KeithHall Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Would regionalization assist drum corps, in general, in becoming more successful? By looking at what was (Not trying to sound like a Dino here) successful in the 1970's when small corps and big corps thrived, can we help the growth of drum corps. The big corps now (Top 20) could sustain a whole summer tour but can we make it possible for smaller corps to be successful by holding them back from having to tour all summer long. How about 2 tours of 10 days each? It seemed that in the 80's smaller corps were "forced" to tour in order to stay competitive and be considered for a finalist position at DCI Championships. The discussion I am startining here...and it is not a bashing forum....is to see what ideas we can brainstorm on DCP and hope that DCI members are reading this and taking note. Lets have a nice, friendly discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stansea Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Maybe DCA and DCI should jointly create and support a regional program (with regional travel and music education for all corps in the region) for modest-sized corps. DCI and DCA could promote the shows and offer marching / music workshops for all the corps in the region with the goal of improving existing corps and growing some new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pgh Guy2 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hey Keith, With all due respect, if you are referring to DCI, as your post indicates, there are already regional competitions established within that circuit....With the possibility of changes coming within DCI, who knows what the makeup of the junior circuit will be in 2011/2012...If that is the case then this post should be in the DCI/junior forums.... If your post is about the senior DCA circuit, the voting drumcorps have to deceide about expanding and add regions before they can have competitions... Are there enough drumcorps within the midwest/southern regions to have regional shows...You could probably have an eastern regional but to what end if you don't have other (west/midwest/south) regionals.... IMO..It's unlikely that the eastern drumcorps will travel to the other areas to compete...I think it is to early to discuss regionals within DCA.... Pgh Guy Bari 2 John G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 this thread is in the wrong place... Keith makes no mention of DCA and clearly discusses DCI... since the two are so different it is inappropriate to discuss both at the same time. please move this thread to where it belongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 this thread is in the wrong place... Keith makes no mention of DCA and clearly discusses DCI... since the two are so different it is inappropriate to discuss both at the same time.please move this thread to where it belongs. plus, DCI just endorsed this very idea, and discussion is already well underway in the junior forums,........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 I thought for sure I was in the DCI threads as I was trying to find it there. LOL It was early when I posted this I believe. Please move this to DCI (NOT Historical). Thanks this thread is in the wrong place... Keith makes no mention of DCA and clearly discusses DCI... since the two are so different it is inappropriate to discuss both at the same time.please move this thread to where it belongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydrummer9 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) I think that it might happen if done the right way. Lets say you break it down into 4 regions. North East, South, Mid West, and West. In that you have a regional championship to not only coin the champion drum corps for that region, but for the regional champ to compete in the DCA National Championship. Have one for class A and one for Open Class. That way the corps won't pressured to travel across the country in order to qualify for the current title contest we have now. It should be able to help the corps that are still active now keep afloat in these bad economic times, as well as give starting corps or those who are struggling to maintain their edge. Essentially the ONLY corps that would be doing a "tour" that would essentially cost them a lot of money would be the Regional Champs who have to travel to where the National Contest is going to be. And hell, if you win your regional title, but not the national title, you are still a champion in your region. Edited October 19, 2010 by Skydrummer9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I think that it might happen if done the right way. Lets say you break it down into 4 regions. North East, South, Mid West, and West. In that you have a regional championship to not only coin the champion drum corps for that region, but for the regional champ to compete in the DCA National Championship. Have one for class A and one for Open Class. That way the corps won't pressured to travel across the country in order to qualify for the current title contest we have now. It should be able to help the corps that are still active now keep afloat in these bad economic times, as well as give starting corps or those who are struggling to maintain their edge. Essentially the ONLY corps that would be doing a "tour" that would essentially cost them a lot of money would be the Regional Champs who have to travel to where the National Contest is going to be. And hell, if you win your regional title, but not the national title, you are still a champion in your region. Pretty much what you described is what is going on in DCAS. Not sure about the other regions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 Moderators must be on vacation sooooooo.... One would have to look at how effective DCI East, South, Mid West, North and West were BITD. Yet I still see opportunities for growth with new corps if they know they will only compete within 3 or 4 states and then a final 10 day tour to the Championships. However, the judging community would have to really judge. Not just give the "this is my first read" excuse. Man, I can't stand that excuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Would regionalization assist drum corps, in general, in becoming more successful? By looking at what was (Not trying to sound like a Dino here) successful in the 1970's when small corps and big corps thrived, can we help the growth of drum corps. The big corps now (Top 20) could sustain a whole summer tour but can we make it possible for smaller corps to be successful by holding them back from having to tour all summer long. No one "has to tour all summer long". And DCI has a participation review committee and a tour schedule coordinator, both of whom work with the corps to develop tour schedules that are within the corps' means. How about 2 tours of 10 days each? It seemed that in the 80's smaller corps were "forced" to tour in order to stay competitive and be considered for a finalist position at DCI Championships. Oh, OK....in that sense, yes, there are a number of reasons why a corps striving for world-class top 12 would want to tour quite a bit. They need lots of shows just for the experience; they also need exposure to the judges to get more credit for what they're doing and to refine their programs to address judge feedback; and they need the extra motivation that competition provides. So for corps at that level, we are probably not going to be able to talk them out of their touring practices. The discussion I am startining here...and it is not a bashing forum....is to see what ideas we can brainstorm on DCP and hope that DCI members are reading this and taking note. Lets have a nice, friendly discussion. OK. I think what is needed for local/regional operating models is more corps. The more corps we have, the less they have to travel to create viable contests. (Competitive parity would help there too.) I'm not sure we can ask DCI to "create" more corps....but they should make it their focus to create an atmosphere conducive to growth. Every change in rules and policies should be evaluated on the basis of the impact it would have on the corps population. Any proposal that increases cost or raises the barrier to entry should require greater justification before being implemented. One specific thing DCI might consider doing is establishing permanent regional focus events that are open to open-class. Looking back historically, the local/regional corps seemed to do better when the major events in their area were kept in the same location and general time frame year after year. Corps at that level thrived in the days when World Open, U.S. Open, AIO, Key to the Sea, etc., were held annually in fixed locations. When the focus shifted to DCI Championships and DCI regionals that moved dramatically from year to year, the local/regional level corps involved in those events couldn't adjust. Eventually, regional circuit championships re-established that annual focus event....but the end of those regional circuits ended those shows as well. Implementing this idea may be as simple as letting a few more corps into existing shows (i.e. allow all Texas corps into San Antonio). Or it might require format adjustments (i.e. a Saturday afternoon block in Allentown to accomodate the Northeast's open-class units). Or a re-branding of an existing event (i.e. the final California show keeps the lineup of four world-class and all the West's open-class and all-age units, but is marketed as a focus event). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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