LegalEagle50 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 DCA, which is an inexpensive alternative to DCI, forces the corps to stay at the hotel for three nights. Thats 150 room nights or $16,874.29. *emphasis mine I was re-reading this last night with a clearer head (massive congestion makes things fuzzy). I went to sleep with feeling like these numbers were odd. I woke up feeling the same way. Part of it was me. I misread that to being 150 rooms and thought 'each member gets their own room?!?' (told you, congestion does a number on comprehension). BUT $5600 divided by 50 rooms equaled out to $112 per night which is still cheaper than what the average room was when looking as a spectator. Additionally in the traditional sleep 4 members to a room and 50 rooms seems like overkill. Can anyone from DCA/a DCA corps staff member (past or present) say if 50 rooms are the requirement for an Open Class corps? Because that number seems high. Or it could just still be the congestion..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 *emphasis mine I was re-reading this last night with a clearer head (massive congestion makes things fuzzy). I went to sleep with feeling like these numbers were odd. I woke up feeling the same way. Part of it was me. I misread that to being 150 rooms and thought 'each member gets their own room?!?' :blink:/> (told you, congestion does a number on comprehension). BUT $5600 divided by 50 rooms equaled out to $112 per night which is still cheaper than what the average room was when looking as a spectator. Additionally in the traditional sleep 4 members to a room and 50 rooms seems like overkill. Can anyone from DCA/a DCA corps staff member (past or present) say if 50 rooms are the requirement for an Open Class corps? Because that number seems high. Or it could just still be the congestion..... the number of room nights is determmined by the actual number of members on a sliding scale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 (edited) Yes, it is too expensive to play in the East Coast DCA sandbox. Yes it would be fun but for Corps West of Pennsylvania to perform at DCA every year but it's not really worth bashing your brains out trying to figure out ways to make the money to accomplish the mission. How many Texas Corps have tried to keep up and have fallen by the wayside? At this Date and Time DCI is more accessible for Corps out in the hinterlands. I never thought I'd find myself saying DCI is doing something good for the activity but right now they are. Right now we can qualify for DCI, pay around $250.00 dollars for the year and have the chance to perform at half a dozen DCI shows on DCA score sheets within a reasonable distance, most within 2.5 hours and the longest being 9 hours away. Plus Sound Sport DCI is making it even easier for Corps to participate. Corps in our area could play at DCI shows all Summer and we could have our own all age finals out here. just to do an exhibition at a DCI show, you must have music licensing, insurance, etc. I am quite sure it will be the same for sound sports,........ Edited August 31, 2013 by Gary Matczak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDz Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 IF you are going to play music that you did not compose, and you are going to perform where admission is charged, THEN you must pay for the rights to perform that music. This country has always respected and encouraged creative expression though patents, trademarks, and copyrights. At a minimum, you should always seek permission from owner of such rights to perform his/her creative work. For years, drum corps, marching bands, bar bands, etc..... have enjoyed a period of freedom from this responsibility. Drum corps will always have expenses that vary in intrinsic value. $500 spent on a uniform has far more impact on the field than the same $500 for insurance or performance rights....... until someone gets hurt and the insurance covers an expense that would end a corps' very existence. And as drum corps have continued to raise to higher levels, the expenses climb..... and will continue to do so. A "one-man-band" playing original hurdy-gurdy music while walking in a circle would be far less expensive........ Hey, at least we pay less for uniforms than do the mummers! Joe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kansan Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 just to do an exhibition at a DCI show, you must have music licensing, insurance, etc. I am quite sure it will be the same for sound sports,........ Yes, we have to have all that for DCA as well the difference would be we wouldn't have to travel 18+ hours by road or pay airfare to get to a show to play for 15 minutes. The two show Minnesota weekend is the Closest DCA event which has been tempting but ever so little out of our reach so far. So far we have not been asked to produce proof of insurance (sure that will change soon) or music licensing (been playing public domain pieces thus far). They were going to let us play an entire show this year at our Local DCI show. If we had a show ready we would have but as it was we only rehearsed "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Grand Old Flag". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paradiddle Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 (edited) Being management part of a fledgling DCA corps from 2007-2013 I got to learn about the issue of Championship weekend. I went to the DCA meetings in the winter and heard the talk about host city and the "convention" type relationship. To me it came down to if you give us this we'll give you that. The drum corps had to be the conventioneers and plunk down $$$ so that the host city would give DCA a venue and support. This seemed to work for years when the average age was all old school. Now things have changed and I hear the old school people questioning why the big deal. It's a big deal. DCA drum corps has changed and offers the young member a chance to be in drum corps - at less expense, less travel, be at home, all local members, NOT DCI style. I would call it a resurgence of old school drum corps especially for youth and young people. Money is a a big deal. I do not think that the drum corps should bear any burden for supporting the championship venue other than performing. Performing should be the legal tender. It's up to the promoters to sell the product if they want to make a buck to support themselves which in turn gives the drum corps places to perform. I am sure a venue can be found that would be fine and allow the drum corps the option of less expensive housing. ( The housing is the only issue here ). Many corps may still elect hotels, all the alumni's and mini-corps would probably take hotels. We need to give drum corps help in growing and staying solvent. This is a big budget buster for many let alone an issue for members that are still in school. Times have changed and some members don't mind sleeping on a gym floor. Personally I liked Allentown, I liked the street performances of I&E, and the history of drum corps there. DCI does it there ok. Why not DCA? I don't want to get into the share point system because it becomes convoluted to me. Edited August 31, 2013 by paradiddle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 I'm not saying the Eastern Corps should travel West. I'm just saying the Corps out West should form thier own competition circuits and play in their own sand boxes. So If we have the minumum 35 members and it costs each member 1K to go to finals plus the price of transporting our equipment there then the what 2K they give us for performing makes it all worth it? I don't think so. DCA is perfect for the Eastern Corps and that's about it. It is fun keeping track of who wins each year and it's nice that Corps from the North aka "Midwest" show up and be competative. It's also interesting monitoring the communication between DCA Corps Veterans online. I'm just saying it makes little sence to try and keep up with the DCA Circuit that is on the East Coast in a different Economy if a corps is located 18+ hours away. The total advantage goes to the local corps who get to compete in their own backyards. Or....gasp.....,grow your backyards and DCA can move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Being management part of a fledgling DCA corps from 2007-2013 I got to learn about the issue of Championship weekend. I went to the DCA meetings in the winter and heard the talk about host city and the "convention" type relationship. To me it came down to if you give us this we'll give you that. The drum corps had to be the conventioneers and plunk down $$$ so that the host city would give DCA a venue and support. This seemed to work for years when the average age was all old school. Now things have changed and I hear the old school people questioning why the big deal. It's a big deal. DCA drum corps has changed and offers the young member a chance to be in drum corps - at less expense, less travel, be at home, all local members, NOT DCI style. I would call it a resurgence of old school drum corps especially for youth and young people. Money is a a big deal. I do not think that the drum corps should bear any burden for supporting the championship venue other than performing. Performing should be the legal tender. It's up to the promoters to sell the product if they want to make a buck to support themselves which in turn gives the drum corps places to perform. I am sure a venue can be found that would be fine and allow the drum corps the option of less expensive housing. ( The housing is the only issue here ). Many corps may still elect hotels, all the alumni's and mini-corps would probably take hotels. We need to give drum corps help in growing and staying solvent. This is a big budget buster for many let alone an issue for members that are still in school. Times have changed and some members don't mind sleeping on a gym floor. Personally I liked Allentown, I liked the street performances of I&E, and the history of drum corps there. DCI does it there ok. Why not DCA? I don't want to get into the share point system because it becomes convoluted to me. One thing..... You look at DCA as the promoter right? Well who is DCA? The corps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Personally I liked Allentown, I liked the street performances of I&E, and the history of drum corps there. DCI does it there ok. Why not DCA? /quote] I don't know how the city feels now but they made it clear at the time DCA left they didn't want it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBD Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 *emphasis mine I was re-reading this last night with a clearer head (massive congestion makes things fuzzy). I went to sleep with feeling like these numbers were odd. I woke up feeling the same way. Part of it was me. I misread that to being 150 rooms and thought 'each member gets their own room?!?' :blink:/>/> (told you, congestion does a number on comprehension). BUT $5600 divided by 50 rooms equaled out to $112 per night which is still cheaper than what the average room was when looking as a spectator. Additionally in the traditional sleep 4 members to a room and 50 rooms seems like overkill. Can anyone from DCA/a DCA corps staff member (past or present) say if 50 rooms are the requirement for an Open Class corps? Because that number seems high. Or it could just still be the congestion..... No, not a requirement. If you choose not to stay at a hotel, DCA has a "recipe" in place where as you will still need to sell x number of rooms based on the size of the corps. I never booked more than 40 rooms for the Bushwackers my 25 years as director. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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