Has DCI lost the blue collar fan?

[likeoldandnew78]

The real question should be, "has DCI lost the blue collar fan's children"? Probably aren't to many regular Joes out there who can afford to give their child the opportunity, especially in this economy. As DCI becomes more elitist, yes they will, and likely ARE losing the blue collar fan.

I dont think that it's DCI fault for losing people inthe activity. Its that Kids have way more to do now thatn they did 20 years ago.

I started marching way back in the day and have continued to teach in the activity for numerous years including this past year.

DCI is no more expensive or elitest than say a cheerleading camp, or a basketball camp, or Ice Hockey lessons,or gymnastics.

Being in a Drum Corps is way less expensive than all of these activities. My niece went to a cheeleading camp this summer for 5 days. 5 days cost 1000 dollars. 200 dollars per day. Lets say that a drum corps today cost 2500 they are on the road for 60 days that measures out to 41 dollars per day. That includes all transportation, meals, uniform, and everything.

When my niece went to camp she also had to pay for the correct shoes, the correct leotard,the correct tshirt, also costing upwards of 200 dollars.

My brother who is a UPS driver ( I would consider this Blue Collar) Paid oll this for his daughter for one week. And I guarantee you she will not last in cheerleading.

My point is that Kids have way more stuff to do no adays. Especially in the Urban areas where Blue Collar families are so prevalent. And kids are taught the more you do the better it looks on yor college application. The drop in Blue collar fans has nothing to do with DCI, it has to do with the economy and the fact that kids just dont have time to fit Drum Corps in their schedules.

[cowtown]

Yes, the did lose the blue collar fans, not so much lost them but blew them off, rejected them in favor of another type of fan, marcher…the elite bando, resume stuffer

It’s very clear to me that segment of the crowd is mostly gone, look in the stands, heck look around this board and the sentiments expressed….how dare they boo, that show is too violent… now, we they all delicate little flowers playing for delicate little flowers furthering the neutering of d/) – when they went away from hometown, local regional corps that developed and encourage community participation and development of hometown talent…what did you expect?….also the programming of some of the corps drove them off, we all know the corps – so yeah, the broad base of drum corps went bye bye a long time ago in favor of a select few making up all the missing, which they never can or will

it did not have to be this way, there were other options but they chose it to be this way

[cowtown]

I dont think that it's DCI fault for losing people inthe activity. Its that Kids have way more to do now thatn they did 20 years ago.

I started marching way back in the day and have continued to teach in the activity for numerous years including this past year.

DCI is no more expensive or elitest than say a cheerleading camp, or a basketball camp, or Ice Hockey lessons,or gymnastics.

Being in a Drum Corps is way less expensive than all of these activities. My niece went to a cheeleading camp this summer for 5 days. 5 days cost 1000 dollars. 200 dollars per day. Lets say that a drum corps today cost 2500 they are on the road for 60 days that measures out to 41 dollars per day. That includes all transportation, meals, uniform, and everything.

When my niece went to camp she also had to pay for the correct shoes, the correct leotard,the correct tshirt, also costing upwards of 200 dollars.

My brother who is a UPS driver ( I would consider this Blue Collar) Paid oll this for his daughter for one week. And I guarantee you she will not last in cheerleading.

My point is that Kids have way more stuff to do no adays. Especially in the Urban areas where Blue Collar families are so prevalent. And kids are taught the more you do the better it looks on yor college application. The drop in Blue collar fans has nothing to do with DCI, it has to do with the economy and the fact that kids just dont have time to fit Drum Corps in their schedules.

yeah, I don't buy that at all, as a kid I always had tons of stuff to do, even back in the day

Lets put it this way – demographic says there are way more kids now than then (my day to today, recall that baby boomlet thing?) Parents spend way more time and money being involved it their kids activities lives (building the ‘prefect’ kid, micromanaging to death)

And yet overall number of kids involved is way down, as is the % of kids which is way way down

Nope, it’s the national elite bando model – really, it was way more accessible when corps would teach kids to play from scratch and rock them with a hard hitting Latin jazz show – now they have to audition for a spot hundreds of miles from home so they can play some esoteric, show that was derived from Star 93 while dudes in bright orange navel bearing pants leap around the field emoting – and you can’t figure out why fewer kids want to do it?

Drum corps use to be cool and band was for dorks now that drum corps = marching, welcome to dork city, try and sell that to the masses. Heck, I’d rather lick sidewalks than be involved in ‘the athletes of the gods’ show – not like the kids in the corps today really do a great sales job as being in on the cool either – my mom said I can’t eat that, where is my Bartok book, anyone see my inhaler?

bleieve it or not kids, being in drum corps did not have to be prohibitive to your cool

heck, when I was in, we only had a few music majors (less than 10), many kids were not in college and had no plans to be and most the corps was from the local, regional area - mind blowing I'm sure

of course, I expect some old timerer to come on and say, I was a dork when I was in back in the day....well of course you were dear and you are still a dork and you shall die a dork but that's just you, that was not drum corps

edit to change 5%

Edited August 26, 2008 by cowtown

[Spartans87]

This is an interesting topic. Where I think it has changed dramatically, and I believe someone touched on it in a reply earlier (too lazy to go back and find it, sorry) is partially due the fact that generally, World Class MM's are coming from high school seniors moving into the music world in college, or college students already focusing on music as a career. Not all of course, but certainly more than in my "day".

I also think it has a little to do with the smaller groups, Open Class sized, that have less focus on the local kid, and more importantly, having less of these groups. If there were more BDB's, SCVC's, Spartans, Citations, etc. there would be more places for local kids to participate in the activity.

Lastly, finances are a huge part of the problem. Is it gas? Yes. Is it food? Yes. Is it everything else that costs money? Yes. And unfortunately, as JeffsJetta pointed out earlier, unless you are a Sr. executive of a company that has done well for an extended period of time, or someone that has jumped several rungs on the ladder in a short period of time, your compensation has not kept pace with the cost of life.

So, Has DCI lost the blue collar fan? Probably so, but more importantly, they have lost many potential fans and participants because the activity, at the highest level has become more for the musical "career" minded student, and less local based groups to join.

Thanks for listening!

Spartans '87

[Tom Brace]

Yes, the did lose the blue collar fans, not so much lost them but blew them off, rejected them in favor of another type of fan, marcher…the elite bando, resume stuffer

It’s very clear to me that segment of the crowd is mostly gone, look in the stands, heck look around this board and the sentiments expressed….how dare they boo, that show is too violent… now, we they all delicate little flowers playing for delicate little flowers furthering the neutering of d/) – when they went away from hometown, local regional corps that developed and encourage community participation and development of hometown talent…what did you expect?….also the programming of some of the corps drove them off, we all know the corps – so yeah, the broad base of drum corps went bye bye a long time ago in favor of a select few making up all the missing, which they never can or will

it did not have to be this way, there were other options but they chose it to be this way

this is one of the funniest things I've ever read. Thank you for the humor you brought to my day.

Wait....this wasn't sarcastic?

[Tom Brace]

yeah, I don't buy that at all, as a kid I always had tons of stuff to do, even back in the day

Lets put it this way – demographic says there are way more kids now than then (my day to today, recall that baby boomlet thing?) Parents spend way more time and money being involved it their kids activities lives (building the ‘prefect’ kid, micromanaging to death)

And yet overall number of kids involved is way down, as is the % of kids which is way way down

Nope, it’s the national elite bando model – really, it was way more accessible when corps would teach kids to play from scratch and rock them with a hard hitting Latin jazz show – now they have to audition for a spot hundreds of miles from home so they can play some esoteric, show that was derived from Star 93 while dudes in bright orange navel bearing pants leap around the field emoting – and you can’t figure out why fewer kids want to do it?

Drum corps use to be cool and band was for dorks now that drum corps = marching, welcome to dork city, try and sell that to the masses. Heck, I’d rather lick sidewalks than be involved in ‘the athletes of the gods’ show – not like the kids in the corps today really do a great sales job as being in on the cool either – my mom said I can’t eat that, where is my Bartok book, anyone see my inhaler?

bleieve it or not kids, being in drum corps did not have to be prohibitive to your cool

heck, when I was in, we only had a few music majors (less than 10), many kids were not in college and had no plans to be and most the corps was from the local, regional area - mind blowing I'm sure

of course, I expect some old timerer to come on and say, I was a dork when I was in back in the day....well of course you were dear and you are still a dork and you shall die a dork but that's just you, that was not drum corps

edit to change 5%

drum corps has aways been for geeks....ubergeeks mind you, but geeks nonetheless. Except for the battery folks...they've always been bad ###.

[rkfdPRphan]

...I see this differently - its not DCI loosing blue collar kids or spectators, its the Blue Collar schools taking music out of the classroom!

I AM AMAZED that Rockford's Phantom Regiment won this year seeing MOST of Rockford schools have very dismal music programs.....BUT WAIT, there was only ONE (maybe more???) local kids in PR!!!!! UGH!!!!!

To me, THAT is why drum corp is struggling with the working class kids/sponsors/spectators. Music is no longer an elective in most schools around here.....so only the elite, who can go to a private school, gets real music instruction as part of day to day learning.

....its simple, no music in schools, less interest in music on the field.

One more thought, I think corps need to spend more time and effort in getting EVERY CORP MEMBER sponsored by a fan of the corp they are marching with. Over the years, I know a lot of people who have gone to local shows to meet and watch the member they sponsored. I think every member would love to have a sponsor who comes to watch them perform. Wouldnt they?

[cowtown]

drum corps has aways been for geeks....ubergeeks mind you, but geeks nonetheless. Except for the battery folks...they've always been bad ###.

see the last line you quoted in my post, did you feel that way about your kid? how about those local kids in PRC?

And thank you for your valuable contribution

Really, when I first heard drum corps called itself part of the ‘pageantry arts’ I knew the coup was complete

[Tom Brace]

...I see this differently - its not DCI loosing blue collar kids or spectators, its the Blue Collar schools taking music out of the classroom!

I AM AMAZED that Rockford's Phantom Regiment won this year seeing MOST of Rockford schools have very dismal music programs.....BUT WAIT, there was only ONE (maybe more???) local kids in PR!!!!! UGH!!!!!

To me, THAT is why drum corp is struggling with the working class kids/sponsors/spectators. Music is no longer an elective in most schools around here.....so only the elite, who can go to a private school, gets real music instruction as part of day to day learning.

....its simple, no music in schools, less interest in music on the field.

One more thought, I think corps need to spend more time and effort in getting EVERY CORP MEMBER sponsored by a fan of the corp they are marching with. Over the years, I know a lot of people who have gone to local shows to meet and watch the member they sponsored. I think every member would love to have a sponsor who comes to watch them perform. Wouldnt they?

Yeah...it's kind of funny...a 1/2 semester of bowling is still part of the Rockford area high school curriculum. Don't get me wrong....bowling is awesome...it's one of the few sports where you can drink a beer while you are playing it. But bowling? There has been study after study where music helps kids academically...but, it doesn't show up on the "No Child Left Behind" tests students and teachers must perform toward.

Hononegah (I think they had the only local Regiment member) lost their band director a few years back because they proposed making band a club. He now has a middle school program (6th-8th grades) with more members than the high school program (9th-12th grades). And now that Martin McDaniel is retired from Eisenhower, they looked pitiful during the Memorial Day parade....pitiful.

[rkfdPRphan]

"Yeah...it's kind of funny...a 1/2 semester of bowling is still part of the Rockford area high school curriculum. Don't get me wrong....bowling is awesome...it's one of the few sports where you can drink a beer while you are playing it. But bowling? There has been study after study where music helps kids academically...but, it doesn't show up on the "No Child Left Behind" tests students and teachers must perform toward.

Hononegah (I think they had the only local Regiment member) lost their band director a few years back because they proposed making band a club. He now has a middle school program (6th-8th grades) with more members than the high school program (9th-12th grades). And now that Martin McDaniel is retired from Eisenhower, they looked pitiful during the Memorial Day parade....pitiful."

I have a nephew that is in college on a bowling scholarship he won while taking music classes at Guilford HS. Imagine that! I knew, tho, that he would never make it in drum corps.......so it was no surprise.

All the Rockford school marshing bands looked horrible the last few years of parades, so I am never surprised that few, if any, Rockford kids make Phantom Regiment.

Parents dont care, so kids dont care. Right now we are more involved with truency (sp) issues than a quality education. I live near Jefferson HS and altho they probably have the best music program in Rockford, its still a sad, sad place for kids to go to school.

....I fear for the future of Phantom Regiment in Rockford.......