Are we about dead?

[cixelsyd]

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?

Free speech has both pros and cons.

Regarding the show reviews, what if there was an option for a reviewer to lock their show review thread? That way, nobody else could post and argue with the reviewer.

[camel lips]

I still enjoy senior drum corps competition,

There are still Senior drum corps? Not saying there are/aren't any. Post some examples?

Edited June 3, 2013 by camel lips

[Jeff Ream]

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.

to be honest, DCA has really only been going after the younger crowd for what,2 years? it takes time. You see the interest building in several of the actual corps, and slowly but surely word spreads out from there.

The key is then on the corps.....get theyounger folks in...ok sure, they may go do DCI for a year or two...but then you haveto get them back.

You see a few corps doing this. And those are the corps doing well every year. DCA has also been doing some marketing appearances at events like DCI and WGI, which has helped. The next step would be to partner up with local band circuits.

[camel lips]

to be honest, DCA has really only been going after the younger crowd for what,2 years? it takes time. You see the interest building in several of the actual corps, and slowly but surely word spreads out from there.

The key is then on the corps.....get theyounger folks in...ok sure, they may go do DCI for a year or two...but then you haveto get them back.

You see a few corps doing this. And those are the corps doing well every year. DCA has also been doing some marketing appearances at events like DCI and WGI, which has helped. The next step would be to partner up with local band circuits.

To be honest DCA has been going after the younger crowd much longer than that. I think the correct language should be. "DCA has really only been going after the younger crowd AGGRESSIVELY for what, 2 years?"

[camel lips]

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!

Ive seen other examples too. Just none that I can directly point too.

[LegalEagle50]

To be honest DCA has been going after the younger crowd much longer than that. I think the correct language should be. "DCA has really only been going after the younger crowd AGGRESSIVELY for what, 2 years?"

Why is it bad that they are marketing themselves to a younger crowd? If they didn't they would cease to exist within a very limited amount of time, or be on life support.

[Kyle B]

Older people tend to probably have much busier lives with families & jobs, DCA should be going after a younger audience. Younger members will probably bring as many of their friends and families to the audience, rather than people who used to march who may only come alone, IMO.

[Jeff Ream]

To be honest DCA has been going after the younger crowd much longer than that. I think the correct language should be. "DCA has really only been going after the younger crowd AGGRESSIVELY for what, 2 years?"

I'll agree with that. until recently it's been more corps by corps than the circuit overall

[bill]

Older people tend to probably have much busier lives with families & jobs, DCA should be going after a younger audience. Younger members will probably bring as many of their friends and families to the audience, rather than people who used to march who may only come alone, IMO.

I would think a good balance and mix of ages would be the ideal for the "all age" sector.

Yes, one can mention older people have busier lives; but they also tend to be more established and stable within their careers and/or workplace, tend to have more schedule flexibility and the financial resources to be active as members.......and fans.

.....and all that opinion and 60 cents still only gets a small senior cup of coffee at the local McDonald's. :smile:/>

[bill]

The next step would be to partner up with local band circuits.

Kilts have been doing that for years; started in 1999 on a limited basis and moreso the last several seasons.