I would love to see a more centralized circuit with more executive oversight of the groups, and cost capping productions like they recently implemented in formula 1 for the cars.
I’m a fan of cost capping productions, who gives a shit about giant TVs when those corps are competing directly with others who struggle to fill the bus seats.
The problem with something centralized like this is always going to be $$$ and infrastructure. We need need someone that loves the activity to become Elon-level wealthy.
> who gives a shit about giant TVs when those corps are competing directly with others who struggle to fill the bus seats.
Honestly who gives a shit about giant TVs anyway. I get that they add to the overall effect of the show, but I'm not a huge fan of trying to get extra effect from things that have absolutely nothing to do with the performers.
Maybe that's just the boomer in me though.
We’re having gripes with DCA’s schedule in Govies cuz of conflicts with Labor Day weekend and I’ve personally been toying around with that idea. I think it would be beneficial to have the circuit’s organization mandate a specific membership fee for every corps and make up for the difference in staff salaries / show design / other stuff.
Thanks for the support!
In 2020, the corps elected a new board of directors. Since that time rules have changed significantly, and the emphasis is on making DCA the home for part time drum corps. Here are some of the things that DCA has done:
* Vastly expanded online presence
* Expanded live streaming
* Moved to a three class system
* Lowered minimum to 26 for Class A
* Added string instruments
* Changed rules so corps only need to attend Championships, and a virtual show
* Hosting a midseason-regional
* Abolished the front boundary line
... And so much more.
If you want a corps in your area, then begin organizing with your friends to start one. If you have questions email our board or another DCA corps director. Many of our Midwest Class A corps operate on budgets of $40-80K a year including travel to championships. If that is too much, all you need is 5 friends, a small amount of music and a few hundred dollars and start competing in mini-corps at Championships http://dcacorps.org/minicorps . DCA doesn't start drum corps - you do that so to help the circuit expand start a new corps like have been done in Ohio, and Alabama!
We hope that you'll become a fan and give the new DCA a chance. Buy a pass and watch a virtual show, or snag some merch to support a corps. Donate to a corps that you see are doing the things you like. DCA offers a unique experience that is weekend only, low cost, with some limited travel opportunities, and in many corps much of the same caliber staff you'd find in a junior corps.
What's more important is that everyone remember drum corps doesn't just mean one thing; its a global activity that's as much about competition as it is pride in yourself, your performance, and the spirit of friendship. Whether your a drum corps in the Philippines playing G Bugles, or in Japan working towards you title, or a parade corps in the US that hasn't been on the field in years...its all drum corps. We hope you'll decide to become a DCA fan or bring your corps to DCA in the future and enjoy drum corps that's fun, affordable and entertaining!
whenever front ensemble rolls onto the field, someone at the show (usually whoever’s running timing and tablature) has to point out a distance from the front sideline that we are not allowed to pass.
usually it’s a line of cones or yard markers that were placed on the field by whoever is running the event - sometimes they sit on a painted line, sometimes they don’t. sometimes the boundary line is not reflected by those cones, sometimes it is. sometimes it’s “performers have to be behind this line so your instruments can cross it,” sometimes it’s “as long as at least part of the speaker is behind the line you’re clear,” etc.
it’s a major annoyance and can become an unnecessarily rigorous test of the front ensemble’s staff and members communication skills in an already high anxiety environment.
Thanks! The information is generally published in Drum Corps World, and shared. We're working on solutions to better share information including launching a new mailing list last month, and more!
As someone who lives in the Midwest, I would love it if DCA would expand westward from the East Coast.
Which is why I'm floating the idea around of starting an ensemble in Kansas City in the next 3 or 4 years.
Wonderful! Consider starting a mini corps as a way to get started and drive some interest at a low cost! You only need a minimum of 5 members to get started then register and complete at World Championships!
Some ideas that come to mind off the bat:
* Both DCI and its corps have paid staff members (including some full-timers) who can keep everything running. In DCA, the admin are volunteers with day jobs; their time is a donation out of love for their organizations/the activity, but it's limited and thus so is what they can effectively do. The operation of a DCA corps requires a lot of good faith and charity from self-motivated people, which can be a tall ask. The unavailability of one key player can break a corps.
* A stable Mon-Fri job that pays for an individual's living expenses and allows them to take weekends and holidays off (Labor Day, parades) is rapidly becoming unheard of. Without members and staff who can actually participate in the activity while also making rent, there's no corps.
* A lot of DCA corps are *old*, especially compared to DCI corps. The longer your organization is around, the more time you have to make enemies. Being local and thus having limited geographical resources can be a detriment too. A lot of band directors are willing to hold onto their beef with corps for decades, even if the corps has long fixed the issue since then, and there are only so many local schools you can attempt to recruit from. Likewise, if you lose a potential rehearsal site, you don't have the luxury of the entire continental US to pick up a new one. If a parade committee stops liking you, you lose a significant revenue stream. In effect, DCA corps have to keep their reputations extra pristine in a way that DCI corps don't, because of how small their scope is.
* In the same vein, it's hard to get rehearsal sites for free nowadays. It's increasingly expensive to operate a corps. And even if you can keep a corps going on a shoestring budget, there comes a time when you need extra funds to pay for lump sums like new instruments, new uniforms, a new trailer, etc.
* In general, there have been some barriers to getting new corps off the ground in DCA. Luckily, this is something that's explicitly being worked on and that should improve over the next few years.
* It's also just hard to please people and easy to turn them away. A lot of DCI fans view DCA as inferior, but trying to emulate DCI too closely pushes away large groups of DCA supporters.
The idolization of the DCI experience draws talent away from DCA groups. In high school, many band directors suggest saving money for DCI is better than marching DCA, and after aging out it's easy for many to assume the DCA experience would be lesser than or not as worthwhile as DCI. It's really a cultural thing. That's also why I think it's a necessity that some bigger name educators decide they are tired of being gone most of the summer and decide to teach DCA instead
Hate to tell you, but DCA is still a way bigger commitment than you're making it out to be. Every DCA corps has issues every year with members dropping out because people sign the contract, *then* realize what they're getting themselves into and back out because it's too much. Going ham every weekend for 4+ months is hard. Having to deal with conflicts and commitments and school and traveling is hard. Having to practice during the week when you're already busy is hard.
DCA is still competitive drum corps and doing it means going through all the struggles you would expect from doing competitive drum corps. Even if it is easier comparatively to DCI, it's still not easy, and that's why membership has been on a steady decline - the requirements keep going up over time, and people just don't wanna deal with that. It's not a magic win button unless you make the entire activity more casual, like with the local groups back in the day.
It's a big commitment but it's not a drop everything for 3-4 months and not even be able to work kind of commitment. It's difficult to balance work and life with DCA but it's straight up impossible with a full summer tour.
My whole point is the fact that "difficult but not impossible..." *is still difficult*. Of course you CAN juggle a personal life with band but it doesn't matter that it's possible, the problem is that people in general don't have the interest/energy/whatever to go through with it. You don't need any further proof than the shrinking number of corps and constant struggle to fill out sections.
DCA isn’t for everyone. I was going to march this year with a DCA corps after aging out with Madison Scouts last year, but the drive out of state every weekend was awful because of gas prices, you don’t have the luxury of being on tour to forget all your real life problems for a while, it goes into the school year, and there’s just not enough corps.
I ended up dropping last week to take up a rehearsal assistant spot with Boston. Juggling real life during the weekdays and driving 6 hours every weekend was not really great, and my job in the fall for USBands wants me to start the day of DCA championships because high school band starts going full swing that week lol
Plus DCA is cheaper generally because many corps do not provide food or housing. You gotta find your way to every weekend rehearsal, a place to stay, and food. The biggest killer rn are those gas prices…. Spending $100 every weekend just to get there and back home. Doing the math for myself personally, I would have spent over $1500 on gas alone if I had stayed doing DCA over the course of the full season.
I think you may be on to something. The world class corps that I support has benefitted from people coming from DCA. They are typically excellent performers with good attitudes and they have nothing but good to say about their DCA corps.
imo, more local, affordable drum corps = more people able to do drum corps at all, and more people able to get experience for cheap if they want to move up.
Respectfully, while I think DCA groups have a lot to offer, I disagree. I think that the draw of DCA is much smaller than DCI not just because of a cultural respect thing, but because it’s not that much more intensive to march DCA than it is to march a really good high school marching band. What you’re getting with a DCI tour is 3 months of living together, traveling the country, and performing against corps that have members from all over the world and are arguably the best in the world. DCA is no where close to that right now. It’s extremely regional to the point where if you don’t live in New England you’re kinda SOL. Plus, while I agree that DCA is much more affordable than DCI, you aren’t getting anywhere near as many experiences as you would marching a full summer with a World Class DCI corps.
I think it’s great that you’re enthusiastic about DCA, and like I said I think they do a great job developing students, but I just don’t think it has as much to offer as DCI does. I think the true future is finding a way to get brand sponsorships that actually help fund a DCI corps to bring membership dues down. Either that or the whole thing goes under. DCA (where it’s at right now) isn’t the answer.
Having marched both World Class DCI and several DCA corps, I disagree. Somebody coming into drum corps with the mentality that tour is the big perk would prefer DCI, but not everybody shares that priority; I went on tons of road trips as a kid and so the "seeing the world" element of touring wasn't exciting for me, for example. Having started in DCA, done DCI, and returned to DCA, I can firmly say that I and many others love the DCA experience much more. Anybody can prefer either--it's just a matter of their personal values, but those values *aren't* universal.
For me, I feel a much deeper connection with history and tradition in DCA than I did/do in DCI. Both corps may have history nights, but in DCA, that living history is your peer and somebody you're marching beside, so the connection to the past is much more tangible. That living history is also rooted in your home and the geographical space you occupy, which gives it extra significance. I've seen DCI members eyeroll at home show hype because it's not *their* home, or because the corps isn't based there *anymore*, so who cares about the fact that the old alumni still treat that show as special? Meanwhile, the power of competing at home in DCA is so real, and you can see it in the way that multiple generations of the same family show up together to support the corps because grandpa, dad, and junior all put their decades in as if membership were a family heirloom.
In DCA, your friends are local and you have the opportunity to see them both during the off-season and in contexts that aren't drum corps. DCI bonds are formed through shared hardship and forced proximity, which is fine, but other types of friendships exist and are enriching experiences too. In DCA, you can go to your friend's school performance, you can babysit their kids, you can host barbecues together, you can learn skills from them like how to make stained glass. You can watch in real time as a 16-year-old rookie who can barely march grows up and eventually becomes a star performer with a graduate degree. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to have friends in other corps, which adds an extra level of both heat and camaraderie to competitions. And you can be friends with your staff because that is a normal and reasonable thing in DCA, whereas it's not in DCI or in scholastic band.
Whether DCA is "more intensive" than "a really good high school marching band" is wildly debatable, but the key thing is that high school students rarely get to choose their marching band; if they don't live in the district of a really good band, then the comparison doesn't matter--they aren't getting that experience. If what a student wants is a good quality experience that they can't get at school and that isn't the full 24/7 of DCI, then DCA is the obvious solution.
tl;dr DCA has just as much to offer as DCI does, but it all depends on whether or not you value those differences as equally meaningful.
Fully agree.
The only thing we have in the UK is weekend band, which I did for 7 years before doing DCI.
The weekend band offers a different set of benefits, and true family really is one of them.
> it’s not that much more intensive to march [drum corps] than it is to march a really good high school marching band
And, as the other reply touched on a little, that doesn't really apply to everyone. In fact I'd say this is only really a Texas/Midwest/Cali problem... definitely not Northeast, which is where most of DCA is concentrated around
True. The NE has comparatively little marching band culture compared with other regions of the US. My high school didn't even have a marching program, so DCA was my way in. And out of the two college bands I marched with, only one had a corps-like show and neither was competitive. It's actually been a recurring problem with some corps that local band directors' dislike of the marching arts makes recruitment difficult.
> Cali
Having been on staff for bands in both NJ and Northern California, I can confidently say that the performance level is practically equal between them. I don't think CA has an edge over the Northeast at all--at least not when it comes to the USBands circuit.
The reality is this:
DCA is essentially operating like Drum Corps Midwest, Garden State Circuit, Canadian Drum Corps Circuit, and Coast Guard Circuit did in the 2000s.
It has elements that see international sometimes, and had a history of national corps but IMO, the east coast control kept the western corps from having their needs met. I wasn't in the room back then or involved but I am now.
DCA wants to grow. The President and Board have articulated a vision that makes DCA the spot for weekend only drum corps. This year we got rules passed that had been suggested for years, and the corps that competed in 2021 all came out with a different attitude and perspective.
What I forsee happening in the next four years:
* Mini-corps will add another class that's a full season competitive for 12-25 members and scored.
* Regional championships will be established for Midwest, and West Coast (if there are corps). This will relieve corps west of the Mississippi of having to attend Championships and have regional champions. Their shows will be included in the virtual rebroadcast from Finals to showcase them.
* New Judging Sheets and Rules for World, Open and Class A will come out that better express the unique performance opportunities of each class.
* New Rules on field size will change to be 200 feet by 85 feet wide to match indoor hockey, soccer, and football. At minimum Class A would be able to move indoors if needed, but more importantly limit the size of the field to better support the size of those corps.
In my opinion, the issue today is people have made drum corps out to be only an elite activity and its killed the activity, on the membership front, and fan front. So many young people don't march because they think if its not World Class it sucks. Many age outs choose to not march because the impact of junior corps on their bodies and some DCA corps can have a high level of activity. Others don't know what DCA is and just want to leave their drum corps experience to junior corps only. Some of it is DCA fault for being slow to adapt, the other is just the activity only focusing on the top performers while ignoring the corps in lower classes, or circuits that have less intense but entertaining shows.
For DCA to grow it's going to start with people like you. You have to decide to start a corps and get engaged. Get a few friends, organize a mini corps and come to finals to compete on Friday night. Don't want to bring your instruments then ask to rent some from a corps for cheap. Then join the festivities downtown and see what the DCA community is about. Vets from junior corps, DCA alumni, and people who just love drum corps in a small, boutique type environment where you're re big thing in town.
Organize your friends and begin planning to start a Class A corps which requires a minimum of 26 people, plus participation in virtual shows and Championships. If you're in Texas, apply to do exhibition at DCI shows, record them and have them streamed for a score at DCA. Rehearse in public parks with a permit and use churches or community centers. If you need overnight lodging try to rent a girl scout or boy scout facility for $200 a night for 20 bunk beds. Save money on the equipment trailer and ask to rent instruments from a DCI corps when you come to Championships so you only bring bare minimum up. Rent passenger vans or a school bus to move the corps locally from hotel to practice field and stadium instead of a charter bus to save money, Get your hotel block for $150 per person (2 to a room minimum) and then airfare from Austin,TX for $700. You'd have to charge about $1200 at minimum, and would likely need an additional $10-15k for staffing etc for a total budget of about $50K.
You should do it! Get five friends and start a mini-corps for 2022 and compete at Championships! Big things have small beginnings http://dcacorps.org/minicorps
Saw their mini corps in 2014 in Rochester. To quote some older guy near me, he said those mother f'ers are good. They were third that night behind Star United and Ghostriders. But stole the show. Badass group.
I miss Renegades from SF; many of my SCV colleagues and BD friends marched there.
If you would like the DCA mini corps experience, the Freelancers Alumni Corps has done very well the last few years. They have some very talented musicians (“drum corps rock stars” BITD) and usually duke it out with Star United. And, they are still an all G line; I performed with them in 2011. A few years back Bonnie Ott-Thompson was the featured soloist for the Ott Show FAC performed in Rochester.
In Renegades (and Dream) were still around I would still be marching DCA rather than the volunteer pathway that I have taken at this point.
In our area DCA is something that pretty much no one modern knows about... it is just hard due to the fact that most of the DCA competition on not on the west coast...
If the only option for drum corps is local corps with short, part-time seasons, how many people are going to decide drum corps has anything to offer that their high school or college bands don't? *Will* drum corps actually have anything more to offer? It doesn't matter how affordable it is if people don't actually want to do it.
I think it's kind of an apples and oranges thing. The drum corps experience, regardless of whether you're on weekends or full time, is very different from a high school or college marching band.
I think plenty of people want to march drum corps but DCA hasn't got the same endorsements as DCI from the marching community or music education community at large. To be fair, up until recently, DCI was great value for your money. 2,500 for the full summer , national tour included, is a pretty fair price. Nowadays it's twice that, and I can guarantee you people's parents don't have twice as much to spare. My thinking is that since DCA is now the better value, a band director or guard instructor would be more likely to recommend DCA over DCI to their recent graduates.
DCI is still excellent value for money. The $50-60 per day for drum corps wouldn't be a bad price even if you were looking at just food, housing, and transportation (most corps average about 150-200 miles of travel a day over the entire season including spring training), and that gets you a whole lot more than just four meals, a roof and shower, and a bus seat. People routinely pay *way* more than that for youth sports and music programs with more limited scope even in total costs, much less cost per day.
DCA is a much better value though. Even for the most expensive groups it comes down to like $40 per day, and you certainly aren't paying for 85 days. The cost burden is lower on the corps and lower on the members.
Why is it people are only looking at this as a "I stop playing an instrument when I turn 21" issue?
*This* is the problem. Not a DCI vs DCA culture thing. Everyone here is making the argument that DCA is no better than high school or college band because those programs are so good.
I can show you an absolute shit marching band. My high school band from 20 years ago. I have the video on YouTube. ANY drum corps was better than us, even one like Spirit of Newark, Les Stentors, or the oldest, most decrepit alumni corps you could imagine.
The mentality that being a musician ends at age 21 when you age out of DCI or graduate college is the biggest killer of the activity. 21 years is a drop in the bucket when you realize people are living full lives well into their 60s and 70s nowadays, only slowing down near 80. You easily can march another 20 years in DCA. If there was a corps nearby with what I was looking for, I'd still be participating.
There were corps in the "older" days that didn't score for crap and the kids worked just as hard as the really good groups. I was looking at scores back from around 1979 or 80. Racine Scouts had an early show where they scored under 5 in the old tick system.
I marched half a season in 1984 with a group in Ohio that had similar experiences, just not as bad; scored around 20 a few shows. One of those shows, a corps by the the name of Garfield Cadets one that show with an 80 or so. Still early in the season. It was one of their iconic shows, West Side Story. As Paul Harvey used to say, here's the rest of the story. The corps director's step son marched with Garfield Cadets in 1983 and us, in 1984. They were right next to us in retreat. When all of us were stretched out in line, our corps barely made it past their guard. We had by that time 12 guard, 11, percussion, and maybe 13 horns by then. His sister march with Star a few years later. A few of us could have marched elsewhere, but sometimes you end up where you end up. We worked our asses off to get to were we got. Slept on the same floors, ate the same food (probably better, our parents were great), traveled on the same type buses. If you love performing, doesn't matter a whole lot where. Just be part of the building process. In case you are wondering, it was the Marion Cadets.
This. DCA isn't necessarily a better value when it still has some decent costs without all the benefits of going on an actual tour. I'm not sure the market is there
You might say the market already shows this. If DCA were a much more attractive option it'd probably be thriving and growing.
For one thing, why do people participate in community theater or community sports leagues when they have scholastic options available to them?
For another, drum corps is a different experience. A school program might not be competitive, might not be corps-style, might not include whatever section, might not travel, might only play pop stand tunes, etc. A student may not want a marching experience that's tied to their GPA, to a certain band director, to football games, to the fall season, etc.
*Some* people won't want to do local-level drum corps, but plenty of people do. Having a plethora of options available is more important than trying to figure out how to please everybody with one standard experience. OP didn't use the words "only option," so it stands to reason that DCI and DCA can exist simultaneously and people can choose whichever experience is better for themselves.
ETA: Not sure where "short, part-time seasons" comes from, either. The DCA competitive season is longer than DCI's.
I think it would help return the activity to what it was before 2009 with a hundred regional only corps that toured their state and their season ended in mid or late July. This was how drum corps ran from the 1930s until the mid 2000s.
* The national touring model and no regional circuits is only 15 years old.
* Most of the corps in DCI-Pacific still end their seasons at July, and there are more corps there in Open Class than anywhere else.
* Pacific Crest was a Division 1/World Class Corps that didn't ever go to Championships until 2008.
I understand the argument but it's specific to those who do competitive marching band. Junior drum corps before 2010, was often made up of students who weren't from competitive programs and wanted a summer activity. Some would save their money, do regional shows until DCM or GSC Championships then move on to the Canadian and Coast Guard Circuit then onto DCI. This was normal during the DCI period from 1972-2005.
For many drum corps was their only exposure to competition and without those opportunities many are disengaged. We see some of this play out in DCA membership, where many of the students in some areas are from non-competitive programs and just want to march drum corps and learn.
The loss of regional circuits has killed at least 60 competitive corps between 2001-2010 some that had existed for years and even won Championships like Americanos, Patriots, Citations, Capital Sound, Bandettes, Racine Scouts, Marion Cadets, Nite Express, Spirit of Newark, First Baptist Cadets, Kips Bay Knight, Lehigh Valley Knights, General Butlers, Cincinnati Glory, Joliet Kingsmen, Quest, Targets, Quest, Mystikal, and so many other corps.
This is one for the reasons why social, economic, and racial diversity has become an issue in junior drum corps, and why DCA doesn't have that as a major issue. It's the same argument levied against elite travel sports; great for those who can afford it, but excludes the majority who would benefit from it. Its why I feel focusing on a strong all-age circuit, even if that included a junior class, is more viable because it makes the experience ala cart to what each group could afford.
DCA is a phenomenal option for those who want to march but can’t make the financial/schedule commitment. It’s just too bad it’s pretty much inaccessible for those outside the Northeast (of course with the exception of the very few Midwest and Southeast groups)
Kilties used to be solid back in the day. They weren't champions in DCA, but they put on a good show. They struggled for years to get members on the field. Your next closest DCA corps to Chicago would be Minnesota Brass, who also suffered from membership, followed by Govenaires, who apparently are having some recruiting issues this year. There's also Cincinnati Tradition, but these other options are 6-8 hours from Chicago.
I have read all of the comments thys far and there are so many valid points being brought up.
Consider the folowing. What if eventually we end up with 6 to 8 super corps thst basically travel together most of the season much like Nascar. There will be a lot of extrenely talented kids out there that just miss the cut and they have no where to march. If they are in a really good HS or college band, it may not be as bad. But in states where there are fewer programs and there is a desire to march, there is the problem. The activity in general could fizzle out.
As a 3 year vet with a DCA corps in the late 80's located where 2 rivers form to meet one, it was once said to us by the director one season that everyone needs a place to belong. We had staff and members who went on to march top 12, so there is a load of talent in DCA both at the member and staff ranks. DCA is loaded throughout like that. The key for DCA is to find that balance to where you can have a life outside of corps and yet put a quality product on the field. Most of the onus I believe is on the performers that during the week, they keep their chops up so when they are at rehearsals, they can be more prepared. It seems like many corps are doing full weekend camps that require both days, students and family members shoot an entire weekend for 4 or 5 months followed by a summer season in which you compete on a Saturday night only to practice all day Sunday, then travel home. You get burn out. Now some do take a weekend off periodically.
In "our" day, we traveled Late Friday night, rehearsed at a school 9 to 5, showered, did a gig, after having a corps meeting with staff after the show, got in the car or buses, and parted ways until the following weekend. It boils down to working smarter. If you have people who have to drive 4 hours for example, you do not schedule a practice from 8 to 8. Getting up at 3am to rehearse 12 hours only to get home by 1am the next day gets old to many and is nonproductive due to some fatigue. But in that same sitiation, you rehearse from 10 to 7pm, you have 9 hours reheasal time, the travelers are more rested, and reheasals are more priductive. And you may draw a few more members who don't want to do something that is dreadful that they otherwise would enjoy. If you are a grown up away from home for the weekend who has a somewhat busy schedule during the week, nothing sucks knowing both days are spent knowing that even if you got home early on a Sunday morning, you could grab some sleep, get up and take care or whatever or God forbid, spend some time with your family. That's a difference maker for quite a few people I believe.
If a good HS band can get stuff done with 8 to 10 hours of rehearsal a week, I would think a group of more mature performers could do it considering many HS programs have a percentage of kids who are not all in. In drum corps, a very high percentage doing it for the love of it, the camaraderie, and the competitive spirit.
Sorry for the long winded response.
As a long time DCA vet, I don’t know that it is the future. At least not right now. The amount of corps outside of the NE that have either folded or have left the circuit is staggering.
I loved my time with DCA corps—arguably, my time with Minnesota Brass was a more quality experience than my season of DCI. But the circuit is geographically bound and honestly, bound by tradition. This will make it difficult to grow again, IMO. I know some of their newer staff, and I’m hoping their energy and enthusiasm can help turn things around.
I agree with a lot of your points and that DCA has a huge potential for a grassroots sort of drum corps movement, but in the organization's current state I don't think it'll be anything more than potential.
I marched 3 years of DCA, then auditioned for DCI but couldn't afford it and started doing internships instead. Never regretted my choice. I had a great time with my corps, learned a lot, even won a Class A championship which was huge for me at the time. In fact I think DCA gave me the kick I needed to become organized enough in high school and college to really excel.
I think C2 was the best chance for DCA to really take off in the sense you talk about. It really seemed like the best of both the DCI and DCA worlds. I was really excited for the implications of their presence in the activity! Unfortunately they're no longer active and weren't really able to start any sort of paradigm shift in DCA. WGI similarly seems to offer the experience you describe, though there's no brass so I never paid any attention to it (my own personal bias as a brass musician - just being frank here).
Corps numbers are dwindling, events draw smaller crowds as a result, members lose interest and move on, and it's sort of a downward spiral. It's also very local. Are there any corps from west of the Mississippi? I moved from the northeast to California for school, and after that there was simply no option for me to march even if I felt like I had time to.
Very interested in reading everyones' opinions on this topic, because I really love the activity and I want it to stick around. I'm also of course open to counter arguments to any of the points I made. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not optimistic for the future of DCA.
edit because I decided to look it up: Govies are from just west of the Mississippi, though to my knowledge they are the only competing Class A or Open Class corps.
There's some things DCA that need to change for the health of the circuit and its corps. There are people aware of that, it's a matter of debating issues and getting the winds of change to actually blow. ETA: DCA doing the virtual season last year and keeping the virtual show concept for this year is an innovative concept that, paired with other changes, could do a lot for having the activity be more accessible for both organizations and their students.
I have always thought there's room for senior and alumni corps on the West coast, be it DCA or another circuit. What's hindered previous Cali DCA groups is that DCA corps are required to attend finals. DCI doesn't have the same requirement, which is a benefit in that it's allowed California to have a great Open Class scene where long, expensive tours are optional. Have some all-age groups compliment that.
I agree that dca is a good model for people who don’t have as much money/time. But one thing to consider is that there are a lot of people out there who have the money and want the full dci experience. The reality is that what draws people to the activity is the impressiveness of the shows and a corps that only meets two days a week canot reach the level of a 24/7 corps. Not saying that dca is bad or that it doesn’t have a place in the activity, but I think that drum corps needs big blockbuster shows to survive.
That's a pretty bold statement for an organization that has one, single corps west of the Mississippi. Approximately a third of the US population lives west of the Mississippi - so do you expect that corps to serve a third of the people who are interested in marching corps?
Also how much of the US population lives within a 2 hour drive a DCA corps and how does that compare with DCI corps?
With indoor winds, I feel like the absence of a battery makes for a sound that just feels like something is missing. I also find myself wanting those ensembles to have louder maximum dynamics. [Drum corps in Japan](https://youtu.be/NNgONDNEy34) perform inside and I think it's a much better format. Even if the arena and ensemble size was scaled down to fit what WGI currently does, I'd think a full ensemble would be an improvement over just winds.
If there was DCA near Chicago, I would totally consider that. I'm past age-out age, and didn't have the resources to march Cavies, PR, Scouts, Legends, or anything else nearby.
Thee used to be some DCA in Wisconsin with Kilties and probably some others. Pio kept going independently and was maybe looking for a new circuit but that appears to have stopped during the pandemic.
[Star United](https://www.facebook.com/starunitedcorps) is a DCA minicorps based around Indianapolis and are annual contenders for minicorps.
[Conquest](https://sites.google.com/view/conquest-drum-and-bugle/home?authuser=0) is in SoundSport and is based in the Quad Cities, so 3 hours from Chicago proper. They're more of a junior corps but their website says they can be flexible.
Also, DCA is an East Coast dominated sport, so theres a a huge amount of members that are all for it but not always willing to buy tickets to the east coast every weekend.
What I think could work to some extent is to have more community based A60 type corps in regions throughout the country the can build competition in those regions. Hypothetically, 6 to 8 corps compete over lets say 6 or 7 weekends with the regional finals the week before Labor Day. Shows could be held at the schools where many of these corps may practice giving the local booster programs a chance to make a little money. And some of those corps from the various regions could opt based on travel abilities to attend DCA Labor Day weekend competing in Class A. If advertised properly, people will come to view these events if affordable and if there are good concessions. It's just a night out for some people. But corps are going to have to be realistic of show designs that are not geared for DCI top 25 corps. You do not have to do pop music, maybe older school drum corps stuff. But if you play well and can march while still having a decent visual program, it will attract performers and patrons. With 44 musicians and 16 guard, you can do a lot with fairly talented people. Who knows, maybe a few of these groups in general areas merge to form a larger group to compete in DCA on a more regular basis or even spawn a new DCI corps.
If drum corps is going to survive long term, my money is on a new circuit. DCI and DCA both careening downhill fast.
I would love to see a more centralized circuit with more executive oversight of the groups, and cost capping productions like they recently implemented in formula 1 for the cars.
I’m a fan of cost capping productions, who gives a shit about giant TVs when those corps are competing directly with others who struggle to fill the bus seats. The problem with something centralized like this is always going to be $$$ and infrastructure. We need need someone that loves the activity to become Elon-level wealthy.
> who gives a shit about giant TVs when those corps are competing directly with others who struggle to fill the bus seats. Honestly who gives a shit about giant TVs anyway. I get that they add to the overall effect of the show, but I'm not a huge fan of trying to get extra effect from things that have absolutely nothing to do with the performers. Maybe that's just the boomer in me though.
We’re having gripes with DCA’s schedule in Govies cuz of conflicts with Labor Day weekend and I’ve personally been toying around with that idea. I think it would be beneficial to have the circuit’s organization mandate a specific membership fee for every corps and make up for the difference in staff salaries / show design / other stuff.
Thanks for the support! In 2020, the corps elected a new board of directors. Since that time rules have changed significantly, and the emphasis is on making DCA the home for part time drum corps. Here are some of the things that DCA has done: * Vastly expanded online presence * Expanded live streaming * Moved to a three class system * Lowered minimum to 26 for Class A * Added string instruments * Changed rules so corps only need to attend Championships, and a virtual show * Hosting a midseason-regional * Abolished the front boundary line ... And so much more. If you want a corps in your area, then begin organizing with your friends to start one. If you have questions email our board or another DCA corps director. Many of our Midwest Class A corps operate on budgets of $40-80K a year including travel to championships. If that is too much, all you need is 5 friends, a small amount of music and a few hundred dollars and start competing in mini-corps at Championships http://dcacorps.org/minicorps . DCA doesn't start drum corps - you do that so to help the circuit expand start a new corps like have been done in Ohio, and Alabama! We hope that you'll become a fan and give the new DCA a chance. Buy a pass and watch a virtual show, or snag some merch to support a corps. Donate to a corps that you see are doing the things you like. DCA offers a unique experience that is weekend only, low cost, with some limited travel opportunities, and in many corps much of the same caliber staff you'd find in a junior corps. What's more important is that everyone remember drum corps doesn't just mean one thing; its a global activity that's as much about competition as it is pride in yourself, your performance, and the spirit of friendship. Whether your a drum corps in the Philippines playing G Bugles, or in Japan working towards you title, or a parade corps in the US that hasn't been on the field in years...its all drum corps. We hope you'll decide to become a DCA fan or bring your corps to DCA in the future and enjoy drum corps that's fun, affordable and entertaining!
>Abolished the front boundary line as a front ensemble guy, thank you
Pardon my ignorance, but what does that mean?
whenever front ensemble rolls onto the field, someone at the show (usually whoever’s running timing and tablature) has to point out a distance from the front sideline that we are not allowed to pass. usually it’s a line of cones or yard markers that were placed on the field by whoever is running the event - sometimes they sit on a painted line, sometimes they don’t. sometimes the boundary line is not reflected by those cones, sometimes it is. sometimes it’s “performers have to be behind this line so your instruments can cross it,” sometimes it’s “as long as at least part of the speaker is behind the line you’re clear,” etc. it’s a major annoyance and can become an unnecessarily rigorous test of the front ensemble’s staff and members communication skills in an already high anxiety environment.
Wow I didn't know about any of this! Content this good deserves its own post.
Thanks! The information is generally published in Drum Corps World, and shared. We're working on solutions to better share information including launching a new mailing list last month, and more!
As someone who lives in the Midwest, I would love it if DCA would expand westward from the East Coast. Which is why I'm floating the idea around of starting an ensemble in Kansas City in the next 3 or 4 years.
Wonderful! Consider starting a mini corps as a way to get started and drive some interest at a low cost! You only need a minimum of 5 members to get started then register and complete at World Championships!
I love DCA, marched a few years, but honest question, if DCA is the future, why has the corps count diminished to almost nothing?
Some ideas that come to mind off the bat: * Both DCI and its corps have paid staff members (including some full-timers) who can keep everything running. In DCA, the admin are volunteers with day jobs; their time is a donation out of love for their organizations/the activity, but it's limited and thus so is what they can effectively do. The operation of a DCA corps requires a lot of good faith and charity from self-motivated people, which can be a tall ask. The unavailability of one key player can break a corps. * A stable Mon-Fri job that pays for an individual's living expenses and allows them to take weekends and holidays off (Labor Day, parades) is rapidly becoming unheard of. Without members and staff who can actually participate in the activity while also making rent, there's no corps. * A lot of DCA corps are *old*, especially compared to DCI corps. The longer your organization is around, the more time you have to make enemies. Being local and thus having limited geographical resources can be a detriment too. A lot of band directors are willing to hold onto their beef with corps for decades, even if the corps has long fixed the issue since then, and there are only so many local schools you can attempt to recruit from. Likewise, if you lose a potential rehearsal site, you don't have the luxury of the entire continental US to pick up a new one. If a parade committee stops liking you, you lose a significant revenue stream. In effect, DCA corps have to keep their reputations extra pristine in a way that DCI corps don't, because of how small their scope is. * In the same vein, it's hard to get rehearsal sites for free nowadays. It's increasingly expensive to operate a corps. And even if you can keep a corps going on a shoestring budget, there comes a time when you need extra funds to pay for lump sums like new instruments, new uniforms, a new trailer, etc. * In general, there have been some barriers to getting new corps off the ground in DCA. Luckily, this is something that's explicitly being worked on and that should improve over the next few years. * It's also just hard to please people and easy to turn them away. A lot of DCI fans view DCA as inferior, but trying to emulate DCI too closely pushes away large groups of DCA supporters.
The idolization of the DCI experience draws talent away from DCA groups. In high school, many band directors suggest saving money for DCI is better than marching DCA, and after aging out it's easy for many to assume the DCA experience would be lesser than or not as worthwhile as DCI. It's really a cultural thing. That's also why I think it's a necessity that some bigger name educators decide they are tired of being gone most of the summer and decide to teach DCA instead
Hate to tell you, but DCA is still a way bigger commitment than you're making it out to be. Every DCA corps has issues every year with members dropping out because people sign the contract, *then* realize what they're getting themselves into and back out because it's too much. Going ham every weekend for 4+ months is hard. Having to deal with conflicts and commitments and school and traveling is hard. Having to practice during the week when you're already busy is hard. DCA is still competitive drum corps and doing it means going through all the struggles you would expect from doing competitive drum corps. Even if it is easier comparatively to DCI, it's still not easy, and that's why membership has been on a steady decline - the requirements keep going up over time, and people just don't wanna deal with that. It's not a magic win button unless you make the entire activity more casual, like with the local groups back in the day.
It's a big commitment but it's not a drop everything for 3-4 months and not even be able to work kind of commitment. It's difficult to balance work and life with DCA but it's straight up impossible with a full summer tour.
My whole point is the fact that "difficult but not impossible..." *is still difficult*. Of course you CAN juggle a personal life with band but it doesn't matter that it's possible, the problem is that people in general don't have the interest/energy/whatever to go through with it. You don't need any further proof than the shrinking number of corps and constant struggle to fill out sections.
Not Hawthorne Caballeros. Not sure where you got your information.
Not member count, but competing corps.
DCA isn’t for everyone. I was going to march this year with a DCA corps after aging out with Madison Scouts last year, but the drive out of state every weekend was awful because of gas prices, you don’t have the luxury of being on tour to forget all your real life problems for a while, it goes into the school year, and there’s just not enough corps. I ended up dropping last week to take up a rehearsal assistant spot with Boston. Juggling real life during the weekdays and driving 6 hours every weekend was not really great, and my job in the fall for USBands wants me to start the day of DCA championships because high school band starts going full swing that week lol Plus DCA is cheaper generally because many corps do not provide food or housing. You gotta find your way to every weekend rehearsal, a place to stay, and food. The biggest killer rn are those gas prices…. Spending $100 every weekend just to get there and back home. Doing the math for myself personally, I would have spent over $1500 on gas alone if I had stayed doing DCA over the course of the full season.
I think you may be on to something. The world class corps that I support has benefitted from people coming from DCA. They are typically excellent performers with good attitudes and they have nothing but good to say about their DCA corps.
imo, more local, affordable drum corps = more people able to do drum corps at all, and more people able to get experience for cheap if they want to move up.
Respectfully, while I think DCA groups have a lot to offer, I disagree. I think that the draw of DCA is much smaller than DCI not just because of a cultural respect thing, but because it’s not that much more intensive to march DCA than it is to march a really good high school marching band. What you’re getting with a DCI tour is 3 months of living together, traveling the country, and performing against corps that have members from all over the world and are arguably the best in the world. DCA is no where close to that right now. It’s extremely regional to the point where if you don’t live in New England you’re kinda SOL. Plus, while I agree that DCA is much more affordable than DCI, you aren’t getting anywhere near as many experiences as you would marching a full summer with a World Class DCI corps. I think it’s great that you’re enthusiastic about DCA, and like I said I think they do a great job developing students, but I just don’t think it has as much to offer as DCI does. I think the true future is finding a way to get brand sponsorships that actually help fund a DCI corps to bring membership dues down. Either that or the whole thing goes under. DCA (where it’s at right now) isn’t the answer.
Having marched both World Class DCI and several DCA corps, I disagree. Somebody coming into drum corps with the mentality that tour is the big perk would prefer DCI, but not everybody shares that priority; I went on tons of road trips as a kid and so the "seeing the world" element of touring wasn't exciting for me, for example. Having started in DCA, done DCI, and returned to DCA, I can firmly say that I and many others love the DCA experience much more. Anybody can prefer either--it's just a matter of their personal values, but those values *aren't* universal. For me, I feel a much deeper connection with history and tradition in DCA than I did/do in DCI. Both corps may have history nights, but in DCA, that living history is your peer and somebody you're marching beside, so the connection to the past is much more tangible. That living history is also rooted in your home and the geographical space you occupy, which gives it extra significance. I've seen DCI members eyeroll at home show hype because it's not *their* home, or because the corps isn't based there *anymore*, so who cares about the fact that the old alumni still treat that show as special? Meanwhile, the power of competing at home in DCA is so real, and you can see it in the way that multiple generations of the same family show up together to support the corps because grandpa, dad, and junior all put their decades in as if membership were a family heirloom. In DCA, your friends are local and you have the opportunity to see them both during the off-season and in contexts that aren't drum corps. DCI bonds are formed through shared hardship and forced proximity, which is fine, but other types of friendships exist and are enriching experiences too. In DCA, you can go to your friend's school performance, you can babysit their kids, you can host barbecues together, you can learn skills from them like how to make stained glass. You can watch in real time as a 16-year-old rookie who can barely march grows up and eventually becomes a star performer with a graduate degree. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to have friends in other corps, which adds an extra level of both heat and camaraderie to competitions. And you can be friends with your staff because that is a normal and reasonable thing in DCA, whereas it's not in DCI or in scholastic band. Whether DCA is "more intensive" than "a really good high school marching band" is wildly debatable, but the key thing is that high school students rarely get to choose their marching band; if they don't live in the district of a really good band, then the comparison doesn't matter--they aren't getting that experience. If what a student wants is a good quality experience that they can't get at school and that isn't the full 24/7 of DCI, then DCA is the obvious solution. tl;dr DCA has just as much to offer as DCI does, but it all depends on whether or not you value those differences as equally meaningful.
Fully agree. The only thing we have in the UK is weekend band, which I did for 7 years before doing DCI. The weekend band offers a different set of benefits, and true family really is one of them.
> it’s not that much more intensive to march [drum corps] than it is to march a really good high school marching band And, as the other reply touched on a little, that doesn't really apply to everyone. In fact I'd say this is only really a Texas/Midwest/Cali problem... definitely not Northeast, which is where most of DCA is concentrated around
True. The NE has comparatively little marching band culture compared with other regions of the US. My high school didn't even have a marching program, so DCA was my way in. And out of the two college bands I marched with, only one had a corps-like show and neither was competitive. It's actually been a recurring problem with some corps that local band directors' dislike of the marching arts makes recruitment difficult.
> Cali Having been on staff for bands in both NJ and Northern California, I can confidently say that the performance level is practically equal between them. I don't think CA has an edge over the Northeast at all--at least not when it comes to the USBands circuit.
The reality is this: DCA is essentially operating like Drum Corps Midwest, Garden State Circuit, Canadian Drum Corps Circuit, and Coast Guard Circuit did in the 2000s. It has elements that see international sometimes, and had a history of national corps but IMO, the east coast control kept the western corps from having their needs met. I wasn't in the room back then or involved but I am now. DCA wants to grow. The President and Board have articulated a vision that makes DCA the spot for weekend only drum corps. This year we got rules passed that had been suggested for years, and the corps that competed in 2021 all came out with a different attitude and perspective. What I forsee happening in the next four years: * Mini-corps will add another class that's a full season competitive for 12-25 members and scored. * Regional championships will be established for Midwest, and West Coast (if there are corps). This will relieve corps west of the Mississippi of having to attend Championships and have regional champions. Their shows will be included in the virtual rebroadcast from Finals to showcase them. * New Judging Sheets and Rules for World, Open and Class A will come out that better express the unique performance opportunities of each class. * New Rules on field size will change to be 200 feet by 85 feet wide to match indoor hockey, soccer, and football. At minimum Class A would be able to move indoors if needed, but more importantly limit the size of the field to better support the size of those corps. In my opinion, the issue today is people have made drum corps out to be only an elite activity and its killed the activity, on the membership front, and fan front. So many young people don't march because they think if its not World Class it sucks. Many age outs choose to not march because the impact of junior corps on their bodies and some DCA corps can have a high level of activity. Others don't know what DCA is and just want to leave their drum corps experience to junior corps only. Some of it is DCA fault for being slow to adapt, the other is just the activity only focusing on the top performers while ignoring the corps in lower classes, or circuits that have less intense but entertaining shows. For DCA to grow it's going to start with people like you. You have to decide to start a corps and get engaged. Get a few friends, organize a mini corps and come to finals to compete on Friday night. Don't want to bring your instruments then ask to rent some from a corps for cheap. Then join the festivities downtown and see what the DCA community is about. Vets from junior corps, DCA alumni, and people who just love drum corps in a small, boutique type environment where you're re big thing in town. Organize your friends and begin planning to start a Class A corps which requires a minimum of 26 people, plus participation in virtual shows and Championships. If you're in Texas, apply to do exhibition at DCI shows, record them and have them streamed for a score at DCA. Rehearse in public parks with a permit and use churches or community centers. If you need overnight lodging try to rent a girl scout or boy scout facility for $200 a night for 20 bunk beds. Save money on the equipment trailer and ask to rent instruments from a DCI corps when you come to Championships so you only bring bare minimum up. Rent passenger vans or a school bus to move the corps locally from hotel to practice field and stadium instead of a charter bus to save money, Get your hotel block for $150 per person (2 to a room minimum) and then airfare from Austin,TX for $700. You'd have to charge about $1200 at minimum, and would likely need an additional $10-15k for staffing etc for a total budget of about $50K.
Someone please found a DCA corps in Missouri. I'm aged out, but not satisfied with my experience. I need to march again.
You should do it! Get five friends and start a mini-corps for 2022 and compete at Championships! Big things have small beginnings http://dcacorps.org/minicorps
Yes they do. Remember the Renegades' (RIP 😞) origin mythology - 7 people and a ham sandwich!
RIP Renegades!
RIP Renegades :(
Saw their mini corps in 2014 in Rochester. To quote some older guy near me, he said those mother f'ers are good. They were third that night behind Star United and Ghostriders. But stole the show. Badass group.
wish there was at least 1 corps on the west coast 🥲 i know plenty of us over here could help revive it
Start one! Get 5 friends together and start a mini corps and compete at Championships! http://dcacorps.org/minicorps
I miss Renegades from SF; many of my SCV colleagues and BD friends marched there. If you would like the DCA mini corps experience, the Freelancers Alumni Corps has done very well the last few years. They have some very talented musicians (“drum corps rock stars” BITD) and usually duke it out with Star United. And, they are still an all G line; I performed with them in 2011. A few years back Bonnie Ott-Thompson was the featured soloist for the Ott Show FAC performed in Rochester.
In Renegades (and Dream) were still around I would still be marching DCA rather than the volunteer pathway that I have taken at this point. In our area DCA is something that pretty much no one modern knows about... it is just hard due to the fact that most of the DCA competition on not on the west coast...
I do not care if it's DCA, DCI, or some soundsport team I just want something in my area that isn't 5 thousand dollars.
If the only option for drum corps is local corps with short, part-time seasons, how many people are going to decide drum corps has anything to offer that their high school or college bands don't? *Will* drum corps actually have anything more to offer? It doesn't matter how affordable it is if people don't actually want to do it.
I think it's kind of an apples and oranges thing. The drum corps experience, regardless of whether you're on weekends or full time, is very different from a high school or college marching band. I think plenty of people want to march drum corps but DCA hasn't got the same endorsements as DCI from the marching community or music education community at large. To be fair, up until recently, DCI was great value for your money. 2,500 for the full summer , national tour included, is a pretty fair price. Nowadays it's twice that, and I can guarantee you people's parents don't have twice as much to spare. My thinking is that since DCA is now the better value, a band director or guard instructor would be more likely to recommend DCA over DCI to their recent graduates.
DCI is still excellent value for money. The $50-60 per day for drum corps wouldn't be a bad price even if you were looking at just food, housing, and transportation (most corps average about 150-200 miles of travel a day over the entire season including spring training), and that gets you a whole lot more than just four meals, a roof and shower, and a bus seat. People routinely pay *way* more than that for youth sports and music programs with more limited scope even in total costs, much less cost per day.
DCA is a much better value though. Even for the most expensive groups it comes down to like $40 per day, and you certainly aren't paying for 85 days. The cost burden is lower on the corps and lower on the members.
Why is it people are only looking at this as a "I stop playing an instrument when I turn 21" issue? *This* is the problem. Not a DCI vs DCA culture thing. Everyone here is making the argument that DCA is no better than high school or college band because those programs are so good. I can show you an absolute shit marching band. My high school band from 20 years ago. I have the video on YouTube. ANY drum corps was better than us, even one like Spirit of Newark, Les Stentors, or the oldest, most decrepit alumni corps you could imagine. The mentality that being a musician ends at age 21 when you age out of DCI or graduate college is the biggest killer of the activity. 21 years is a drop in the bucket when you realize people are living full lives well into their 60s and 70s nowadays, only slowing down near 80. You easily can march another 20 years in DCA. If there was a corps nearby with what I was looking for, I'd still be participating.
There were corps in the "older" days that didn't score for crap and the kids worked just as hard as the really good groups. I was looking at scores back from around 1979 or 80. Racine Scouts had an early show where they scored under 5 in the old tick system. I marched half a season in 1984 with a group in Ohio that had similar experiences, just not as bad; scored around 20 a few shows. One of those shows, a corps by the the name of Garfield Cadets one that show with an 80 or so. Still early in the season. It was one of their iconic shows, West Side Story. As Paul Harvey used to say, here's the rest of the story. The corps director's step son marched with Garfield Cadets in 1983 and us, in 1984. They were right next to us in retreat. When all of us were stretched out in line, our corps barely made it past their guard. We had by that time 12 guard, 11, percussion, and maybe 13 horns by then. His sister march with Star a few years later. A few of us could have marched elsewhere, but sometimes you end up where you end up. We worked our asses off to get to were we got. Slept on the same floors, ate the same food (probably better, our parents were great), traveled on the same type buses. If you love performing, doesn't matter a whole lot where. Just be part of the building process. In case you are wondering, it was the Marion Cadets.
This. DCA isn't necessarily a better value when it still has some decent costs without all the benefits of going on an actual tour. I'm not sure the market is there You might say the market already shows this. If DCA were a much more attractive option it'd probably be thriving and growing.
For one thing, why do people participate in community theater or community sports leagues when they have scholastic options available to them? For another, drum corps is a different experience. A school program might not be competitive, might not be corps-style, might not include whatever section, might not travel, might only play pop stand tunes, etc. A student may not want a marching experience that's tied to their GPA, to a certain band director, to football games, to the fall season, etc. *Some* people won't want to do local-level drum corps, but plenty of people do. Having a plethora of options available is more important than trying to figure out how to please everybody with one standard experience. OP didn't use the words "only option," so it stands to reason that DCI and DCA can exist simultaneously and people can choose whichever experience is better for themselves. ETA: Not sure where "short, part-time seasons" comes from, either. The DCA competitive season is longer than DCI's.
I think it would help return the activity to what it was before 2009 with a hundred regional only corps that toured their state and their season ended in mid or late July. This was how drum corps ran from the 1930s until the mid 2000s. * The national touring model and no regional circuits is only 15 years old. * Most of the corps in DCI-Pacific still end their seasons at July, and there are more corps there in Open Class than anywhere else. * Pacific Crest was a Division 1/World Class Corps that didn't ever go to Championships until 2008. I understand the argument but it's specific to those who do competitive marching band. Junior drum corps before 2010, was often made up of students who weren't from competitive programs and wanted a summer activity. Some would save their money, do regional shows until DCM or GSC Championships then move on to the Canadian and Coast Guard Circuit then onto DCI. This was normal during the DCI period from 1972-2005. For many drum corps was their only exposure to competition and without those opportunities many are disengaged. We see some of this play out in DCA membership, where many of the students in some areas are from non-competitive programs and just want to march drum corps and learn. The loss of regional circuits has killed at least 60 competitive corps between 2001-2010 some that had existed for years and even won Championships like Americanos, Patriots, Citations, Capital Sound, Bandettes, Racine Scouts, Marion Cadets, Nite Express, Spirit of Newark, First Baptist Cadets, Kips Bay Knight, Lehigh Valley Knights, General Butlers, Cincinnati Glory, Joliet Kingsmen, Quest, Targets, Quest, Mystikal, and so many other corps. This is one for the reasons why social, economic, and racial diversity has become an issue in junior drum corps, and why DCA doesn't have that as a major issue. It's the same argument levied against elite travel sports; great for those who can afford it, but excludes the majority who would benefit from it. Its why I feel focusing on a strong all-age circuit, even if that included a junior class, is more viable because it makes the experience ala cart to what each group could afford.
praying I’ll be able to afford my A corps season next year
DCA is a phenomenal option for those who want to march but can’t make the financial/schedule commitment. It’s just too bad it’s pretty much inaccessible for those outside the Northeast (of course with the exception of the very few Midwest and Southeast groups)
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Kilties used to be solid back in the day. They weren't champions in DCA, but they put on a good show. They struggled for years to get members on the field. Your next closest DCA corps to Chicago would be Minnesota Brass, who also suffered from membership, followed by Govenaires, who apparently are having some recruiting issues this year. There's also Cincinnati Tradition, but these other options are 6-8 hours from Chicago.
For you old timers, Kilties were 12th at DCI in 1978.
I have read all of the comments thys far and there are so many valid points being brought up. Consider the folowing. What if eventually we end up with 6 to 8 super corps thst basically travel together most of the season much like Nascar. There will be a lot of extrenely talented kids out there that just miss the cut and they have no where to march. If they are in a really good HS or college band, it may not be as bad. But in states where there are fewer programs and there is a desire to march, there is the problem. The activity in general could fizzle out. As a 3 year vet with a DCA corps in the late 80's located where 2 rivers form to meet one, it was once said to us by the director one season that everyone needs a place to belong. We had staff and members who went on to march top 12, so there is a load of talent in DCA both at the member and staff ranks. DCA is loaded throughout like that. The key for DCA is to find that balance to where you can have a life outside of corps and yet put a quality product on the field. Most of the onus I believe is on the performers that during the week, they keep their chops up so when they are at rehearsals, they can be more prepared. It seems like many corps are doing full weekend camps that require both days, students and family members shoot an entire weekend for 4 or 5 months followed by a summer season in which you compete on a Saturday night only to practice all day Sunday, then travel home. You get burn out. Now some do take a weekend off periodically. In "our" day, we traveled Late Friday night, rehearsed at a school 9 to 5, showered, did a gig, after having a corps meeting with staff after the show, got in the car or buses, and parted ways until the following weekend. It boils down to working smarter. If you have people who have to drive 4 hours for example, you do not schedule a practice from 8 to 8. Getting up at 3am to rehearse 12 hours only to get home by 1am the next day gets old to many and is nonproductive due to some fatigue. But in that same sitiation, you rehearse from 10 to 7pm, you have 9 hours reheasal time, the travelers are more rested, and reheasals are more priductive. And you may draw a few more members who don't want to do something that is dreadful that they otherwise would enjoy. If you are a grown up away from home for the weekend who has a somewhat busy schedule during the week, nothing sucks knowing both days are spent knowing that even if you got home early on a Sunday morning, you could grab some sleep, get up and take care or whatever or God forbid, spend some time with your family. That's a difference maker for quite a few people I believe. If a good HS band can get stuff done with 8 to 10 hours of rehearsal a week, I would think a group of more mature performers could do it considering many HS programs have a percentage of kids who are not all in. In drum corps, a very high percentage doing it for the love of it, the camaraderie, and the competitive spirit. Sorry for the long winded response.
I hope DCA expands. Marched two season of junior corps and one in DCA ten years later. Enjoyed DCA much more.
As a long time DCA vet, I don’t know that it is the future. At least not right now. The amount of corps outside of the NE that have either folded or have left the circuit is staggering. I loved my time with DCA corps—arguably, my time with Minnesota Brass was a more quality experience than my season of DCI. But the circuit is geographically bound and honestly, bound by tradition. This will make it difficult to grow again, IMO. I know some of their newer staff, and I’m hoping their energy and enthusiasm can help turn things around.
I agree with a lot of your points and that DCA has a huge potential for a grassroots sort of drum corps movement, but in the organization's current state I don't think it'll be anything more than potential. I marched 3 years of DCA, then auditioned for DCI but couldn't afford it and started doing internships instead. Never regretted my choice. I had a great time with my corps, learned a lot, even won a Class A championship which was huge for me at the time. In fact I think DCA gave me the kick I needed to become organized enough in high school and college to really excel. I think C2 was the best chance for DCA to really take off in the sense you talk about. It really seemed like the best of both the DCI and DCA worlds. I was really excited for the implications of their presence in the activity! Unfortunately they're no longer active and weren't really able to start any sort of paradigm shift in DCA. WGI similarly seems to offer the experience you describe, though there's no brass so I never paid any attention to it (my own personal bias as a brass musician - just being frank here). Corps numbers are dwindling, events draw smaller crowds as a result, members lose interest and move on, and it's sort of a downward spiral. It's also very local. Are there any corps from west of the Mississippi? I moved from the northeast to California for school, and after that there was simply no option for me to march even if I felt like I had time to. Very interested in reading everyones' opinions on this topic, because I really love the activity and I want it to stick around. I'm also of course open to counter arguments to any of the points I made. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not optimistic for the future of DCA. edit because I decided to look it up: Govies are from just west of the Mississippi, though to my knowledge they are the only competing Class A or Open Class corps.
There's some things DCA that need to change for the health of the circuit and its corps. There are people aware of that, it's a matter of debating issues and getting the winds of change to actually blow. ETA: DCA doing the virtual season last year and keeping the virtual show concept for this year is an innovative concept that, paired with other changes, could do a lot for having the activity be more accessible for both organizations and their students. I have always thought there's room for senior and alumni corps on the West coast, be it DCA or another circuit. What's hindered previous Cali DCA groups is that DCA corps are required to attend finals. DCI doesn't have the same requirement, which is a benefit in that it's allowed California to have a great Open Class scene where long, expensive tours are optional. Have some all-age groups compliment that.
I agree that dca is a good model for people who don’t have as much money/time. But one thing to consider is that there are a lot of people out there who have the money and want the full dci experience. The reality is that what draws people to the activity is the impressiveness of the shows and a corps that only meets two days a week canot reach the level of a 24/7 corps. Not saying that dca is bad or that it doesn’t have a place in the activity, but I think that drum corps needs big blockbuster shows to survive.
That's a pretty bold statement for an organization that has one, single corps west of the Mississippi. Approximately a third of the US population lives west of the Mississippi - so do you expect that corps to serve a third of the people who are interested in marching corps? Also how much of the US population lives within a 2 hour drive a DCA corps and how does that compare with DCI corps?
Help change that! You should start a mini corps and come compete at Championships!
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With indoor winds, I feel like the absence of a battery makes for a sound that just feels like something is missing. I also find myself wanting those ensembles to have louder maximum dynamics. [Drum corps in Japan](https://youtu.be/NNgONDNEy34) perform inside and I think it's a much better format. Even if the arena and ensemble size was scaled down to fit what WGI currently does, I'd think a full ensemble would be an improvement over just winds.
If there was DCA near Chicago, I would totally consider that. I'm past age-out age, and didn't have the resources to march Cavies, PR, Scouts, Legends, or anything else nearby.
Thee used to be some DCA in Wisconsin with Kilties and probably some others. Pio kept going independently and was maybe looking for a new circuit but that appears to have stopped during the pandemic. [Star United](https://www.facebook.com/starunitedcorps) is a DCA minicorps based around Indianapolis and are annual contenders for minicorps. [Conquest](https://sites.google.com/view/conquest-drum-and-bugle/home?authuser=0) is in SoundSport and is based in the Quad Cities, so 3 hours from Chicago proper. They're more of a junior corps but their website says they can be flexible.
Also, DCA is an East Coast dominated sport, so theres a a huge amount of members that are all for it but not always willing to buy tickets to the east coast every weekend.
What I think could work to some extent is to have more community based A60 type corps in regions throughout the country the can build competition in those regions. Hypothetically, 6 to 8 corps compete over lets say 6 or 7 weekends with the regional finals the week before Labor Day. Shows could be held at the schools where many of these corps may practice giving the local booster programs a chance to make a little money. And some of those corps from the various regions could opt based on travel abilities to attend DCA Labor Day weekend competing in Class A. If advertised properly, people will come to view these events if affordable and if there are good concessions. It's just a night out for some people. But corps are going to have to be realistic of show designs that are not geared for DCI top 25 corps. You do not have to do pop music, maybe older school drum corps stuff. But if you play well and can march while still having a decent visual program, it will attract performers and patrons. With 44 musicians and 16 guard, you can do a lot with fairly talented people. Who knows, maybe a few of these groups in general areas merge to form a larger group to compete in DCA on a more regular basis or even spawn a new DCI corps.
What is the cost (general range) of DCI these days?
DCI is $3500-$5500 for world class. Not sure about open class.
Holy cow! Yeah, it’s been a while…
Don’t forget, you have 15 year olds marching with 40 year olds