DCI and DCA's relationship? (curiosity killing me)

[JayM]

I guess I was mostly posting out of spite.

Because of my interactions with senior corps members and advocates on DCP, any chance that I will ever participate in DCA has been ruined.

It's a lot easier to promote your own organization when you're not simultaneously bashing another one, you know.

Edited February 19, 2006 by Jayzer

[MikeM]

I guess I was mostly posting out of spite.

Because of my interactions with senior corps members and advocates on DCP, any chance that I will ever participate in DCA has been ruined.

It's a lot easier to promote your own organization when you're not simulatanously bashing another one, you know.

Did ya ever wonder why DCA people are very quick to jump to the defense of their circuit?

DCA has been constantly portrayed as beer drinking heathens who wouldn't know how to march their way out of a paper bag. This is unfair, especially over the last 10 years, as DCA has gone to great lengths to clean up and promote their product to a wider length.

Have you given it a chance? Have you even seen DCA finals?

Cabs 2003 Prelims Performance

Watch it...tell me what you think.

DCA corps do amazing things while rehearsing Friday nights, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. I don't think some members of DCI realize how much less time a DCA corps rehearses compared to a DCI corps.

But you can watch. This show won DCA's in 2003. I'm proud to have been a member.

[OMello1]

Valid points. But again, it's not really what I'm driving at. I'm not suggeting that the two "help each other out". I'm suggesting that...screw it...I'll say it...Steve Rondinaro stop saying that "you can't march drum corps after 21". Seriously, it's a slap in the face. It's offensive. Instead, just say "DCI only allows you to march drum corps until 21 unlike other various orginizations of similar nature"...or something along those lines. That's all I'm getting at.

Well then, it sounds like your problem is not with DCI and their lack of association with DCA...but with Steve Rondinaro and his symantics. Is it worth getting worked up about?

M

[OMello1]

If they don't care then that's their choice.

But those who want to continue marching should be made aware that DCA exists and would welcome them, probably with open arms. DCA staff's are fully aware of the capabilities of any person who has aged out of a DCI Div 1 corps and would trip over themselves to get that person in their horn/drum/guard.

But to make it sound like DCA shouldn't exist? Well, that's short sighted. And, if you want to see how much DCA means to me, I'll show you my ring, and how much I cherish it.

Speaking for myself (and thinking to some degree is might be somewhat representational of a portion of others), immediately after I finished my 4 years marching in a div 1 corps, I was not interested in continuing my marching experience. 4 years was enough and I was graduating from college and starting my life. I just can't see that very many of us would be interested. Marching D1 takes a lot out of a person (as much as I enjoyed it...I was glad it was over when it was).

Now...ask me again in 10 years, then I might be interested in "reliving my youth".

M

[MikeM]

That's fair enough. Lord knows we all need breats at times. :)

[JayM]

Did ya ever wonder why DCA people are very quick to jump to the defense of their circuit?

DCA has been constantly portrayed as beer drinking heathens who wouldn't know how to march their way out of a paper bag. This is unfair, especially over the last 10 years, as DCA has gone to great lengths to clean up and promote their product to a wider length.

Have you given it a chance? Have you even seen DCA finals?

Cabs 2003 Prelims Performance

Watch it...tell me what you think.

DCA corps do amazing things while rehearsing Friday nights, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. I don't think some members of DCI realize how much less time a DCA corps rehearses compared to a DCI corps.

But you can watch. This show won DCA's in 2003. I'm proud to have been a member.

In the way most corps outside of DCI's top 6 don't interest me, that wasn't very interesting to me, either. It's been done.

When you basically take DCI designers, only with less time to practice and older, most likely less fit members, what do you really expect?

The two main things I liked about my DCI experience were the amazing camraderie that only an 85-day tour can provide, and the amazing performance levels we achieved. DCA offers neither of these to me.

I'm not downplaying your accomplishments, because I'm sure it takes a lot of effort to produce a show in a short amount of time, but that's not necessarily something that interests me.

A respected band director once said to me, "I'm over drum corps...only the top few corps are worth watching. Anyone can get good at something by repeating it over and over again." I agree with him. I don't think I could tell you what any corps outside of the top 4 played this year.

Yes, I know I have an extreme viewpoint, and I'm probably going to take a lot of heat for saying what I have, but I don't care. It's how I feel....and there's nothing wrong with sharing your opinion.

[Lancerlady]

ok ~ there are some issues i have with what you wrote, just because it seems you have your facts a bit jumbled. the show wasn't cancelled. the only thing that happened was that the stands were cleared AFTER the last corps of the day performed (the Cabs). if people chose to leave during the beginning of the storm, that was their choice. the show went on to its conclusion.

the directions were available if you chose to look. DCA had the address on its website. you have to do the work to plug it into Mapquest, etc. but obviously since you have a computer it shouldn't have been a problem to do. especially if you knew in advance you were going (which you did).

that wasn't a bad neighborhood, sorry it didn't live up to your expectations of what a RI neighborhood should look like. the show itself is actually in a nice area of tiny homes. the main drag when you get off 195 may not be much to look at visually, but it is a safe neighborhood, just old. if you think that is the "worst possible place" don't bother coming to the Bridgeport DCA or DCI shows because driving thru Bridgeport and passing the prison on the way into the stadium will really flip you out.

as far as "compared to where DCI was", it was held in the same location the RI DCA show has been held for YEARS. when DCI was originally holding Div II/III's in RI really you weren't looking at any different of a ride out from Foxboro to those shows, compared to the DCA show.

what did the DCA folks want from it? same thing that those of us spectators who go year after year want from it. enjoyable performances ~ which we got. a convenient location to other things (Providence less than 15 minutes away, Bristol about 20 in the opposite direction, Newport just over a half hour). close to good food (the winner of the Newport RI annual chowder contest was right on the main, unattractive "bad neighborhood" strip right off the highway).

so while it may not have been your cup of tea ~ for many of us it capped off a wonderful weekend of drum corps, and fun. B)

I didn't say I didn't enjoy the corps I was able to watch, and yes, the announcement was made when the rains began to pour that the rest of the show was cancelled due to the lightening..I was there I heard the announcement...it began to open up during the Cabelleros performance, but the masters they are continued on until the end.

As far as where it was held, the stadium..let me clarify my meaning..the stadium...I couldn't believe y'all settled for having a show run there..the stands were so low you couldn't even see any drill from anywhere you went...I just couldn't believe it.

I never said it wasn't my cup of tea, I'm so tired of people that choose to have selective reading on here and don't read what was stated. I said DCI could've done a better job with the directions since they were the ones allegedly running this show..according to them...and if this is your way of welcoming someone who is a new fan to DCA you should really try again......Why should I have to look at two different websites if DCI is the one running it..they should provide directions as well. Why do I have to go through the trouble of looking up on a map when the contest coordinators could.... if they really wanted to have that provided like they did for the DCI shows..that's all I'm saying regarding that.

I don't know why you are so angry about me stating my opinion regarding how this show could've been run better, but if DCA is used to such standards maybe that is the problem with why more fans don't come to their shows. I didn't know for sure if I was going to go or not at the last minute I decided, but I thought that DCI would have available the directions since this show was sponsored by DCI and I don't think that is too much to ask...they provided a map for the other shows why not this one was all I was asking. I don't need a lecture on how to look up maps. It's called customer service.

Your post is rather harsh all I did was state obvious facts..you might not like them but as a fan that is what I observed..that is how I felt. If DCA wants to attract more fans, this isn't the way to do it. OH and I wasn't the only one who agreed about this others in the stands said the same thing about not having directions made them late.

So now you're telling me not to come to another DCA show because I felt like it was held in a way off neighborhood...that is what I meant by the worst possible place......because I spoke my mind? I can see where other people get their reasons for not wanting to go see more DCA shows..

Edited February 19, 2006 by Lancerlady

[audiodb]

I never said it wasn't my cup of tea, I'm so tired of people that choose to have selective reading on here and don't read what was stated. I said DCI could've done a better job with the directions since they were the ones allegedly running this show..according to them...and if this is your way of welcoming someone who is a new fan to DCA you should really try again......Why should I have to look at two different websites if DCI is the one running it..they should provide directions as well. Why do I have to go through the trouble of looking up on a map when the contest coordinators could.... if they really wanted to have that provided like they did for the DCI shows..that's all I'm saying regarding that.

Oh, now I remember - that was a "DCI" event. Good point. But....

I don't know why you are so angry about me stating my opinion regarding how this show could've been run better, but if DCA is used to such standards maybe that is the problem with why more fans don't come to their shows.

OK, now you're confusing me. I do remember the event being somehow promoted via DCI. But if DCI didn't do their usual job in that role, why then does it sound as if your criticism is being turned toward DCA? (Maybe I'm just misreading this.)

[audiodb]

I guess I was mostly posting out of spite.

Because of my interactions with senior corps members and advocates on DCP, any chance that I will ever participate in DCA has been ruined.

Wow. If I was considering marching DCI based on your criteria, I would probably be turned away just as quickly. But most of us realize that you can't judge an entire activity by the posts of a few random people on a discussion group.

It's a lot easier to promote your own organization when you're not simulatanously bashing another one, you know.

That is generally wise advice, and I hope all drum corps circuits take heed of it.

[Lancerlady]

No, I have no beef with anyone other then what was stated, just some obvious customer service consideration for those people who are from out of town traveling and might not have access to a computer to google a map...

Actually though, the stadiums of the shows I've been to so far where DCA have had shows..St. Cloud, and then in RI where very low high school stadiums. You couldn't really see a lot of drill. I was told after the St. Cloud show that the crowd for that particular show was rather large...I was rather puzzled at what would be considered a good sized crowd for a DCA show cause I guess I'm used to DCI shows. I didn't think it was that big but since it was my first experience of a DCA show and it too got rained on too, I could only go by what I was told...Then this stadium where they had this "big show" on a Sunday after finals...in RI wasn't that big either...You couldn't even use a step ladder to see drill if you wanted too.

I personally think that some better promotions needs to go on for these shows or maybe it's the fact that most of the fans of DCA are marching in the corps...I guess I'm just missing these 'big crowds', even though I was in them...

Of course I haven't been to one in PA yet where the big shows are..and don't shoot me here I'm just giving some personal observations.

Edited February 19, 2006 by Lancerlady