Do All Corps Want To Be World Class?

[Mike78Mello]

Does every Open Class corps dream of one day becoming a World Class drum corps?

Could it be that the top World Class corps are purely in the entertainment business. In contrast, could Open Class be a destination for corps with the objective to provide young people awesome experiences.

Are all corps will to accept the World Class compromise? ...Be willing to forsaken high school students in pursuit to one day having mostly university-age students. ...Be willing to forsaken their local community connections in order to recruit nationally? ...be willing to continual tour for at least four to six weeks?

Are there are some great Open Class success modules that don't lead to flailing in the lower strata of World Class?

Edited July 18, 2013 by Mike78Mello

[rayfallon]

Does every Open Class corps dream of one day becoming a World Class drum corps?

Could it be that the top World Class corps are purely in the entertainment business. In contrast, could Open Class be a destination for corps with the objective to provide young people awesome experiences.

Are all corps will to accept the World Class compromise? ...Be willing to forsaken high school students in pursuit to one day having mostly university-age students. ...Be willing to forsaken their local community connections in order to recruit nationally? ...be willing to continual tour for at least four to six weeks?

Are there are some great Open Class success modules that don't lead to flailing in the lower strata of World Class?

You sound angry... I think there are a good number of examples of corps happy to be growing and successful in OC. My daughter loved her time with BDB and speaks of them as a World-Class organization that she would have stayed with forever except for the need to head back East. 7th Regiment seems healthy and growing. Spartans are a perennial success story - I think the list, while not like the old days, is pretty healthy.

But I don't think there's anything wrong with the World Class model either. It's not for everybody, but for the kids who go down that road it's an experience they can't get anywhere else in the world, and I mean the Pioneer kids the same way as the top 6 kids. It's intense, it's structured, it's musical, it's team-building to the point of family building.

It's like nothing else on Earth. And I love the OC movement, and am glad it's there.

BTW, I don't see the lower strata of World Class as "flailing"... Jersey Surf is tearing up audiences with a whole new thing, the fight between Blue Star, Crossmen, Trooper, Colts, and maybe others is as intense as the fight for the top. If by flailing you mean working hard and not winning... I think you'd get some strong arguments.

[luv4corps]

You sound like you believe there is something wrong with a corps trying to get as far as they can get competitively... Or wanting to continue to challenge themselves...

[Mike78Mello]

In the Northwest, the Spokane Thunder has been very successful for the last several years with a 7-10 day tour. This year the Pasco Columbians followed a similar model. Both corps were very respectable, certainly adding to the shows. City Sound and Impulse are two similar corps in California that have a consistently fielded corps. While these corps my not travel to DCI Championships, they do seem to have found a place in the drum corps community. I wonder if these are unique situations, or if other communities across the nation could similarly sustain a drum corps at a local level?

[CrunchyTenor]

As a former board member for Impulse, of course we talked about "one day" becoming a World Class corps. But from what I've seen in the 10 years since moving away from SoCal, it seems the corps has settled into their role as an Open Class competitor offering new drum corps members the opportunity to march.

There is a purpose for Open Class. In many ways I wish we still had two lower divisions. It's very difficult for the smaller corps, those that used to compose Division III to compete successfuly with the larger corps that were Division II.

Maybe it's time for another re-structure. Restore the Division II and III (maybe with some other designation name), and add SoundSport as a third lower division.

Garry in Vegas

PS BTW, I don't think Mike sounds angry at all. I think he asks some legitimate questions.

Edited July 19, 2013 by CrunchyTenor

[rayfallon]

PS BTW, I don't think Mike sounds angry at all. I think he asks some legitimate questions.

Nah, he's angry - he PM'ed me to tell me he's angry. What he's angry about he's right about too.

We always talk about the 800 lb gorilla in the room no one will talk about.

Open Class seems like the 10 lb puppy no one will talk about. "Ah look - he's so cute..."

Meanwhile the kids have made a committment to a level you can find nowhere else, except of course world-class.

Maybe someday we'll appreciate them and give them the accolades they deserve. They shouldn't have to do what Carolina Crown has done - grow from a Div I corps to rule the world - in order to have us pay attention to what they accomplish.

[Mike78Mello]

Maybe it's time for another re-structure. Restore the Division II and III (maybe with some other designation name), and add SoundSport as a third lower division.

I really appreciate the thoughts on Division III. I wonder if others perceive a benefit in having a smaller Class for corps.

It was exciting in our NW corner of the country when the Cascades (2000) and Oregon Crusaders (2004) won Division III. Having an attainable goal seemed to be a big boost for those corps.

I would rather see more quality 80-member corps than organizations stretching to field larger corps. It is much easier to budget for a smaller corps than for a big corps. It is also much easier to manage a tour for a corps comprised of younger members if the number of members are a litter lower.

Mike

P.S. For myself, I will better isolate passion from the appearance of anger. Drum corps is a great activity, both World and Open.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Mike78Mello

[N.E. Brigand]

The following list, which I had been thinking of posting in a thread of its own before I read this one, is not meant to be taken as any sort of judgment on the scope of the summer commitments the following corps have made. I was merely curious about how many shows each Open Class corps was appearing at this summer (through O.C. Prelims, if applicable), and so:

19

Legends*

18

Vanguard Cadets*

14

Blue Devils B*

7th Regiment*

13

Colt Cadets*

Genesis*

Raiders*

11

Music City*

Spartans*

9

Impulse

Racine Scouts*

8

Thunder

7

Blue Devils C

City Sound

Gold*

Les Stentors*

6

Blue Saints*

Taipei Yuehfu*

4

Columbians

3

Coastal Surge**

*includes appearance at Open Class Prelims

**in exhibition

I'm not sure if this list tells us anything, but there it is.

[rayfallon]

The following list, which I had been thinking of posting in a thread of its own before I read this one, is not meant to be taken as any sort of judgment on the scope of the summer commitments the following corps have made. I was merely curious about how many shows each Open Class corps was appearing at this summer (through O.C. Prelims, if applicable), and so:

19

Legends*

18

Vanguard Cadets*

14

Blue Devils B*

7th Regiment*

13

Colt Cadets*

Genesis*

Raiders*

11

Music City*

Spartans*

9

Impulse

Racine Scouts*

8

Thunder

7

Blue Devils C

City Sound

Gold*

Les Stentors*

6

Blue Saints*

Taipei Yuehfu*

4

Columbians

3

Coastal Surge**

*includes appearance at Open Class Prelims

**in exhibition

I'm not sure if this list tells us anything, but there it is.

Don't blame BDC - some of the shows are later than they're allowed to stay up...

[rayfallon]

I really appreciate the thoughts on Division III. I wonder if others perceive a benefit in having a smaller Class for corps.

It was exciting in our NW corner of the country when the Cascades (2000) and Oregon Crusaders (2004) won Division III. Having an attainable goal seemed to be a big boost for those corps.

I would rather see more quality 80-member corps than organizations stretching to field larger corps. It is much easier to budget for a smaller corps than for a big corps. It is also much easier to manage a tour for a corps comprised of younger members if the number of members are a litter lower.

Mike

P.S. For myself, I will better isolate passion from the appearance of anger. Drum corps is a great activity, both World and Open.

Mike,

Every single word you've written is true... (but) hypothetically, what happens when your 80 person corps progresses, and excels to the point that the new members that are drawn to your well-run organization far outnumber the age-outs and/or move-ons? Do you expand from a solid 80 to a shakier 96 because it's an even busload? Do you increase the number of techs to keep up with growth? Do you buy instruments like twice the number of $8,000 tubas or marimbas?

And if you decide to hold the line, whom do you turn away? Do you audition fresh each fall and keep the "best" 80? if so do you turn away any of your original 80 who might not be as strong as the new blood?

Honest, I'm not busting. I've been watching my son and his corps (disclaimer - he's the brass guy, not the one that has to pay for buses or tubas) as they grow to 40+ horns a little at a time.

One thing about DCP, all our thoughts work on paper - it's why we're here.

It's harder on grass and/or turf.

I don't think you're incorrect. it just isn't simple. Good management breeds healthy growth. Healthy growth breeds larger expenses. you just succeeded yourself out of your class by doing exactly what you prescribed.

Which is good, right? (right?)(it works on paper)