KeithHall Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Interesting question In our school district we have Next Generation learning and the parents are the customers. But we're talking drum corps right? The customer is the person who pays for drum corps...the fan and the member. The fan is a customer because they buy the ticket and the souvenir to support drum corps. The members pay money to be a member of a particular corps. Let's add parents into the mix because they are handing over their child to a drum corps for training, guidance and safety. The parents are probably paying the majority of the expenses for their child anyway. The "it's for the kids" thing I have to say that's just a way for people to deflect any idea that adults are making money off of a corps. Lets face it, adults are making money. In todays day and age, no one takes on something like D1 drum corps for free. What corps director in D1 makes NO money and does it for free? If there is someone out there doing it for free, accepts no money for anything than you can say that person is a customer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousMe Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Here are the mission statements from 2007's top three corps. They seem to think their customers are their members: Blue Devils Mission Music and the performing arts connect youth with their culture through a common language crossing generational, social, and racial barriers. The activities that a young person pursues influences the type of person he or she becomes. The experience that comes with participation in a performing arts organization builds discipline, character, pride, and self-confidence at a crucial age and forms the springboard to even greater achievements in adulthood The Blue Devils Parents' Association performing arts programs permanently enrich the lives of young people through a commitment to youth development and performance excellence while providing enjoyment for our local community and audiences worldwide. Cadets Mission Statement The mission of Youth Education in the Arts is to support the development of young people into magnificent human beings through participation in the performing arts. Cavaliers Mission Statement The mission of the Cavaliers is to provide the members with life changing experiences, educationally and socially, which help each individual member gain realworld life skills, musical training and performance experiences. Through the development of the character traits of dedication, discipline and teamwork, each member of this close knit, all male fraternity learns what is required to be successful on and off the performance field. Participation in the Cavaliers instills confidence, quality of character and a strong work ethic that cannot be taught in any college or university and is desirable in the real world workplace. Peace, CuriousMe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 anyone who doesn't say the fans is not based in reality. drum corps costs money and fans help provide that. if you want this to be all about the kids...have some parents go to a park and chalk out a field and set up their lawn chairs and have a good time everybody...but it won't be drum corps because no one will see it. I certainly won't go to watch it. It will be like Youth Soccer. if it ain't about the fans...it ain't happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 if it ain't about the fans...it ain't happening. it ain't that black and white Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 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? Performances in the middle of a forest with no one to hear if a tree falls? Good points, Mike. Someone has to pay the bills...... fans and their money spent on tickets, souvenirs, etc., certainly help do that. Without the proverbial "butts in seats"...... drum corps woud be done, IMO. D-U-N...... done. B) Imagine a scenario in which a given corps tries to line up a given sponsor. The would-be sponsor asks, "All right....for us to sponsor you (in other words, give you money or equipment or help you out in some way in return for the sponsor's name to be showcased)..... first we need to know who your audience is." The corps director: "Uhhhhhh......we don't perform in front of audiences." Would-be sponsor: "OK... thanks for stopping by... there's the door, have a safe trip home. No audience for our product, no sponsorship for you. Next........" Drum corps, or any activity, sport, whatever, that requires some sort of revenue stream to stay alive, cannot exist in a vacuum. Fran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Someone has to pay the bills...... fans and their money spent on tickets, souvenirs, etc., certainly help do that. Without the proverbial "butts in seats"...... drum corps woud be done, IMO. D-U-N...... done. B) Imagine a scenario in which a given corps tries to line up a given sponsor. Well, here is my take on this...I think the primary customer depends on where you are in the DCI food chain...like this... To an individual corps, that customer is the member. To DCI the primary customers are the show sponsors, which in some cases is bypassed when the sponsor is DCI itself... To the show sponsors (whoever they are), the main customers are the fans. Just MHO...realizing that there is 'bleed' between all three, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 "Back in the day" it was about the kids. In the earlier days of drum and bugle corps, most corps were neighborhood corps and the fan base at any local show were friends and relatives of every member on the field and also some independent fans. It was generally an neighborhood youth activity funded by proud parents and friends. Sure, there were the top corps that did well at Nationals, but out of the thousands of corps across the country most were neighborhood corps, like youth soccer, as someone mentioned, or little league. DCI destroyed that concept and replaced it with a business model that changed the focus to product and profit over youth activity "for the kids". Yes, there are kids in the activity - good, talented kids, but it's not about them as much anymore. Now it's about dollars. What corps, "back in the day", ever made a profit or even really covered expenses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 "Back in the day" it was about the kids. In the earlier days of drum and bugle corps, most corps were neighborhood corps and the fan base at any local show were friends and relatives of every member on the field and also some independent fans.It was generally an neighborhood youth activity funded by proud parents and friends. Sure, there were the top corps that did well at Nationals, but out of the thousands of corps across the country most were neighborhood corps, like youth soccer, as someone mentioned, or little league. Run by incredibly well-meaning people with hearts as big as can be, but who did not consider/understand the business side of what they were doing. Corps folded all the time...only starting in the late 60's or so fewer and fewer spring up to take their place, as society and economic realities started to change. DCI destroyed that concept and replaced it with a business model that changed the focus to product and profit over youth activity "for the kids". Yes, there are kids in the activity - good, talented kids, but it's not about them as much anymore. Now it's about dollars. Which is the only way to make sure at least some number of corps will continue to survive. What corps, "back in the day", ever made a profit or even really covered expenses? Which is the real reason they are mostly gone, not due to anything DCI did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 it ain't that black and white no...it's green. and the $143 I just shelled out for DVDs and CDs proves that. so, if you think the kid's needs outweigh the fans needs that's ok. I just don't think that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 Run by incredibly well-meaning people with hearts as big as can be, but who did not consider/understand the business side of what they were doing. Corps folded all the time...only starting in the late 60's or so fewer and fewer spring up to take their place, as society and economic realities started to change.Which is the only way to make sure at least some number of corps will continue to survive. Which is the real reason they are mostly gone, not due to anything DCI did. Not so, in other words, once again, we disagree. Of course, there are more reasons why the overall number of drum corps declined. However, I believe, (no pun intended), DCI played a major role in creating a hostile environment for neighborhood corps. DCI created a gold standard that made it all but impossible to do anything other than DCI. NO YOUTH ACTIVITY FOR THE KIDS TURNS A PROFIT. Any money improves the basic needs of the orginization, i.e. new equipment and such. What other youth activity brings in a paid staff of coaches and tours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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