Are we about dead?

[Windsor]

What Frank said.

[Glen]

The Secaucus show has been canceled.

Anyone have any info about the 7/27show at Secaucus, NJ? It was originally scheduled on 8/18 with three corps. Its now on the DCA web for 7/27 and still no corps are listed. Thanks

[Glen]

Here's a commercial message.

Buy one of these: http://dcacorps.3dcartstores.com/2013-Jacket-Patch_p_56.html .

You know you want one. And all your friends will have one. And they're cheap and ship for free too.

Thank you, and now, back to our show.

[HorizonCorps]

Ive been noticing the slow activity on here, too......but when your trying to start and build a new corps, its kinda hard to be in a spot to juxtaposition the two of them.

[camel lips]

Hey, all!

Something is VERY different this year on DCP. There is much less corps hype, spectator enthusiasm.

This has been declining bit by bit year after year.

My own observation has been this.

DCA seems to be marketing its package towards a younger audience. The younger audience thus far has yet to really follow in the numbers hoped for. IMHO many of the older audience members don't see much of a package for them to follow or any desire or ability to participate and have abandoned the activity to various degrees. Thus leaving DCP with much less hype and spectator enthusiasm.

Then there is FB which if you know where to look you can gleam more unfiltered information about what is going on in DCA. Still not much hype or enthusiasm going on over there per my comments above.

[Fred Windish]

Ed,

No doubt DCP is much different than it was just 5 years ago. There's no single reason, of course. We've had many listed here. I am most troubled by corps management's discouragement of members participating here. Think about it. A fledgling DCP owner, John Donovan, steps up to the plate to financially sponsor and promote DCA in a big way and many DCA principals respond with "We really discourage you from going there." That's always been hard for me to understand.

Next, it's now more likely anything someone posts here will be met with disagreement, even goaded into argument. How much of that are people willing to endure? It's a particular problem on the DCI side where 4-5 fans constantly attempt to out-intellect each other. Plus, anyone who takes time to review events on either side is blasted for their thoughts, after spending considerable effort to create their review. Geez, one can come here and say "I thought the (insert corps name) were excellent!" only to be met with "NO, not really, you must be a newbie, or you'd know they were much better last year." So, why bother contributing?

Finally, from what little I've seen, Facebook is geared to short, shallow responses. It's easier to blurt out 2-3 sentences. Easier maybe, just not better for the activity. There's also less fear there about heavy handed moderation. That's just not a place I want to go for enlightenment. Then there's tweeting. Yuck!

I don't miss black @ white TV, however.

[VOReason]

This has been declining bit by bit year after year.

My own observation has been this.

DCA seems to be marketing its package towards a younger audience. The younger audience thus far has yet to really follow in the numbers hoped for. IMHO many of the older audience members don't see much of a package for them to follow or any desire or ability to participate and have abandoned the activity to various degrees. Thus leaving DCP with much less hype and spectator enthusiasm.

Then there is FB which if you know where to look you can gleam more unfiltered information about what is going on in DCA. Still not much hype or enthusiasm going on over there per my comments above.

I don't really see DCA marketing themselves more toward a younger audience...not saying they don't, but I don't notice it. Any examples? And I, considering myself to be an "older audience member", still enjoy following the activity and attending shows whenever I can. I still enjoy senior drum corps competition, even though the results have been a tad one sided over the past 7-8 years. And I'm sure that once the season gets going, things will start to heat up! I will certainly try to do MY part!

Edited June 2, 2013 by VOReason

[Dan Detweiler]

When speaking of "marketing to a younger audience" I'm not sure if the poster meant the viewing audience or the membership. I certainly can't speak for any other corps, and really am only speaking my opinion in relation to my corps, but I feel that CV has actively changed it's marketing strategy over the last few years towards a younger membership. This has been rewarded, in our case, with much higher recruiting numbers and a renewed sense of momentum and drive.

Not sure how that relates to postings here, but I think most involved with the corps would agree, it certainly has been a healthy thing for us. Our private members Facebook pages have been EXTREMELY active through the winter and spring. Perhaps that is where the younger generation is more comfortable. I'm sure that, when push comes to shove, everyone will field their very best product and soon we will be pouring over the show reviews and offering our two cents! As always, CV wishes nothing but the best to all our competitors. Looking forward to seeing some of you in Hornell in about a month or so!

Dan

[KeithHall]

DCA markets to everyone but lets face it, todays drum corps IS for younger people!Not to say that older people can't do it but really it's always been the younger adult. Yes more and more high school/college age kids are doing DCA...for the experience to go to a DCI corps or because they don't want to travel all summer. DCA should be able to work with DCI to allow those smaller corps who have a financial issue to compete on a weekends only basis. Save the money to go to DCI Championships but forget all the "mandatory" touring.

[FPonzo]

I don't really see DCA marketing themselves more toward a younger audience...not saying they don't, but I don't notice it. Any examples?

I have an example, yes....

(And believe me, I am not bitter about this, but it DID happen!)...

Last year, for one of the DCA shows in the northeast, a friend of mine was doing the advertising. He asked my permission to use my picture on the ad. Of course I said yes, and I was honored that he asked me. The ad was put out, and yes, my picture was there along with other people from 4 or 5 other corps. 2 weeks later, the ad was changed....all the other people on the original ad was there, but my picture was replaced by a (much) younger member of my corps. Strange, I thought, but it made sense to me at the time that DCA was marketing towards a younger audience. Again, I'm not bitter one bit, but I understand why they did it!