5 good reason the activity is destined to end

[mrk]

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” ~Plato. I'm not sure if my need to "speak" is wise or foolish, but I offer my humble "half-full" perspective:

In 1991, by my count, 22 “open class” corps competed in quarter finals. In 2011, 23 “world class” corps competed in the quarter finals. In 1991, membership was limited to 128. Currently, membership is limited to 150. If the top ten corps each season fielded a “full corps”, that alone would account for 220 more members on the field for finals in 2011 over 1991.

This would suggest that the world class has expanded (albeit barely) based on the number corps and perhaps more so based on membership. At a minimum, to me, it suggests an overall 20 year period of relative stability. Taking into account the many cultural and technological changes that have occurred over that same period, that’s quite an accomplishment for any youth activity, especially one that is voluntary and fee-based.

Certainly, the challenges of sustainability are numerous and occasionally daunting. I’m not trivializing the valid concerns that have been raised. I’ve had a friend and former marcher say at least once a decade since the mid-80's, “That’s it, drum corps, won’t survive this.” I look forward to hearing him say it again in 2020, 2030 . . .

[trumpetcam]

if you want parity, then make it a paid activity. If corps B wants to move up, like any other sport, they could buy out several great lead trumpets or a center snare from one of the top groups. If this happened like sports, you could buy a great team, ala Yankees.

It's a youth activity, so when top kids have the option to take their talents elsewhere, they typically are leaving 12-20 and going to 1-6 at some point. Not going to change anytime soon unless the present model gets reinvented. No different than picking a college for a music degree and its why a school like Indiana and UNT have tons of trumpets audition, while the smaller schools only have a handful. Its human nature to want to go be a part of the best. At least if you are truly motivated to be great in life.

[audiodb]

1- The financial model is unsustainable.

2- To much competition from other activities.

3- There is no oversight.

4-There is no real competition in DCI.

5- Theres no next generation of corps

The sky is falling!

[jasgre2000]

4-There is no real competition in DCI.

Okay this might cause the most controvesary because I'm going to get tons of examples were corps A only beat corps B by 9/10's or how each years theres movement and this year the Cavaliers will finish outside the top 4 for the first time in decades. Sure all true, but what chance does the Colts, or Crossmen or even the Academy have of winning. I'm talking about finishing 12 this year and winning next year. NON, ZERO ZIP NADA. Only in DCI is that not possible. In baseball you get worst to first, baseball, heck even tennis once in a while but never DCI. But in DCI the top 12 run things. Maybe thats way theres been so little movement in the top 7. The major leagues want parity. It creates more competition. Who wants to see every football game win 35 to 7. But thats what we get with each show. If I see a line up of Cadets, Bluecoats, Crossmen, Surf I'll get the right order of finish 9.5 out of 10 each time. I bet most fans can pick the right order of finish for the next 10 shows, no real competition.

Signed Carolina Crown.

It doesn't happen overnight, but Crown has proved that you can go from 16th to 10th to 7th to 4th to 2nd . . . in a handful of years. The idea that corps are locked into certain positions, never to move up or down, is just not true. Corps can get better, and corps can get worse.

[jasgre2000]

There really is a simple answer to why there are financial problems with some corps ... THE ECONOMY SUCKS. DCI is not unique in their problems. Nearly every similar organization, with the exception of the NFL, is having a hard time right now. Weather the storm, and things will get better.

[MikeD]

Signed Carolina Crown.

It doesn't happen overnight, but Crown has proved that you can go from 16th to 10th to 7th to 4th to 2nd . . . in a handful of years. The idea that corps are locked into certain positions, never to move up or down, is just not true. Corps can get better, and corps can get worse.

Look at the resurrection of the Blue Stars, from Div III to WC Finals in recent years.

[jasgre2000]

Found three in about 5 minutes (thanks, Google).

Boston Celtics - 16 in 30 years (56-86)

UNC women's soccer - 20 in 29 years (82-09)

Manchester United (EPL soccer) - 12 in 20 years (92-12)

Many more examples in the lower-profile college sports, especially below Div I. The comparison between DCI and sports programs is probably better suited for college/HS than professional, even though it's touted as the major leagues. Drum corps has no draft to evenly distribute talent (and it shouldn't), and neither does college athletics. Kids choose where they go and play, based on a variety of factors, just like DC.

In the past 50 years, only about 15 (out of 120) D1A college football teams have won national championships. Being top heavy is certainly not unprecedented or unhealthy. In fact, it is quite common.

[shaners]

The top corps make much more money for themselves and DCi than do the mid to lower corps.

It costs more money to be first than it does to be last.

This is where parity could play a huge role in keeping corps alive.

Professional sports have salary caps, why not drum corps?

Edited July 13, 2012 by shaners

[jasgre2000]

Of the 43 remaining active DCI corps this season (in Open and World), California has 11 of them.

Literally a quarter of DCI is in California now. And to think, there have been at least a half-dozen MORE California corps that have come and gone in the past decade (Fever, Incognito, Esperanza, Mystikal, Alliance...)

This is a state with horribly funded schools, arts programs being razed like wheat, and high cost of living. How come DCI is (relatively) thriving?

My belief: drum corps is basically a "regional" system out here. Many of the CA corps do not do a full tour; some don't leave the state at all. Yet the state still has what is basically a three-week tour in June/July.

DCI's survival will require at least a PARTIAL back-tracking to the "regional" schedules of decades pasts, where corps maybe only cover 1/4 or 1/3 the country before Finals. All corps shows like San Antonio, Atlanta, and Allentown need to be gotten rid of (meaning, get rid of the "all corps" requirement). I would be perfectly fine with DCI World Prelims on Wednesday night being the first time all year all the corps are competing together.

I understand DCI's drive towards visibility and applaud their efforts to get the activity out there... but the current model just is not sustainable. Reality is going to triumph; you can work with it or fight against it, but it's going to win.

I agree with this, but I do think there needs to be room for the top corps to compete against each other before finals. I don't really understand why people disliked the TOC idea, but I think it makes perfect sense. Regionalize, and then have the top 8 corps from the previous years finals invited to special TOC shows in each region. Watering down shows by preventing the top corps from meeting together is not the way to grow the business.

[jasgre2000]

Third: I absolutely think WC status should only be awarded to the top 17 every year the way it used to work with quarter finals. Maybe that was a bad idea from a financial stand point, and maybe you restructure open class fees/rules/payouts to make it attractive to everyone that isn't WC. I don't know.

Why not implement promotion and relegation, like the European soccer leagues:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_and_relegation