Is DCA dead?

[Robbie Ellis]

Robbie,

I think that we also had a slight bit of sunshine during our Bridgemen performance.

We were back to back, Jim, so you are probably right. The worst part was that we didn't wear our plumes (for obvious reasons!) and we could have. The sun stayed out for most of our performance and it was actually pretty warm.

[DMCK]

Just because a score is higher, doesn't mean the show was better. Just means another group of people felt that is what the scores should be. For instance, I would say (and I'm speaking on behalf of me only, and not the rest of my corps) that even though we were only 1 of 2 corps that scores went up between the 2 performances, that our better show was Prelims.

I disagree...but it was an amazingly energetic performance, and something I'll never forget. In fact, I remember thinking that very thought during the show.

[Brent]

We were back to back, Jim, so you are probably right. The worst part was that we didn't wear our plumes (for obvious reasons!) and we could have. The sun stayed out for most of our performance and it was actually pretty warm.

I had a wonderful thought and question for a discussion and I decided to post it in another thread. Please take this part of the discussion elsewhere. Thank you.

By the way, I think the Alumni Spectacular is one of the highlights of the DCA weekend! Seriously

create peace

Brent

[DMCK]

17,000 views in six days ... in a discussion about the future of the activity.

Drum Corps Planet has started selling off junior corps topics to pay for the bandwidth, DCA has introduced nine more changes to the bylaws, and the Bushwackers just changed their opener.

EVERYBODY PANIC.

Not true. Our opener is still "Lonely Town", and it's really cool.

(I do get sarcasm. I am joking).

[melligene]

or this if you prefer

same junk .. different thread ... no answers ..... WELCOME TO DCP!

....Just had to Bump this one.....

[drumlaw80]

....Just had to Bump this one.....

Funny, but I do not agree.

[LisaLisaMoMeesa]

I think Renegades should march

left

left

right.

that's right, do a little step step thingy with the left foot. Wouldn't that be cool?

[melligene]

Funny, but I do not agree.

Not surprised Lee. I got your point on page (1)as did many, I believe. Should listen to my/your Buddy Rich........your delivery just...well....ah.....SUCKS!!.....and I mean that in the nicest way :P (oh ya.....tell Rich I'll meet him at the usual place in RaChaCha (next to the Dumpster beside the Minicorps' stage.....Labatt's in Hand...) b**bs

Edited March 28, 2007 by melligene

[Kyle B]

I disagree...but it was an amazingly energetic performance, and something I'll never forget. In fact, I remember thinking that very thought during the show.

Hmm, well, I have a dumb reason for not liking how I did on finals. I messed up like 2 counts after my plume came off. I know, dumb, but I'm super picky. I will feel you on the energy. I've never been apart of anything like that in my life, and it will be hard for that to repeat itself.

[CSGreen]

Bump, only because I didn't want to see this well thought out and written response buried.

I especially agree with the 'new kids on the block' syndrome. I have taken my share of bashing from various people for starting corps and not sticking with them, (as if I could move myself around the country to ensure every start up makes it to greatness). I have been told to 'wait, don't stir the pot, you have to earn your right to speak out'. Instead I say what I believe, and stand behind my words.

It is *MY* goal to help as many corps on the field as possible, and so far, only 1 didn't make it to the field (Powerhouse, my sole DCI project). I take responsibility, I passed the project over due to my relocation to TX, and the project dwindled. If I had been there it may or may not have succeeded.

I do my part to consult and help any way that I can, and really don't care what people think of me.

Now I live in Dallas and concentrating all my efforts to making Frontier forefront in the activity, one step and one year at a time. No, we can't win DCA our first year, and we won't win it this year (our third), but we will and have made an impact and will continue to do so. We started as a performing arts association, not just a drum corps association. Our 2nd corps, Masquerade from LA, is hosting a show and performing as a minicorps/A-35 type ensemble. Sky Ryders Alumni Corps were started under our umbrella and are putting together people from all over the country with hopes of having a performing ensemble in 08. Our 4th corps, Crosswinds in OK, is starting this year as a small performance ensemble and hoping to be a A35 type ensemble for 08, and by 2010, split into two corps from OK.

By 08 we hope to add 2 more DCA shows to TX and surrounding states, either by sponsoring them ourselves, or helping other organizations sponsor their own.

It is increasingly difficult to even start a corps, DCA is a bit easier than DCI, but we have our own challenges that won't go away. Some recent rules have made that harder, and some corps would rather not see new corps pop up and gain prominence... some do.

Frontier is a partner in 'Building a circuit... one corps at a time'. There are many of us, and the door is always open to new members.

"all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal then others!"

It’s always interesting to jump on to DCP after two weeks and see the drama that has been stirred up. So I stopped reading this thread after like page 20 and skimmed through the rest because it’s just a bunch of back and forth I'm right your wrong contest. So here’s my opinion on what I read; take it for what it is, read it, tear it apart, reinterpret to what your mood tells ya what you think...

-Making DCA the most popular and commercially viable performing arts activity in the world: That’s a stretch! Here's an interesting fact for ya; there are more people who actively perform in WGI then compete in the Olympics. However, I don’t see a grand opening world ceremony for WGI Championships the same goes for DCI. Drum Corp/winterguard is a cult "you're either in or you're out." Usually once you discover it and your into music your hooked for life. As for DCA to be a greater organization you have to ask how as an activity can you captivate new members, grow and expand the organization, and finally attract new fans? How do you get more people to get in the know about DCA? Sadly the performing arts is a struggling activity and although it has made strides it will always struggle.

-We live in a day of age of the World Wide Web, where all knowledge is at your fingertips with a click of a button. If you google DCA and you pull up the website what do you see, a very amateur basic web page. The graphics are tragic, the layout doesn’t make any logical since and the amount of information the webpage has is minimum. If you were someone who didn't know anything about the activity and you looked at that, you think amateur! That’s not really an image we want to portray. (time for sarcastic joke) The east coast is a little bit slower in technology then the west coast but a little more effort could be put into that page. I have to say the WGI website just kicks ###! And Guess what people It's a weekend activity, isn’t that a surprise? A more appealing web page with more flash and flare and knowledge would give the organization a lot better reprisentation. Before you start rippin me apart for cost of developing a web page you could find a lot of college graduates who would do it for next to nothing to build a portfolio!

-ESPN: If you are not a drum corp fanatic, who makes sure your life is free for this one night event, it really has no real appeal. The typical household flipping through the channels would most likely just skip over it. What benefit doest that do for the network or for commercial advertisers? Sadly, but no surprise, most people are going to be more entertained and interested watching a person shove 40 hotdogs down in 5 minutes. What ever happened to good o'l PBS folks? That’s how I learned about DCI in my small cow town in upstate NY. I think the biggest opportunity for marketing and recruitment would be for DCA to team up with local high schools, colleges, and band competitions. I don’t think this is an obligation for DCA as an organization but for local individual DCA corps. Just for example that I know of Gates Chili in NY is with Rochester Crusaders, Eastridge High School used to be, don’t know if they still are, is with Empire Statesman. Syracuse local schools with Brigadiers and I assume many other All Age Corps are tied to some local school establishment. There are a lot local kids who would love the opportunity to march a corp but don’t have the financial means to fly out twice a month to a top dci corp or have the time and dedication to for fit their entire summer. DCA is another outlet for them. Recruit them when there younger and build a loyalty for life, get families involved. That’s in itself will help the organization grow because family members will go see family members perform. In time parents will drag there friends and there friends will enjoy watching the activity and so on..

-DCA is destined to remain small:

First of all DCA has no obligation to grow the activity neither does DCI or WGI. All organizations charge fees, they all have rules, and they all have regulations. Doesn't mean you have to like them but that’s how it is. The costs are far less to operate a DCA then DCI. Do some corps have less or more expenses? Yes, Div II/III do not do a full tour because they don’t have the financial means. It’s about budgeting and working within in your means until you have a strong financial infrastructure. The east coast corps has been around longer, they have a greater outreach of alumni members, supporters, and fundraising. They have more outlets to lower cost of memberships and to spend on supplies. However for new organizations you can look at Academy. They took it slow built a great organization infrastructure and now they are strong enough to support a strong corp. Took them a couple years but you didn’t see them competing in DCI div 1 there second year. But we are burdened becuase we have to fly all the way back east. Well tuff, some corps have more cost then others. The east coast corps have bus rental fees all summer long for traveling 5-6 hrs each way weekend journey 2- 3 times a month. Some have to fly our stuff out to the east coast once a year.

-DCA Shows: Yes it sucks for organizations that aren’t in the north east. We don’t have the luxury of 6-10 DCA corps that are with in a traveling range of each other to hold a DCA show. Untill more all age corps form across the country and regional circuits are created, it’s going to be tough and we have to play on the turf with DCI. Which in my opinion I have no complaints marching next to them. It does suck performing at 6pm with the sun in your eyes but hey you take what you get. I dream of a day where DCMidwest and DCWest and DCSouth are formed and we all come together at the end of the year at DCA. When the organization grows nation wide maybe one day a DCA show will be in other locations other then the east. I mean you have to look at DCI when was the last time they had a West Coast Championship? Oh, BTW DCA corps in the east also competes at DCI Sanctioned shows.

New Organizations: Hate to say it but the new kid on the block is always going to have to prove themselves and work harder. If it’s with your career or with in the drum corp. They usually aren’t the most liked especially when they stir things up or make changes to ye ol time traditions. Being accepted and welcomed into an organization is going to be tuff especially if you don’t play by their rules. I admire those who try to make change and be innovative but be prepared for resistance. I know of a new DCA corp that is on the works of coming out in West Virginia and they have received there share of comments and insults. This is where I get disappointed with Drum Corp but it isn’t only DCA Corps who have this experience. I hope to one day start a DCA corp in the Midwest Chicago or Kansas City hopefully thing will have changed a little bit by then.

-Being Competitive: Drum Corp is a competitive entertaining activity. DCI tends to be more competitive and DCA tends to be more entertaining. However there is no set law to that. I feel the competition should be with yourself to be the best you can be and provide the best entertaining product. Yes it’s nice to win and have a cheap gold plastic medal that DCA gives yaw. But it’s the journey that makes it all. I marched in 2002 with brigs and we had a blast. We had our fun but we also worked hard! However, I couldn’t be any prouder then last year season with the Renegades, it was a ruff, long, and challenging summer both as a performer and the organization. I felt the most gratitude that summer then I did any other season. I didn’t care what place we were in. To say that DCA is bias and only a select individual group wins is just crazy talk. If you put out a great product that is clean and entertaining and challenging to win then you will. I could understand if you got second year after year when your show was truly better then I would understand that argument.

Where the future of DCA lays I dont know. I see the organizition growing but not on the terms of DCA but on passionate individuals who love the activity. The activity isnt dead or going to die.