Jeff Ream Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 11 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said: Those days are long over. They have stepped up their game big time. cant tell some DCi directors that. heard one spewing that #### in Allentown. for my wife's sanity I walked away 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 57 minutes ago, Bobby L. Collins said: Free or not....it's public. The PUBLIC has access to it. An audience that would otherwise have never even bothered with drum corps had the opportunity to watch it, and to make the decision whether or not to support it. The chance moment of someone changing the channel may very well have altered the course of someone's life, as a young child (such as myself) was exposed for the very first time to an activity that he or she otherwise would have never even heard about. That's gone. Now, the only way the public is going to ever even hear about drum corps is to already belong to a Facebook group or Subreddit devoted to some form of marching arts, in which DCI is promoted...or else already be in band or have a child in band (which is an ever-shrinking pool of resources, as music programs are being cut across the country). The public isn't going to chance upon an overpriced subscription package for an unreliable streaming service that not even the fans of the activity like, nor are they going to chance upon parking lot warmups or bootleg performances on YouTube. PBS was the best shot to reach the largest number of people, to extend outside the bubble of the activity and reach out to a wider audience. That bubble is now sealed airtight, and as I said before, if that doesn't change, then those inside the bubble are going to suffocate. I'm getting your point, but I wonder if the impact you suggest is ACTUALLY real. I'd venture to say that, from that era, a vast majority of participants were introduced to drum corps by their band directors, not PBS. True, PBS offered the random chance to catch some interest, but it was never intended to be anything more than a marketing tool. Today's internet and social marketing tools were the PBS of the day. It would be nice to have free stuff, but I don't think you can claim much impact from PBS beyond anything done on the internet today. How much of DCI's target market DOESN'T have internet access or a band director who knows or friends in music class who've heard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby L. Collins Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 1 minute ago, garfield said: I'm getting your point, but I wonder if the impact you suggest is ACTUALLY real. I'd venture to say that, from that era, a vast majority of participants were introduced to drum corps by their band directors, not PBS. True, PBS offered the random chance to catch some interest, but it was never intended to be anything more than a marketing tool. Today's internet and social marketing tools were the PBS of the day. It would be nice to have free stuff, but I don't think you can claim much impact from PBS beyond anything done on the internet today. How much of DCI's target market DOESN'T have internet access or a band director who knows or friends in music class who've heard? But that's the point. DCI's target market wasn't limited to bandos then. You still had corps directors recruiting from YMCAs and Boys/Girls Clubs, not out of necessity, but out of desire to reach kids that otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity. Today, if you're not an all state player in a wealthy feeder school, you've got two strikes against you for even stepping foot in the activity. Drum corps doesn't have to be limited to band kids, especially if 90% of drum corps is going to continue to be dancing with their instruments laying on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Bobby L. Collins said: But that's the point. DCI's target market wasn't limited to bandos then. You still had corps directors recruiting from YMCAs and Boys/Girls Clubs, not out of necessity, but out of desire to reach kids that otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity. Today, if you're not an all state player in a wealthy feeder school, you've got two strikes against you for even stepping foot in the activity. Drum corps doesn't have to be limited to band kids, especially if 90% of drum corps is going to continue to be dancing with their instruments laying on the ground. Important Note: you said 'the activity', not the WC or the upper level, but 'the activity'. Which if you are telling the truth, and not lying, a youth that is from a medium to lower income family, goes to a medium to lower performing school, and has not made All State Band, that kid has two strikes against him/her from performing with Pioneer, Jersey Surf, 7th Regiment, the Batttalion, Colt Cadets, Gold, Louisiana Stars, Incognito, and a plethora of other corps 'within the activity'. Do you want to state you were not telling the truth or, as I suspect, deflect and spin yet again? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbandguy Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 (edited) 7 hours ago, Bobby L. Collins said: ...or else already be in band or have a child in band (which is an ever-shrinking pool of resources, as music programs are being cut across the country). Yes some band programs have been cut, but nationwide in the past two decade the number of bands and students participating as grown significantly. Many communities that had one high school now have 3-4 high schools. Each with their own band programs. Check with NAFME and you will find student participation in band is actually at record levels. Sorry....Not really OT Edited August 16, 2017 by oldbandguy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 (edited) I would argue that PBS being broadcast on Thanksgiving Day is little more than a niche viewership opportunity nowadays. Yes, my first exposure to DCI was the PBS broadcast... in 1995... Thanksgiving weekend... there was a 'marching band show' on TV. It happened to be some band in green uniforms with red sashes and white hats. They were playing latin music and their color guard was dressed like bullfighters. Wait... where's their woodwinds? Holy f**k, my first drum corps viewing experience was 1995 Madison. Not too bad. BUT... honestly - why would PBS... OR DCI... waste their time/money with it nowadays? On my car ride home on Sunday morning, there were already videos up on YouTube of all of the Top 12 shows plus the entire Flo broadcast. I streamed them in the car while I drove... oh, and this was Sunday morning at 3am, so we're talking literally 5 hours after the event. Anyone who genuinely wants to watch the programming isn't going to wait until Thanksgiving for cut-quality (the PBS video quality was never great) and a cut-down, shortened version of the shows when they can literally watch/download them hours after the show is over. All still for free on YouTube, just like PBS. Want to watch it live? That's not happening on PBS. But you do have an option to watch live... Flo! This PBS argument is just simple complaining and honestly... drivel akin to the "BACK IN MY DAY... GET OFF MY LAWN" garbage. **note that I'm not condoning the copyright issues involved in YouTube vids, just pointing out the truth** Edited August 16, 2017 by Lead 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriTroop Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 The subscription format is why I didn't purchase streaming video this year. For several years in a row I was willing to pay a flat price for the season, and it wasn't $150, and I didn't have to remember to cancel anything. I would have paid for one-shot shows, non-subscription style, but that wasn't an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 Just a follow up. As of this morning I have had my money returned. I don't know if it was my persistence with Flo or my disputing the transaction at the bank. I doubt that I'll be interested in watching DCI next season so I certainly won't need to worry about this again. If I do I'll know what to do to prevent this from happening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StunnedMonkey Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 14 hours ago, Jeff Ream said: I hope so. it'll dispel the myth it's old people out there drunk on the field You say this like it'd be a bad thing. Being (1) on the field, and (2) drunk, are two of my favorite things. Combine them? Nirvana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 1 hour ago, StunnedMonkey said: You say this like it'd be a bad thing. Being (1) on the field, and (2) drunk, are two of my favorite things. Combine them? Nirvana. well the shows have gotten a helluva lot better 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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