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Hop's Ideas Re-examined...


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In light of the way that some of the DCP threads have gone, and in the interest of trying to get people on both sides of the "evolution" aisle to talk....

I'm about to try to bring some "balance" to the drum corps force here by showing folks that George Hopkins may have different ideas than you...but some of them may be closer to what you might like than you think.

Bear with me.

Doing some reading of some of the r.a.m.d Virtual Symposium stuff out there.... (you can find it at http://www.geocities.com/marchingresearch/, some interesting stuff there, although some of it should be updated...) and I hit on Scott Stewart and George Hopkins competing plans to market and change drum corps.

http://www.geocities.com/marchingresearch/lamsym01.txt

(Warning: it's a long read.)

Now, then... some of this is older info, but let's look at some of the high points as presented by Hop..(if there's interest, we could look at Scott Stewart's proposals as well):

Hop suggests a name change for more brand identity (something that has been floated here in some way, shape or form as well):

RECOMMENDATION 1

Name change

MUSIC ON THE MOVE

- While distinct, "drum corps" presents an identity that only a few understand

(like "wind ensemble")

- We must provide an identity that is easier to understand

...and on the ideas of touring and marketing (remember, a lot of DCP thinks that regional touring is a good idea to save $$$, yours truly included):

STRATIFICATION

Objectives:

Take advantage of the marketability of the top corps throughout the season

- A show with four or five of the top siix corps is an "event" that many sponsors

and audience members will pay a premium for

- Grow the fan base by creating an "evennt" that is hard to ignore.

Create a sensible evolutionary path for individual units

- Reduce the burden of national touring for all but the top corps

- Use membership criteria to allow corpss to move in and out of categories

- Emphasize quality as the basis of growth: experience for the kids, fiscal

management practices

- Actively help to grow individual units

which led to a suggestion of:

The Super Corps (The Majors)

- No rules

- The premium product--offered as a packkage to show sponsors

- Touring on a national level

- The Promotional Tour Group

- #1 through #6 right now

- Entertainment Priority #1, Life Skills #2, Technical Skills #3

The Triple A Drum Corps!

- #7 through #15 or so right now

- They can set their own limitations

- Tour in regions in early season, and tthen nationally--much as now.

- Able to marketed in two tours for lessser cash to sponsors.

- Sometimes tied to Super Corps

- Life Skills #1; Entertainment #2; Techhnical Skills #3

The Double A Drum Corps

- #16 through the Top third of the Divission 2 and 3 Corps

- Local community-based activity

- Limited touring

- Build relationships with existing locaal circuits (GSC, ODCA); create new

circuits

- Sometimes tied to Super Corps

- Life Skills #1; Technical Skills #2, Entertainment #3

The A Drum Corps

- Create growth for corps with younger kkids (equivalent to middle and lower

ranking Division 2/3 corps)

- Not marketed--participatory!

- Local Shows

- Regional Championships!

- Technical Skills #1; Life Skills #2; Entertainment #3

The Babe Ruth League

- Training Corps

- Local shows

- Music education vehicle for elementaryy and Junior High kids!

- Technical Skills #1; Life Skills #2; Entertainment #3

Interestingly, those that call for entertainment to be a "mandatory" part of the show can see Hop agrees with you in a lot of ways:

Objectives:

- Short term--reduce the exit rate for current hard corps fans

- Long-term--increase the production rate of hard corps fans

Provide a means for immediate fan feedback to the corps

- Super and Division AAA Corps have the right to perform an encore presentation

when requested by the fans

- When a corps completes the performancee, the coordinator signals whether they

can continue.

- If allowed, they have 3 minutes to perrform in appreciation for the fan's response

Judging system redesigned to included fan feedback! (For Super Corps and

Division AAA)

- At Super and Division AAA Fans are givven one of three GE sheets. There

reaction is 1/3 of the effect mark.

And, of course, there is the call for changing instrumentation that we all know so well. :P

There's also some interesting ideas about changing the voting structure ( another hot topic here) that Hop presented in the link ( and I could agree with), but at risk of making this post too long, I though better of including that here.

All in all, there's a lot in there that I think both sides of the issue can digest concerning where he comes from, and what he wants from the activity.

I wonder what the 2005 version of this would look like (although I feel much would be similiar)?...it might make for an interesting DCP "Livewire" to get Hop to update this now that some changes have gone through.

Just putting this out there for reasoned debate. Flame or discuss away. :)

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I really like and agree with a lot of what he says.

But, there is one thing that I am in TOTAL disagreement on.

RECOMMENDATION 1

Name change

MUSIC ON THE MOVE

- While distinct, "drum corps" presents an identity that only a few understand

(like "wind ensemble")

- We must provide an identity that is easier to understand

<**> <**> <**> <**> <**>

So I suppose we should have no more wind ensembles then?

Again...

<**> <**> <**> <**> <**>

Edited by torn8o
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This is the only one that I'm not jiving with...

<**> <**> <**> <**> <**>

So I suppose we should have no more wind ensembles then.

Again...

<**> <**> <**> <**> <**>

Well, I think outside of the music education realm, some people don't really "know" what a wind ensemble is, per se. They just see it as a concert band, much like a lot of laymen would term drum corps a marching band.

I think it's an attempt to try to capture the flavor of "drum corps" by describing what it does, rather than what it includes.

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Well, I think outside of the music education realm, some people don't really "know" what a wind ensemble is, per se. They just see it as a concert band, much like a lot of laymen would term drum corps a marching band.

I think it's an attempt to try to capture the flavor of "drum corps" by describing what it does, rather than what it includes.

I'd quicker think it's just another excuse to have the freedom to include woodwinds because - if it's not CALLED "drum corps", it doesn't have to be "drum corps". Which, as I have stated before is the ONLY evolutionary place I don't ever want this activity to go. The "wind ensemble/concert band" is exactly my argument on why we DON'T need to make this a band activity. We have orchestras. We have concert bands/wind ensembles. I like that BOTH exist because they are unique in character. We have marching band and we have drum corps. I like that BOTH exist because they are unique in character. To merge the two would be suicide on the activity.

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I'd quicker think it's just another excuse to have the freedom to include woodwinds because - if it's not CALLED "drum corps", it doesn't have to be "drum corps". Which, as I have stated before is the ONLY evolutionary place I don't ever want this activity to go. The "wind ensemble/concert band" is exactly my argument on why we DON'T need to make this a band activity. We have orchestras. We have concert bands/wind ensembles. I like that BOTH exist because they are unique in character. We have marching band and we have drum corps. I like that BOTH exist because they are unique in character. To merge the two would be suicide on the activity.

Even if we they added woodwinds, according to most...it would still be called drum corps (I'm not arguing with you, just playing devils advocate ...ergo the "we haven't played on bugles since forever" argument).

I thought that the name change idea and the instrument proposal were tied together as well...but the more I look at it, the more I think the nomenclature is more about trying to establish an identity to the consumer and viewer.

I think instrumentation is a seperate issue...one that I don't agree with, either. However, I posted this to try to get those who are totally at odds with him to see that there's a lot of commonality in the thought process.

I may have bitten off more than I can chew. :P

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Why? Why? Why? :wall: Is there something in the air today? Is it because it's March 1st?

Why are there so many topics about him and the Cadets today?

I think I'm going to be sick... ampssuck

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Why? Why? Why? :wall: Is there something in the air today? Is it because it's March 1st?

Why are there so many topics about him and the Cadets today?

I think it has to to with all that zigging and zagging up there in Allentown. :P

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I think it has to to with all that zigging and zagging up there in Allentown. :P

Since your so into this, you should go to the website and read the story posted on yea.org. It's about fans and their reaction to the audio . Some are for some are against. I find that more entertaining actually... :ampssuck: I don't see why they want to know people's opinions now.. :ampssuck:

I'm sorry...I'm feeling sick today.. :ampssuck:

Edited by Lancerlady
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