KeithHall Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 When I joined my local drum and bugle corps in 1970 I did so because I loved playing the horn, PLUS I saw them practicing a few blocks from my house and wanted to be in that group! I used to go to parades and see The Royal Coachmen, Shawnee Indians, St. Johnsburg Blue Sabers, Lakeview Shoreliners, Suburban Knights, Hamburg Kingsmen, Dunkirk Patriots, Lake Shorettes, Rhythmettes, and an occasional Canadian drum corps. I enjoyed all the new friends, playing cool music, and learning music at the same time. There was a drum and bugle corps everywhere and plenty of members to make up a corps. Yeh, not a top 12 size corps but a corps that went out to compete and have fun. In 1971, we had 3 American TV stations plus 3 Canadian stations as well as a PBS and a UHF. We played football, baseball and street hockey and shot hoops at my cousins house on the corner. I am guessing it was the same in other cities across the United States and Canada. We didn't have a computer, Xbox, cell phones. We did have a cord on the rotary (maybe push button) phone that may reach to the bathroom. We had to deal with the ending years of Vietnam and Richard Nixon as President. The letters DCI came into our vocabulary in 1972. I also, at that time, was able to see Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Rock, Anaheim Kingsmen, Madison Scouts, Belleville Black Knights...and the list goes on. I watched new corps come and go (North Star, Seneca Optimists, Oakland Crusaders, Star of Indiana, etc). I saw more corps leave too. In the DCA World the corps consisted of northeast corps from NY to NJ to RI to Mass. to even Canada. Then Vic Kulinski started Heatwave in Orlando and thus began a growth of corps in the south (CV, Alliance, Shenendoah Sound, etc). Kilties, MBI, Chops, Governaires in the Mid-West and then Renegades in the West. DCA was growing. DCI was losing corps every year since 1980. St. Joe's of Batavia decided to put together an alumni corps and that saw other corps try to do the same. They even had/have a morning at the DCA Championships to celebrate all of these corps. Then Rochester, NY loses their 3 corps (Crusaders ,Empire Statesmen, and Brigadiers). Renegades are forced out and Heatwave dissolves to form the short lived Sun Devils. Alliance walks away for a while. Lets also mention the other DCA corps that are not competing anymore...Yankee Rebels, Matadors, Kingston Grenadiers, Guelph RoyalAires, the list goes on. DCA is still here as is DCI BUT the once grand activity we call drum and bugle corps is a minute picture of what it was 40 years ago. Yes a lot has changed! Brass and percussion instruments are different, marching drill is definitely nothing like it was in 1971. But there is still something there....Love for the activity! Maybe corps (DCA or DCI) can't draw kids like they used to, but there is still a love and passion for this activity. We all read the passion from every single poster on DCP. We may dislike some things but where else do you see this love? Drum corps is still important in our country and I think can still be a place for young people to belong to. Years ago I thought having championships on ESPN was the greatest thing to happen but they were so short, who wanted to watch it? Going to the movies to watch is to expensive. TV is where it's at STILL! Thanks for reading my rant this morning and feel free to add more or think that I am an idiot for writing this LOL 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 When I joined my local drum and bugle corps in 1970 I did so because I loved playing the horn, PLUS I saw them practicing a few blocks from my house and wanted to be in that group! I used to go to parades and see The Royal Coachmen, Shawnee Indians, St. Johnsburg Blue Sabers, Lakeview Shoreliners, Suburban Knights, Hamburg Kingsmen, Dunkirk Patriots, Lake Shorettes, Rhythmettes, and an occasional Canadian drum corps. I enjoyed all the new friends, playing cool music, and learning music at the same time. There was a drum and bugle corps everywhere and plenty of members to make up a corps. Yeh, not a top 12 size corps but a corps that went out to compete and have fun. In 1971, we had 3 American TV stations plus 3 Canadian stations as well as a PBS and a UHF. We played football, baseball and street hockey and shot hoops at my cousins house on the corner. I am guessing it was the same in other cities across the United States and Canada. We didn't have a computer, Xbox, cell phones. We did have a cord on the rotary (maybe push button) phone that may reach to the bathroom. We had to deal with the ending years of Vietnam and Richard Nixon as President. The letters DCI came into our vocabulary in 1972. I also, at that time, was able to see Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Rock, Anaheim Kingsmen, Madison Scouts, Belleville Black Knights...and the list goes on. I watched new corps come and go (North Star, Seneca Optimists, Oakland Crusaders, Star of Indiana, etc). I saw more corps leave too. In the DCA World the corps consisted of northeast corps from NY to NJ to RI to Mass. to even Canada. Then Vic Kulinski started Heatwave in Orlando and thus began a growth of corps in the south (CV, Alliance, Shenendoah Sound, etc). Kilties, MBI, Chops, Governaires in the Mid-West and then Renegades in the West. DCA was growing. DCI was losing corps every year since 1980. St. Joe's of Batavia decided to put together an alumni corps and that saw other corps try to do the same. They even had/have a morning at the DCA Championships to celebrate all of these corps. Then Rochester, NY loses their 3 corps (Crusaders ,Empire Statesmen, and Brigadiers). Renegades are forced out and Heatwave dissolves to form the short lived Sun Devils. Alliance walks away for a while. Lets also mention the other DCA corps that are not competing anymore...Yankee Rebels, Matadors, Kingston Grenadiers, Guelph RoyalAires, the list goes on. DCA is still here as is DCI BUT the once grand activity we call drum and bugle corps is a minute picture of what it was 40 years ago. Yes a lot has changed! Brass and percussion instruments are different, marching drill is definitely nothing like it was in 1971. But there is still something there....Love for the activity! Maybe corps (DCA or DCI) can't draw kids like they used to, but there is still a love and passion for this activity. We all read the passion from every single poster on DCP. We may dislike some things but where else do you see this love? Drum corps is still important in our country and I think can still be a place for young people to belong to. Years ago I thought having championships on ESPN was the greatest thing to happen but they were so short, who wanted to watch it? Going to the movies to watch is to expensive. TV is where it's at STILL! Thanks for reading my rant this morning and feel free to add more or think that I am an idiot for writing this LOL You mentioned a lot of the larger more successful corps in terms of scoring and rankings. But there were many smaller corps with hearts Of gold and passion on the field. Corps that traveled Thousands of miles every year to get to a contest and championships. Many of them were basically targeted and cast away after the 35 rule was in place. Some held in for as long as they could but eventually had to fold. You want to talk about love of the activity? Those people loved the activity! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 I was in two small corps in the 1970's. Went to every rehearsal during the winter and summer. Never missed a show or parade. Oops that was a lie. I missed a May show in Michigan because I had my confirmation. Yes, there were much more small A and B corps than Open corps back then. There also wasn't a lot of, "I want to march with (insert top 12 corps name)!" There was a sense of loyalty to the local corps back then. I know when the Royal Coachmen merged with the Frontiersmen, a few decided to go to Seneca Optimists or Imperial Regiment. Ahhh LOYALTY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Keith, of all the former all-age corps you listed, I miss Empire Statesmen and Matadors the most. Consummate entertainers... both of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I'm sure i'm going to get hate mail for this, but DCA's fanbase is shrinking. As is DCA. (How many corps did it lose in the last five years?) And I like DCA. I think it is in an identity crisis right now though. It needs to lose this "poor man's DCI" image. Because its still frickin' expensive. The shows want to be DCI style, but they don't have the time to clean them to that level of demand. (there's only one corps doing this well, there's a few trying real hard, and the rest... just look dirty in August) But on the contrary, DCI is growing. They had 24000 in attendance at DCI finals, and over 2000 at open class finals. I'm not sure what DCA had, but I hesitate to think it was more than 3000 at finals. (sure, there were some low cost tickets at DCI, and maybe even some comped, but I'm not sure DCA could get 10000 people if they comped tix) DCI is adding open class corps every year thanks to its Soundsport program and revamped corps coaching and consulting. No longer is it "here's this pamphlet, not go make a corps". They take a more vested interest in the corps and how they develop so that they can be strong financially. They added 6 new corps into Open Class last year, and have at least 4 more that are planning to grow from Soundsport into Open class for next season. Total corps count for DCI 48. Total corps count for DCA 20. (19 technically this year, due to Kidsgrove not coming to the US this season) I don't want to sound like I'm bashing DCA, but the "every corps & every show for itself" isn't working. Finals in a place that has little to offer other than cheap beer isn't working. At least the finally moved those shows that were on the same dates around. To be honest though, two things kills drum corps. Money coming in vs money going out, and the experience given to the corps members. Mediocre experiences don't bring people back. Maybe in the past DCA was able to pull more DCI age outs to stay a few seasons. But I'm going to take a guess that many don't want to march after they've aged out. I know I didn't. I had my fill after five years of abusing my body. I'm happy to teach, and tech, and clean shows. But I've no desire to carry a horn on a field. But loyalty is still pretty prevalent. You'll always have some to wonder if the grass is greener. And with airfare getting cheaper, its easier and cheaper to fly to some corps, than it is to drive 6-8 hours for another. I think one of the concerns it costs to get to shows. As shows die off, or promoters find they don't make enough money on them, so they shut them down, and then that kills the corps financially as they have to travel longer to get to other shows and bear those costs to get there. Fuel costs money, Rehearsal space costs money (and its really going through the roof), noise ordinances from Nancy who wants to sip coffee on her porch without hearing a Dr Beat kill your corps. Schools are no longer as open to accepting outside groups into their facilities to practice or stay overnight due to security reasons. (or other groups who've already stayed there, and ruined that relationship for everyone) So there are lots of reasons some corps die off. But its the end its money in vs money out, and the experience given that brings members in the door. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhawtho1 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) The amount of travel has really got to hit all of these corps pretty hard. Now all of these groups travel great distances just to get to performances. DCA used to be a weekend activity and in most cases home by Saturday night. Now you find members leaving as early as possible on Friday and not getting home till late Sunday. That in and of itself is a strain on the wallets of the members. Edited March 15, 2016 by dhawtho1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Its hurt everyone. DCI Open Class corps don't get a dime for performing in Open Class shows. But with the corps so spread out, its really a budget concern to haul buns way up to the middle of nowhere (for nothing in return). At least DCI could schedule a few more shows up there with World Class to make it worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 The Northeast can still sustain as corps go west to Dansville, NY and east to CT and south to NJ and back west to PA. WI and MN have their corps GA and NC and other southern cities. I think the right thing is find a championship site that is in the middle somewhere BUT how can DCA say no to Rochester? Unless there is something better at the same price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 If the crowd keeps going the way it has been... Roachester will have made the decision for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 As for the 35 rule, the issues' been beaten to death here. It's been stated repeatedly that show sponsors and fans were underwhelmed to put it lightly by some of those corps, no matter how much they cared and how much passion they had. To be frank, many of them were just not very good. Soundsport and Minis are the way to go for those organizations who can't make a 35 member minimum. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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