Announcing “DCW On-Line”
When I wrote about the change in frequency for Drum Corps World back in the April issue, I was concerned about the reaction the decision would receive from subscribers and advertisers. Thankfully, the comments I’ve received from everyone is supportive and understanding.
Most drum corps fans can see graphic examples of how the activity has changed and evolved over the years and they see a direct correlation with how life in the United States and the world has also changed and evolved. Our existence continues to become more complicated, expensive and stressful.
While the number of corps continues to shrink, I think everyone who still follows the activity at any level can see that the participants are still receiving an excellent experience. It’s a shame that more young people (and adults) can’t take part because of the small number of units that have survived all the challenges that have mounted through the years.
My enthusiasm for the activity has not diminshed, although my two biggest wishes — that there are more corps and that the music presented is more familiar and standing ovation-inspiring — do not seem to be in the cards for the forseeable future.
In order to continue producing interesting and worthwhile content and, given the fact that having six fewer issues during the summer has meant cutting back on space, I want to tell you about an additional outlet for content.
Drum Corps Planet owner John Donovan and I have put our heads together and developed an exciting new way to publish show reports on his site that I won’t have room to include in the August and September issues. I’m anticipating approximately 30 to 40 articles on DCI, DCA and European competitions will be released over the next couple of months through a new feature on DCPlanet (www.drumcorpsplanet.com) called “DCW On-Line”.
These articles will be written by our regular staff members and will not only expand the readership of DCW’s excellent coverage, but it will also demonstrate the quality of material that we offer in the newspaper and draw more customers to the historic CDs, DVDs, history books and other products that we offer.
This new outlet will begin around July 1 and will be published on a regular basis, as reports are available from the field. The next issue of DCW will be mailed on Thursday, July 31, so obviously many of the regular shows and some of the major regional events will be among the reports released electronically.
We will continue to offer a mixture of contest coverage and feature material in the monthly editions. Once 2008 season photography begins to arrive, some of it will be posted with the stories on DCPlanet and there will be much more included in the August and subsequent issues.
I have also decided to no longer publish recaps of shows. The time required to create one page of recaps is about the same as producing a 16-page issue, plus all the data is available by downloading from the various Web sites soon after the scores are announced at the event.
It is my hope that you will continue to support Drum Corps World and will understand these changes I’ve had to make to keep the publication moving forward. We’re excited about our continuing partnership with Drum Corps Planet and being able to bring our great content to you and a wider audience in a more timely fashion.
As always, I welcome your comments, pro or con. You can e-mail me — publisher [at] drumcorpsworld [dot] com — or call me at 608-241-2292 anytime between 8:00 M and 9:00 PM Central time. Thanks!
Publishers Note:
This article is presented by Drum Corps World in cooperation with Drum Corps Planet. The material is exclusive to Drum Corps Planet under the "DCW On-Line" masthead as a regular feature. To see more quality reports like this one, subscribe today — www.drumcorpsworld.com or call toll free 1-800-554-9630 between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM Central time, seven days a week.
The Madison, WI-based Drum Corps World has been published continously since October 1971 — 37 years of service! The tabloid newspaper is mailed monthly and contains articles on competitions and concerts, worldwide event calendars, scores, photography, features, regular columns and advertising from the companies that support the publication and the activity. Our staff of 75 writers and 12 photographers have extensive experience and many have been with us for 10 years or more. In addition, you will also find historic material in the store including: 136 historic CDs originally recorded between 1950 and 1980, vintage DVD content, videotapes, record albums, history books, back issues of DCW and feature articles from past issues posted on the front page twice each week.
Visit www.drumcorpsworld.com. For more information, call toll free 1-800-554-9630.
