How Does DCI draw in a new fan base?

[KGTech]

Here's a new idea. What if the corps asked fans to share their own ideas of what the show should be? Fans can suggest themes, repertoire, uniform ideas, etc.

Fan ideas and input are always good to consider but I don't think we want design by mob to rule the day. Sometimes giving them what they actually want does not involve giving them what they ask for.

[Carolina09Spirit]

No woodwinds are needed. As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[kaseyW]

Fan ideas and input are always good to consider but I don't think we want design by mob to rule the day. Sometimes giving them what they actually want does not involve giving them what they ask for.

It's more or less inspiration to the design teams.

[GUARDLING]

No woodwinds are needed. As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

hmmmm arent you new to this?lol...I agree we dont need WWs but its not a matter of something broken at all nor about fixing anything

[JimF-LowBari]

No woodwinds are needed. As the old saying goes: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Now we get into the definition of "broke"

IOW... INCOMING!!!!

[Shadowtron]

1. Woodwinds

2. Low cost Finals webcast; free to students

3. Expanded marketing with HS and college music students

[Tim K]

As a former woodwind player and a drum corps fan since sixth grade, approximately 38 years ago, I have never longed to see woodwinds in drum corps. I also attend shows, support corps, and I buy souvenirs. The absence of woodwinds has never detracted me, nor would it attract me to shows. So I don't think instrumentation plays a role at all.

The shows I see each year are usually well attended by a wide variety of people. Old schoolers reconnect, young people are interested. The atmosphere is enjoyable. Concessions are reasonably priced though ticket prices may prohibit bringing an entire family. It also helps if at least some of the corps are known for being audience friendly. So to me, an important aspect of drawing a new fan base is providing shows that make attending a drum corps an experience.

Of course most fans at the shows I attend have some drum corps connection. I live outside of Boston and grew up when there were circuits with competitive bands, drum corps, and drill teams competing side by side. The majority of people in attendance in Boston area shows seem to be alums of CYO, Eastern Mass, and Mayflower circuit corps. There are young people who were born after most of drum corps, bands, and drill teams disbanded, probably involved in high school programs, but I'm not sure it will sustain shows in ten or twenty years. Better marketing, perhaps some television exposure might help but my guess is that with fewer drum corps, audiences will diminish. Since starting new drum corps or reviving now defunct corps are unrealistic solutions, I'm not sure how we attract new audiences.

[wcmello09]

3 letters-

BOA

show it off at BOA events and really get those kids into DCI. then show BOA off to at DCI events, neither org. should be "better" than the other

then you have to get BOA directors to not be against DCI. (i've heard of several schools who frown upon their kids marching DCI for several reasons)

but you must also get those kids who participate in DCI and are in BOA band, to not go home after tour and bring a bad name to DCI

it should be more symbiotic

[Photographer Jim]

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One suggestion ( thinking out of the box here ) might be to set up 2 World Class Divisions. One for avarde garde, progessive Corps productions where the judging sheets in this division would reward creative nuances, and Corps show desiners would be allowed to bring in new instrumention if they wanted and so forth. Experimentaion would be the key identifiable characterisitic of this particular devision. Experimentation and creativity woould be encouraged and rewarded on the scoring sheets in this division.The other division would be traditional in nature. Corps here would agree on the instrumention allowed and permitted, and would be more traditional in the use of instrumention. Pleasing the average fan would be the chief indentiable characteristic of this deivision. Traditional shows with readily identifiable music to most audiences in this division would be encouraged and rewarded on the scoring sheets Corps here. This division would have a different judging sheet in the respect that the GE portion of the sheets would reward " engagement with the audience " as fundamentally crucial in scores and placements in this Division. Corps could announce in the preseason which division they intended to conpete in the upcoming season. They could change division from year to year if they so desired. At each local show, they'd be for example, 3 Corps performing in the Avarde Garde Division and 3 Corps perfoming in the Traditional Division, and each division with their own judges and scores and placements. In this environment, they'd be a place for the Avarde Garde shows and their fans and a place for the Traditional Corps and their fans. Lke anything else, this proposal is not entirely free of obstacles to practical implementation. What if more fans showed up for one of the divisions but not for the other, and there was a coming and going in the stands with fans. Maybe its not doable, but I always wondered if a 2 division format might keep more fans in the activity from leaving while allowing newer fans looking for something different to be attracted to the activity, ergo a growth in the overall fan base of the activity. In such an environment Corps and fans might find some better common ground, especially when judges now are being asked the almost impossible task in a one division format to compare and contrast such wholly dissimilar show productions where one show has pleasing fans as its driving force in the design of the show, while another show designer has pushing the envelope in total creativity and experimentation as its driving force behind its show creation. ' Just a thought anyway.

Nothing wrong with thinking outside the box sometimes when trying to find a solution to a perceived problem!

My question, however, is how do you propose to deal with having a final champion?

I realize one possibility is to have two champions, one for each of the suggested divisions. My belief is that a two champion system would probably not fly well with either corps or most fans. Our belief in drum corps as a valuable and worthwhile activity in its own right not withstanding, the competitive component of the activity is too embedded for most fans or corps to be willing to adopt a system where there is no final, single champion. I think a majority would consider it a kin to crowning an American League and a National League champion, and then not playing the World Series.

The other solution then is to have an all division final resulting in a single champion corps. Under this system however, there would be a rather large problem to deal with - what sheets, program restriction/requirements would be used at that competition? The answer would not be as easy as something like " the designated hitter rule will be in effect in the American League park but not the National League park". Under the suggested system, corps would have spent the entire off season designing, and the season perfecting, a show meant to be successful when evaluated under a specific set of sheets. To have to adjust that to any form of a compromise sheet would, I believe, be unacceptable to most, if not all corps. And I doubt many fans (especially those here on DCP) could ever agree as to what would be a fair compromise.

So, although I commend your attempt to try out of the box thinking, I seriously doubt this could ever work.

[audiodb]

I doubt many old school drum corps fans are going to like to hear this, but the days of drum corps being obviously superior to marching band are over. Anyone that has been to a BOA regional or Finals can see that. I even see it in some of the local shows that I judge/go to in NJ/NY. These bands are equal to (or at least almost equal to) all but the top 3 or 4 corps year after year. Comparable design, comparable if not better performance level.

I doubt many old-school band fans are going to like to hear this....but the whole drum corps vs. marching band thing hasn't really changed at all. Competitive band programs compare to drum corps about as well today as they did in any other era. There is a difference, though, in how many band programs are "competitive" today vs. way-back-when. In the HS ranks once upon a time, there were so few serious marching programs that unless you were familiar with one of them, any attempt to make sweeping generalizations about bands vs. corps would be comparing apples to oranges.

My point is that drum corps used to be able to attract kids from marching band because they offered a unique challenge and performance level that they simply could not get at their marching band. It's tough to sell the kids something they already have.

Both your premise and your conclusion are off. Judging from the audition numbers and the size of corps on the field, kids are still sold on drum corps.

DCI should combine efforts with BOA, USB, and as many local circuits as they can. Offer clinics and performances throughout the summer. Offer any current marching band member a steeply discounted Fan Network membership and then cater the content towards them. Give them a membership card that gets them into any DCI show for $10 and then invite them to hang with their favorite corps at the rehearsal before the show. Bottom line - Get the MB kids (your target demographic) directly involved with drum corps.

What great ideas! Feel free to contact DCI and make these suggestions. One word of advice....don't be insulted if they tell you that some of these ideas have already been tried, or are actually being done now.

Woodwinds - it's a no-brainer. Any given band is made up of about 30-50% woodwind players. They are currently excluded for no good reason (at least not one that a 16 year old saxophonist will understand). Yes, some WW have learned another instrument and marched DC, but why put that significant roadblock in the way of 30 - 50% of your target demographic. Most WW players do not do this. It is the exception, not the norm.

Marching in drum corps is the exception, not the norm. Please, spare us the melodrama. No one is "excluded" from drum corps. Woodwind players are just as welcome as lacrosse players and debate club members. But yes, to do drum corps, you will end up learning one of the roles and associated skill sets that belongs in drum corps, just like you would learn the appropriate roles and skills for the debate club or the lacrosse team. Oh, and those aren't "roadblocks"....those are the rules by which the game is played.

The Experience - currently, the model is to fly to several preseason camps ($2000 - $3000), pay tour fees ($2000 - $4000). For this $4000 - $7000 investment, a kid gets to....

Fly on a plane/ride in a car for several hours for camps

Rehearse for 12 - 14 hours a day. Only 1/2 of these kids will get a spot.

Go to Spring Training - rehearse for 14 - 16 hours a day

Go on tour = 2/3 time is on a bus or a gym floor

Of the remaining 1/3, they get to rehearse 80%, eat in a parking lot 15%, perform/warm-up at shows 5%.

Priceless?

To an outsider, this is a really tough sell.

Yes....and again, selling that to participants is not the problem. What does that tell you?