Reduction in the Total Number of DCI Corps

[rwrice]

Lot's of great theories and opinions in the, "If DCI had not been formed, would there be more competing junior corps?" poll as to what caused the reduction in the overall number of corps that existed from the '60's to present day. Thanks Geneva!

As a follow up to that topic my question to DCI would be:

"Recognizing that the total number of corps nationally has fallen off so drastically, what steps have you already taken and what steps are you prepared to take in the future to try to halt this trend?"

Just posting this as an open question to the general DCP population. If anyone has any answers, please post them. Also, please state whether or not you feel the steps DCI has already taken or proposes to take in the future will stop the trend.

Thanks,

Rice

[stellwegen]

You may as well enjoy what we have while it lasts! The trend will not be reversed, and it is not DCI's doing. Our society has changed,economics

and school costs are a factor,but mainly,we are not the same country we were twenty years ago, where there was time for activities such as drum corp. This is not a doomsday opinion,but simply an observation as I see it. Our youth for the most part have moved on to other things.

[ptr250]

You may as well enjoy what we have while it lasts! The trend will not be reversed, and it is not DCI's doing. Our society has changed,economics

and school costs are a factor,but mainly,we are not the same country we were twenty years ago, where there was time for activities such as drum corp. This is not a doomsday opinion,but simply an observation as I see it. Our youth for the most part have moved on to other things.

The proof that the above quote is a load of crap, lies in the number of students who audition for the remaining D1 corps. The problem is not a lack of interest, but lack of opportunities. I believe the lack of opportunity is caused by the economic restraints DCI puts on its member corps by its preoccupation with the national tour. As I have posted before I believe DCI should put its focus on developing a regional competitive circuit and crowning regional champions (East, Mid-west and West). The top three finishers in each region along with three wild cards would then travel to the DCI championship site which would rotate between the three regions. DCI would subsidize each corps travel costs. I believe this would help develop more locally based corps and build regional rivalries. Since it’s Christmas Eve and I need to get ready to go out I don’t have time to elaborate, but DC could grow if DCI would change it’s business model.

Edited December 25, 2005 by ptr250

[Kansan]

Year round school is the trend in education in many parts of the country. If this continues, soon High School students won't be able to tour nationally. If DCI adapts to this and creates regional circuits maybe the Jr. level activity will survive. If DCI doesn't recognize the problem, only College age performers will be left. Are there enough College performers to fill 12 corps?????? :P Hmmm, new life for DCM? Probably.

[Blackstar]

Year round school is the trend in education in many parts of the country. If this continues, soon High School students won't be able to tour nationally. If DCI adapts to this and creates regional circuits maybe the Jr. level activity will survive. If DCI doesn't recognize the problem, only College age performers will be left. Are there enough College performers to fill 12 corps?????? :P Hmmm, new life for DCM? Probably.

So we're happy with only twelve corps now?? What about the other 59 corps today. This is a major probelm is that "as long as we have the top 12, everything is ok" way of thinking. I would watch a D2/3 show in minute given the choice. Check out Corpsrep and see how many corps used to march in 1980.

I've said this many times before, A weekend only with maybe a week tour for Championships is the only way to go. But I'm not going to blame DCI. I'm sure if they only wanted to march weekends they could find shows to do so. What would happen if say Phantom only could do weekend shows and spend a week going to Championships. Would DCI stop them, Would show sponsors turn them away.

But the times of people putting up a million dollars to fund something that doesn't have a steady revenue stream is long past. And finding funding is getting harder. Things have to change and being on ESPN isn't going to help.

[stellwegen]

The proof that the above quote is a load of crap, lies in the number of students who audition for the remaining D1 corps. The problem is not a lack of interest, but lack of opportunities. I believe the lack of opportunity is caused by the economic restraints DCI puts on its member corps by its preoccupation with the national tour. As I have posted before I believe DCI should put its focus on developing a regional competitive circuit and crowning regional champions (East, Mid-west and West). The top three finishers in each region along with three wild cards would then travel to the DCI championship site which would rotate between the three regions. DCI would subsidize each corps travel costs. I believe this would help develop more locally based corps and build regional rivalries. Since it’s Christmas Eve and I need to get ready to go out I don’t have time to elaborate, but DC could grow if DCI would change it’s business model.

By all means make sure you get out on christmas eve. As far as being a load of crap, perhaps you might consider that the amazing numbers that initially try out for Div I corps do not relegate themselves to div II corps when they are cut. They do not stay in the activity. Do you really think that regional corps could muster the interest week after week and finance these corps long enough to even last the season. I do not know how long you have been in volved in this activity,but a lot more inovative and practical schemes have

been suggested over the years in order to "make things work" Perhaps you can set an example by having the Arizona regionals in Phoenix, we will go from there.!!

[audiodb]

I believe the lack of opportunity is caused by the economic restraints DCI puts on its member corps by its preoccupation with the national tour. As I have posted before I believe DCI should put its focus on developing a regional competitive circuit and crowning regional champions (East, Mid-west and West).

While we may not agree with the specifics of Paul's suggestion, his point regarding national tour focus still stands.

Kids have had more options each year ever since World War II ended; this phenomenon didn't just suddenly start in 1972. Neither did the draft, or the exodus of church support, or VFW/AL post attrition, or the energy crisis, or Reaganomics, or the rise of youth soccer, or any of the other popular excuses given for the decline in number of junior corps. You know what did start in 1972? Two things:

- DCI; and

- the steady decline in number of competing junior corps

But I'm not blaming DCI here - merely pointing out one side effect of DCI's approach which I believe has affected the junior corps population. Remember, we had national/world championship contests (several) and touring before DCI was formed. But in replacing those five or six "championships" with one focal DCI Championship, and in consolidating touring of the member corps, a consolidation of the participating corps followed.

Even this process didn't happen all at once. The continued existence of several of these major contests (World Open, U.S. Open, AIO, etc.) as stops on the DCI tour, along with DCI's own regionals, provided temporary focal events for regional corps until their disappearance or elimination in the 1980s and early 1990s. And the regional circuits carried the same torch into the late 1990s, or in DCM's case, even more recently.

I agree that a more locally/regionally-oriented tour scenario would be conducive to a larger number of participating corps. But DCI has moved so far in the opposite direction that it may be too late to offer that suggestion. Obviously, division I has made their choice. But start talking to directors of division II/III corps. You'd be surprised how many of them now consider the DCI touring model to be their only viable operating model. Never mind how many of their peers made the same choice in the past, and are no longer active.

It's not a question of getting the kids. No adults are interested in running local junior corps anymore.

My suggestions, nevertheless, would be to provide and promote local/regional levels of participation for corps of the division II/III variety, giving these corps annual events they can focus on other than just DCI Championships.

[Geneva]

Lot's of great theories and opinions in the, "If DCI had not been formed, would there be more competing junior corps?" poll as to what caused the reduction in the overall number of corps that existed from the '60's to present day. Thanks Geneva!

You are welcome, Rice, and I thank everyone who participated in my poll and voiced their opinions. It was very thought-provoking.

Now my two cents on the question posed, "What is DCI doing or prepared to do to reverse the trend of the attrition of drum corps?" In a word, I don't know and I certainly do not see DCI making the changes necessary to enable drum corps to regenerate the numbers of competing junior corps. What I do see is fine leadership and an economically healthier and better publicized activity for the corps at the very top of the activity. I don't see this as a means to the regeneration of more competing units, however. DCI more so than any other force today in the activity has the power the create an environment which would foster more start-ups.

How?

In my opinion, by creating a class of drum corps where the rules prohibit the most expensive aspects of trying to compete in modern drum corps (pit instrumentation, costuming and extravagant visual effects, national touring. DCI could also do existing corps and new start-ups a big favor by creating a "G bugle bank" whereby new start ups could easily find the numbers of cheaper used G bugles which must be out there unused.

Now having said that, I must admit that I do not know if there is the youth market out there any longer to fill the ranks of new start-ups. What I see is an abundance of youth in the scholastic music system willing and eager to make the sacrifices necessary to play at the division I level. I doubt that this overabundance of numbers would be interested in the level of the activity of which I speak. I see a majority of today's division I participants as having professional interests in the performing arts. I just do not know if there is the interest out there in today's youth to reform local drum considering the competition from the many other youth activities now available and the rise of the scholatic marching band circuits which provide much of what the community drum corps once did.

It would be a noble experiment for DCI to create this class to see if there is the interest to re-form these simpler types of community-based marching musical units which time has proven capable of producing wonderful and inspiring performances and experiences that many more of us were able to experience in "the day".

[Kansan]

So we're happy with only twelve corps now?? What about the other 59 corps today. This is a major probelm is that "as long as we have the top 12, everything is ok" way of thinking. I would watch a D2/3 show in minute given the choice. Check out Corpsrep and see how many corps used to march in 1980.

I've said this many times before, A weekend only with maybe a week tour for Championships is the only way to go. But I'm not going to blame DCI. I'm sure if they only wanted to march weekends they could find shows to do so. What would happen if say Phantom only could do weekend shows and spend a week going to Championships. Would DCI stop them, Would show sponsors turn them away.

But the times of people putting up a million dollars to fund something that doesn't have a steady revenue stream is long past. And finding funding is getting harder. Things have to change and being on ESPN isn't going to help.

I didn't mean we should be happy with 12 corps. I was just saying, if the high school kids are not able to tour because of all year round school, are there even enough college age kids to fill the top twelve corps. I was suggesting the future of the activity might be having regional circuits with competition on the weekends. I would like to have a corps in every town, not just 12 super corps.

[ptr250]

By all means make sure you get out on christmas eve. As far as being a load of crap, perhaps you might consider that the amazing numbers that initially try out for Div I corps do not relegate themselves to div II corps when they are cut. They do not stay in the activity. Do you really think that regional corps could muster the interest week after week and finance these corps long enough to even last the season. I do not know how long you have been in volved in this activity,but a lot more inovative and practical schemes have

been suggested over the years in order to "make things work" Perhaps you can set an example by having the Arizona regionals in Phoenix, we will go from there.!!

<personal attack removed: bluestarcontra>

It’s a tragedy that so many potential members ignore the opportunities available to them by marching D2. I know in SCV land we are trying to build a more local “A” corps by building a strong (and very competitive) cadet corps.

Maybe DCI needs to give more recognition to the lower division corps. With that thought in mind I’m altering my proposal slightly. Three regions would still be formed and regional championships held. The winner and runner-up in both D1 & D2 in each region would be invited to compete at the DCI championships. Also three wild card entries would be invited from D1. DCI would then subsidize the travel expensive for each of the fifteen corps. D1 and 2 would still crown their individual “international champs”, but the top three D2 corps would be invited to perform for the D 1 finals.

I've been around this activity for over thrity-five years and seen a mutitude of changes. I can safely say that not one of the changes has done anything to further the activities growth in the number of corps.

Edited January 1, 2006 by bluestarcontra