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What is the most pressing issue in DCI for 2023


What is the most pressing issue in DCI for 2023  

101 members have voted

  1. 1. With the 2022 season nearing completion, what is the most pressing issue DCI should be concerned with in the off season? There are probably multiple right answers, which one do you feel is the highest priority? Choose one.

    • Leadership - time for a change at the top and possible org restructure
      8
    • Competition - re-examine the competition model to help less funded corps be more competitive and promote more fan friendly shows
      14
    • Safety and inclusion - working to ensure performer safety, diversity and inclusion is top priority
      33
    • New touring model - development of a new touring model to help ease costs and promote more regional opportunities
      22
    • Financial stability - cost cutting measures to ensure financial stability and a level playing field competitively
      24


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26 minutes ago, BlueStainGlass said:

This expire in 2028. That gives us time to come up with a better plan.  DCI is the highest level of the marching arts.  You don’t see the NFL, World Cup Soccer, Olympics (all competitions at the highest level) get into a stupid, long-term deal to hold their championships at the same location for 20 years in a row. 

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Safety and Inclusion #1, but I find it hard to select that one and expect it to be a priority or achievable without organizational and leadership change first. As with any organization, the tone at the top matters (including a zero tolerance policy for safety related issues along with immediate, consistent action).

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I think we should choose to do two of these at the same time.

'Safety and inclusion' is the obvious first choice, but the choices are 'leading the witness , so to speak.

I felt compelled to pick safety and inclusion first.  I mean, you'd have to have no heart to not pick it first.
I assert that 'safety and inclusion' should be a basic requirement in a DCI corps and at DCI as well.

That being said, the next item should be "Competition,” but with a twist: 

We need to find a way for corps to be rewarded competitively while not have to be like the Blue Devils, for example.

I'll give a basic example, and I hope it doesn't come across as anything but constructive.

In the past, there were more marching styles by the corps.

There was the 'bent knee' marching technique that Cavaliers used, which is now only used by SCV.

There was the scissor straight legged style that the Cadets used.

There was a modified version straight leg that BD uses.

Now, almost everyone tries to march like BD.

The community has determined that this is the style that should be emulated, partly because it is what wins, and it is what the judges will reward. There is justification, as it is easy to measure "cleanliness" and "uniformity" from performer.  Other styles are more difficult to judge by the same metrics, because their emphasis is in other areas, such as saving people from long-term injuries, or whatever reason. They don't win, so they fall out of favor. 

Let's try another situation: The hominization of Instrumentation

In the past, hornlines included:

Trumpets ( Sops), Flugels, Mellophones, Frenchies, Altos, Tromboniums, Baritones, Euphs, Tubas (Contras).

Each corps had variations on these, and that lent itself to different sounding lines. 

Crossmen used to have a whole flugel line in addition to their trumpets and mellophones, now it's just mellophones and trumpets. ( Someone can correct me, I didn't see any in this year's line).

Phantom Regiment used to have a frenchie line, and of course used Euphs heavily. Now it's all mellophones and 0 french horn bugles. 

BD played with various Alto voices. Now, they're all mellophones.

Madison had tromboniums, which helped with their jazzy sound. Now it's baritones, and little trombone groups that every must use so that they can do the glissandos.  Homogenization.... BORING.

Today, corps only use:

Trumpets ( Sops), Mellophones, Baritones, Euphs, Tubas (Contras), Trombones here and there.

The rest of the instruments have fallen by the wayside, or have been relegated to feature instrument status along side strings, keytars, and french horns.

I've been told it was because of competitive reasons. Those previous horns didn't play in tune, or didn't project well, or whatever...

Instrument makers have stopped making them, or at least listing models on their websites.

...so we are giving up on diversity due to competitive reasons. We should find a way to allow diverse ways of doing things to be rewarded instead of accepting homogenized shows with similar designs from multiple corps. 

Maybe BD can do a show with these "forgotten" instruments and bring them back into popularity?

...so yea, there's a light hearted twist on your poll.

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7 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

This expire in 2028. That gives us time to come up with a better plan.  DCI is the highest level of the marching arts.  You don’t see the NFL, World Cup Soccer, Olympics (all competitions at the highest level) get into a stupid, long-term deal to hold their championships at the same location for 20 years in a row. 

Agreed, but the NFL et al. brings in exponentially more money than DCI ever will. The Indy deal is sweet for DCI.

Hey, maybe they could rotate with Dayton? I mean, Indy and Dayton are the marching arts capitals of North America.

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14 minutes ago, jjeffeory said:

Agreed, but the NFL et al. brings in exponentially more money than DCI ever will. The Indy deal is sweet for DCI.

Hey, maybe they could rotate with Dayton? I mean, Indy and Dayton are the marching arts capitals of North America.

That midwest pull has been strong though historically. Hasn't there been enough of that? Trained in TX, marched in CA corps and even (or especially) I could feel it. Maybe this has changed?

Also, biased as I am, finals in the Rockies was fun. We're in drought so rainouts are less likely. 😭 And the added challenge of altitude would, hopefully, prompt corps to work smarter not harder heading the last shows.

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Today I learned DCP polls exist

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3 hours ago, FTNK said:

Safety and inclusion… everything else is secondary. If they don’t protect members and get abusers out of the activity, it doesn’t matter how financially secure it is and definitely doesn’t matter how well balanced the competition is.

A thousand times this.  I could care less who wins if we can't keep kids safe.  

Mike

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32 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

This expire in 2028. That gives us time to come up with a better plan.  DCI is the highest level of the marching arts.  You don’t see the NFL, World Cup Soccer, Olympics (all competitions at the highest level) get into a stupid, long-term deal to hold their championships at the same location for 20 years in a row. 

Fair, but I don't know if I would call it a stupid deal.  There were not a lot of bidders for DCI's events, audiences weren't travelling (remember 12k in Orlando?) and Indy offered a very good, if not great, deal to DCI in return for the long-term contract.  Financially, DCI the org is in a much better and stable place than they ever have been, and their tour deals have really helped that along.

All of that said, I'd 100% open it up at the end of this contract - would love to see what some of the other big NFL stadiums might offer.

Mike

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25 minutes ago, jjeffeory said:

I think we should choose to do two of these at the same time.

'Safety and inclusion' is the obvious first choice, but the choices are 'leading the witness , so to speak.

I felt compelled to pick safety and inclusion first.  I mean, you'd have to have no heart to not pick it first.
I assert that 'safety and inclusion' should be a basic requirement in a DCI corps and at DCI as well.

That being said, the next item should be "Competition,” but with a twist: 

We need to find a way for corps to be rewarded competitively while not have to be like the Blue Devils, for example.

I'll give a basic example, and I hope it doesn't come across as anything but constructive.

In the past, there were more marching styles by the corps.

There was the 'bent knee' marching technique that Cavaliers used, which is now only used by SCV.

There was the scissor straight legged style that the Cadets used.

There was a modified version straight leg that BD uses.

Now, almost everyone tries to march like BD.

The community has determined that this is the style that should be emulated, partly because it is what wins, and it is what the judges will reward. There is justification, as it is easy to measure "cleanliness" and "uniformity" from performer.  Other styles are more difficult to judge by the same metrics, because their emphasis is in other areas, such as saving people from long-term injuries, or whatever reason. They don't win, so they fall out of favor. 

Let's try another situation: The hominization of Instrumentation

In the past, hornlines included:

Trumpets ( Sops), Flugels, Mellophones, Frenchies, Altos, Tromboniums, Baritones, Euphs, Tubas (Contras).

Each corps had variations on these, and that lent itself to different sounding lines. 

Crossmen used to have a whole flugel line in addition to their trumpets and mellophones, now it's just mellophones and trumpets. ( Someone can correct me, I didn't see any in this year's line).

Phantom Regiment used to have a frenchie line, and of course used Euphs heavily. Now it's all mellophones and 0 french horn bugles. 

BD played with various Alto voices. Now, they're all mellophones.

Madison had tromboniums, which helped with their jazzy sound. Now it's baritones, and little trombone groups that every must use so that they can do the glissandos.  Homogenization.... BORING.

Today, corps only use:

Trumpets ( Sops), Mellophones, Baritones, Euphs, Tubas (Contras), Trombones here and there.

The rest of the instruments have fallen by the wayside, or have been relegated to feature instrument status along side strings, keytars, and french horns.

I've been told it was because of competitive reasons. Those previous horns didn't play in tune, or didn't project well, or whatever...

Instrument makers have stopped making them, or at least listing models on their websites.

...so we are giving up on diversity due to competitive reasons. We should find a way to allow diverse ways of doing things to be rewarded instead of accepting homogenized shows with similar designs from multiple corps. 

Maybe BD can do a show with these "forgotten" instruments and bring them back into popularity?

...so yea, there's a light hearted twist on your poll.

I really, really appreciate when crops use the more periphery brass instruments with class and melodic value and intent. I am with you in saying that arrangers as a whole are playing it too safe and homogenized for sure. I’m not too familiar on the older instruments really, but there’s still a variety of instruments that are used in brass bands, concert bands that are rarely given the light of day, even trombones and Euphs I feel haven’t been truly challenged as they can a either on the field in case of trombones, or instrumental features in the case of Euphs. I never understood Vanguard’s insistence on having Baritones out there when I’m sure with that low brass talent they have, a very impactful trombone section could be carved out of that as well.

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3 hours ago, FTNK said:

Safety and inclusion… everything else is secondary. If they don’t protect members and get abusers out of the activity, it doesn’t matter how financially secure it is and definitely doesn’t matter how well balanced the competition is.

i said finances first, with this as a close second, solely because to do safety right it costs more.

 

as for the tour...even regional touring early season has costs because you have to house and feed the kids whether you're in the home region or touring the country unless you take time off like Surf does.

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