bluecoats88 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 DCI caused:Todays competative touring model: To be in DCI your corps has to do the tour. If you want your corps to be local only or have limited travel then you're on your own as you don't fit DCIs idea of a corps. No option in DCIs world to be a non or limited touring corps. Well actually there is a limited touring model, Mandarins and Academy are both taking advantage of this option, and Pacific Crest used to as well. The only thing that is missing from when I marched in the 80's is the regional circuits were you could do more shows in your region, but even now you can set up your tour to stay primarily in your region for the first half of the season and then make a 2-3 week push to finals. That's how we used to tour when I started with bluecoats and it is still possible just not as readily as it was previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Well actually there is a limited touring model, Mandarins and Academy are both taking advantage of this option, and Pacific Crest used to as well. The only thing that is missing from when I marched in the 80's is the regional circuits were you could do more shows in your region, but even now you can set up your tour to stay primarily in your region for the first half of the season and then make a 2-3 week push to finals. That's how we used to tour when I started with bluecoats and it is still possible just not as readily as it was previously. What I learned today... :) Of course biggest problem is having enough corps in the region willing to go limited to make this workable. At least it's a step in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 (edited) the last two posts are different but highlight one of the main issues. What DCI's existence has meant to the local corps. To be sure, with the decline in populations, the shift in demographics and the growth in participation in other activities, there would have been wholesale changes in the drum corps world. There would have been downsizing and the overall numbers of corps would have declined. However, I think it would have leveled out so that the activity would have survived at a local level much more so than it has in the post DCI era. I also think that people were sucked in to the model of a wonderful DCI world. All the little corps were like Hansel and Gretel and DCI was the Witch with her candy house. DCI did not actively seek to kill what drum corps was. It was DCI's indifference to what it had caused that ruined the local activity. It was like a hit and run and they never looked back. (I have to stop these analogies and metaphors ) I'm not slamming the top DCI corps, they're incredible. I wish we could've kept both, the local VFW/AL style corps and the DCI model of Broadway type shows. The expense and time involved and the travel, I think, is leading to an exciting emergence of mini corps which are kind of a hybrid of the old and new styles. Hope it succeeds. Edited July 12, 2007 by Martybucs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecoats88 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 What I learned today... :) Of course biggest problem is having enough corps in the region willing to go limited to make this workable. At least it's a step in the right direction. You don't need multiple corps doing this your corps just needs to choose their schedule more locally. Just looking at the schedule for this year if you were a corps from say illinois you could easily have done the following 1st tour without too much travel issues. June 17 - Menomonie, WI 20 - Decatur, IN 22 - Racine, WI 23 - Rockford, IL 24 - Lisle, IL 25- South Milwaukee, WI 28 - Oswego, IL 29 - Madison, WI or Normal, IL 30 - LaCrosse, WI July 3 - Cedarburg, WI 6 - Michigan City, IN 7 - Canton, OH 9 - Dublin, OH This is similar to the types of tours we used to have first tour in the mid 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 The expense and time involved and the travel, I think, is leading to an exciting emergence of mini corps which are kind of a hybrid of the old and new styles. Hope it succeeds. Man are we on the same wavelength.... I almost included "Psst... small corps... DCA baby.." in my first post. Incredible what has been going on in Class A and Minis in the last 10 years. Back to topic: Expenses (mainly gas) and lack of membership killed most of the small 70s Seniors corps that I competed against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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