We Have Met the Enemy - And They is Us?

[CallipygianKing]

because people seem to feel that they want all or nothing.

With teaching high school drumline for five years, I saw a lot of kids graduate and make the drive out to the Scouts, Cavaliers, or Phantom audition camps. And I can't say that more than once did anybody get past the first cut. Which is unfortunate, since the kids do proactice hard before going out.

The sad thing is that since they can't play with the corps they wanted, they figure that's it. They put their sticks away and pick up a summer job, then next fall they dust off the pad and try again. What they don't see is that there are (now) three other Div I corps nearby (Blue Stars, Pioneer, and Colts), and a whole handful of D 2/3 corps (Capital Sound, Racine Scouts, the new Chippewa Valley Brigade, Americanos), as well as three all-age corps (Chops, MN Brass, Govenaires).

So when they don't make the Cavies, they go home.

All of these other corps provide marching experience. And every time I tell them that they could still march, and maybe use the experience to better themselves so they can actually make it into the corps they originally wanted, I get a shrug. Or a brush-off. Or an excuse. They didn't get picked for the team they wanted, so they're just not going to play at all.

I know, this is just inside my own small sphere of experience. But this is what I saw as a teacher sending kids out into the marching world after high school.

"Winning Isn't Everything?":

Well said.

Elphaba

WWW

Amen to that!

[OMello1]

I've said this before...a much stronger activity-wide push needs to be made to provide multiple opportunities for auditionees to find marching experience.

It is not enough for a D1 corps who regularly cuts 300+ kids each year to passively suggest that that they explore other marching opportunities. There is a HUGE influx of interest right now from the band world, and we, as an activity, are not doing enough to take advantage of that (in terms of getting as many kids into the activity as possible).

We are doing a great job of getting the BEST kids into the activity...now we need to push beyond that and get ALL the kids into the activity (or try...).

Of course, nobody can be forced to march somewhere they don't want to...but what if, say, an area D2/3 corps were to team up with The Cavaliers, Phantom or Madison and send a few staff members to their camps, and be there to "audition" kids who get cut from the D1's? The kids get cut from the D1, but have an immediate opportunity to march in another corps.

Out of the 300 or so kids that the D1 would cut, lets say maybe 40 - 50 decide to audition for the D2/3 corps (rather than sit at home during the summer), and most of those are offered a spot. Lets say 15 - 20 kids actually take them up on the offer...well...if you are a D2/3, to stumble upon 15 - 20 kids like that is a GOLD MINE.

It should be mentioned though that not all D2/3 corps want to double or triple their size. Some of these organizations just cannot afford to buy/lease that extra bus (or two), and feed an extra 50 mouths each day. Their dues just won't pay enough...

If I were a D2/3 director, I'd be looking for some strategic alliances with bigger corps that attract more talent than they need. Along those lines, I'd be looking for some ways to share resources with these larger organizations too...

M

Edited December 17, 2005 by OMello1

[CallipygianKing]

Of course, nobody can be forced to march somewhere they don't want to...but what if, say, an area D2/3 corps were to team up with The Cavaliers, Phantom or Madison and send a few staff members to their camps, and be there to "audition" kids who get cut from the D1's? The kids get cut from the D1, but have an immediate opportunity to march in another corps.

You mean, like "back in the day" when it seems that every big corps had a smaller, younger feeder corps behind them? That's what the activity needs again. A feeder corps, or an affiliate corps (as you suggested) to immediately grab these kids who don't make the cut and just walk away so they can be developed and make the cut next year.

I'm not saying that all D 2/3 corps are just "minor league" or "just for skills development so that they can be sent up to a D1", but some of them need to be if we are to keep these "all or nothing" kids in the activity. They need someone to take them and say, "So, you're not quite (insert name of corps here) material. But you've got promise. How about you take a spot in the feeder corps, you'll get a chance to still do the warm-ups and marching basics with the "A" corps, but you'll go do shows with the development corps. Show us the effort and imporvement, and you've as good as in the "A" corps next summer."

The kid stays with the corps s/he wants, the corps has a "minor league" talent pool they can pull from, and the activity gains another member that would have just gone home after being cut.

Edited December 17, 2005 by CallipygianKing

[Orpheus]

Of course, nobody can be forced to march somewhere they don't want to...but what if, say, an area D2/3 corps were to team up with The Cavaliers, Phantom or Madison and send a few staff members to their camps, and be there to "audition" kids who get cut from the D1's? The kids get cut from the D1, but have an immediate opportunity to march in another corps.

One problem there is that most of the kids auditioning for D1 aren't from the region where that corps is based.

[JTE]

Short story.....(We Have Met the Enemy - And They is US)

I went to the DCI show in San Antonio this last summer. It was the first show that I had gone to since '96 I believe. I bought 2 seats on the 50 yard line at the top of the Alamo Dome. I ended up taking a good friend of mine that couldn’t have known less about the activity. As most of you know the SA show was an all day event that included all the corps that I knew of DIV I/II/III. Even as an ex-DCI corps member I found it hard to take my seat and watch the smaller corps when I could go outside and watch the BD warm-up. To make a long story short, we only sat in our seats and watched Corps for only about 6 hours total. Sounds crazy to say "only six hours" but we could have spent over 12 hours watching corps. It wouldn't have been the first time for me, but for the untrained eye and ear that could be considered quite excessive.

In order for the activity to grow there must be more exposure to all other corps to the faithful diehard fans and more exposure of the top six corps to rest of the world that doesn’t know the difference between a high school marching band and a Drum Corps. I want to know how this is possible with the current show format, or is it just me/ (us)?

[phido06]

I think something that would help combat this phenomenon is simply a little more awareness of the Div II/III side of DCI. Have DCI market it a little more, approaching the level of Div I. I know part of the appeal for when I was trying out for a corps was the idea that I would be on TV (PBS, but hey it is still TV). That sort of exposure I think would help the cause of the smaller cause. Also, I think it would help if bigger corps aligned with smaller corps to share staff and auditionees. Have a staff member tell a recent auditionee that, while they didn't make it this year, if they spent a year in the smaller group, they would have a much better chance of making it the next year. Finally, I think targeting a younger audience with Div II/III would help, and market as a way to eventually get to the top corps (this way you are appealing to the desire to be in a bigger corps while still getting members in the smaller corps - and many of your vets would probably stick with the smaller corps anyway).

[phido06]

p.s. I also think taking the activity back to its traditional roots somewhat with American Legion, etc. sponsoring shows and even corps themselves would help a lot.

[Jeff Ream]

No - DCA prelims were recorded. Unfortunately, some of those recordings were thrown away.

As for DCI, didn't they say they were working on releasing some of the 13-25 recordings via Season Pass in the future? I think that will happen. But I'm not so optimistic about the corps 26-onward.

what about those that dont want season pass?

[Jeff Ream]

I think something that would help combat this phenomenon is simply a little more awareness of the Div II/III side of DCI. Have DCI market it a little more, approaching the level of Div I. I know part of the appeal for when I was trying out for a corps was the idea that I would be on TV (PBS, but hey it is still TV). That sort of exposure I think would help the cause of the smaller cause. Also, I think it would help if bigger corps aligned with smaller corps to share staff and auditionees. Have a staff member tell a recent auditionee that, while they didn't make it this year, if they spent a year in the smaller group, they would have a much better chance of making it the next year. Finally, I think targeting a younger audience with Div II/III would help, and market as a way to eventually get to the top corps (this way you are appealing to the desire to be in a bigger corps while still getting members in the smaller corps - and many of your vets would probably stick with the smaller corps anyway).

DCi needs to help, but D2/3 needs to figure out their own vision and not just say "ok thats what D1 wants, so lets do it too"

[phido06]

DCi needs to help, but D2/3 needs to figure out their own vision and not just say "ok thats what D1 wants, so lets do it too"

That's a very good point. It all depends on what they see as their role. Probably some of them are content to give kids a good time performing and learning in the small-corps environment, whereas others want to achieve Div I status. That is completely up to the corps and what they feel their mission is, not what DCI or another party feels it is.