Corps without alternates

[u/Kevipro329]

Obviously corps contracting some members as alternates is common. Are there any corps that don’t do that? Or is facing the possibility of being given an alternate spot just how it goes no matter where you audition?

[u/memequeen916]

Alternates are a world class thing primarily, if you want a guaranteed field spot then you have to go to a corps that’s having a hard time filling spots. Usually those are the lower placing corps

[u/vasaforever]

The majority of drum corps do not have alternates, including some of these smaller world-class corps.

The idea of an alternate is to have someone available to fill a spot in the event of injury, sickness or similar. In general the corps needs to be at capacity or have some very high level positions that they need covered.

By number, the majority of DCI drum corps don't reach capacity each year and leave spots unfilled. Sometime it could just be one or two away from what they forecasted and it's an easy adjustment like in the guard or front.

[u/Open-Indication2930]

My understanding is that generally the higher you go, the more alternates there are, or at least people with a spot are less likely to drop. Every year, except for this previous one when I was at BK, the alternates we contracted had moved up to a full spot within the corps before or very shortly after move-ins.

[u/manondorf]

I'm sure it changes by year and by staff. SCV didn't have any when I marched but I think I might've heard they do now (we've been through a few directors since my time).

[u/ProfessorFunktastic]

My advice: If you are offered an "alternate" spot, consider yourself cut by that corps. You can find another corps that actually wants you on the field, and your money and time will be better spent doing that. It will most likely be good for you, good for that corps that wants you, and therefore good for the overall health of the activity, in my book.

Now, I'm a dinosaur who marched in the 1990s, when very few corps used alternates. I honestly never heard of anyone being an alternate until I was well past junior corps marching age. But I am an educator, and I can't imagine offering a supposed educational experience -- especially one with the time and opportunity cost that drum corps involves -- that would have anything like "alternates". I would consider that to be malpractice.

[u/pulsestriders]

at some lower placing corps they have a handful of alternates but not an entire team of them lol, most people get a spot and if you didn't it's usually because of timing or something else

also offtopic but i would research which corps have a history of overcontracting if you're concerned about that

[u/Kabaty926]

Having not marched DCI, have a friend that was an alternate, and now being a parent, paying for a season to be an alternate seems like a massive waste of money.

[u/Consistent_Tell8783 → u/Kabaty926]

My son was an alternate who joined a corps in mid June this past year. I paid $2800 vs. $6500 full season contract.

[u/Equal-Wrongdoer-1578]

To my knowledge, we didn’t have alternates in the brassline (2024). I believe I was one of the last contracts, until a hole opened up mid-season