DCI

[Jeff Ream]

I almost posted this same thing. I was shocked to see such a small crowd at DCA Championships. I've never been to the Championships and I've only attended 2 DCA shows over the years.

I honestly have not paid much attention to DCA, but I guess I expected huge crowds and a great following the way people talk. I thought it was more entertaining and "real" drum corps?

DCA does not have the nationwide reach DCi does, hence the crowd. Really, outside of maybe 4 corps, DCA was almost exclusively all North East until the late 90's. DCI has had corps cost to coast since day 1, so it's had more people to draw from. As DCA continues to grow...and I know someone above mentioned DCA losing 2 corps as Empire folds and Tampa goes DCI, but Chops and Alliance have announced they are coming back, and So Cal Dream is still out there, they just chose not to come East this year.

DCA is growing, albeit slowly, and too slowly for some. I'd rather be slow and steady

[Jeff Ream]

Who on DCP has said that DCI should follow the lead of DCA, especially given the fact there are 7 DCI Corps Directors that recently told us they are not sure they are fully committed themselves to the current DCI model either ? I think we can all agree here that there is currently much better collegiality, trust, working relationships, etc and less acrimony among the various DCA Corps ranks on the whole than within the DCI Corps ranks, especially at the Directorship levels. That said, I don't see too many people on DCP looking for the DCI Corps to adopt the DCA Model as they are entirely different infrastructures serving entirely different objectives and aims regarding competition ( and exhibition ) formats as well as staff and MM formats.

you've never been to a meeting have you?

:tongue:/>

Seriously, the DCA directors have for the most part, been a really going gang working to further the circuit the last dozen or so years. It's refreshing to see it.

[Jeff Ream]

Maybe it's one of the "many hundreds of fans" he's been speaking to at shows the past few years.

[Jeff Ream]

The onus is not really on anyone. I was merely asking a question in which you can choose to answer or not; you can choose to blast me or not. It is just a question, nothing more.

given the way you worded your original post Stu, yeah the onus is on you. And plenty of people now have answered you with many details to show the pros and cons of DCA.

[mingusmonk]

The onus is not really on anyone. I was merely asking a question in which you can choose to answer or not; you can choose to blast me or not. It is just a question, nothing more.

You're so cute when your being coy.

Your original question implies an opposing view that, at least on DCP, does not appear to exist. The existence of this thread alone is perplexing. Perhaps that is why it was mistaken for troll-bait. Seems an honest mistake.

[IllianaLancerContra]

I have seen both DCI and DCA shows live this year. For me, the DCA shows were by far the more entertaining. Empire Statesmen, Hawthorne Caballeros, and Cadets2 were some of the most entertaining shows I have seen this century.

Your mileage may vary.

[Stu]

given the way you worded your original post Stu, yeah the onus is on you. And plenty of people now have answered you with many details to show the pros and cons of DCA.

Which was exactly what I desired; open debate.

[Stu]

Maybe it's one of the "many hundreds of fans" he's been speaking to at shows the past few years.

This coming from someone who chose the name 'seen-it-all' to represent his views and opinions; interesting.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Stu

[Fran Haring]

Ok all you DCA people who post in the DCI World Class section please reply to the following:

DCI has 23 active top-tier corps

DCA has 12 active top-tier corps

DCI has 14 active second-tier corps

DCA has 11 second-tier corps

DCI has 14 DrumlineBattle and 2 Soundsport groups, (16 total) with Star United being a crossover.

DCA has 4 mini-corps with Star United being a cross over

DCI has way more combined show audience attendance numbers than DCA

Question: Why, then, should DCI follow the lead of DCA?

Who cares?

Both circuits bring something to the table.

[Jeff Ream]

Which was exactly what I desired; open debate.

well then here's my thoughts, which may be wordy.

I watched every World Class corps at Allentown, and I watched every DCA corps that came to Annapolis. I didn't see any DCI Open Class corps live, as nothing was within 4 hours of me, but I watched several online.

Both have their niche. I do not expect DCA corps to be DCI clean because of the schedule. While DCA corps pop scores in the high 90's, it's known by the judging community it's not DCi clean, and if you look at the recaps, you see people judge in both circuits.

DCA has a new communication caption, handled by the effect judges. It seems a little vague, but it does seem to go more into how the performers communicate the show to the crowd beyond the usual GE sheet stuff.

Now do both circuits have some shows that are more weighted to the intellectual side of things? yes. But then again, both circuits have corps that program for the emotional.I think the DCA philosophy of entertainment being publicized is where you get the impression from some posters DCI is in need of guidance from DCA. I can tell you this year I enjoyed far more of the DCA shows I saw live than the DCI ones. In other years it's been the other way around.But in DCA, there does seem to be more of an emotional connection between the crowd and the corps than in DCI. I think one advantage for DCA with that is smaller venues ( and no domes). It comes off as more initimate. DCA at this point is still an older crowd, but the tide is changing and it was eivdent not just on the field, but in the stands. As DCA continues its slow but steady growth plan, I expect the fanbase to continue to change and morph.

DCi continues to go after the young, while slowly bleeding off the older crowd. It happens..old folks die. But the arms race in DCi continues to raise the cost for people to participate, and as such, corps keep going away. There's many reasons for it, the G7 stuff, the way OC has set themselves up to fail with their pay structure and governance, etc, but thats threads for a different day.

There are peoplein the world that think DCI is the only show in town, and still believe DCA is full of old drunks.

There are people in the world that think DCA is it, and DCI is driven by ego maniac designers and their art.

And there are people that like both, and see pros and cons to each. Count me here.

No one needs to follow anyone else's lead...BOA, WGI, DCI DCA. they all have their own thing. But the cooperation that has been building between all of the groups is a huge plus that only strengthens all. Imagine 5 years ago seeing an article about DCA on the DCI webpage. get the #### outta here....yet now you do. I went to WGi percussion week 2 years ago and saw DCI and DCA with booths there for recruiting and info. Unheard of 5 years ago.

The key players in both have realized they need to work together. Sure some don't like it. But they need it.