Jump to content

requiring open class experience first


Recommended Posts

Let's revisit an old topic, one that was triggered by the "red shirting" thread.

With all the G7 talk of a few months ago, it seems that too many folks were focusing on building up the already competitive and very popular corps in hopes to drum up (no pun intended) interest in the activity. "We must market our top corps to build DCI."

This, in my opinion, was short-sighted. Work to make all corps as good as possible, thereby giving the audience several corps to watch for their ticket price. No showing up late to shows - all corps are talented, competitive, and hopefully entertaining.

To assist in this, let's force some parity. How about instituting a "one year of required open class participation" rule?

PROS

- Perhaps more corps deemed "good" by HS students and other potential customers may generate more general interest in the activity.

- Perhaps more competitive smaller corps may dispell the notion of "top or nothing."

CONS

- Perhaps the notion of "top or nothing" never gets dispelled, and such a rule would cause less participation.

More thoughts?

This is easy: you can't force people to do something they don't want to do, especially when it involves paying a hefty fee to participate. If corps paid members, that'd be an entirely different scenario, and it could be justified that members had to work their way up the ranks to get to the World corps.

Also trying to force someone to march where they don't want to would create a situation for all parties involved. The kid wouldn't have his heart into what he's doing, you'd have a corps filled with many members who are only there "biding their time" so to speak and no putting in the required effort/passion needed to be truly successful, and the the turn-over rate for the Open Class corps would be even worse than it might already be.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I would have never marched.

I don't think there are very many people mus. ed./performance majors that would want to be forced to be instructed by some whose only credentials are that they marched a couple years at cavaliers or crown or something.

Drum corps members should always go somewhere where they will be challenged, and receive instruction appropriate for their talent level.

If that's OC, fantastic! If that's WC, fantastic!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

MORE IMPORTANTLY! Experience in an Open Class corps does not, in any gauranteed aspect, automatically prepare you for a G8 corps. I know plenty of people who have had multiple years of OC experience and they still could not cut it at the "G8" audition.

I'm sure you're right.

However, my point was not to produce more G8-ready participants or to help prepare participants for auditions. My notion is to improve the quality of the product (from a fan's perspective, or from a potential fan's perspective) top to bottom.

There have been some great reasons (and some not-so-great) for why requiring OC experience first wouldn't be a practical solution to increasing fan interest by strengthening the top-to-bottom DCI product.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure you're right.

However, my point was not to produce more G8-ready participants or to help prepare participants for auditions. My notion is to improve the quality of the product (from a fan's perspective, or from a potential fan's perspective) top to bottom.

There have been some great reasons (and some not-so-great) for why requiring OC experience first wouldn't be a practical solution to increasing fan interest by strengthening the top-to-bottom DCI product.

The only thing that is really needed "to improve the quality of the product (from a fan's perspective, or from a potential fan's perspective) top to bottom" is MONEY. Unfortunately, there is never going to be enough of that lying around to truly improve the current status quo. There is such a huge difference between the WC financial model ($1M+ per year) and the OC model ($100K - $200K) that money is the only thing that will truly solve the disparity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand your suggestion, but I don't think it would work, for several reasons.

Even when I marched corps (back in the days of Fred Flinstone........lol), I started as a 19 year old college student, and could only afford to do one season.....I did march a 2nd, as I filled a spot after the season started and marched for free. I was lucky to march in a finalist. However, I can tell you that even though some will not find this to be right, I wasn't going to give my time to a corps that wasn't competing with the big boys.

Having a requirement to march a year in an open class corps would simply mean that the activity would quickly erode, as members would not flock to open class corps. In my opinion, many would not join if this was a requirement.

I don't know the answer in terms of the development of open class. It is a huge jump from open to world, and hard to manage. I do like the idea of the open quarterfinals this year allowing anyone to compete. I have no clue if this will have any impact one way or the other on open corps who enter.

I think the open class is a great place for younger and less experienced kids to start. I also think it is a great place for kids who want to do corps but can't meet the time/money requirements of a world class corps. However, many kids will march in an open class corps, and then move on to a World Class organization.

GB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are so many broad generalizations about Open Class that are quite false for most of the current Open Class units. And some things in this thread that supposedly apply to Open Class actually apply to all corps.

I want people to join my corps because they chose my corps, no other reason.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is easy: you can't force people to do something they don't want to do, especially when it involves paying a hefty fee to participate. If corps paid members, that'd be an entirely different scenario, and it could be justified that members had to work their way up the ranks to get to the World corps.

Also trying to force someone to march where they don't want to would create a situation for all parties involved. The kid wouldn't have his heart into what he's doing, you'd have a corps filled with many members who are only there "biding their time" so to speak and no putting in the required effort/passion needed to be truly successful, and the the turn-over rate for the Open Class corps would be even worse than it might already be.

This is the first thing I thought of. I think a requirement like this would be a huge disservice to OC corps, as it would give them a membership pool who didn't want to be there....who were merely putting in their time before they could march in the corps they really wanted to be a part of!

Additionally, each corps does have it's own personality and way of doing things. These aren't just different teams in the same sport, if someone wants to have a BD experience, or a Cadet experience, or a Cavvies experience, etc....and they have the talent to do so, they should be allowed to do so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it would give them a membership pool who didn't want to be there

That is a complaint that i have heard from everyone who really wanted succeeded in any activity, specifically: marching band.

Edited by AZFan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its just another barrier to march, marching should be as easy as possible which, is one of the reason I like Open Class, it provides different and more marching options

Edited by cowtown
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a complaint that i have heard from everyone who really wanted succeeded in any activity, specifically: marching band.

I'm sorry, I don't understand your comment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...