DCA 1965 - present

[JohnZ]

Let them - but they have to play by our rules. :P

[wishbonecav]

A DCI corps with a limited schedule is a DCA outfit with younger people. Whether that's Jersey Surf, Pacific Crest or whoever.

Compare the two and I give the DCA corps the nod for quality in that case because of one built-in advantage...the ability to have all the players come back next year.

Every DCA Corps has a core group that sets the tone every year in every section. When I joined Empire in 1992, 4 of the 6 snare drummers had been there since 1987. Plug in a couple of new guys and off you go. Same with the sops, baritones, guard, etc.

Take that formula and bring it head to head with the DCI groups and what do you get? When it comes to the top 6 or 7, how about 11 minutes of good drum corps?

So before we get too 'excited' about a "Top 16 Corps going all-age", take a look at DCA already. I'd say that, through the years, a DCA corps or two makes semifinals every year EVEN WITH THE LIMITED SCHEDULE and a couple give the finalists a run for their money (if not as a whole, then certainly in some captions.)

[MiamiSun76]

he thinks it would be great to see a dci corps switch to dca

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not all that far fetched. When I was with Belleville in the late '70s it was seriously discussed. And that was only a few years after making DCI finals. The circumstances were against it back then as there was no consistent senior (OK, all age) presence in the Midwest and weekend trips to the East Coast weren't doable. There was also the "youth organization" issue, although I bet that would have been trumped by "family organization", and a BoD that was less than enthusiastic. In today's environment, though, it might just work.