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2 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Yeah, I understand. It was just a shock to see the corps MBI was fielding Saturday night. (Although I suspect that a number of people here already knew about it. So much less news on this forum than on the DCI side!) I'm all for shaking up the rankings, but I want it to happen due to more corps moving up a level, not by other corps slipping.

 

size doesnt always equal good.

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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

Size doesn't always equal good.

No it doesn't. But there is often a correlation between the two in drum corps.

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3 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

size doesnt always equal good.

Preaching to the choir here... my last year with Sun, we won the DCA title with, what, 42 horns. Small, compared to several of our competitors. And we didn't start the season with 42. Heck, we barely had 20 horns at one of our first drill rehearsals that spring.

Numbers never really mattered to us.

 

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3 hours ago, Fran Haring said:

Preaching to the choir here... my last year with Sun, we won the DCA title with, what, 42 horns. Small, compared to several of our competitors. And we didn't start the season with 42. Heck, we barely had 20 horns at one of our first drill rehearsals that spring.

Numbers never really mattered to us.

 

Had even less in 83 when we won.  How we won with 39 horns I'll never be able to figure that out.  I guess having one of the greatest drum lines ever , Dci or Dca, helped.  MBI will be back.

Edited by Bucbari
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6 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

No it doesn't. But there is often a correlation between the two in drum corps.

only by the fans

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12 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

only by the fans

I dunno Jeff. I think if you drew up a graph comparing membership size to placements, you'd find they lined up more often than not. It could be a coincidence, but here, for instance (because I have the figures handy), are the sizes of the DCA Open Class corps in 2015 (at least as I noted them at the time):

1st -- 128

2nd -- 124

3rd -- 114

4th -- 127

5th -- 116

6th -- 124

7th -- 124

8th -- 79

9th -- 102

10th -- 73

11th -- 104

12th -- 80

13th -- 73

Average size is 105. Median size is 114.

Every corps at or above either the average or the median is in the top seven.

Every corps below the average or median is in the bottom six.

I think most years, that is the trend. So not just the fans?

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9 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

only by the fans

 

As far as size

I feel there is always creative and constructional balance here and that in the past the best decisions have not been made.  

Something bush, cabs and fusion have done is construct to the actual membership they are getting and using them in a creative and balanced way.  In the DCA world you can get away with not having a full corps and still put on a great show.  Bush is a perfect example of this, great decisions were made by this corps staff and admin team to set them up, they will not be filling holes all summer only perfecting what they have.  By focusing on the members experience Bush is investing in the future.  It seemed that for many years the corps would march blanks and try to play catch up to get to that magical XX brass number. I think that philosophy hurt more than helped, looks like they've turned the corner regarding this.  

Ultimately we are looking for full brass, percussion and guard sections, but is that really doing the members justice when you can't get there?  In the not so distant past, it seemed many of the corps were trying to run before they could walk and not building.  Fusion has been an excellent example of building and creating an experience that for the members is excellent. This is because of great decisions that are being made behind the scenes.  

I came away from the show feeling positive about the health of the eastern corps of DCA.  Were all full? No.  The majority prepared? Yes.  Building for the future? Yes.  Quality? stronger.  Member experience better? Yes.  I think that experience is key.  Give them a great experience and they will recruit for you.

As far as MBI

Minnesota has many good people who care immensely for there to be concern and because of those people they will be great, maybe a little smaller in the brass area but they will be great.  They also have an indoor drumline that competes on the world class level at WGI and an indoor guard that competes at the WGI level.   I'm not sure how that's exactly translating into membership for MBI, but it is getting their program out into the world and that can't hurt.  I have to think that these programs offerings are helping keep their heads above water and I do think it shows the strength of their organization.  In the slice of MBI's history this will be a minor speed bump, they clearly have a track record of creating a great drum corps.  

 

AoE

 

 

 

Edited by AoEnut
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