MikeN Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 In the last DCI survey, the average fan was in their mid-40's. Has it skewed younger since? I've not seen / heard anything about it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 (edited) Again, we have people trying to make this an "either/or" issue. Foolish. I agree completely. Making this a black/white issue is foolish and selfish. As a performer I played for myself and the fans. I also knew though that we would be nothing (for lack of a better word) without them. I don't know, I just never took the fan base for granted and was always appreciative for the cheers. I've also been on the other end where after a show it was 'golf clap' central. Did it suck that we didn't get the cheers we desired? Sure, but I never once blamed it on the fans or thought they were naive because they didn't understand my show. It just meant we needed to work that much harder and put more effort into our performance. To me this activity survives because of both groups. When I read messages from today's members to older fans like, "fine we don't need you as a fan anymore" or "don't let the door hit you on the way out" it is sometimes stunning to me. Perhaps it is the hubris of the young that they don't need anything or anyone. I understand that, for I was young once (still think I am). :) As you grow older though most come to realize there are very few black/white issues, mostly it's a lot of gray. I think fans also need to realize that the clock is not going to go in reverse. Really it's one of the main reasons why DCI was founded - to allow the constant creative push of the marching arts. Edited September 18, 2007 by Whiskey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Agree. It's about everybody...each needs the other. Kids need the fans to have someone to play to. Fans need the kids or else there aren't any corps and then what would they be fans of...a non-existent activity?While drum corps is for the kids, as expressed by the directors, I don't see how it's possible for drum corps to continue without fans for any length of time. If fans somehow disappeared, drum corps would just be a bunch of rehearsals and then what? Then it would be marching band. Seriously, of course it's about the kids. And in DCI's case, it's also about the fans, because DCI has chosen a more expensive level of participation (touring) that requires fan revenue to sustain. But there have been other brands of drum corps that, like marching band, have done quite well by staying local and controlling costs so that fan revenue was not such an essential part of the equation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euponitone Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Who are the customers?...why thats easy. Any person who puts money into the activity. So, the kids that pay for plane tickets to try out, oh, and the thousands of dollars to march, and the lack of income from a summer job. Oh, and also the fans who pay for plane tickets to finals, and thousands of dollars for shows, and a lack of income from vacations from work. Soooo....both, duh Close the thread now please :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Just like DCI to take an innocent youth activity and turn it into a failing business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWonka Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Nope... Midwest International... it was a div. 2 & 3 pre-focus show. I have the patch, and looked at it before posting. But with even Mike Boo not knowing about this show shows how dead it was...free admission too it was 2002 corpsreps links http://www.corpsreps.com/scores.cfm?view=s...;showid=2002237 P.S. - trees were in the parking lot being watered by the custodian waiting for us to get out of the stadium so that he could lock it up. There really were trees, I saw them :) What really scares me is too look at the turnover in that lineup. 4 of the 8 Div II corps no longer exist and one moved to Div III. 7 of the 10 Div III's are gone. So 11 out of 18 in that show are history. And that was just 5 years ago... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsb2007 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 It is possible for the activity to continue (in some form) without fans. False It is impossible for the activity to continue (in any form) without kids. True Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 (edited) It is possible for the activity to continue (in some form) without fans. False Well, it is POSSIBLE ... I mean if Warren Buffett or Bill Gates threw a billion or so into the activity, drum corps could certainly survive and thrive without a single fan .... Lots of art exists through sponsorship but without any meaningful following .... Likely? Not really .... but possible??? Yes. :) Edited September 18, 2007 by Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notelvis Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Older fans can either accept it and learn to dig it for what it is, put their support behind DCA and alumni corps or take up golf. IMHO golf sucks. Happily, I have been able to find a good deal of enjoyment in each of the other three areas. I find much that I can enjoy in today's junior corps but I sure would like to go back in time and see the 27th Lancers or 1988 Santa Clara Vanguard again. I really enjoyed going the DCA Championships four of the five years it was in Scranton, a driveable distance for me. (Rochester is not working out so well......no affordable direct flights and too far to drive during the busiest time of my year) The recent spate of Alumni and Reunion corps has been wonderful to behold.......from the SCV alumni to the Madison Scouts Reunion Project and Big Blue to the Bridgemen. I mean, who has time for golf anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorps00 Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 After the way the fans acted during championship week. I'm disappointed in them. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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