drsedlak Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hi all! As clarification, I am quite certain Holly is not talking about cutting members to be at 65 (and if she was, I am going to have a little chat with her! :) ). There was some question as to whether Fusion should have been open or A last year, and the question did not revolve around Fusion cutting people! I think the question is more: should the organization, even if it meets the number limit for Class A, still move to open? I know it SHOULDN'T matter...but I also know that more than one person (including some that surprised me) sees Class A as the "ugly stepchild" of DCA. As far as competition goes, in theory, the same corps should score the same score for the same performance whether they were open or Class A. As far as entertainment goes, in theory, good is good and entertaining is entertaining no matter the classification! I think that is the gist of Holly's second question. Of course, in the end, our goal is always to put out the cleanest, most entertaining show we can, just like every corps. To that end, whether Class A or open this year, we hope not to disappoint! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My personal preference is if any corps will be below the magic 65 mark then go for Class A. That way the Class A will be more competitive instead of a smaller corps getting their heads knocked about because they cannot do as much on the field as a full sized corps (or at least fill out the field more). And for the record I enjoy the Class A part of DCA at least as much as Open. Always have enjoyed seeing what corps can do with smaller numbers, less experienced members, unbalanced horn lines, etc. Just adds a layer of things to look for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Based on what I saw at championships last year I think they are better suited for CLass A. And I mean that with the utmost respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Hi all! As clarification, I am quite certain Holly is not talking about cutting members to be at 65 (and if she was, I am going to have a little chat with her! :) ). There was some question as to whether Fusion should have been open or A last year, and the question did not revolve around Fusion cutting people! I think the question is more: should the organization, even if it meets the number limit for Class A, still move to open? I know it SHOULDN'T matter...but I also know that more than one person (including some that surprised me) sees Class A as the "ugly stepchild" of DCA. As far as competition goes, in theory, the same corps should score the same score for the same performance whether they were open or Class A. As far as entertainment goes, in theory, good is good and entertaining is entertaining no matter the classification! I think that is the gist of Holly's second question. Of course, in the end, our goal is always to put out the cleanest, most entertaining show we can, just like every corps. To that end, whether Class A or open this year, we hope not to disappoint! sadly some people only equate big with good. and i've seen some big corps that were one big pile of #### 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stradivarius Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Fusion already places like 8th every year so why not? They would be competitive. And if people aren't marching simply because Fusion isn't Open (IMO it shouldn't matter), maybe they'll get more recruits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardcoremello Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 BINGO JEFF!! You hit the nail on the head. I think it's unfortunate that the "bigger is better" or "louder is better" stigma still comes into play. I can honestly say, man for man, just about every member in Fusion could be an asset to ANY corps in DCA and many of them would fair well in DCI. Just because they were members of a Class A corps does not make them any less talented than anyone else. I can tell you one thing. When you're a member of a Class A Corps, especially a corps who pushes the envelope and challenges their members, there is no time to rest. How nice would it be to be a member in a 12 member mello or TUBA line. Stagger breathing would be a breeze, but smaller lines playing kick a** parts at 180 bpm is much more challenging. It's no easy task AND you don't get much, if any credit for the extra effort being put in. Now, I know some may argue "well, your an A Corps.......keep it simple" but honestly, THIS IS DRUM CORPS. I get the importance of "entertaining" and I love it but GIVE ME SOME HARDCORE DRUM CORPS or give me nothing. That's my motto. I want my members to experience what it feels like to be in DRUM CORPS. That all being said, we also need to capture the "entertaining" caption as well, which I have no doubt we have done with this year's show but we're still challenging our members. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 (edited) How nice would it be to be a member in a 12 member mello or TUBA line. Stagger breathing would be a breeze, but smaller lines playing kick a** parts at 180 bpm is much more challenging. It's no easy task...... KA-Ding... Ka-Ding... So much easier to pick out inconsistancies when there are 5-6 Baris and maybe 2 people on one part.... (Thinking of another Class A corps that I never miss seeing at DCA). Days of doing parades with a small corps and being the only person playing my part. Nothing like hearing "OK play louder so you can blend with everyone else." Sooo much easier with a full line.... Edited February 29, 2012 by JimF-LowBari 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardcoremello Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Looking fwd to another great season of dca period :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Looking fwd to another great season of dca period :) I hear ya, Holly. Whatever decision you guys make... you have been a welcome addition to the DCA scene!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 BINGO JEFF!! You hit the nail on the head. I think it's unfortunate that the "bigger is better" or "louder is better" stigma still comes into play. I can honestly say, man for man, just about every member in Fusion could be an asset to ANY corps in DCA and many of them would fair well in DCI. Just because they were members of a Class A corps does not make them any less talented than anyone else. I can tell you one thing. When you're a member of a Class A Corps, especially a corps who pushes the envelope and challenges their members, there is no time to rest. How nice would it be to be a member in a 12 member mello or TUBA line. Stagger breathing would be a breeze, but smaller lines playing kick a** parts at 180 bpm is much more challenging. It's no easy task AND you don't get much, if any credit for the extra effort being put in. Now, I know some may argue "well, your an A Corps.......keep it simple" but honestly, THIS IS DRUM CORPS. I get the importance of "entertaining" and I love it but GIVE ME SOME HARDCORE DRUM CORPS or give me nothing. That's my motto. I want my members to experience what it feels like to be in DRUM CORPS. That all being said, we also need to capture the "entertaining" caption as well, which I have no doubt we have done with this year's show but we're still challenging our members. A class doesn't have to be simple. it has to be designed smart. There IS a difference. One Fusion, Govies, Gold and some others have shown over the years. but if you have 20 horns and you're trying to play Fire of Eternal Glory like you're Phantom 93, then no, it's not gonna work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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