The Future of Drum Corps

[Richard]

Are there really "many people" starting up a drum corps right now? That would great, but I question if that is really happening. Perhaps I'm misreading, and these people who recognize the importance of strong finances etc. are starting marching in the activity now... OP?

I may have used a poor choice of words when I said “many people.” There are some though, such as Desert Fire, which has been mentioned in this topic, a few in Florida, and roughly 3-4 others that have posted on the Open Class board for suggestions about fundraising as they are in the very early stages of forming a corps. I know that’s not “many people”, but that’s maybe 5 drum corps that I would hope to see on the field within the next 3-5 years. And in that time hopefully more will have started taking the steps to starting up a corps, as well as those corps who are trying to make a return.

About the advising committee, while this was not my idea I think I can speak to it on my friend’s behalf. These do not have to be full time positions. Maybe they can just be a consultant and check in on the corps once every two months to make sure things are in order. And I’m not even talking about programming or anything like that, this is strictly on the operations side of things. I doesn’t have to necessarily be Gibbs or Fiedler, but just someone who understands what it takes to put a corps on the field and can ensure that newer directors aren’t overlooking anything or making poor financial decisions. These people can basically just offer a second opinion on business decisions and provide some different ideas for generating revenue.

[bedford]

If the receptiveness to the post of the new initiative out of Saginaw PA (Saints of Saginaw) is any indication, we should hardly be surprised if limited start ups occur.

We should ask if it is in the best interests of DCI or any existing individual corps to see new start ups occur. The following factors would suggest not;

1. Member participation rates declining

2. Competition for grant monies and government assistance (if that even exists anymore)

3. Potential harm to reputation from the stand point of performance quality and the negative impact of failures

4. Accessibility to qualified and available (i.e willing) staff

It is my view that increased start ups would benefit the activity overall. Its not in the cards for the near term IMHO.

Edited January 18, 2008 by bedford

[SuperSmashBrothers]

I find this topic very interesting...

Anyone who ever starts a corps should definitely try to speak with as many experienced individuals as possible and probably get one of these individuals in on the project as a voice of reason and knowledge.

Someone claimed that "trial and error" is a good way to learn things. I do not think there is any room for error now-a-days; budgets are tight. You should either do it right or not do it at all. A Drum corps should not last only 5 years because the trial and error went horribly wrong. How does that benefit the activity? It doesn't. The types of corps that benefit the activity are those that have been long established OR are on the right path to being a long lasting organization. Whether it is Blue Devils, The Academy, Jersey Surf, or Pioneer, these organizations are the ones that benefit the activity from day to day to day and keep the train on the right track.

Let's think for a minute...

Say I marched Cadets for 3 seasons, taught at BAC as a visual tech for 2 seasons, became the Assistant Tour Director at Glassmen for 2 seasons, and then became the Assistant Director for that corps for 3 more seasons (completely fictional by the way)...

I bet this is the type of person who could start a drum corps of their own that could possibly benefit the activity in the long term. That is a great amount of experience that is pretty wide spread. The only thing is, this person would probably still need people to consult with. This person probably wouldn't know a lot about HOW to finance a corps properly and therefore would need someone else with experience. It is quite obvious that an incredible amount of experience and knowledge is required to bring a new corps to a solid foundation. (It doesn't even have to be a brand new corps. It could be some already 10 year existing Open Class corps that needs a big make-over to run efficiently.)

On that note about making ANY corps, new or old, a long lasting beneficiary of the activity, an organization like DCI or... something else should probably assemble some sort of task force to ensure the growth of the activity. Yeah... that does sort of sound far-fetched but listen to what we already have...

A lot of corps are already "evaluated" once a year by DCI or the very least every few years to make sure the corps financial situations and other variables are running smoothly. When a new corps wants to apply for membership as Open Class or World Class, they must be evaluated by a team from DCI. For a group trying to gain membership into Open Class this evaluation does not happen until May of the season they plan on debuting ( a bit late to help guide a corps in the right direction if you ask me). Over the next few years (it would probably take time) DCI should expand on this idea and offer/require more evaluations, advice, and experience any time of the year. It is already done to a certain extent... if a bit more money is spent on it over time, it could benefit the activity enormous amounts over the long haul.

Clearly I have not solved this friendly argument but I suppose that this is some moderately intelligent babbling for the masses to read.

[SuperSmashBrothers]

Yes, Steve...that is possible. Notice that I said "many" people, not all, in that situation would not necessarily be willing to participate in such a group. However, in regards to one of your examples...Scott might indeed be working with the Kilties, but I think we all know that directing a DCA corps isn't near the amount of work that has to be done to fund and field a Div 1 Open Class corps in DCI.

Besides, we're hypothesizing about forming a DCI All Star Management Advisory Team. Let's be real...what are the chances of that? Those that have been highly successful in this activity are basically celebrities in our world...what are the chances of all of those types of individuals getting together?

Sorry, I just posted but I also just read this. Maybe the OP meant an All-Star Management Advisory Team but there are other ways too look at it. Look at my last post. Advisory/Evaluation teams already exist in DCI. They just need to be built upon little by little every year. That little extra bit of money put into them every year, to become a more active and useful team, could eventually add up to a lot of success for the activity.

Also, a corps like the Braintree Braves can very well be a beneficiary for the activity. A corps like that was meant for a different level commitment/ different age group. Drum corps will always be drum corps no matter what age group or commitment level it is targeted for. For some people that was the only drum corps experience they ever could get. If a corps like that still existed and provided an excellent environment for students and had the kind of foundation the big corps now-a-days have then, that corps is just as important to the activity as the Cadets are. (silly sounding heh but it targets a certain part of the population and offers exposure to them) Personally though, I do not think that a corps like that could exist now because membership and interest would be very low. That is besides the point.

[silvertrombone]

Great topic! Stay tuned. Tired of talking about it.

[Blueemrld8]

It is my contention that we will see fewer corps collapsing and more starting strong. Now before everyone tells me to look at the number of corps over the past 30 years, hear me out. To me, it seems that the corps that are folding now are doing so because of mistakes they've made over the past 5-10 years. With the current tight budget many corps operate under today, those mistakes are amplified. I believe that the modern corps director is learning to adapt to the new economic environment, and will be less likely to make corps-dooming mistakes. I also believe that there are many people who recognize the importance of strong finances and they are starting corps right now, and if they build themselves up properly through fundraising and other revenue-generating ventures and they will succeed. Now, at the same time, I do not underestimate the importance of membership. And it is going to get harder and harder to get kids to pay $1000+ to join a new corps. Recruiting is another key ingredient.

I enjoy your optimism about the future of Drum Corps. I think what those "DC is dead" people forget at times is that all businesses ebb and flow over the course of a few years. (let alone decades) Right now would I just remind everyone that the whole country is, and has been, going through a major economic shift. These things do not just come from no where, we can all see that it has been building for years. Those corps. that did not read the warning signs soon enough (oil, housing, food prices) just might fold if they can't find backing. Those that are strong enough to survive this time will defiantly be stronger for it because of the lessons they have learned from being forced to tighten their belts.

I have to admit that at present the number Drum Corps. are dwindling, however, I would submit that this is just a relatively temporary phase. (ebb and flow) An activity such as this will never completely die out. Yes, DCI might fade, but Drum Corps. will not.

I would also like to say that if Drum Corp. wants to get through this time in a healthy way, they should really try to help each other when it comes to members. It would be to the benefit of the activity for the World Class to actively fight against the "world class or bust" mentality of some potential members. (This could be what the 15 extra spots become)

This activity will defiantly survive, but what we want is for it to remain healthy. What is needed is some creativity to get us there.

[drumcat]

I have to reply if for nothing else than the OP was particularly eloquent and well spoken for "these parts".

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest to you that neither of your opinions hit the mark, but that they could both be right. What I mean is that the outcomes you suggest, in my opinion, are related to a unified variable. We've occasionally spoken about "barriers of entry" here. It's a (generally) business term that are an array of challenges in entering a market.

Your astute observation of the decline in number yet higher quality entrants in drum corps speak of a new era of corps "additions". The number of corps (again, all of this is in my own opinion) have been related to the difficulty of getting started. That's with both money and alternatives for kids, too. At the time there was "400" corps, there weren't many that were doing national tours. That said, there are fewer corps touring than ten years ago, so there's something else going on here.

The genesis of drum corps' support organizations have changed. It was often that the support/501 was created alongside or not far before a drum corps came in to existance. Recently, that has been a big change. The organizations are being built more and more in advance, often using smaller programs as stepping stones (WGI guards and drumlines, brass ensembles, etc.). Once these orgs are big enough, they move into creating a drum corps that has an established budget, staff, and logo.

That's the new model, and it works.

The problem prior with just starting a drum corps was that if you have problems with the drum corps, poof. Doors shut. The process of starting drum corps from the macro level was throw everything against the wall, and see what sticks. For every 5 drum corps that start, 4 fold or never get past their 5th birthday (approx). That was OK for DCI for a while, but when they started losing some higher, more notable names that were rounding out the non-Finalist Division I / World category, the paradigm shifted. It became harder to get into World. Why? You had to prove your financial meddle.

So to wrap this all back to your post, the point is that the barrier of entry is very, very high, IMO. Drum corps don't just start anymore, simply because they can't. The last great example was Star -- they had an unusual amount of startup capital, used very well, and judiciously turning a fledgling group into a juggernaut. In the 90's, it seemed as though it was everyone doing a go for broke mentality like theirs. Why not? It worked for them... the cry was "let's be the next Star."

This decade has brought a new mentality, and that is that practicality has reigned in the creation of drum corps. That can be adjusted, however! The question is not about whether there's experts or willpower; we're in large surplus of that. The problem is that money is hard to come by, and it costs more to run a drum corps today than it ever has, even adjusted for inflation.

Without going into a rant about how certain changes have caused those barriers of entry to rise year-over-year since about 1999, the deciding factor of how many corps exist is what the cost of playing the game costs. That's it.

If starting a drum corps cost $500, most people in this forum would go out and buy 2 or 4. The problem is that most drum corps -- just the drum corps themselves, not the other stuff -- cost on a widely varying average of $650,000 per year. Most kids are being charged about $2000, and with 150 members, that's raising $300,000 per year. The major gap that drum corps face everywhere is that every one I've ever seen or known about has to bridge a sizable gap each year, somewhere in that 1/3-million range. An established corps can handle it, and fortunately they regularly do this. The problem is that this gap has been getting wider and wider for decades. That's fine if the orgs can handle it, except for one major problem.

New organizations find this gap harder to cover, and as such, fewer are successful.

The number of organizations going forward that have drum corps (not just drum corps -- it takes a village now...) will be a direct corrolary of that gap. The smaller it gets, the more drum corps you get. The bigger it gets, and the fewer the new groups.

Thus decisions about what a corps must spend to be competitive are much more paramount than how a corps sounds on the field. If anything, how corps look and sound are secondary to discussions that affect every corps in this area. How we treat this going forward as an activity will drive your answer.

[MikeD]

I have to reply if for nothing else than the OP was particularly eloquent and well spoken for "these parts".

.....

Thus decisions about what a corps must spend to be competitive are much more paramount than how a corps sounds on the field. If anything, how corps look and sound are secondary to discussions that affect every corps in this area. How we treat this going forward as an activity will drive your answer.

Wonderful post Drumcat.

[Tom Brace]

I'm using brain power to build up my IQ Points, but while you all wait....trust...I will be responding to this topic.

Much good discussion already. Good work folks.

It reminds me how much I miss the idea of a yearly symposium. Even the RAMD version got real wierd after a while...anyone remember Stuart Rice? There was also some really good stuff in there.

So, give me a chance to build some more brain cells and then I will respond to this outstanding topic.

Consider...you've all been warned.

[silvertrombone]

I know this is going to come as a shocker, but I don't feel qualified to comment on the following and would be interested in hearing someone in the know talk about this.

How will the current mortgage/foreclosure 'crisis' affect drum corps both in the near term and in the long term.

For those who have less of a clue than me, please don't just jump in and blab about that which you know nothing. Mortgages are bundled and then sold into financial instruments known as 'mortgage-backed securities.' If you don't know what those are, you should probably ignore my entire post.

I would be interested to know what far-reaching effects these might have on the activity. Because many of these financial instruments are effectively worthless due to the foreclosure of the underlying assets...the houses the financed the purchase of! Sure hope DCI and the corps don't have any of these investments.

Anyone know anything related?