Will DCA be around in 5 years?

[Jeff Ream]

5 hours ago, jjeffeory said:

There needs to be more effort made, as that circuit seems to be dying.

My partner and I went to championships for the first time in 10 years ( for me) where we met a good friend for prelims. 

We sat through prelims.

...and then for finals came for the last 4 or so groups. The value proposition just wasn't there.

This needs to be "an event". There needs to be some hype. There needs to be some energy and excitement built up for the show other than some rude old man yelling "F off" to another fan in the middle of Cab's show. 

Seriously, an old man with white hair, who was obviously rooting for Cabs got a bit too excited with the cheering. At first, I was like "Cool, he's happy and cheering Cabs". Then when he verbally assaulted the  person sitting two seats away, I was really offended. It really ruined the night, even after the jerk and his wife left.  They didn't come back the next night either....

...so yeah, some effort needs to be put into making DCA Championships exciting and an event.

Also, the corps need to step up. Hopefully they can recover.  My partner and I are really on the fence about marching next year too, but we didn't really feel a pull or welcoming into DCAland.

i'm willing to pass on bashing the size of the corps this past year...DCI wasn't full across the board either.

 

but yes, you raise points many of us have made for many years on here now

[jjeffeory]

1 minute ago, Jeff Ream said:

i'm willing to pass on bashing the size of the corps this past year...DCI wasn't full across the board either.

 

but yes, you raise points many of us have made for many years on here now

The smaller sizes of the corps were a bit worrisome, but I'll have to give that a pass too. I was way more concerned by the smaller number of competing corps.

[Jeff Ream]

10 hours ago, jjeffeory said:

The smaller sizes of the corps were a bit worrisome, but I'll have to give that a pass too. I was way more concerned by the smaller number of competing corps.

well..many of out of the NE corps have basically said Labor Day weekend was a huge issue.

 

so with 2 years to reset....they went with Labor Day weekend.

[hairbear]

On 9/15/2022 at 5:59 PM, jjeffeory said:

There needs to be more effort made, as that circuit seems to be dying.

My partner and I went to championships for the first time in 10 years ( for me) where we met a good friend for prelims. 

We sat through prelims.

...and then for finals came for the last 4 or so groups. The value proposition just wasn't there.

This needs to be "an event". There needs to be some hype. There needs to be some energy and excitement built up for the show other than some rude old man yelling "F off" to another fan in the middle of Cab's show. 

Seriously, an old man with white hair, who was obviously rooting for Cabs got a bit too excited with the cheering. At first, I was like "Cool, he's happy and cheering Cabs". Then when he verbally assaulted the  person sitting two seats away, I was really offended. It really ruined the night, even after the jerk and his wife left.  They didn't come back the next night either....

...so yeah, some effort needs to be put into making DCA Championships exciting and an event.

Also, the corps need to step up. Hopefully they can recover.  My partner and I are really on the fence about marching next year too, but we didn't really feel a pull or welcoming into DCAland.

I participated in DCA in the 80's and 90's. I remember regular season shows with attendance that exceeded attendance numbers at many of this decade's DCA finals. I remember when DCA had personalities that entertained and engaged the audience. This was DCA's uniqueness and its identity. I remember when almost everyone in the audience could name at least four or five of the drum majors. I also remember a time when competition could get, for lack of a better word, rowdy. This includes individual behavior in the stands. The finals awards ceremony of the 1990 season comes to mind. Behavior such as you described was not uncommon during my time in DCA; not frequently, but one could say occasionally. Your concerns are certainly valid when today, young folks populate the DCA corps and more than likely, their parents are in the audience. The behavior you and your partner witnessed is "out of place" within the current iteration of DCA. My point is that the product has changed, and that change is permanent. Creating and implementing a marketing strategy to grow the "new" brand, is imperative.

[Jeff Ream]

On 9/17/2022 at 3:48 AM, hairbear said:

I participated in DCA in the 80's and 90's. I remember regular season shows with attendance that exceeded attendance numbers at many of this decade's DCA finals. I remember when DCA had personalities that entertained and engaged the audience. This was DCA's uniqueness and its identity. I remember when almost everyone in the audience could name at least four or five of the drum majors. I also remember a time when competition could get, for lack of a better word, rowdy. This includes individual behavior in the stands. The finals awards ceremony of the 1990 season comes to mind. Behavior such as you described was not uncommon during my time in DCA; not frequently, but one could say occasionally. Your concerns are certainly valid when today, young folks populate the DCA corps and more than likely, their parents are in the audience. The behavior you and your partner witnessed is "out of place" within the current iteration of DCA. My point is that the product has changed, and that change is permanent. Creating and implementing a marketing strategy to grow the "new" brand, is imperative.

everything has changed but the audience in the stands. at 53 i feel young in a DCA crowd

[hairbear]

15 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

everything has changed but the audience in the stands. at 53 i feel young in a DCA crowd

At 53 you ARE young! LOL!  I'm 70.

[dbriggs]

7 hours ago, hairbear said:

At 53 you ARE young! LOL!  I'm 70.

and even then, we feel young... ish

[hairbear]

6 minutes ago, dbriggs said:

and even then, we feel young... ish

"I don't want to go on the cart!"  (1 dollar to Monty Python)  🙂

[JimF-LowBari]

11 hours ago, dbriggs said:

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by JimF-LowBari

[Fran Haring]

On 9/17/2022 at 3:48 AM, hairbear said:

My point is that the product has changed, and that change is permanent. Creating and implementing a marketing strategy to grow the "new" brand, is imperative.

Your entire post is on the mark, Steve. But I wonder if the current brand can be grown (to get more fans in the seats, sell more souvie merchandise, generate more buzz, etc.) if the product is basically the same as the DCI product, except at a less-accomplished level. 

Please... that is NOT a knock on the DCA corps, their members, and their staffers, who do amazing things in a short period of time. It's just a fact. The DCI product, at the World Class level, is nearly overwhelming (in a good way) these days... and with the DCI corps now apparently getting the memo about incorporating personality and various "bells and whistles" into their product (I think Vince Bruni would love seeing all the props....LOL), they have basically eroded the unique "we're a bit different here" edge DCA had, and had for decades.

If a drum corps fan, who does not have a kid or relative involved as a marcher or staffer, can spend 40 dollars to see Carolina Crown, Bluecoats, BAC, whoever, vs. spending that same 40 bucks on a DCA lineup, where is their money going to go?

Sorry if that sounds harsh. And I'm not saying DCA can't find a niche that brings in more paying customers than the current situation. But there are no easy answers here. I wish all my friends there well.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Fran Haring