prodigital

Question about the 2007 Madison Scouts I heard from a friend, who is also a Scout Alumni that this years the members had to sign some sort of conduct contract. This contract supposedly requires the members to abstain from both drinking and smoking while on tour. OK, I know that most marching members can’t legally drink and that smoking isn’t good for you, but does anyone know if this is true? Brian G.

I don't think corps need to return to the 80's format, show designs simply need to be recognizable or at the very least catchy. Every song gets heard for the first time, some stick with you, most don't. I personally beleive corps designers need to either use something that is currently popular, or create something that is along the lines of what is popular. It is important to experiment and push the activity, but when show designers go too far too fast, they become no longer relavent to main stream society.

Going Interactive There have been many posts regarding what needs to be done to increase the numbers of both Drum Corps fans and marching members. I think I have a possible solution. DCI needs to take a page from the American Idol playbook and get the fans involved with the final results. Considering that General effect is subjective, why not let fans vote for their favorite corps online and then ACTUALLY incorporate the voting results into the actual general effect scores at semifinals? Every ticket from every show would have a serial number that would entitle them to ONE, and only one vote on the DCI website. Individual corps would then need to push harder to get more people in the seats. Fans would travel further, go to more shows just to be able to support the corps and cast more votes. To get these votes Corps would need to put out ever increasingly entertaining shows. More entertaining shows will eventually lead to more interest from outside of the drum corps activity. More interest from the "outside" will lead to more members, more revenue, and a longer life for the activity. This would also create an interactive environment for the fans where they can track their favorite corps results as votes are gathered over the season. Fans could even help their favorite corps by dragging their friends to a show and having them vote. Exposing new people to the activity is never a bad thing. Another benefit is that smaller corps that have great shows could get a boost in their semifinal standings. As a computer programmer, making adjustments to the DCI website would not be a big deal or cost much money. It also would not be a big deal for DCI to distribute tickets with valid serial numbers to the various show promoters to ensure there is no tampering and that everyone that attends a drum corps show, gets the opportunity to vote. Even if this doesn’t create more interest in the activity, it would be great for the current fans. I think people are missing the point, this is about putting people in the seats at shows. If current fans round up 3 - 5 friends to get their support for their corps and maybe one of them buys a corps shirt or even likes the activity, is that so bad. If someone travels to 10 shows to support their corps is that bad. This is not one person one vote, this is one ticket one vote. If you have gone to 10 shows, why shouldn't you get 10 votes? And again, this would only be a small percent of the total score. Scoring the brass lines, percussion, and marching will be left up to the actual judges. General effect, which is subjective has room for about 25% fan vote. As far as people having favorites, does anyone thing a judge doesn't have personal feelings? And then again this only the beginning of an idea. Maybe the vote could be used to determine the semifinals line up?

I knew that my original post would stir up some strong emotions, but I was surprised by the lack of understanding by some of those that replied to the post. When I speak of mass appeal, I mean the appeal of drum corps to the Western culture as a whole, not just the drum corps community. If you are a member of the drum corps community you already love what you see and probably find the activity to be incredibly entertaining. However, if you ask someone off of the streets about the activity, chances are you would need to explain what drum corps is to them and that is the problem. Almost no one outside of the activity knows about it. Today’s society is one of talking points, 3 second sound bites, and sport center highlights. The 10 minute productions that most corps put on the field today, although artistically impressive, unfortunately have a very difficult time finding a place in society as a whole. I used NASCAR as a comparison because whether or not you like it, you know about it. Not only is Drum Corps more interesting then NASCAR, it is a great activity for the youth and undoubtedly teaches them to be better people. However, NASCAR makes billions each year and continues to grow in popularity. Well, if you don’t like the NASCAR comparison, let’s try the NFL. Every off-season the NFL’s competition committee meets to discuss how they can make the game more exciting. Over the past twenty years there have been numerous rule changes to make it easier for the offensive units to score, thus increasing the level of excitement each game produces. In the late eighties the NFL figured out that a more exciting game would be good for their product. Now the NFL is the undisputed King of professional sports in terms of revenue and second only to soccer in worldwide popularity. In the late eighties one could stumble upon the Drum Corps Championships on TV and see the Bridgemen’s snare line wearing blindfolds, the Blue Devils Sopranos screaming a Ferguson tune, the 1812 Overture by Phantom Regiment, or Ballet in Brass by the Scouts. Most of these tunes never made the American Pop-40, but they all had melodies that were catchy and made you tap your feet. The manner in which shows are designed today seem to be less interesting to the drum corps outsider. As someone who knows, and has been a part of the activity, I can understand and appreciate the shows of today. But shouldn’t an attempt to reach out to drum corps outsiders be made? The life blood of drum corps is the product, the field shows each corps puts out each season. It doesn’t matter how it is packaged, promoted, or presented. If drum corps is to survive, new fans need to be drawn to the activity by what they see on the field. The activity needs to take notice of what is popular in pop-culture and see what changes can be made to push the activity in that direction. Maybe this idea will make drum corps purist sick, but an activity as wonderful as drum corps should not be allowed to slip away. In short, for Drum Corps to survive, those that design the shows need to be equally aware of pop culture as they are of being artistic. Making minor changes to appease or simply interest the masses (drum corps outsiders) does not make one a sell-out, it make them selfless. It makes them promoters of our activity to the masses.

I have a simple solution. DCI needs to take a page from the American Idol playbook and get the fans involved with the final results. Considering that General effect is subjective, why not let fans vote for their favorite corps online and then ACTUALLY incorporate the voting results into the actual general effect scores at semifinals? Every ticket from every show would have a serial number that would entitle them to ONE, and only one vote on the DCI website. Individual corps would then need to push harder to get more people in the seats. Fans would travel further, go to more shows just to be able to support the corps and cast more votes. To get these votes Corps would need to put out ever increasingly entertaining shows. More entertaining shows will eventually lead to more interest from outside of the drum corps activity. More interest from the "outside" will lead to more members, more revenue, and a longer life for the activity. This would also create an interactive environment for the fans where they can track their favorite corps results, even help their favorite corps by dragging friends to a show and having them vote. Another benefit is that smaller corps that have great shows could get a boost in their semifinal standings. As a computer programmer, making adjustments to the DCI website would not be a big deal or cost much money. It also would not be a big deal for DCI to distribute tickets with valid serial numbers to the various show promoters to ensure there is no tampering and that everyone that attends a drum corps show, gets the opportunity to vote.

This is entertaining? No wonder the activity is on life support, I have yet to see a show that I find mildly interesting. I have watched the activity from a distance since I stopped marching back in 1990. Since 2000, the shows just get to be more and more boring. Alright, I know this may upset many people because those involved in the activity love it. However, has anyone ever really asked why there is only a handful of corps left? Most people will say it is because of money or poor management, and I am sure that is true to a point. But I think it has more to do with the fact that today’s corps lacks any real mass appeal. I think the activity needs to stop catering to itself and start giving the individual corps incentive to put out show designs that people who are not in the activity will enjoy. When is the last time you were at work whistling a tune you heard at a corps show? My guess is it doesn’t happen as much anymore because individual corps are more about effects then actual music. In short, drum corps that are more universally entertaining will create more interest for the activity as a whole. More interest in the activity means more members and more cash flow. If drum corps is going to survive, it needs to rebuild it fan base first. If you think I’m wrong, ask yourself this one simple question. Why is it that NASCAR has so many fans and generates so much revenue? Is three hours of left turns more exciting then a drum corps show? The answer is simple, everyone can identify with a car and feel of driving fast. NASCAR capitalized on the one thing most people have experience with, cars. Drum corps can do the same thing with music. If the shows and music are more universally recognized, or simply “catchy”, it will stick with people and find a place in their hearts. If Drum Corps is to survive, corps need to think about mass appeal.

YES, I am singling out one show!! This show will be the last for many of these members and it isn't right! Every member, every year should get the very BEST EFFORTS from that years staff, NO EXCEPTIONS!

So what you are saying is that I should not expect more from the corps design, that I must keep my mouth shut. I know an "all-alumni" is not the answer, I marched in 1990, believe me I know. I support the current members and that is why I am upset with the 2006 show, they deserve the very best efforts from the staff and it doesn't appear to me that is what they got this year.

I guess what you say is true, these days it is all about winning to stay alive. Its too bad that Drum Corps has become an elitist activity, but like you said "I'm sure there are hundreds more ready to audition for that spot." I guess what you are really saying is that the members truly aren't important, they are replaceable. If winning is the end-all be-all, why have a corps? Why do it if it is not for the kids, but to win? What is the point? That is why drum corps is on the decline. The kids are second to the board of directors.

Madison Scouts 1987 sixth place, 1988 World Champions! I know it is only six places, but I think making that kind of move among the best corps is pretty amazing

That is not exactly what I meant, but 3 out of the 5 years I marched we played something from earlier Scout shows. What I meant was that some corps are know for certain styles. Be it the type of music played or style of drill performed, corps have something about their identity which makes them special. If Phantom Regiment were to play a jazz program, would their fans be happy? Would their members? I didn't mean a corps needs to rehash it's past to death, but if a member joins a corps because of the types of programs he/she has enjoyed over the years, shouldn't that be the "stlye" of program they get to perform?

I had no idea my comments about the Scouts show ending and staff would touch off this type of response. It is great to see the passion, but the show ending is still bad. And for those that think I was bashing the corps, not true. My comment was aimed at the staff and staff only. From watching them practice, those kids have amazing talent. I wrote my initial post after seeing the new ending and because I was not happy with what I saw I may have been unfair to my Brothers. However, the responses to my original post got me thinking. What are the responsibilities of the staff to the marching members? What I mean is this: If you grow up a fan of the Madison Scouts, loving what you see on and off the field, and you work hard to become a member, does the staff have a responsibility to the members to design a show that is in some way representative of past show shows? Example: I would not join the Blue Devils expecting to play a classical music, I would expect to play jazz. Obviously it is good to change and evolve, but can too much change from one year to the next be unfair to those marching members that were expecting something different? B Gregg, Madison Scouts 1986-90

When you said "they talked to you about the darth vader look" I can only assume you meant the staff. So no, it should have not been disheartening because that came from your brothers that marched before you. The scout style is what the corps creates based off of it's own history. The 1982 mantality was learned from the members before you just as the 1986 mantality was learned form you. Each corps learns something from its past and then changes it on its own. The corps style comes from within and is always changing, but it is a change based on what we learned form our brothers before us. I simply believe the talent within the corps is as good if not better then any freelance designer can provide.

Take a moment to review the 1990 Madison Scouts show. I marched that year and it was because of the staffs attitude I did not march my age-out year. After the third week of the 1990 season the staff was already planning for the 1991 show of City of Angels. We were getting slammed in Drum Corps World, nobody liked the show, and as a member I felt betrayed because the staff was doing little to improve the show because they were all in love with the City of Angels for 1991. I don't want any marching member to feel what I felt in 1990 and that is why I point out that it is the staffs fault for this poorly designed show. Maybe you don't like my comments, but as a Scout I placed as low as 9th at finals and I also have a Championship Ring! I know what good show design can do, and what poor design can do. And sad fact is that most people see the members as putting on a bad show when in truth it is the designs team waste of super talent by their design. I will always be a Madison Scout and as such I will hold the corps to a higher standard.

I know Sal Salas marched with the Scouts and maybe his alumni status should get revoked. Well.... no thats not fair of me, he seems like he is a good man. When I marched it was unthinkable to have someone on staff that was not an alumni and considering the corps has two World Championships under that school of thought, it is not a terrible way of doing things. Most of the boys that join the Scouts leave as very talented men and are more then capable to be on both the design teams and technical staffs. They pass on the "first hand experiences" to the current members and that is what I believed made the Scouts special. I know there are alums on the staff, but the design team has non-alums that is changing what feel of the Madison Scouts.