5 ways to save DCI

[charlie1223]

2- Reduce the cost of starting a corps

How would be for a corps to ask players to bring their own horns? How would that go over. I want to start a corps but can only afford drums, But then I need so many mallet instruments and accessories and stuff to get it on the field I can't buy uni's. Then theres leasing buses, a food wagon, vehicles for staff, hell paying what 5 horn people, 5 drum staff, 2 guard cherographers, (when did that change), drill writer, marching techs, program co-ordinator, Jesus H, no wonder no one starts a corps anymore. What would the minimum staff of a 40H 16B 6P 26G corps be? There has to be a cheaper way.

DCI has no control over the costs of equipment. You can suggest DCI change the rules for sizes of corps, or allow for no sound equipment but saying you need to reduce the cost of starting a corps isn't necessarily a policy decision that can be done by DCI. It's a fact that corps are expensive to build if you want to start from scratch. But starting a corps is only as expensive as you want it to be. Used an old trumpet and sling drum and you have yourself a corps. The quality that we are used to and the quality that attracts sustainable growth costs a lot of money.

3- Advertise, advertise, advertise

Stop preaching to the chiors. In the 30 plus years there been a show in West Chester PA I think I've seen maybe 3 ads in the local paper here in Wilmington DE about 20 mins away. Never any TV or radio ads. But since the shows are usually sold out theres no need. BUT if you had 2000 seats and sold out at $15 but 3000 wanted to attended how much could you really charge. With more demand you can charge more. Also if you have more corps with regional touring you can defently cahrge more. But more people need to be aware of the activity. Maybe thats why hald the theatres are half empty each year. Something like that should be sold out, then have a 2nd showing on tape.

I see DCI had set up ambassador programs to promote the activity. http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=10d258cb-7f91-440b-80e2-95f8c24eb188

Aswell as signing an agreement with an American Idol to perform at finals... who made a pop music video about DCI.

Seems like a step in the right direction, no?

4- Expand the circuit.

I don't see an issue having an indoor corps. WGI is going to have something in several years because their already headed that way. What will this do. By going indoor and regional it lets you expand the time involved. You have field alreeady avaiable with over 100 indoor football teams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Indoor_American_football_leagues_in_the_United_States. Kids would be able to march on the weekends and not miss school. Your season could be from January to april to co-incide with the football season. Your corps could perform at these gamnes to earn money.

Bringing in woodwinds brings DCI in direct competition with Band. Alot of directos hate drum corps anyway. This might not help.

There is a niche for this already and it's called Weekend only drum corps... Also, you think that adding a new circuit/competitive landscape that is untested and RISKY is the best way to save DCI? You don't think that starting an indoor drum corps circuit would lose money atleast for the first couple years?

5- Get a Director with some real power.

The power needs to be taken out the corps hands and given to an independent authority. In every major sport the Commisioner is appointed by the owners with a set contract. This contract lets him tell the owners kiss my ### at times but lets him work for the benefit of the sport. Look at boxing without a central authority. Maybe thats why UFC is becoming more popular then boxing, at least in America.

Restructuring the BOD etc. is a more feasible option but does not guarantee any kind of "save" for DCI but worth looking into for sure.

[azwethinkweizm]

Drum corps is dead. You cannot change the current model without changing EVERYTHING THAT DEFINES DCI.

[MikeD]

1- Change the model

Country wide touring is killing the activity. Yes corps are doing it but at what cost. Gas is at an all time high and not going below $3 a gallon anytime soon. Insurance rates are sky rocketing.

It is not cheap, for sure. Is it 'killing' the activity? Most of the corps that have folded over the past 40 years were not corps that toured...they were the small local corps. How many of the 440 that existed in 1971 were 1971 equivalent of todays touring corps? 10%??? Probably less, really.

1A Go regional. Set up the country in whatever regions you want. These corps perform in that region the first half of the year. Then tour in the next closet region. Southeast would tour in the Northeast, Northeast would go Midwest etc. Each region would have one wildcard corps that would go into the other direction. This does two things. It reduces the cost because now corps are spending more time together. They are in the same city so they can share cost. Larger discount on food purchases and gas. Possibly sharing travelling cost with the smaller corps.

Where are the corps and shows enough to support such a model? Even if touring regionally, every member still needs to be housed and fed just like today...and the corps will still be travelling every day, just in a smaller piece of the country. I don't see the huge savings.

2- Reduce the cost of starting a corps

How would be for a corps to ask players to bring their own horns? How would that go over. I want to start a corps but can only afford drums, But then I need so many mallet instruments and accessories and stuff to get it on the field I can't buy uni's. Then theres leasing buses, a food wagon, vehicles for staff, hell paying what 5 horn people, 5 drum staff, 2 guard cherographers, (when did that change), drill writer, marching techs, program co-ordinator, Jesus H, no wonder no one starts a corps anymore. What would the minimum staff of a 40H 16B 6P 26G corps be? There has to be a cheaper way.

Other than possibly trumpets, who has horns to bring? Most of the tech staffs are not making all that much money. Very little savings there.

3- Advertise, advertise, advertise

Stop preaching to the chiors. In the 30 plus years there been a show in West Chester PA I think I've seen maybe 3 ads in the local paper here in Wilmington DE about 20 mins away. Never any TV or radio ads. But since the shows are usually sold out theres no need. BUT if you had 2000 seats and sold out at $15 but 3000 wanted to attended how much could you really charge. With more demand you can charge more. Also if you have more corps with regional touring you can defently cahrge more. But more people need to be aware of the activity. Maybe thats why hald the theatres are half empty each year. Something like that should be sold out, then have a 2nd showing on tape.

Just fyi on the show you note...it is part of the Vivace Marching Band leadership camp/George Parks DM camp, so a good portion of the crowd is 'built in' with camp attendees...their tuition pays the ticket price. Plus, of course, other folks who go...as you say, it is a sellout, at least the years I have been there.

Edited July 13, 2012 by MikeD

[fsubone]

Better way to save DCI in only three steps

1.) DONATE. If you're so concerned, make sure you're doing your part to keep corps from going under. Either donate to their gas funds, or sponsor members, or at least buy some souvies from them. When corps are spending 2-3 million dollars a summer, they need everything they can get, and everything from us fans helps keep those corps solvent.

2.) VOLUNTEER OR GET ON A STAFF- do help out a corps in order to keep them running smoothly day-to-day, or to help make a corps better. Some corps would love to get more people on their cook trucks, or driving trucks, or teaching the bass drums for a couple of weeks. Just do something to help make sure that the corps are running well and doing the best they can out there.

3.) ADVERTISE AND TAKE PEOPLE TO SHOWS- DCI is such a niche activity, that any exposure helps us. Take your friends to a show who may not know what drum corps is. If you have kids in a band program, organize a carpool with band kids to get to a show, or ask the band director to do that. Just get people to shows. Lots of shows are set up so that the corps get a cut of ticket sales, so at an average of $20 a ticket, if you can get 20 people to go to a show, that's an extra $400 that could go to the corps.

"Saving" DCI is one of those things that unless you're personally willing to go out and help keep the corps running, you really have no reason or right to be complaining about it

[Blackstar]

Why do I continue to use examples. Maybe I over estimate peoples grasp of the situation..... smh

People say volunteer to help out. I work 50 hours, volunteered at the fire company for 35 years, have a daughterin college I got to pay for. When do I and most people have time to volunteer.

Donate, if I'm going to give money to a cause its going to be one thar benefits the most people or those that really need it. I'm not going to give money to a group of people that can pay thousands of dollars flying to practice and can afford to take a summer off. Yes I know everyone doesn't fly and are struggling to pay fees but my money goes to food banks and reading programs.

When I mentioned bringing their own instruments I was looking for a way to reduce the cost of start up. Without reducing cost their no future. Having budgers in the hundreds of thousands without a viable, stable income there is no activity.

[Stu]

Why do I continue to use examples. Maybe I over estimate peoples grasp of the situation..... smh

People say volunteer to help out. I work 50 hours, volunteered at the fire company for 35 years, have a daughterin college I got to pay for. When do I and most people have time to volunteer.

Donate, if I'm going to give money to a cause its going to be one thar benefits the most people or those that really need it. I'm not going to give money to a group of people that can pay thousands of dollars flying to practice and can afford to take a summer off. Yes I know everyone doesn't fly and are struggling to pay fees but my money goes to food banks and reading programs.

When I mentioned bringing their own instruments I was looking for a way to reduce the cost of start up. Without reducing cost their no future. Having budgers in the hundreds of thousands without a viable, stable income there is no activity.

Maybe you overestimate your own understanding of other people:

a) You volunteered as a fireman for 35 years; good for you! I know someone who has volunteered as a medical professional for a touring corps for the same amount of time; good for her! Question: Who is more noble as a volunteer you or her?

b) You donate money to help out a particular cause; good for you. I know someone who donates to a 501c3 major symphony orchestra; great for him. Question: Who is more noble in their donations you or him?

[Randy Lamon]

Why do I continue to use examples. Maybe I over estimate peoples grasp of the situation..... smh

Donate, if I'm going to give money to a cause its going to be one thar benefits the most people or those that really need it. I'm not going to give money to a group of people that can pay thousands of dollars flying to practice and can afford to take a summer off. Yes I know everyone doesn't fly and are struggling to pay fees but my money goes to food banks and reading programs.

.

I always try to help your those that are struggling in my local drum corps. I would not donate to members that are traveling across the country to be in the corps. Most of the kids in the corps, I'm in contact with, are local. I think that the activity will have a positive effect on the members lives and those whom can't afford the activity might benefit more than those whom can. Giving to food banks is great, but many people can afford to give to both. Sadly, many of the alumni that i know, are able to give to both, but don't.

Drum corps nedd to also work for the money they recieve. I wrote a $500 check to a corps that never even said thank you. It didn't even put me on thier mailing list and they never contacted me again. I had to write to them to get a reciept for my taxes, which they never did. I will never donate to them again. Had they just said thanks for your donation and sent me a reciept, I would have repeated. One would think that the corps would have been happy to recieve donations, since they took a year off to get their financial act together. Most corps do thank you. Anyone who has donated to the Cadets knows that you will hear from them again and will receive 10000000 emails a year. The Oregon Crusaders are a good group. They hold several fun events that give you opertunities to donate and have no problem telling you how grateful they are and you don't have to ask for a reciept.

[Shadowtron]

Why do I continue to use examples. Maybe I over estimate peoples grasp of the situation..... smh

People say volunteer to help out. I work 50 hours, volunteered at the fire company for 35 years, have a daughterin college I got to pay for. When do I and most people have time to volunteer.

Donate, if I'm going to give money to a cause its going to be one thar benefits the most people or those that really need it. I'm not going to give money to a group of people that can pay thousands of dollars flying to practice and can afford to take a summer off. Yes I know everyone doesn't fly and are struggling to pay fees but my money goes to food banks and reading programs.

When I mentioned bringing their own instruments I was looking for a way to reduce the cost of start up. Without reducing cost their no future. Having budgers in the hundreds of thousands without a viable, stable income there is no activity.

Increasing dependence on donations is never a good answer. It doesn't help sustain the activity for more than a short term fix. Sure I'll gladly buy a t-shirt at high margin and participate in miscellaneous fundraisers but sending $1000 so a kid can fly to camps seems less valuable, IMO, than other charitable outlets. DCI should really only depend on donations for 10-15% of income.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Shadowtron

[Hup234]

"1- Change the model. Country wide touring is killing the activity. Go regional.

1B Change the pay rate. Everyone gets the same amount for each show."

That was possible in the '70s but there are not enough units anymore. The DCI model has allowed 90% of the Golden Age corps to vanish.

"2- Reduce the cost of starting a corps."

Right, as seen during the Golden Age; start small and build from there. Been saying that for years, but the current leadership artistes would never go for anything less than a champagne budget for their molto expensivo instrumentations and matching salaries. There could be two co-existing structures: Golden Age and New Order, like Vintage Baseball with its 19th Century rules and uniforms. But I don't see elitist-DCI allowing that.

"3- Advertise, advertise, advertise. Stop preaching to the choirs."

With diminishing numbers each year that's growing more difficult, and the activity now is designed to appeal not to the audience but to whatever will please the crew of in-group artiste judges for that almighty score. The audience (likewise diminishing) has become only a necessary evil to pay salaries.

"4- Expand the circuit."

Can't. Too many corps have folded. Unless the current elitist system is thrown out, and that won't happen with the follower-mentality now prevalent.

"5- The power needs to be taken out the corps hands and given to an independent authority."

Exactly. That's what existed before the Combine/DCI artiste usurpers took over forty years ago, and it worked well. Of course, the current regime won't ever relinquish its control to any such group; they're the heirs of the usurpers who hijacked the activity away from the independent leadership of that time.

The great American activity of Drum Corps is terminal, though too many of its participants still can't or won't count the numbers. Oh, there'll probably be some remnant left over, maybe a circuit of 8-10 super-corps, but it's too late to halt the inevitable. The will just isn't there. It's like the Pete Seeger song:

"We're knee-deep in the Big Muddy, and the Big Fool says to push on."

[Cache_Money]

In my opinion, all of those who think DCI can survive by downscaling (less touring, more regional focus, cheaper instruments, lower fees, etc.) are wrong.

The local model will not work today. High school bands have taken the place of local corps, and there's too many other activities to compete with.

DCI can only thrive by offering something high school bands cannot: the touring experience, and performing with, competing against and learning from the top marching music talent in the country.

Yes, this model leads to a smaller number of super-corps (as opposed to a larger number of very good corps), but this is the only viable path for the future, I believe.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Cache_Money