My Predictions...

[BX5CM]

First a little about me:

Like most my age, I got my start in marching band. I have a tremendous respect for the history of the drum corps activity, I wasn't there to witness much of it but I have read a lot and talked to a lot of people who WERE. I believe that to know where we are going, we must know where we have come from... DUH. I have marched senior drum corps in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007, I am 28 years old.

I write music and drill on the side as well as teach band, and I hope to someday make it my primary living. In other words, I am trying to make it my business to know about this thing we call drum corps, marching band, and indoor. I also have judged for marching band and indoor in the past, more so on the visual side of things.

So, with that said, I would like to make some predictions about where this activity is headed. These are my own ideas and they are purely academic, guesses at best based on what I am seeing and hearing. I don't see these predictions as necessarily bad, but they are going to bring about A LOT of change if they come true.

Prediction: Drum corps as we know it, will cease to exist within 10 years. No, I'm not talking about woodwinds, I'm not talking amps or electronics. I'm talking about moving indoors. Eventually I predict that cost is going to overtake even the most financially-versatile corps and we will have a massive die-off of many groups in a very short period of time. Some World Class, some Open Class. However this will probably be a final thinning of numbers as I predict what will then happen is that DCI, WGI, and possibly BOA will then decide to form some sort of merger. Perhaps resulting in a single organization that operates year-round. What will result from this is... Drum corps will probably add woodwinds at THIS point if they haven't already, and number of members allowed will drop (or at least the number of people you see in the average group will drop) to permit utilizing indoor venues.

Why I think this: The writing is on the wall... moving to a PERMANENT home at an INDOOR dome in Indy? Can we say "conditioning the audiences?" Partnerships with WGI and BOA already in place, and DCI's BOD seems hell-bent on making the activity as close in superficial appearance to marching band as possible without completely alienating themselves. That, plus DCI is practically forcing themselves to be priced out of the outdoor business.

What I think about it: I am in favor of this change and here is why: I think at this point the activity is going to have a rebirth... costs will drop drastically, it will take less overhead to start a group and they just might start springing up all over the place... some independent, some scholastic... we might even see a resurgence of funding to scholastic music programs as there will be more opportunities for bands to compete and for districts to receive recognition (something ANY administrator or school board member JUST LOVES.) I believe that the bigger organizations may still tour, but I think the competitive structure is going to change... I think we will see things move more toward WGI's model of competition: Different ability levels: World, Open, and "A" and separation between scholastic and independent organizations. Basically the boundaries between marching band and drum corps will no longer exist and there will simply be scholastic and independent musical ensembles. It's happening other places in the world, like Asia, already. With smaller ensembles there exists the very real possibility that shows might someday be held in gymnasiums found in schools, churches, and the like all over the country in GREAT supply... much like indoor currently does... lower overhead and less cost to run a show will mean MORE shows, more groups, and more kids involved than in the past 30 years.

In Conclusion: I personally believe that there is a lot to be said for outdoor marching activities. They are very unique and are an essential American art form. However, the costs are simply getting too high to have SO MANY people per group in order to push out the sound and show the color and movement to which we have all become accustomed. Indoor settings are more intimate, you can use fewer people per group and produce just as much (or more) sound, color, and motion. The wear and tear on equipment will also be lessened: Groups will get more mileage out of horns, drums, and especially guard equipment, costumes, and uniforms. Indoor venues will also allow a group to create new and different effects previously inconceivable on a football field. There will be far more creativity and more innovation... we are going to see and hear things we have NEVER EVER experienced before. Indoor venues would make amplification in any form a moot point and electronics could be utilized to greater effect, and safety.

I'm sure this post is going to make some people VERY upset, but it's just my opinion and you don't have to agree with it. I've said it once and I'll say it again... the only thing that stays the same is change. I do not believe the end is near as some have said, but dramatic change and a new exciting frontier, IMHO, is.

Regards,

Ed Francis.

*Side note: Before you say anything, check this out:

I think you would be hard pressed to say that this group from Japan does not capture the exhillaration of America's outdoor drum corps, indoors. Notice they have a smaller color guard, and more musicians, notice that when the guard dances it is more effective due to the more intimate venue, notice they have greater versatility and physical stamina in terms of marching as they are moving on a hard surface, notice they don't have any yard lines except a "50." Notice that 1/2 the band was under the age of 16, notice all the extremely difficult music they can play at a younger age, because they have less of a concern with echoes and phasing, as well as the surface they march on. If this is the direction that the activity heads... More groups? More shows? More kids involved at younger ages? Sign me up! Edited February 18, 2008 by BX5CM

[BozzlyB]

K.

[GMichael1230]

Sad. Well thought out, but sad.

~G~

[Coathope]

Slightly OT, but this sounds like global warming and our climate.

[GreenTrumpetier]

Cost may be getting hi. But we still fork out the money and work our butts off to pay for it because its a lifetime experiance that I dont think you could put a price on. I sacrafice alot of things and work my butt off and so does my family in order to put me through the corps experiance I am getting and I wouldnt have it any other way.

[Eddie]

As someone with experience in both American and Japanese marching programs, I will say that I disagree with your analogy, but I don't have time now to say why. But I think one has to understand the activity in Japan and around asia to understand why it's indoors, and I can contest that a lot of folks in the activity here would much rather have it outside.

have to go to work now though, so more later.

[BX5CM]

As someone with experience in both American and Japanese marching programs, I will say that I disagree with your analogy, but I don't have time now to say why. But I think one has to understand the activity in Japan and around asia to understand why it's indoors, and I can contest that a lot of folks in the activity here would much rather have it outside.

have to go to work now though, so more later.

Eddie,

I look forward to hearing more from you, I know very little about the Japanese system, I've only seen a handful of groups on youtube and I am in awe of what some of them accomplish, but whatever the reasons that they are inside, and whether or not people would "rather" have DCI outside is not the point.

I think it's going to become a reality that going indoors with smaller groups, smaller venues, and less cost is going to be the wave of the future if this activity wants to survive. Time has shown the indoor drum line and winter guard activities expanding, almost out of control, and the outdoor activity dimishing and shrinking nearly EVERY year for the past 30 years (with the exception of DCA, but I think they're an exception since they only rehearse and perform on weekends and do not tour.) I don't think it's what ANYONE wants, but it's time to batten down the hatches, in my opinion. I wish we could continue as usual forever, but that's not in line with reality. It's time for a new business model because the current one appears to be eating itself alive. Unfortunatly the way I've seen things go with drum corps, things won't change until it's ALMOST too late.

There are far more gyms that can handle groups with 50-75 members than there are football stadiums that can handle the crowds that are drawn, and provide the housing facilities these 150-member outdoor units require. With rising fuel costs and the ever-dwindling funds available for all the arts, eventually they are going to price themselves out of the outdoor business.

My point is, this might happen, it might not... but if it does, I don't think it would be all bad... Far from it. There are far too many people heavily invested in this wonderful activity to let it die. Obviously DCI is content to let many many many junior corps die out and do nothing... just for the heck of it, I once contacted DCI about trying to start a new corps and their reponse was "Here are our requirements, we'll be back when you have 50 members, a business plan, and a non-profit charter, good luck!" They are NOT in the business of planting the seeds for new drum corps... they take an extreme "lessai-faire" approach. I only hope they have a backup plan when the time comes... and it WILL come here sooner than many people think.

Edited February 18, 2008 by BX5CM

[BX5CM]

Cost may be getting hi. But we still fork out the money and work our butts off to pay for it because its a lifetime experiance that I dont think you could put a price on. I sacrafice alot of things and work my butt off and so does my family in order to put me through the corps experiance I am getting and I wouldnt have it any other way.

GreenTrumpetier,

That is all very romantic, however, there IS, in fact a VERY concrete price put upon your experience. Your dues, while paying for much of your experience, don't pay it all, and eventually, when the Cavaliers have to charge $5,000.00 per member, I doubt they will have the numbers at audition that they currently have.

Edited February 18, 2008 by BX5CM

[BX5CM]

Slightly OT, but this sounds like global warming and our climate.

I'm not sure if you meant this to be humorous or not, but you're basically right... the climate for drum corps in its current form becomes more inhospitable year after year. Something has to change.

[Coathope]

I'm not sure if you meant this to be humorous or not, but you're basically right... the climate for drum corps in its current form becomes more inhospitable year after year. Something has to change.

PM me for the analogy.