Appreciate what you've got

[Barifonium]

Forte is the FOURTH corps this year that couldn't make it to Indy.

Teal Sound

Racine Scouts

Forte

Velvet Knights

Also, this corps could not make it member-wise to tour this year: Citations.

Another poster made mention of people watching corps in the lot and not seeing the smaller groups. We NEED to support the little guys that struggle every year. We are each responsible in a small, indirect way for not helping these guys out.

I say we start a massive fund-raising drive to help get the corps back on their feet by donating to them. It seems that corporate structure is not an issue, but money is.

It's time for us as a community to band together and help those corps that need it the most, particularly the ones mentioned above.

I'd like to see all of them on the field, IN INDY again in 3 years, tops. I think we on DCP can make that happen.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Barifonium

[fsubone]

Another poster made mention of people watching corps in the lot and not seeing the smaller groups. We NEED to support the little guys that struggle every year. We are each responsible in a small, indirect way for not helping these guys out.

I think this is something we all could and really should do. I know you marched Open Class, I did too and I know how much it sucks to perform a show in front of an empty stadium, only to see it packed by the time BD came on. It's discouraging to know we're working just as hard, but get less recognition from it because people are in the lot.

Since I'm now aged-out (technically), I plan to start taking a bit of the money I earn from teaching, and spread it around to a few corps this season, the ones I know really need it, and deserve the money. I know how formative Open Class was to me, and I would hate to see more of those corps go away. For lots of kids, that's the only chance they get to march drum corps, and we can't let more kids lose that chance to march and have the summer of their lives. I've already pledged money to a couple of kids, and I plan to do more next year to help keep these corps on the field.

[skywhopper]

Agree that something needs to be done. A few thoughts:

Small-scale individual fundraising can help, but only at a targeted level. Determining which corps are in the most dire need of money, and which will be the most likely to use any donations well is important.

Regardless of however healthy the activity is in general, corps will fail from time to time. The fact that new corps don't seem to be being born to replace them is a major concern. It looks like Mystikal may be trying to come back to life, and you hear about new ventures from time to time. Are there resources and support for these groups out there that they're missing out on? Should there be?

DCI has a role to play, too. After seeing four corps bail on their tours, and a fifth come very close, DCI needs to make a statement after the season is over that they recognize there's a problem and lay out what they plan to do about it. Maybe it's a restructure of the performance compensation system, maybe it's a restructure of the tour or other requirements, maybe it's a more rigorous financial vetting process. Maybe it's a seeding program to try to start up new corps, or assist corps that are getting started, before they even think about joining DCI.

The G7 ought to be worried about this as well. Fewer smaller corps means fewer experienced recruits to the elite programs. It means fewer alumni and fewer alumni kids. It means fewer shows and fewer ticket and merch sales. BD, SCV, Colts, Cadets, and maybe a couple of others, run cadet corps. Should more do so? Could there be other kinds of partnerships between successful top corps and smaller, growing corps? I suppose the Cadets+Crossmen thing didn't work out spectacularly well but OTOH, Xmen are still around and getting stronger now that they're back on their own.

Edited July 26, 2012 by skywhopper

[DrumManTx]

In the three shows I've went to, I've never left during the Open/lower World corps performances to go to the lot, I think it's kinda rude unless you're meeting a son/daughter close friend, student, ect. Just my opinion though.

[SCVCRNMOM]

Everyone loves the big boys, but OC needs some love. You don't see much of us on YouTube or the DCI web site. You don't hear much about OC on Field Pass. It would be nice to get a bit more exposure. These corps work very hard and they should be recognized for it. Many of these corps are very good. I have seen BDB and SCVC and they have fantastic shows. I have not seen Oregon, but the reviews on this forum speak volumes. OC has great recruitment potential. It is a shorter tour that is more affordable and is a great way to enter the world of DCI. I love OC and I love that my kid was in it last year and is in it this year. I think I might keep on volunteering with SCVC even after my daughter ages out of DCI. Yep, I love it that much. I appreciate what I have. I appreciate you open class.

[skywhopper]

OC has great recruitment potential. It is a shorter tour that is more affordable and is a great way to enter the world of DCI. I love OC and I love that my kid was in it last year and is in it this year.

Definitely. I've seen it in my own daughter. She's attracted to the idea of participating in drum corps, but she's not always confident enough in her abilities, and the corps that are performing on a level she can more easily imagine herself achieving are the ones that appeal to her as potential first steps into the world of DCI. Combine that with shorter tours and lower costs and I definitely think open class is a great destination for many kids.

[supersop]

OC, in almost all cases is NOT more affordable. See Legends website for touring fees .. nearly 3k.

How about not letting ppl enter the stadium after the first 2 corps have gone on. How about, not letting ppl leave the stadium? I know that's not always for those with medical issues or smokers.

I still like my DCI Jumbotron idea. Do live feeds from the lot between corps. If you have to take a potty break ... no problem .. and for those that like the action .. they can watch it from their seats.

Most importantly .. bring back the regional circuits. There will be more shows available on tour ... I can't see how that wouldn't work. DCI has shrunk the schedule continuously over the past 20 years. Regional circuits used to hold as many as 20 shows per region. That was before the 3rd week in July, then the DCI tour kicked into gear. Less overhead and risk for DCI holding their own shows all tour ... more performance fees for the corps, shorter travel distances etc etc etc.

Yes, raising money is extremely important .. but ALL of the corps needs the DCI media machine to do a better job of promoting every single corps out there.

And a radical idea ........ all NON WC corps hold one great big national tryout in one location the first week of January. Anyone who didn't get a contract at Open House for the corps of their choice is invited to this try-out. All OC corps, and those WC corps who are struggling for membership would be on hand (their staff and recruiters) to audition prospective members for their corps. Scholarship recruits will have a separate tryout registration table, which includes scholarship applications .... .a pre-interview before doing their formal audition to evaluate the students financial situation etc.

I think it's time to start consolidating these efforts in order to help the smaller corps grow ... keep the WC lower/smaller corps on the road and maybe even have enough kids left over that DCI could do an official DCI All Star drum and bugle corps. Have them perform at regionals and events closest to the Indianapolis region. (An Allstar corps would be some years down the road .. after the existing corps sure up their ships and have the members they need ... and I'm assuming there would be an influx of excess potential members). The All Star corps could then be turned into an independent corps the following year or two ... with the help of DCI and their directors hiring, training and helping to set up the separate 501C3.

((goes to hide under his rock))

Edited July 26, 2012 by supersop

[chadwick]

When it comes to the non-major shows throughout the summer, I think they should get rid of the lowest scoring to highest scoring schedule and intermix the Open Class and lower placing World Class corps. This could pose some issues, but wouldn't it be cool for some of these groups to perform after a higher placing corps and have a larger audience?

You'd still have to have a notable corps going on near the end or you would have a mass exodus perhaps but I think it is doable.

[kaseyW]

Forte is the FOURTH corps this year that couldn't make it to Indy.

Teal Sound

Racine Scouts

Forte

Velvet Knights

Also, this corps could not make it member-wise to tour this year: Citations.

Another poster made mention of people watching corps in the lot and not seeing the smaller groups. We NEED to support the little guys that struggle every year. We are each responsible in a small, indirect way for not helping these guys out.

I say we start a massive fund-raising drive to help get the corps back on their feet by donating to them. It seems that corporate structure is not an issue, but money is.

It's time for us as a community to band together and help those corps that need it the most, particularly the ones mentioned above.

I'd like to see all of them on the field, IN INDY again in 3 years, tops. I think we on DCP can make that happen.

Is that in MLA or APA format?

Okay I'm being an ########. I do agree with you. The smaller corps are our foundation. The larger corps depend on the smaller corps for recruitment and competition. Without one, the other will fall.

[HeWhoWaits]

When it comes to the non-major shows throughout the summer, I think they should get rid of the lowest scoring to highest scoring schedule and intermix the Open Class and lower placing World Class corps. This could pose some issues, but wouldn't it be cool for some of these groups to perform after a higher placing corps and have a larger audience?

You'd still have to have a notable corps going on near the end or you would have a mass exodus perhaps but I think it is doable.

Why stop at the "non-major" shows? Why force fit the "notable" corps going at the end? Randomize the order at EVERY show and let the chips fall where they may. If there's a mass exodus after PR and before Legends, shame on the so-called "fans."

As someone who attends DCI Preliminaries and enjoys every show (from Spirit of Newark to the final corps of the night), I would love to see some sort of randomization.

The biggest potential "drawback" - the judges would have to score based on what they see/hear RIGHT NOW - not always "leaving room for the higher ranked corps to score higher, later." Could open up a whole different set of scoring/judging discussions.