DCI (Drum Corps International) transformed the Drum and Bugle Corps activity from a youth activity for any and all kids aged 14 to 21 and some even younger, into an activity for primarily music majors and acrobats. At its peak in the late 1960's and early 70's, the activity involved nearly 500 corps combined in three classes (competitive levels) nationwide. Very few of these kids had any musical or marching experience when first joining a corps and were taught and trained by corps staff and veteran members of the corps how to play and march. Today, there are barely 60 corps in existence, combined into two classes (World Class and Open Class), where only those who have above average musical training and ability have any chance to make the cut and participate. Each corps conducts auditions of hundreds in the off-season to field a corps of around 150 members. So, no longer is it a youth activity, just another program for the elite. There are a variety of reasons for the shrinkage of drum corps over the years, much of it having to do with the dominance of DCI since the mid-70's. The initial changes they brought about to the activity were mostly good and much needed, but that changed rather quickly so that by the mid-80's there were less than 100 active corps. This number kept shrinking every year and finally leveled off in the early 2000's to what we have today. There has also been a change in the make-up of those in the crowds of today's drum corps performances. 95% of the crowds in attendance at performances nowadays consists of former alumni of the last 40 years or so. Back in the 60's and 70's, former members made up less than half. The other half came from the locality of the venue.....average folks. Average folks today would not even recognize a lot of the obscure music many of the corps play these days as it is written to impress only the judges, not the average person. That was not the case back in the day when corps played popular and well-known charts that most anyone could recognize and were written and choregraphed to excite the crowd. I could go on and on, but my main point has been made......it's no longer an activity for all youth and interests the average spectator. That is the main argument many have with modern drum corps vs old school drum corps. Technically, drum corps of today are much cleaner and more error free than old school corps, but old school drum corps were more exciting and entertaining to the average observer.
