Will DCA be around in 5 years?

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, cybersnyder said:

I was also shocked to see how few corps remain. I would put the five year survival odds at slim. The remaining senior corps will just do parades and local stuff.

or convert to open class DCI

[JimF-LowBari]

1 minute ago, MikeN said:

Ruined?  That seems harsh.  Can't fault a performer for wanting to perform.  

Mike

Lol I joined a Sr corps when a junior in High School. Knew my future past high school started at the local community college and no marching band there. Seemed a #### shame to flush all my time and parents money for trombone lessons down the toilet so wanted to find something where I could still play.

Was a learning experience as worked with people a lot different from me (or just “different”). As a result been thrown in places where culture and people are different from what I’m used to and I enjoy it.

[Poppycock]

5 minutes ago, MikeN said:

Ruined?  That seems harsh.  Can't fault a performer for wanting to perform.  

Mike

Yeah that’s harsh. I’m speaking from my viewpoint. 

[Jeff Ream]

46 minutes ago, MikeN said:

I'm watching from half a country away, obviously, but it feels like all-age corps is really just a northeast "thing" with a couple of groups from the midwest and Atlanta in for good measure.  Having been on here through the short life of the Renegades, it really felt back then like the California groups were going to gain traction, especially as there were more groups growing and creating their own performance opportunities.  And when it went away, it went away very quickly.  In retrospect, while of course the Renegades brought their own issues, hindsight suggests that DCA suspending them pretty much killed any momentum for the movement in the entire region.

For the South, there's just zero-point-zero percent interest in adult groups down here.  For better or worse, marching band is a "for the kids" thing, and DCI has positioned itself smartly as AAU/Select Marching Band.  CV is the big exception/success story, but I get the impression it's more due to their unique talents and hard work than anything demographic-wise helping them. 

Without questioning the talent or work of the existing corps at all, I do wonder whether this is as big as the all-age circuit is going to be.  The NE groups seem to feel no pressure or obligation to expand, and it feels like the rest of the country is infertile ground.  

Mike

Northeast only worked when you had 15 or so corps up here. That's not an option any longer

[Jeff Ream]

38 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

When the Renegades were suspended following the 2012 championships (for trashing their Annapolis hotel rooms), to judge based on their placements, they actually appear to have already been in a bit of a slump, having placed 10th in three years after a string of 6th-8th finishes (and once at 5th). Which doesn't mean they needn't have recovered. But having to cross the entire country every year was surely very challenging to sustain.

And while I think your comments generally are apt, it's worth querying the other point of yours that I've bolded: weren't there once senior corps pretty much everywhere, just as there had been junior corps pretty much everywhere? And if so, the question may be: how did they persist for so long and so strong in the northeast?

senior/all age historically had corps across the country, but never huge numbers outside of the Northeast once you got into the 50's. And even in the 60's and 70's you had more corps up here, but they didn't all do DCA as Jim mentioned. Several did RCA or it's offsprcing ICA. 

[Jeff Ream]

35 minutes ago, 00Sop said:

I've stayed away from drum corps for 9 years and haven't seen a live show since leaving Rochester in 2009.  I have seen a few DCA videos and a smattering of DCI YouTube video but that's it.  Fill me in.  When was the last time a DCA corps fielded 128 (or is it 135?)?  The videos I've seen of some of the top corps look like they only have 80-90 members.  Does DCA even record its Championships anymore?  I see nothing on its website indicating it has any products for sale.  How can it be expected to survive when it has no marketing materials and its history is essentially erased each year after the Championship victory concert?  I recall the recording and mechanization rights becoming a huge and expensive headache about 10 years ago, but surely there are more smart folks out there who can build a better mousetrap.  

Bucs are generally full, pretty sure over the last few years Cabs, CV and Cadets2 were full or darn close. But even going back to the heyday, you often had corps that weren't full...look at many of Bush's championship years. Historically you have always had few full corps in DCA compared to those not at the limit.

DCA has not recorded the last few years because of all of the licensing concerns that have plagued the activity at large. Generally speaking, DCA doesn't sell enough units to cover the licensing costs. 

[N.E. Brigand]

12 minutes ago, 00Sop said:

The hard truth is much of DCA's fan base that was there in the 90's and early 00's is dead (literally) or too old to get out much now. 

That may be true. And yet in terms of member participation, it was the mid-aughts to mid-teens that saw the best DCA numbers. It seems like DCA failed to capitalize on that.

[Jeff Ream]

39 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Just thinking of the logistics and costs I could never figure out how non NE corps could continually go to DCA Weekend. Even MBI dropped out for a while after being there starting late 70s. And the Class A Corps not from the NE (excepting Govies) where fairly new so where the heck was that to be budgeted from year after year. One big trip yes but keep it up every year. Thinking the TX corps mainly for that. 

Outside of NE only local action for these corps is part of a DCI show competing against the 1 or 2 other locals. Not sure what lot of them get out of the drive to DCA especially if not a top corps. 

Yeah my first year I rode with BoD members of a reforming corps so heard a lot of $$$ discussions. And before able to afford before buying is part of my upbringing so figure where I’m coming from

I remember in 89 we did the Chicago DCA only show, then one in Dayton on the way home with the old DCA west crew...Steel City, us, Royalires, can't remember the rest. There was more of us on the field than in the stands. Can't imagine the corps broke even, and i guarantee the show sponsors didn't

[JimF-LowBari]

16 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

senior/all age historically had corps across the country, but never huge numbers outside of the Northeast once you got into the 50's. And even in the 60's and 70's you had more corps up here, but they didn't all do DCA as Jim mentioned. Several did RCA or it's offsprcing ICA. 

And from what I’ve read and heard in my dc history research the only really large sized Sr corps were in NE (counting Ont as part of NE). Only shows I’ve seen these corps take in the past outside of their area was the AL or VFW nationals. 

Saw mention of non-NE Sr circuits in OH/IL/IN/CA in the 60s but my sources end there. Off top of my head prior to 1980 only midwest corps at DCA was MBI, Chicago Connection (lasted less than 5 years) and Boys/Spirit of 76. RCA only MBI for sure and ICA drawing a blank who showed up.

edit and thanks to Ron Allard: found RCA championship webpage and MBI there twice over the roughly 10 years and Maumee OH Demons once and everyone else NE US and Ontario. Still looking for good ICA championship info

Edited August 21, 2019 by JimF-LowBari

[Jeff Ream]

39 minutes ago, Poppycock said:

Now that makes sense to me. It’s a niche activity in the NE that for the most part there’s no real interest in the rest of the country. Sure there are some start ups but most fold or will eventually fold. 

The question remains, why are there so few people interested in attending this NE niche circuit Championships when it’s held in their own back yard? 

1) lack of marketing

2) lack of a decent championship venue coupled with a venue not near where most of the corps come from ( aka closest corps is an hour away)