ashyUechi Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 Why would a corps take on the high expense of extra instruments, staff, food, housing, transportation, instruction, et. al. when most school band programs around the country are already providing those very things to many, many youth around the nation? Even the Cadets2 program is not designed as a "feeder" corps in the sense of it being a training ground for local youth. Because we love drum corps and want to see it thrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyUechi Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 So - having more drum corps at the open class level is a bad/unnecessary thing? Should DCI be ONLY world class? I really don't understand the argument here. Do you feel open class is redundant to the HS band circuit? I have no idea how you came to this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Because we love drum corps and want to see it thrive. Drum Corps "is" thriving today, just in a different way. We used to have just a precious few high caliber corps and a whole bunch, I mean a bucket-load of fair to really, really, really, bad corps (which gave us numbers of corps but not quality); today we have a lot of high quality corps (most of the 12th place - whatever placing WC corps and many of the OC corps today are performing at a way higher quality level than most corps of yester-year gone by; moreover we have eliminated the number of the really, really, really bad corps (which to me is a great thing). Also, while SCV and BD do retain their cadet corps, there is no need for other "training" corps like the Cavalier Cadets or the Phantom Regiment Cadets anymore; scholastic music programs around the nation serve that aspect quite well. (p.s. Cadets2 is not, I repeat, is "not" a feeder/training corps with the caliber of players they have including the older players). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritVet Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I think I didn't make the clearest point and that I used the term feeder corps. The drum corps who survive today have the best management. These groups of managers could start more semi local drum corps and help increase the amount of groups we have. What if Crown started a weekend only corps and most of the members came from the Carolinas? What if Bluecoats did this? Or Phantom brought back their cadet group? Atlanta has a very strong marching band scene and there are many kids who may be interested in a weekend only corps? There are two great DCA organizations in place in Atlanta. Well, one this year, but normally two. I'm proud to be one of several people who has made their start in one of these organizations, gone to DCI, and come back when I aged out. Even if there is no true administrative connection between the DCA groups and Spirit of Atlanta, the presence of alumni from all organizations in all organizations has created a great amount of talent and interest in drum corps locally. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajwdad Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) Cadets2 had their first field performance this past weekend. Everyone who has seen this group have been very impressed with how it has come together. This is due in large part by the admin of YEA and their great job and resources in getting the corps started. Blue Devils B, C and SCV Cadets are always a fantastic drum corps. All three of these drum corps have great admin and thus great drum corps. Is the future growth of the activity through the great organizations we already have? If each drum corps started a local "feeder" corps we would have a huge increase in sustainable corps? Welcome to the place where you can find instant criticism. Hope that your skin is pretty thick. Back to your original point. Are feeders or younger corps a good thing? Quick answer, in other activities, YES. Soccer, Baseball, basketball, Football, Tennis, Swimming, Hockey etc... Basically, you groom a ton of new fans, and get some good people that go on as well. I doubt that your original point was to argue HOW to do this best, but rather, is it a good idea. In marketing, we would like to reach our target audiences as early as possible. Sometimes, that is really early as in McDonald's case, and sometimes, not so good for society as in the case for Beer commercials. But, the value of establishing an early fan base or an early customer base is pretty clear. I have yet to see DCI apply much in the way of decent marketing principles, so I am not so sure that your idea will fly. But, from a marketing perspective and the perspective of growing the fan base, the idea has merit. Still has to be judged against the costs etc... but has merit. BTW, for SCVC and BDB, I believe the management for the open class corps is different than that of the world class corp. Edited July 3, 2012 by ajwdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Many of the bands are extremely competitive in the area, and have a very high level of performance...do you think they will be drawn to such a group? Bands, then, would seem to be a problem for starting a parade class corps, but an opportunity to recruit to competive corps. We don't have the problem/opportunity of having bands up here. Would younger kids here be attracted to such a corps? It's working for the brand new Windsor Diplomats. There are hundreds cut from auditions at the various WC camps each fall/winter. What I think is needed is a way to figure out how to keep more of those kids from just throwing in the towel and not marching in any corps. Example...You have a kid from, say, Vermont, who flies to a Crown camp and eventually gets cut...how do you get that person interested in the Spartans? I couldn't agree more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Welcome to the place where you can find instant criticism. Hope that your skin is pretty thick. Back to your original point. Are feeders or younger corps a good thing? Quick answer, in other activities, YES. Soccer, Baseball, basketball, Football, Tennis, Swimming, Hockey etc... Basically, you groom a ton of new fans, and get some good people that go on as well. I doubt that your original point was to argue HOW to do this best, but rather, is it a good idea. In marketing, we would like to reach our target audiences as early as possible. Sometimes, that is really early as in McDonald's case, and sometimes, not so good for society as in the case for Beer commercials. But, the value of establishing an early fan base or an early customer base is pretty clear. I have yet to see DCI apply much in the way of decent marketing principles, so I am not so sure that your idea will fly. But, from a marketing perspective and the perspective of growing the fan base, the idea has merit. Still has to be judged against the costs etc... but has merit. BTW, for SCVC and BDB, I believe the management for the open class corps is different than that of the world class corp. many DCA corps have had younger members cut their teeth, then go to DCI, then come back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler C. Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Atlanta has a very strong marching band scene and there are many kids who may be interested in a weekend only corps? If you know of kids who want a weekend corps, Atlanta CV would love to see them this December. Alliance would, too, if/when they return from inactivity. There are two great DCA organizations in place in Atlanta. Well, one this year, but normally two. I'm proud to be one of several people who has made their start in one of these organizations, gone to DCI, and come back when I aged out. Even if there is no true administrative connection between the DCA groups and Spirit of Atlanta, the presence of alumni from all organizations in all organizations has created a great amount of talent and interest in drum corps locally. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler C. Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 There are hundreds cut from auditions at the various WC camps each fall/winter. What I think is needed is a way to figure out how to keep more of those kids from just throwing in the towel and not marching in any corps. Example...You have a kid from, say, Vermont, who flies to a Crown camp and eventually gets cut...how do you get that person interested in the Spartans? I think that leadership should come from the top, with DCI World Class. I know Spirit pitched Atlanta CV to the people they cut, and we picked up at least a few people from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I think that leadership should come from the top, with DCI World Class. I know Spirit pitched Atlanta CV to the people they cut, and we picked up at least a few people from that. IMO there should be a coordinated effort between WC and open class on something like this. It is great that Spirit of Atlanta has a few move to the CV, but what if the kid came from Vermont, as I posed above? How do all the corps try and hang on to that person...to get them into their closest Open class corps, in this case the Spartans, for instance? I have positied before the idea that maybe at the START of an audition weekend an Open class corps director come and make a general presentation about the Open class experience as an alternative to doing nothing. It could be a DCI-created general presentation, not something that would need to be created for each corps for each camp. I wouldn't do it at the end...a person cut might not be in the best mood to hear about 'Plan B', so to speak, after just being cut from their dream corps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.