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How do we save Drum Corps


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For the record I'm in agreement with you on this point, but it seems that at least as many people feel otherwise...

But if someone finally did a poll among all fans on what they think is popular with today A&E, design, and arrangements, there would be a consensus opinion that would finally put the argument to bed.

So as a new corps starter-upper, which path do I take? Our side or theirs? And don't forget that it's hard to find a good buggy salesman these days, no matter how much you'd like to see a shiny buggy in your driveway. tongue.gif

First, all the evidence I've seen points exactly to the contrary. The ONLY people in favor of the recent changes are the people doing it and the people selling the equipment to make doing it possible. Fans range from tolerating to hating the new changes, but I've yet to find anyone who thought it was the best thing to every happen to drum corps.

Second, I'm all for a poll. Can we scrape together enough money to hire Gallup to check this out? I think the results would be tilted heavily to our side, and perhaps we could rescue one of our favorite activities from a DCI-induced death.

Finally, I think you go with the side that gets you the most fans. As important as DCI fancies itself, they don't fund corps. Fans in the stands who love you and what you're doing are more willing to donate and volunteer than those who think you're just another cookie-cutter lemming following the latest technology craze. That would be my suggestion, anyway.

And who knows. In bucking the trend, you might even start a new one. Perhaps you could be the new "vanguard". :-)

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Nothing wrong with hearing a Hendrix guitar solo set to movement on a football field. .

I believe it was in Monty Python that the phrase " I fart in your general direction" was coined, right ?

After all, it's all air. :tongue:

Just because I like to see peoples faces when they get a wiff of foul gas, does that mean it "should" be done ?

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It is all marching band, so why make artificial limits on the instrumentation permitted? Nothing wrong with hearing a Hendrix guitar solo set to movement on a football field. There are many elements of ballet in musicals, by the way, going back to 'Oklahoma'.

Thanks for completely missing my point.

Of course there is ballet in musicals. But if I see nothing but ballet (no singing, for example), I'm going to be disappointed. Unless, of course, I bought a ticket for the ballet. Or unless the "musical" bills itself as something like "ballet for musical lovers".

Similarly, I love Hendrix's Star-Spangled Banner. But I don't want to see it at a concert billed as an "orchestral performance".

I'm just looking for truth in advertising. When I want brass and percussion, I go to Drum Corps. When I want synths and woodwinds, I go just about anywhere else.

Either words have meaning or they don't. I prefer a world where people say what they mean and mean what they say.

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Thanks for completely missing my point.

Of course there is ballet in musicals. But if I see nothing but ballet (no singing, for example), I'm going to be disappointed. Unless, of course, I bought a ticket for the ballet. Or unless the "musical" bills itself as something like "ballet for musical lovers".

Similarly, I love Hendrix's Star-Spangled Banner. But I don't want to see it at a concert billed as an "orchestral performance".

I'm just looking for truth in advertising. When I want brass and percussion, I go to Drum Corps. When I want synths and woodwinds, I go just about anywhere else.

Either words have meaning or they don't. I prefer a world where people say what they mean and mean what they say.

But there have been more than 'drums' for decades, horns have not been 'bugles' for many decades and color guards do not guard the colors anymore, again, for decades.

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How is Star an anomaly and an exception? In my view, it seems like a model to absolutely go other there and try to copy.

Why can't another organization simply follow a similar formula?

because 1) no one with the money has stepped up to do it and 20 real businessmen pulled their hair out when they saw how DCi operated

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Everyone has some very valid points. I have always noted that the only corps that can really afford to compete at the national touring level (DCI large-scale events, regional championships, Finals) are the top 17 or so. Even groups like Academy are careful with how much they travel.

I look at some corps and I think they do have the right idea. Academy is one, whom I just mentioned. Pacific Crest is another. Maybe in the long run it hurts their chances of truly competing for the top 12, but I would rather be competitive, financially successful, and healthy and still provide a wonderful experience for the kids. This as opposed to taking too many risks early on and perhaps taking an "all or nothing" attitude. The Colts have been smart. They come out later in the summer, and that works for them and has helped to keep them healthy and stable.

The top 8 can be a cut-throat place to live. Until you have "big boy" money and are getting the talent and staff to compete at this level, it is best to stay away.

As for the OP's question about saving drum corps, I will agree, first off, that DCI should not be the only answer. DCI is a wonderful organization that can certainly provide marketing, judging, and help to facilitate regional and national-level competitions. They can handle the overall web presence and the media aspect. But...

At the root level, drum & bugle corps is, and has always been, about grass-roots efforts coming together in a community to start a drum corps. That's what it will take. It's not about saving DCI, it's about saving the art of drum & bugle corps. That can ONLY be done by people in various communities around the country who will join forces to create and manage a drum corps. This is not easy undertaking, and the economy, scholastic education, facility needs, staffing needs, and the ability to fund raise make the whole project a rather difficult venture.

The Canton Bluecoats were not started by DCI. The Cavaliers were not started by DCI, nor were the Blue Devils or Phantom Regiment. These organizations were started in communities, and they grew and grew and gained nationwide popularity through DCI competition, effective marketing, incredible performances, and many long, hard hours of labor by staff, members, administration, and volunteers.

Unless we start to see more community groups interested in starting a drum corps for the youth of the area and region, then the current model will continue to exist and we will all keep our fingers crossed that in 10 to 20 years there are at least 8 to 10 corps left.

:worthy::worthy::worthy::worthy:

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But there have been more than 'drums' for decades, horns have not been 'bugles' for many decades and color guards do not guard the colors anymore, again, for decades.

That's not entirely accurate Mike. The Hurcs (DCA) still maintain an Honor Guard.

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I appreciate your point of view, but mine comes as someone who has spent 20 years of my career involved in setting up and managing performing arts non-profits, from start-ups to $4 million orgs, and my experience tells me that the product definitions (aka "what they do" and "how well they do it") are the single biggest factors behind finding public support for any new or expanding organization. The days of a few large donors getting together and deciding to create a symphony or theatre in their city have pretty much come and gone; since the 70s, the newest generation of major performing arts orgs are artist-driven, and that horse ain't going back in the barn any time soon.

Even more to the point, people like to feel good about programs that get kids off the streets or provide performance opportunities for disadvantaged kids. But they're much less interested in funding programs for middle-class kids to do the same thing. Why? Because for most middle-class kids in the US, there ARE programs designed to give them musical or arts training and performance opportunities - they're called "school music and performing arts programs", and for most communities, they're already funded via tax dollars.

So the basic purpose that old school drum corps served - organizing kids into groups and giving them performance opportunities - has been taken over by programs under the auspices of the local school board. That being the case, what possible rationale would Company X or Community Benefactor Y have to give money to someone to start up a program that will be, if anything, a LESS refined than the program already happening at the local high school?

They won't. I'm good with pitches and angles, but I couldn't come up with a pitch for that concept if you put a loaded gun to my head.

The only way you're going to get someone to put major money ($150k in start up costs if you do it on the super cheap) into starting a new youth performing arts group would be to have the vision for said organization be unique, something unlike anything else afforded to the young performers in their community. Necessarily, that would mean that the format for the activity would have to be unique too, and I'm afraid that "drum corps like it was 40 years ago" isn't a great marketing position. It's not likely to attract new donors and more importantly, it won't hold much appeal for the real end users of the idea; the performers themselves.

Old timey drum corps was fun, but the menu of available activities for kids has changed drastically since the 60s and early 70s. The knowledge base of the kids who are most interested in doing this type of performing is also vastly different; they can see what's out there, and for most of them, they look at BD or Crown then look at the local 14-member parade corps, and decide to pass. That being the case, the local corps is going to have to offer something that the WC corps can't, and like it or not, when you're the little guy fighting against the big dog, the last thing you do is say "oh, we'll we'll just keep our heads low and stick to his old basics." If you want to compete for the customer, you have to offer her something that's even cooler, in its own way, than what the Big Dog can offer her.

All that's a long way around of saying that, comes down to it, the "artsty fartsy" element would be key to a new format surviving or not. Doing "regular drum corps, but small and spare" has very little appeal to any potential member, and if it's not about THEM, then what are any of us talking about anyway?

ok, then let me ask you a question. if the past is the past, then why is it year after year, many of the biggest touring acts money wise every year are older groups? Why is the Stones, who are what...70 now?...still pack them in everywhere, and hot new acts are playing far smaller venues and not selling out?

I look at who has played hershey the last few years, stadium, arena or pavillion, and the most seats sold are hands down older groups. hell Motely Crue and Poison packed in a huge house 3 weeks ago....so did Nsync for Gods sake.

these are groups living off their past. Most of their new stuff isn't selling.

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That's not entirely accurate Mike. The Hurcs (DCA) still maintain an Honor Guard.

most DCA corps do

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Such a thing as the OP describes already exists and it is called marching band. Flame away but that activity provides local and regional performance opportunities

for far more kids than any drum corps circuit ever could and it is much more economically sustainable. Furthermore, WGI's winter guard and winter percussion

programs also serve that purpose. They have been successful because they have found a way to be compatible with the public school system.

You hit the nail on the head. Marching band programs, if your community is lucky to have one, provide great experiences and education for thousands of students in this country. Some of these kids aspire for more and march DCI. For many kids band is enough or they lack the financial resources to do drum corps. I believe DCI has as many corps as can be supported currently. Open class corps in many cases struggle to fill their ranks. For better or worse DCI is and will remain an exclusive and in some cases an elite activity.

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