How would you change DCI?

[supersop]

The corps that toured less put fewer butts in seats that summer, even if they were competitively better. I hear what you're saying... let them compete at all costs... but this isn't healthy. If you say "the summer is too short" or "my local show doesn't have enough corps", you can't have your cake and eat it too. The activity is rewarding organizations that are well devised, healthy, and will likely commit to a full tour year after year. Those corps being helped, particularly non-finalist D1s are the corps that stand between DCI today, and DCI mega-corps model, and fewer kids involved.

For every corps Academy "could have beaten" last year, or the year before, now they'll get to do it on a solid footing. The model works. We need to replicate Academy several more times, in several more places. Otherwise, we may as well just shut it down to a Top-6 "Stars on Ice" tour, coming to an arena near you...

I completely understand what you're saying, but I still don't agree when it comes to Championships week. Until they day comes when DCI completely mandates an even tour schedule for EVERY corps ((like an NBA or NFL) and GOOD GOD I hope that doesn't happen)), qualified competitive corps shouldn't be secluded from the world ranks. The Divisional championships are great and I wouldn't change them for the world. But, the corps that are good enough to be recognized as the top 25 or 30 in the world should be recognized as such. Head to head ... same sheets ... same judges. If you are a div 1 corps, you should have no reason to fear a Div 2 or 3 corps. And there should be no excuse for being bested by one. If anything, the top 25 of the past made it clear as to who should be in Div 1 (Open Class). If 4 div 2/3 corps are better than 3 or 4 of the Div 1 corps .... let's see it. IF the div 1 corps get knocked out of the top 25 (or whatever number you want) then knock them down to Div 2 the next year.

I would rather be a Div 2 world champ ... and be 15 or 16th in the WORLD overall. DCI Membership status used to mean something.

[jjeffeory]

Some good responses.

Here are a few:

Bring back full retreats and corps playing themselves off. What a treat for the audience.

Allow for instant encores at smaller shows. Let ALL the corps arc up and play some more music.

Eliminate amplification of the human voice by rule

Raise the minimum D3 membership to 45

Establish a D4 division, but confine them between the 40s and front hash.

Require all SupeeThree tickets to come with D2/3 Finals ticket

Award regional championships to D2/3, i.e. Corps X is D2 Pacific Division Champ for 200X.

All corps be scored on the same sheets. Do this at least during finals. Allow Division II/III corps to push division I corps.

Require all auditionees to pay $5 at their first camp to fund a service where they would be provided more information about opportunities to march if they don't make it to their corps of choice. Encourage people to march somewhere. Hype other corps.

Lower GE to 30 Pts.

Raise Music to 45 Pts.

Lower Visual to 25 Pts.

Clarify all rules regarding amplification.

Eliminate all wireless amplification systems.

Eliminate all amplification outside of the pit box.

Extend shows in D1 to 12 minutes.

Eliminate the two-box scoring system; make the judge give one number.

There are more things, but others have come up with good ideas.

[drumcat]

I completely understand what you're saying, but I still don't agree when it comes to Championships week. Until they day comes when DCI completely mandates an even tour schedule for EVERY corps ((like an NBA or NFL) and GOOD GOD I hope that doesn't happen)), qualified competitive corps shouldn't be secluded from the world ranks. The Divisional championships are great and I wouldn't change them for the world. But, the corps that are good enough to be recognized as the top 25 or 30 in the world should be recognized as such. Head to head ... same sheets ... same judges. If you are a div 1 corps, you should have no reason to fear a Div 2 or 3 corps. And there should be no excuse for being bested by one. If anything, the top 25 of the past made it clear as to who should be in Div 1 (Open Class). If 4 div 2/3 corps are better than 3 or 4 of the Div 1 corps .... let's see it. IF the div 1 corps get knocked out of the top 25 (or whatever number you want) then knock them down to Div 2 the next year.

I would rather be a Div 2 world champ ... and be 15 or 16th in the WORLD overall. DCI Membership status used to mean something.

We'll respectfully disagree then. Just remember that in your NCAA analogy, teams play their own division for championships, too. You don't have Division 2 playing Division 3 schools for titles...

[Hrothgar15]

• Instruments must be in the key of G.
  
• No electronic equipment allowed.
  

That's it.

[supersop]

We'll respectfully disagree then. Just remember that in your NCAA analogy, teams play their own division for championships, too. You don't have Division 2 playing Division 3 schools for titles...

I used no such analogy.

[boxingfred]

LOWER TICKET PRICES![

Edited May 11, 2007 by boxingfred

[drumcat]

I used no such analogy.

My bad. It was Hilaak.

[bstar82]

What I'd like to see come back that I miss is moving semis back during the day on Friday. Something special about those days in Boulder, Birmingham, Montreal etc...

Bring back full retreat. The shows seem like they are lacking something at the end w/o them.

The old snare sound.

[Iplaytimpani]

Another thought about the March 1st cutoff for membership cuts. The contact information of auditionee's who were cut should be sent directly to DCI or another governing body that helps to place these talented individuals in a corps. There's no sense in sending countless performers home for the summer when they could be getting the drum corps experience elsewhere.

Quoting Dan, but really addressed to many that bring this up. When members are cut, in my experience, they are ALWAYS encouraged to go somewhere else and often handed the information so they don't even have to do any leg work. I know especially in my KK days, people cut from Boston, were encouraged to join us for a season to gain tour experience and then come back next season. The kids often just choose not to. It's an X corps or bust mentality. It has nothing to do with DCI or the certain corps not trying to get all these auditionees to march somewhere, but the kids choose not to. And unfortunately, that's not a problem easily solved.

[karl E. Hungus]

I can answer for everyone, get a time machine to whenever said person aged out, it was drum corps then.

ahh yes back when drumcorps was drumcorps, the good old days. this entire thread is classic.

No clue about what the cap should be, I'd have to look at the amount that each corps spends on instruction and design currently, and go from there. The problem that I hope would be fixed is competitive imbalance.

the only way to really fix a competative imbalance would be to institute a new member draft. and some sort of contract system. but thats impossible because members dont get paid. so were stuck with imbalance until DCI grow 3 times its size and becomes a recognized proffesional competative activity.