koldsilver Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) Where is everyone? I'm talking to the 30,40,50 and 60 something age rangers.Where has the true DCA age range gone? What is happening to our DCA? 21 should not be the average age of DCA members.And I'm not saying i don't like marching with people in their teens and 20s,because i do.But notice i said marching "with",not being replaced by.If the people in the age range that i'm talking to, don't step to the plate ,DCA is finished.I can go to a DCI show,if I want to see a bunch of 21 year old's marching around.And what's really scary is,it seems like alot of the DCA corps from the east coast are starting to look for members that are still young enough to march DCI, to fill the ranks of their DCA corps. But,is this because older members don't want to march anymore? Or do these corps really want to have a cadets2,or DCI age members only. DCA is for all ages.and we need people of all ages to keep it alive.I would like to see the average age range of DCA go back up in 2012. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. Edited July 7, 2011 by koldsilver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanguard Rich Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where is everyone? I'm talking to the 30,40,50 and 60 something age rangers.Where has the true DCA age range gone? What is happening to our DCA? 21 should not be the average age of DCA members.And I'm not saying i don't like marching with people in their teens and 20s,because i do.But notice i said marching "with",not being replaced by.If the people in the age range that i'm talking to, don't step to the plate ,DCA is finished.I can go to a DCI show,if I want to see a bunch of 21 year old's marching around.And what's really scary is,it seems like alot of the DCA corps from the east coast are starting to look for members that are still young enough to march DCI, to fill the ranks of their DCA corps. But,is this because older members don't want to march anymore? Or do these corps really want to have a cadets2,or DCI age members only. DCA is for all ages.and we need people of all ages to keep it alive.I would like to see the average age range of DCA go back up in 2012. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. I am wondering what the membership breakdown is, regarding the percentage of college students, and maybe recent college graduates, vs. the remainder of any given Corps participating membership? I would think that it would be pretty high, just guessing here, hence my question. For me, if I was retired and lived on the East coast, I'd jump at the chance to be with the Caballeros Competing Corps, but since I live in the Midwest and I'm still working (no end in sight unfortunately) the answer to doing so is no. I am also wondering if the main reason folks in the age range that you mentioned have too many obligations to deal with, i.e. work, family, etc. that keep them from participating with a full Summer Corps DCA competing corps schedule? IMHO, this is why you don't see as many of them participating as you mentioned?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Can't reply as I marched Sr corps aged 16-22 back in the 70s. Seriously, I've seen a LOT of youth in the newer Non-Northeast Class A corps. If that's the age of the members coming in, at least they're coming in. For me, as long as DCA keeps its' style of show (as compared to DCI) I don't see a problem. Liek I said, at least the members are coming in. And I would have loved to known the average Sr corps age when I marched. There was a lot of youth in the non-top corps back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Lots of age outs that I know of. People with surgical scars older than the average age simply cannot keep up with the lighting speed of the drill. Sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. DeSouza Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where is everyone? I'm talking to the 30,40,50 and 60 something age rangers.Where has the true DCA age range gone? What is happening to our DCA? 21 should not be the average age of DCA members.And I'm not saying i don't like marching with people in their teens and 20s,because i do.But notice i said marching "with",not being replaced by.If the people in the age range that i'm talking to, don't step to the plate ,DCA is finished.I can go to a DCI show,if I want to see a bunch of 21 year old's marching around.And what's really scary is,it seems like alot of the DCA corps from the east coast are starting to look for members that are still young enough to march DCI, to fill the ranks of their DCA corps. But,is this because older members don't want to march anymore? Or do these corps really want to have a cadets2,or DCI age members only. DCA is for all ages.and we need people of all ages to keep it alive.I would like to see the average age range of DCA go back up in 2012. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. The age groups you are talking about are marching in Alumni Corps . The type of music & the schedules are more attractive to people in those age groups .That's where the numbers are. Have you seen how large Alumni corps are ?It is the opinion of many that DCA has turned into DCI anyway, music & type of shows . I really don't know many Alumni Corps people that will even attend a DCA show unless their Corps is doing an exhibition. Sad ,but that is the way Drum Corps has evolved. Mike D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelloRick Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where is everyone? I'm talking to the 30,40,50 and 60 something age rangers.Where has the true DCA age range gone? What is happening to our DCA? 21 should not be the average age of DCA members.And I'm not saying i don't like marching with people in their teens and 20s,because i do.But notice i said marching "with",not being replaced by.If the people in the age range that i'm talking to, don't step to the plate ,DCA is finished.I can go to a DCI show,if I want to see a bunch of 21 year old's marching around.And what's really scary is,it seems like alot of the DCA corps from the east coast are starting to look for members that are still young enough to march DCI, to fill the ranks of their DCA corps. But,is this because older members don't want to march anymore? Or do these corps really want to have a cadets2,or DCI age members only. DCA is for all ages.and we need people of all ages to keep it alive.I would like to see the average age range of DCA go back up in 2012. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. Well I can say this, my 40 something year old sister went to see about marching with one of the top 5 DCA corps and was told (in not so many words) you are too old, maybe the national section would be ok. I will point out my sister runs road races and is doing a half marathon, so she is in very good shape, and could probably show some young'uns a few things, but if this is the attitude of staff of our "all age" corps, then yes, there is a problem. So back to your question, where are they? Look around in the Alumni/Sr corps, and Minicorps, this is where many of us have migrated. Myself, I am 54 and wouldn't even attempt traveling to a competing corps. I have chosen Minicorps, and an Alumni corps to spend my time playing and doing what I love. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishbugle Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where is everyone? I'm talking to the 30,40,50 and 60 something age rangers.Where has the true DCA age range gone? What is happening to our DCA? 21 should not be the average age of DCA members.And I'm not saying i don't like marching with people in their teens and 20s,because i do.But notice i said marching "with",not being replaced by.If the people in the age range that i'm talking to, don't step to the plate ,DCA is finished.I can go to a DCI show,if I want to see a bunch of 21 year old's marching around.And what's really scary is,it seems like alot of the DCA corps from the east coast are starting to look for members that are still young enough to march DCI, to fill the ranks of their DCA corps. But,is this because older members don't want to march anymore? Or do these corps really want to have a cadets2,or DCI age members only. DCA is for all ages.and we need people of all ages to keep it alive.I would like to see the average age range of DCA go back up in 2012. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. Most DCA corps today are taking any potential member that walks through the door. It just so happens, that the average age of that potential member is now 18 instead of 28 like it used to be. That generation of DCA has come and gone. I would welcome it back any day but the scene has changed. I believe there is more of a push at the high school level now more than ever to participate in a drum corps, and the DCA format is more fitting and more affordable to some. The downside to this is attendance becomes more of an issue. Back in the day....(I swore I would never utter that phrase) your typical attendance issues were family related, and most were negotiable. Today corps are dealing with a large range of school related absences such as graduation, sports, marching band obligations (yes even in the spring/summer), testing (mid-terms, finals etc..). Drum Corps will most always have to take a back seat to anything related to education. I cant speak for any corps specifically, but I imagine this is one of the main reasons why more and more corps are not as prepared for the start of a season vs how it used to be. The new off season challenge is to retain the most amount of members possible between winter rehearsals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishbugle Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Well I can say this, my 40 something year old sister went to see about marching with one of the top 5 DCA corps and was told (in not so many words) you are too old, maybe the national section would be ok. I will point out my sister runs road races and is doing a half marathon, so she is in very good shape, and could probably show some young'uns a few things, but if this is the attitude of staff of our "all age" corps, then yes, there is a problem. So back to your question, where are they? Look around in the Alumni/Sr corps, and Minicorps, this is where many of us have migrated. Myself, I am 54 and wouldn't even attempt traveling to a competing corps. I have chosen Minicorps, and an Alumni corps to spend my time playing and doing what I love. I know a few Top 5 DCA corps that would welcome your sister. Perhaps that mentality was specific to the one corps she went to go march with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Well I can say this, my 40 something year old sister went to see about marching with one of the top 5 DCA corps and was told (in not so many words) you are too old, maybe the national section would be ok. I will point out my sister runs road races and is doing a half marathon, so she is in very good shape, and could probably show some young'uns a few things, but if this is the attitude of staff of our "all age" corps, then yes, there is a problem. So back to your question, where are they? Look around in the Alumni/Sr corps, and Minicorps, this is where many of us have migrated. Myself, I am 54 and wouldn't even attempt traveling to a competing corps. I have chosen Minicorps, and an Alumni corps to spend my time playing and doing what I love. This seems rather unlikely to me,..........the only full corps so far this year is Buccs,...........I would say EVERY corps, and even Buccs have members over 40,.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 The 50s and 60s tons of junior corps to get members from .70s and 80s things started to change as most junior corps started disappearing .90s up no one coming up in the juniors and thoses that did burned out from DCI.So now where do you turn to ? High School band programs ,with that said the younger age groups come in to DCA. I remmber DCI out in Whitewater in 74 ,three days of preliums never the same corps twice .Now 3 days of the same corps trying for the 12 spots in finals . 50s-60s Lots of juniors and seniors 70s -80s Less juniors Less seniors more Alumni corps 2000 2011 same juniors little more seniors LOTS MORE ALUMNI corps Drum Corps as a whole is ageing out . Sunrisers moved back to Long Island after years of moving around best move they have made in years ,got involed with a few completive high school bands and thats where there membership is growing .Hopefully they keep it up and start climbing the in DCA. And the members as they age stay with it . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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