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Yesterday I discovered that for 2024, DCI is introducing a new class for competition. It's an "All ages" class. Also, that DCA is being absorbed into DCI. I have mixed feelings about this arrangement.

New to me, begun around 2000, DCA held a "mini corps" competitive class. Small groups compete on a stage. I found this enticing as it's more applicable for middle to older people. Will this dissapear as DCA is absorbed?

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Wouldn't surprise me if it did.

Yeah, DCA no longer had the means to support itself. The arrangement is technically only for 2 years, but I have my doubts about DCA ever returning...

As for mini corps, I heard they were working on a version of the DCA I&E competition, where the mini corps championship competition was held, but again who knows if that will come to fruition. The could always compete as a part of Soundsport, which is already an all age smaller stage class in DCI, but they'd be facing much different challengers than when it was just them.

Really sad to see DCA discontinue. Another unfortunate sign of the times.

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Grumpikins wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:29 am New to me, begun around 2000, DCA held a "mini corps" competitive class. Small groups compete on a stage. I found this enticing as it's more applicable for middle to older people. Will this dissapear as DCA is absorbed?

This sounds like DCI's Soundsport venue.

Just looked that up courtesy of your link. Also, new to me. Sounds like a nice opportunity.

The mini corps was appealing to me because its restricted to drum corps instrumentation, limited marching on a specifically sized stage. The drum corps sound and energy is still there, but in a smaller package chubby/older guys like me can handle...

Not complaining.

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I like the mini-corps idea, but I also feel that it doesn't really need to have a competitive circuit like the big corps do. What I would rather see is more local mini-corps scenes in place of a national one. I feel like that would be a better fit for the more casual nature of those groups.

Finetales wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 1:39 pm What I would rather see is more local mini-corps scenes in place of a national one. I feel like that would be a better fit for the more casual nature of those groups.

Yeah, it would be great, and those of us in the activity have been saying as much for years. The problem is people don't really seem to show up for locally based, small ensembles. The scale of the activity as it has become has really shifted what people expect and want out of their drum corps experience. And I get it; so many of these ensembles even in DCA are such a financial commitment people seem unwilling to gamble on anything that doesn't seem like a sure bet (ie, big top 12 corps) and until all the people who bemoan the state of drum corps start showing up or promoting their local group this pattern will only continue.

/rant. don't mean to get too salty about it, but as a longtime member of a small, locally based corps it gets hard to hear people say 'if only this or that' and i fear it will all fade away before anything productive gets done.

My local region has become a real dead zone for music in general. At least for adult amature musicians. Even rock bands and djs. To join a DCA corps, the closest option looked to be a 3 hr drive. I would really love to see more musical options locally available.

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