS and vice versa, so that's not the problem xsnare.I think the camp schedule is worth looking at. It seems like an arbitrary decision to have them every month and most corps are too afraid to do anything less. Realizing you have to fly or drive 5-10 hours to a camp is a serious deterrent to people joining our activity. DCI should not be bragging about cuts. The idea that 500 kids can show up to a camp should show something to DCI - the interest is there! Maybe they can formalize this process. If you show up and don't make it, your name and contact info is taken in by DCI (not just the corps), and they can send you some training videos throughout the season. We shouldn't be forgetting about all the people interested in the activity! Honestly I was just formulating a hypothesis out-loud (dangerous on dcp haha) but I think my point was missed WHY is it cuts seems to just give up without marching somewhere that is more their speed to work them-selves up? Some the best, and smartest, drum corps "youngsters" I know started in DCA or and open class DCI and worked themselves up. I guess what I wanna leave here for those of us with A.D.D. (I can make fun of it I have it haha) is WHY to so many people try out for upper world class then give up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpaul Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Well it's great to know with the absolute absence of education in drum corps that at least ONE corps is still teaching. I got no beef with Pioneer but that comment kind of stuck in my craw a little bit. How can you say there's no education in drum corps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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