A Brainstorm Idea for DCA

[Mike_B]

In the case of the Brigadiers, I don't think there is any group of people who could teach them much about running a corps, quite the opposite. Last year they ran 4 shows and put out a decent corps. Nothing lasts forever. Drum corps are cyclical in nature. Even the bucs had their down years. They'll be back when the interest is there to make it happen. I wish them the best.

[Cabstuba04]

I think the original post is an excellent Idea...and I agree losing any drum corps is very dangerous to the existance of the whole activity. I know that we ( The Cabs) came very close to going inactive in 2005...Not an easy desicion to make.

Looking for ways to improve recruiting and improve financial stability I am all for it..More than one corps is being run by volunteers that could use all the help they can get...

So many different opinions, we need to sit as a group and discuss so that we can pick and choose the remedies for our particular group and give ideas to others..to assist in recovery and improvement.

I know I'm just repeating what others have said..Activity as a whole suffers when we lose members.

[Tom D'Bomb]

Not bad Tom...

And the scary thing is... I think we were all saying this 30 years ago (us with Cru, and the Brunis with Empire)

[idontwan2know]

I agree with this comment. I truly believe thar recruitment has a lot to do with the type of shows the corps aligns with. Corps that have music that is current and identifiable will always be crowd pleasers. An excellent examble is Empire Statesmen. Proof of this is at every DCA finals Empire manages to get standing ovations. I know I'll be labeled as "ancient," which age-wise I am! Tom D'Bomb is correct, a large part of recruitment amounts to the selection of music and style.

It's a dangerous game you play when you start to think your personal preferences are everyone's.

When you examine the specific subset of "kids" who are interested in marching in a drum corps, my experience has been that a "more accessible" program based on "entertaining" music is actually a significant hindrance. These kids want modern, aggressive drum corps programming, not pop songs.

I'd also be curious what your standard is for "current and identifiable". I love Empire's shows, but how often do they play music written in the last thirty years that somebody in high school or college today would recognize? Trust me, the average 15-25 year old doesn't listen to big band charts or classic broadway plays. They neither recognize nor connect with West Side Story, Porgy and Bess, Stan Kenton, etc. Odds are good they'll like it when they get to know it, but they don't connect with it any more than the older generation connects with the latest and greatest wind ensemble piece by Eric Whitacre, Sam Hazo or John Mackey.

Now, whether a corps actually has the maturity and performance level to actually pull off a more modern, abstract show is a different discussion entirely.

[Sal Rosenburg]

It's a dangerous game you play when you start to think your personal preferences are everyone's.

When you examine the specific subset of "kids" who are interested in marching in a drum corps, my experience has been that a "more accessible" program based on "entertaining" music is actually a significant hindrance. These kids want modern, aggressive drum corps programming, not pop songs.

I'd also be curious what your standard is for "current and identifiable". I love Empire's shows, but how often do they play music written in the last thirty years that somebody in high school or college today would recognize? Trust me, the average 15-25 year old doesn't listen to big band charts or classic broadway plays. They neither recognize nor connect with West Side Story, Porgy and Bess, Stan Kenton, etc. Odds are good they'll like it when they get to know it, but they don't connect with it any more than the older generation connects with the latest and greatest wind ensemble piece by Eric Whitacre, Sam Hazo or John Mackey.

Now, whether a corps actually has the maturity and performance level to actually pull off a more modern, abstract show is a different discussion entirely.

This response refers to a few posts...If I remember correctly, the Brigs played a Hazo show in 08 (written by Wayne Downey and company) but still only managed maybe 30 something horns and a smaller battery after just about all of their horn and percussion staff jumped in. I personally think is has to do with staff selection these days. These days the staff needs to have connections or somewhat of a following whether it be from marching bands or indoor lines. A corps also needs a strong organization that supports its staff. On a different note, just because Brigs ran four shows last year does not mean they made money at any of them. From talking with some Brigs members these shows, as good as they were run, were not money makers...

[drumlaw80]

Just a a point of clarification -- it was not my intent to bag on any corps or any corps administration for difficulties they may have experienced. We've all been there -- Frankly, I still don't know how Renegades fielded a corps in 2006 when we had zero drummers in May.

My point is not to criticize anyone, but rather to point out that I think we need a collective resource of some kind, with participation from all DCA corps, that can somehow dive in and help whichever one of us happens to be on the ropes on any particular year. I haven't thought through all of the details, and I have no magical solution or even certainty that this could work ... but when we have multiple corps checking out for a season, it makes it very difficult for show sponsors and DCA, and hurts the season for all of us. A lot of corps have proven resilient and have been able to return to the field after a year off ... but sometime, that never quite happens for others.

DCA is a very special thing for all of us. I guess my bottom line is that it would be better for all of us if we could find some common ground for the corps to work together and way to direct more energy to keep DCA corps afloat, instead of always being so worried about the placement and scores above all else. Intense competition is fun, but it can be counter-productive to a collective organization at times.

Rambling thoughts: off

[BonBon]

Having a business plan on paper is one thing, getting people to join is another. In honesty, it doesn't surprise me what happened with the Brigs. Right now NY state is in economic shambles. There isn't extra money to spend in donations, fundrasing, etc. I'm sure there are people who would love to march but as said earlier in the thread, if a decision between marching and rent has to be made, rent will come first. No amount of recruiting is going to solve this issue. If people do not have disposable income (and not many do right now) then they are going to make the decision not to march. Now not knowing the whole story this might be ony a part of the story.

I bet numbers at DCA shows will be down again this year also. Again it comes down to disposible income.

just my 0.02 cents

[84BDsop]

Just a a point of clarification -- it was not my intent to bag on any corps or any corps administration for difficulties they may have experienced. We've all been there -- Frankly, I still don't know how Renegades fielded a corps in 2006 when we had zero drummers in May.

A corps that would not be denied? Also, several people put the word out as soon as we heard it (Me, Bob Briggs, etc).

Besides....I'm VERY glad it worked out....it was a blast to sit in front of you ramming during the parking lot performance after finals! (my ears are still bleeding....but that's normal for drum corps!)

[Irish-Kiltie]

There's probably some pride involved in corps like Rochester Crusaders or Brigadiers dropping to Class A in a given year.

I seriously hope there are more serious issues involved with Cru or Brig not fielding a corps this year than pride, or that they didn't have "enough" members. Can you imagine giving that message to the members?

"Well we would love to field a corps this year, but since we're currently not at 100+ members it just isn't worth it. Have a nice summer and we'll try again next year."

There is an incorrect image in some people's minds that Class A is some how the "minor league" of DCA or that it "wouldn't be fair" for a traditional Open Class corps to drop into Class A. I think both statements are completely untrue. Class A is a numbers limit, plain and simple. The members in "A" are no less talented or dedicated, and as another poster mentioned, in Class A each and every member becomes even more critical to the success of the production. As someone who has marched in "A" and Open in DCA, I can tell you both are equally committed to putting a great product on the field to the best of their abilities based on the number of people that choose to join.

In my situation, I wouldn't think of leaving my corps just because one year the corps was small and decided to compete in Class A. However, if I found out the organization decided to sit out a year just because we were not big enough... well that wouldn't sit well with me. "A" or Open - You're still on the field and you're still competing and that's really all that matters.

Ryan J

[DCIHasBeen]

I can't help wonder, aside from the economy, if part of the problem is whether or not the "All-age" movement has a clear sense of purpose, identity, and a market to go along with it.

Yeah, I agree with Lee that stacking the deck with some folks with strong business acumen and credentials, and not just folks with a lot of time in-grade in the activity, is a good idea, but the bigger question that begs to be defined is what is DCA? Who is its core membership, audience, and what long-term strategic goals is the DCA activity trying to serve?

It seems that the "All-Age" concept took flight from trying to service a lot of kids disenfranchised from the junior activity due to cost and/or time commitment, while at the same time compensating for attrition in the older members who, in days gone by, put the Senior in senior corps (and by that I mean 30+ year-old folks who are less inclined to march these days due to the time commitment necessary.)

The "Alumni Corps" movement seems to have more appeal for that older crowd, with a lighter time commitment and absence of competitive concerns. To me, the so-called alumni corps of today seems more like the senior corps activity of the pre-'80s era.

I think the DCI model is doomed because it is a white elephant whose product, although exquisite, is of marginal interest to the general public at large, and can't possibly keep pace with its cost. No amount of business intelligence, or marketing brilliance, is going to make the DCI activity sustainable, at current levels of expenditure, over the long term.

The DCA movement seems like a model that, having more modest ambitions, seems quite sustainable if it can solidly define its identity and intended direction. But the activity leadership needs to answer those questions before attempting to answer the questions of what kind of business model/operations can support those goals.