Goodbye

[Keith Hall]

I'll start.....

 

    Many years ago (in the 1970's) when I marched junior corps (remember when we called it that?),I hated senior corps. So I was loyal and devoted to my corps and that was it. In 1990 I was asked by members of two corps to join them and so I chose to march with Rochester Crusaders. I met some really great people there who are still friends of mine today. I loved going to DCA!

    This is the last DCA Championships as the will run under DCI. Although years ago I thought this would happen due to less corps in each association. But here are my observations. Years ago DCA was starting to grow...Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin and even California. I know it was tough for those corps outside the Northeast US to walk into Scranton or Rochester and compete with those older NE corps. I really enjoyed the Renegades and Minnesota Brass. But somehow those corps are not part of the scene and I mean that they are either gone, or just not participating this year. 

Will the move to DCI be helpful? What has DCI done to see the activity grow? We see less "junior" corps than ever. Now every kid wants to march with a top 12 corps. In the 1970's I was loyal to my local corps until the merged with a corps of lesser value. 

 

So will DCI help the All-Age corps or euthanize the all-age activity in a short time? Just something to think about since Blue Devils won again!

[BigW]

I'll be blunt.

 

The legacy base is aging and dying. The people who attend are mainly Family and aging alumni of the show host. Williamsport is the only exception. After what I was told happened there this year, it unfortunately appears snakebit and I'm glad I stayed at home working on my models and resting. I was reminded also that the stadium STILL is missing simple amenities like rails on the steps. It was bad enough for me when I was "healthier", but I sometimes need them after my health issues. And I'm better off and a lot younger than a lot of the attendees. We're lucky someone hasn't taken a serious tumble. I'm stunned that it meets ADA requirements and that someone hasn't forced the issue.

 

Championships are far away from most of the base. It's a major effort to drive there except for possibly the White Sabers and Rogue's Hollow. And then, folks wonder why the attendance has suffered.

 

The move to Indy is a move that actually makes sense for different reasons for different people. Maybe there, they find a new, younger fan base that will. re-energize things. DCA isn't really all-age anymore, unless folks watch the Mini-Corps or I and E. The visual book has become too physically demanding for anyone other than young folks. They've forced themselves away from that demographic unless the individual is ridiculously fit. Maybe because the move makes all of the Legacy corps in Jersey and PA have to actually spend money to travel to championships, it levels the playing field as some here have begged for years. It might kill off some Corps- but that remains to be seen, and things have arrived at a point they have to try something. 

 

Add to this the nasty stew of the season schedule. Look, many of us get that the complexity of the shows have increased. No one wants to remain in the basement because of weak design. It used to be that the first show was an exhibition on Memorial Day and Clifton on the first weekend of June. Then things started to compress down to Mid-June, now I sit at Hempfield and see a lot of half-baked bread in Mid-July.

 

I suggested and implied a while ago here that DCA was narrowing itself down to a 4-5 if that week season and was pooh-poohed by someone then on staff with one of the corps and they said it was unviable. Guess what!? Do the math my friend! What was termed unviable is on the doorstep unless there's a serious and real commitment to be ready in Mid-June. There are all sorts of reasons or excuses everyone has for not being ready by mid-July right now. Indoor taking priority with Guard and Percussion members for instance. Okay. At least when they show up, they're combat ready. At least get the drill down and book complete for the Brass when the guard and percussion appear. The Bucs get it done. So do the Cabs and Bush this season, though Bush appeared very rushed on their end. Why can't anyone else get it done? I hear the reasons, I try to be understanding, but it sounds more like excuses as time goes on. That bothers me, but I've been trying to listen, be patient, and hope to see that things improve. They haven't in this regard.

 

Thinking about this more.... the fact that there seems to be little or no accommodation between Indoor units and the DCA corps is telling. I've thought that the DCA teams for some time need to have indoor units of serious indoor affiliates so accommodations could be reached, but of course. that gets pooh-poohed by many. 

 

I'd like to see DCA survive. I think the whole thing is a last-ditch effort that's been forced on them with no other choices. I hope they make it. There'll have to be some radical re-thinking from many DCA corps, and no more excuses about how things will need to be done to keep the circuit viable. The same old, same old will result in failure. They'll have to stop saying they can't. Or they'll just have to say So Long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by BigW

[ironlips]

It seems clear that the DCI folks have thrown a life-line to what remains of DCA. The acute infirmity of the latter has been obvious for a long time and the graph on the chart at the foot of its bed reveals a treacherously downward slope. Left alone, the prognosis is dire.

DCA has relatively new leadership at the top that has shown some vision. This will be required from the corps-level management as well if the patient is to have any hope of recovery.

 

[Keith Hall]

I hope it works out and the all-age activity grows again.

When Brigs, Crusaders and Statesmen faded away that was really sad! I was fond of Renegades, Min Brass, Kilties and Heatwave too

[BigW]

1 hour ago, Keith Hall said:

I hope it works out and the all-age activity grows again.

When Brigs, Crusaders and Statesmen faded away that was really sad! I was fond of Renegades, Min Brass, Kilties and Heatwave too

Some of those demises were self-inflicted. Others were not.

 

Part of the problem is the historical nature of how DCA basically was self-serving towards its members, and it was extremely difficult to crack the inner sanctum. There were plenty of corps around. Many were simply expendable. Now, there's basically no one left to expend. The corps need to be exceptionally aware of what they do as a whole for DCA and not just what is self-serving. Otherwise, it'll be 2-3 corps looking around and wondering what the hades happened.

[BariBone]

21 hours ago, BigW said:

 

 

I suggested and implied a while ago here that DCA was narrowing itself down to a 4-5 if that week season and was pooh-poohed by someone then on staff with one of the corps and they said it was unviable. Guess what!? Do the math my friend! What was termed unviable is on the doorstep unless there's a serious and real commitment to be ready in Mid-June. There are all sorts of reasons or excuses everyone has for not being ready by mid-July right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my biggest concern. You are taking the meat  of the DCA season ( Aug) and evaporating it into being a warm up for DCI East and DCI finals and then poof the season is over. There has been no word on how many times the all age corps will perform in Indy. Just once on Saturday morning? How does this affect the business model and tuition (dues) structure of the northeast corps who now have to sell prospective members on the premise that they will be going to camps all winter and spring to learn a show they will compete in 4-5 times at most before being the warm up for the big DCI regional and finals in the last 2 weekends.  At least they will be on flo marching . That  is the biggest plus in the DCI/DCA merge. 

[JimF-LowBari]

8 hours ago, ironlips said:

DCA has relatively new leadership at the top that has shown some vision. This will be required from the corps-level management as well if the patient is to have any hope of recovery.

I’m reading “new vision” as willing to get away from the “always done it this way” mindset. Repeating myself but wish DCA had moved Finals Weekend to before Labor Day years ago due to school conflicts. Now doing both change of date and location the same time. If things change for good or bad we won’t be able to tell which change made the most difference 

[Jeff Ream]

will it work? time will tell. but something had to be tried, and probably should have 5-6 years ago. in the last years in Rochester before the pandemic, i'm told the crowd wasn't even 3000 paid. i'm told last year was 1300 in Rochester, and i don't recall numbers being much higher in the Williamsport years.

with DCA having no full time staff, simple things like marketing have been little to none. oh, occasionally you'd see some moves, but it meant people had to give up life after their day jobs to get it done. Labor Day had been a known issue for a while...in the outer regions at first, and now it's seeped into the NE. band directors wants kids at their games, be it high school or college. 

 

will show style change? I kinda hope so. i think some have gone too far off of the deep end in what they ask on a weekend schdule.few pull it off. in the long run its probably been a blessing there's no field visual judge, as i called stuff out 10 years ago finals that were untinkable 5 years before that. 

 

all we can do is root for success. a condensed schedule means hopefully more competitive opportunites for all. being able to perform at shows like DCI in Allentown got more eyes on those 4 corps than they'll most likely see in a few weeks at championships. i am hoping the tie in with DCI weekend gets more eyes on the product. we just don't know.

 

but the current approach, long stagnant and dying, had to change. and at the risk of hate mail, the lack of alumni shows probably makes DCA more money going forward than it had for a LONG time under the current format.

[Keith Hall]

Do veteran DCA corps members want to compete in morning or afternoon. Almost like being treated like the "red headed Stepchild!" 

 

DCI Prelims, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals is a joke! The amount of corps (minimal) and the minor lack of movement in placing really sets up the top 12 two weeks prior. They could have prelims on Friday (day) and Finals on Saturday and Friday evening could be All Age Finals (I would add to have all age prelims, if its needed, on Friday along with DCI prelims. The old model would definitely work today with lack of corps!

[BigW]

On 8/16/2023 at 3:13 PM, BariBone said:

This is my biggest concern. You are taking the meat  of the DCA season ( Aug) and evaporating it into being a warm up for DCI East and DCI finals and then poof the season is over. There has been no word on how many times the all age corps will perform in Indy. Just once on Saturday morning? How does this affect the business model and tuition (dues) structure of the northeast corps who now have to sell prospective members on the premise that they will be going to camps all winter and spring to learn a show they will compete in 4-5 times at most before being the warm up for the big DCI regional and finals in the last 2 weekends.  At least they will be on flo marching . That  is the biggest plus in the DCI/DCA merge. 

It used to be a season where guys like Jim and I could and did compete 10-13 times a season.

 

They COULD decide to get their acts together and be actually ready in Mid-June... but I'm not very hopeful. If they can, good! Prove me wrong!

Edited August 17, 2023 by BigW