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DCA '15, 35 corps, great performances, not-so-great attendance


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Good Morning, Mr. Mortgage!

Sorry, these days I'm more about 'talking,' less about doing. But, if an exploratory committee forms, I'm happy to provide a few thoughts. Allentown should be in DCA's future plans, however.

:smile:

If they can figure out a way to get that field closer to the stands, that would solve one big issue for DCA in Allentown.

That, plus the "nowhere to go in a hurry" factor when/if it rains. Perhaps the "Fred Windish Memorial Fieldhouse" can be built on site, for a refuge from the rain??? :tongue:

Other than that... with the downtown revitalization, improvements to the stadium in recent years, etc., ...plus the iconic nature of the venue... maybe not a bad idea to get back to A-Town.

Edited by Fran Haring
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Actually, given the late date of Labor Day this year, a lot of districts (including mine) started last Wednesday, befor Labor Day, but in most years you are correct.

TCNJ has had both band competitions (YEA! Central Jersey Regional for years) and I've been to at least one drum corps show there, a YEA! show actually sponsored by Surf a few years back.

That, plus Princeton University. IMO, the stadium there is the perfect size for DCA. And no track... the seats are close to the field.

Plus all the nearby hotels, lots of potential rehearsal sites, and the "fun factor" for the fans with Nassau Street and all that great shopping, restaurants, pubs, and so forth.

I've heard that the Princeton folks have historically been cool to the idea of having anything other than football at the venue. That's where me hitting the lottery comes in. :w00t: Enough cash might change some minds. :tongue:

Edited by Fran Haring
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Jeff Ream figured this out, even without being there. It dawned on me during prelims, looking around at the audience, that the comments I so often see about the alumni crowd now apply equally well to the fanbase at the contest. I would estimate average age at 65. Other than corps members who already performed, I saw one person under the age of 35.

Where I was sitting in Prelims, the average age was more like 50-55, and there was a smattering of (non-member) attendees under 35--largely family of corps members, I would guess--but your general point holds.

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Not sure the group gets it. It isnt about the bid city or the hotel rooms when the event can be held in Rochester, NY and the people in Rochester, NY are unaware that it is being held.

Substitute the name of the city and the same problem exists. Does anyone outside the ever shrinking niche of an audience know (or care) that the event is being held?

There is no excuse for the lack of contact with the Statesmen, Crusaders, St Joes, Brigadier, Patriots, Greece, Upstate, etc etc organizations especially when DCA leadership in some cases hails from these organizations. The people within a 50 mile radius of the show are the ones MOST likely to buy a ticket. Are they contacted? If they were taken for granted, they did not deliver.

Entertainment is a contact sport. An organizational phone or email list is not that hard to come by.

Getting the word out is the first and most major step. Once that happens, people in our drum corps community are smart enough to figure out what to do (if you arent sure that's true, just ask the Bushwackers who saved their corps by getting the word out).

PS I suggest that DCA will remain a largely older audience. Summers are for kids...you take em to the DCI show. Labor Days are for famlies...to go boating, grilling and watch football.

DCA might be best for corps alumni and parents who have sent their kids off to college and are looking for something to do with people like them.

I am absolutely sure there are 4,032 of them within 100 miles of that stadium.

There are now 357 days left to find them.

Edited by wishbonecav
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That, plus Princeton University. IMO, the stadium there is the perfect size for DCA. And no track... the seats are close to the field.

Plus all the nearby hotels, lots of potential rehearsal sites, and the "fun factor" for the fans with Nassau Street and all that great shopping, restaurants, pubs, and so forth.

I've heard that the Princeton folks have historically been cool to the idea of having anything other than football at the venue. That's where me hitting the lottery comes in. :w00t: Enough cash might change some minds. :tongue:

Princeton U's Marchnig Band, if you can call it that, is much along the lines of the other Ivy League schools...more an anti-drum corps style than anything. Princeton HS does not, and has not ever...had a marching band at all. Their band directors as long as I can recall are rabidly against anything that might smell remotely like a real marching band. While I agree that the new stadium is perfect for a marching/music show..not sure that it would get much traction on campus. It would be an ideal location, with lots to do as well as a number of hotels and a decent number of competitive bands that might provide housing.

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Not sure the group gets it. It isnt about the bid city or the hotel rooms when the event can be held in Rochester, NY and the people in Rochester, NY are unaware that it is being held.

Substitute the name of the city and the same problem exists. Does anyone outside the ever shrinking niche of an audience know (or care) that the event is being held?

There is no excuse for the lack of contact with the Statesmen, Crusaders, St Joes, Brigadier, Patriots, Greece, Upstate, etc etc organizations especially when DCA leadership in some cases hails from these organizations.

DCA has no "go to" contact list of Alumni in these organizations and very little in the way of institutional memory.

Entertainment is a contact sport. An organizational phone or email list is not that hard to come by.

Getting the word out is the first and most major step. Once that happens, people in our drum corps community are smart enough to figure out what to do (if you arent sure that's true, just ask the Bushwackers).

Bush seems to have made the Princeton area aware of their existence quite nicely. For example...they did a performance at Communiversity in the spring in Palmer Square; that event is wall-to-wall people from start to finish. I think they hold rehearsals at Princton Day School in the town, and on Communiversity day I saw them rehearsing on the football field at Princeton HS.

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Mike.....what does that have to do with getting them to Rochester for DCA Championships?

At some point, there has to be a point. Or else, there is no point.

:shutup:

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I would like to remind people that New Jersey SCHOOL does not start school till the day after Labor Day.

Absolutely incorrect. They went back last week.

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We need better print and radio advertising in contest host cities, as well as making some videos clips available to local news sources. Additionally, each advertising campaign tied to a local contest should also be linked to DCA weekend. Finally, we need to support the host city by providing advertising kits for use on mass transit, local shop windows, and 8 1/2 x 11 "Things to do in Rochester" flyers for the lobby of all hotels. And we need to keep the price reasonable. THIS CAN BE DONE.

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Mike.....what does that have to do with getting them to Rochester for DCA Championships?

At some point, there has to be a point. Or else, there is no point.

:shutup:

I was responding to Fran about hosting DCA someplace in the future. Nothing at all to do with Rochester. Thread drift.

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