Is THIS the "Golden Age"?

[Jeff Ream]

I don't want this to turn into an old vs new pissing match. I am in agreement with the OP.

Technology? Maybe not in terms of electronics, but instruments are a much better quality now then then. And in terms of communication. Like the OP said: Fan Network, instant scores and recaps, and this beloved forum. The fact that I can watch video from rehearsals without having to drive or fly several hundred miles to see my favorite corps is awesome.

Shows are awesome. Every year I think that this is the est year in DCI "across the board" in terms of enjoying shows. I go back even 1 decade and can pick out some amazing shows, but I can't watch a full finals set. Some of those shows bore me to tears. In this decade there are fewer and fewer shows that I just don't enjoy.

Anyone who thinks that the music quality of horn lines "back then" are better then the past few years has a serious case of nostalgia-glasses.

Again, I enjoy and respect where this activity has come from, but look forward to where it is going much more so.

many hornlines of the past were just as musical as what we see now. I think you'd be hard pressed to look at many of the top lines of the day and say they werent musical just because they played G brass. some of the best brass work ever in DCI history was done by BD on G bugles.

[jjeffeory]

I see your point, and I wasn't trying to bash the 70s or anything. It just seems to me that the majority of activities people do for entertainment now were not even around that long ago. I actually disagree with activities becoming more "homogenized." A person now has so many choices with what to do with their free time. This is why things like TV ratings for professional sports have been declining recently. I guess the internet is mostly responsible for this. I heard a stat the other day that most Americans spend 80 to 90 percent of their day when they're awake staring at a glowing screen.

I believe above all other, this diversification of entertainment and activities is what has led to the decline in the number of drum corps participants and fans. Of course there are many other reasons, I just think this is the most important. I could be wrong however... What do you think is the primary reason for this decline?

Oh no, I'm sorry if I came across as defensive! I didn't think you were bashing. I was born in the 70s, so I don't know what people did back then too well, but I certainly had many options in the late 70s early 80s and beyond... Even while living in the "country".

Much of this depends on age...

Honestly, I think people have LESS free time today to do as many things as they'd like to do. Many people I know work two jobs & go to a trainer to make up for being sedentary most of the time while at work.

In high school we had all the different activities that seem to be in schools today. There was community theatre, and community based activities...

I think today those kind of activities maybe are more wide spread into smaller communities? Maybe there has been a change in the family unit in the last half century. You know, more of a focus on the individual self and less on the family?

I think maybe I don't know what activities you consider to be around today that weren't in the past. It's just different. Of course the technology has changed, but really technology is just a tool that will keep changing over time to accommodate us.

As far as Drum Corps... I just have to say I hope it's more popular now than then. My circle of HS friend all knew of it and enjoyed it. We had maybe 6 out of 180 participate in corps each year.

The same school now has 0 out of 100 going out for corps.

[louderisbetter]

It's my opinion that the Golden Age of drum corps has nothing to do with you and I, the number of corps, or the number of screaming fans at finals in the year XXXX... I think it has to do with where we are with the rest of the world.

Is drum corps just a niche thing? Just a field show that is really only marketable to current fans, their guests, and a few curious people with a few bucks and a couple of hours? Perhaps a parade or two, to make a good use of a showless day and fill up the tanks?

... or will we ever start to reach out to the rest of the world? Play more free concerts in city parks? Consider parades and civic obligations as our most highly attended public relations opportunities? Perhaps, dare I ask it, schedule more performances within a two hour drive of "home base" than there are away?

I was a relatively recent marcher, so in a lot of aspects, I like what we're doing on the field right now. However, I don't like what we're doing when we're not under the lights. I think the Golden Age of American music (drum corps or otherwise) was at the turn of the century, when just about every school, community, police department, and orphanage had a band that could be found playing around town periodically. There were chances for people to HEAR live music, and I think that even today there would be no few people who would find that preferable to the iPod, if only they had a chance to experience it.

Unfortunately, I think that the majority of people today will never hear a large performing ensemble live. The majority of those who do won't make it past a couple of middle school band concerts, unless we become more proactive about bringing it to them.

... and I think a corps that is willing to give a little bit up--a few shows, a few rehearsal blocks, even if that costs a couple of points in August--will ultimately have the greatest impact on drum corps and the future of instrumental music.

[dbg]

That higher attendance back then may be a fact, but we can't really prove that there were more fans because of more corps. There may have been other reasons why attendance was higher -- or why it is lower now.

There can also be an argument with attendance, fewer corps and possibly relate it to music education in our schools. Back in the 70's and early 80's music education was more active in schools. The recent decline of music being cut from schools follows a path of the decline in corps. Fewer kids learning music at a younger age will result in fewer people interested in music that isn't the American Top 40 w/ Casey Kasim.

Edited July 2, 2009 by dbg

[josh161]

It's my opinion that the Golden Age of drum corps has nothing to do with you and I, the number of corps, or the number of screaming fans at finals in the year XXXX... I think it has to do with where we are with the rest of the world.

Is drum corps just a niche thing? Just a field show that is really only marketable to current fans, their guests, and a few curious people with a few bucks and a couple of hours? Perhaps a parade or two, to make a good use of a showless day and fill up the tanks?

... or will we ever start to reach out to the rest of the world? Play more free concerts in city parks? Consider parades and civic obligations as our most highly attended public relations opportunities? Perhaps, dare I ask it, schedule more performances within a two hour drive of "home base" than there are away?

I was a relatively recent marcher, so in a lot of aspects, I like what we're doing on the field right now. However, I don't like what we're doing when we're not under the lights. I think the Golden Age of American music (drum corps or otherwise) was at the turn of the century, when just about every school, community, police department, and orphanage had a band that could be found playing around town periodically. There were chances for people to HEAR live music, and I think that even today there would be no few people who would find that preferable to the iPod, if only they had a chance to experience it.

Unfortunately, I think that the majority of people today will never hear a large performing ensemble live. The majority of those who do won't make it past a couple of middle school band concerts, unless we become more proactive about bringing it to them.

... and I think a corps that is willing to give a little bit up--a few shows, a few rehearsal blocks, even if that costs a couple of points in August--will ultimately have the greatest impact on drum corps and the future of instrumental music.

I could not agree more. Today i was very lucky to see the navy bands northeast wind ensemble play, but i was quite disturbed when i noticed that there was 3 times more people watching the elvis impersonator who was on before than watching this fantastic musical ensemble. There is something about todays society that simply does not care for live music. I have an ipod and i love it when i use it, but live music puts the emotion of whatever song into a whole other dimensions. Many people today, especially younger people, simply don't seem to have a respect for that emotion. Technology has hardened us to what feelings are. We see everything from our iphone or laptop and have so little personal interaction. Technology is great as a tool, but it seems to drain us of some of our more human aspects.

Now, i have rambled on about how i feel for a minute. The real point of this post is, what can we do about it? As Louderisbetter said, more public corps performances would definitely be a good start. How can we get kids to turn off their phones and really be interested? Some will be drawn to corps and band naturally. How do we get the rest?

There was one drum corps in my area (central maine) the folded about 20 years ago. My mother marched and was part of the reason i am involved in corps today. Very few, if any of those members are still active musicians in the area, and to my knowledge none of them teach music and can push corps. Do we really have enough corps vets that truly push the idea of marching? I know my band director never said anything about it.

Its amazing in such a digital, interconnected world that more people are not exposed to drum corps. Now to finally get on topic... I can agree with you on today being a "golden age." But my ramblings have been in the effort to prove that it very well could be coming to a close. If we do some of the things that louderisbetter suggested and that i have mentioned i think we could have a great golden age that will be hear to stay. Along other paths, our golden age could be long gone.

I apologize for my rambling post, and i hope it made sense to you all.

[bluublood]

I could not agree more. Today i was very lucky to see the navy bands northeast wind ensemble play, but i was quite disturbed when i noticed that there was 3 times more people watching the elvis impersonator who was on before than watching this fantastic musical ensemble. There is something about todays society that simply does not care for live music. I have an ipod and i love it when i use it, but live music puts the emotion of whatever song into a whole other dimensions. Many people today, especially younger people, simply don't seem to have a respect for that emotion. Technology has hardened us to what feelings are. We see everything from our iphone or laptop and have so little personal interaction. Technology is great as a tool, but it seems to drain us of some of our more human aspects.

Absolutely they (we) respect live music. Different generation, different music, but the love for live music is still there.

[JimF-LowBari]

While there are fewer total corps than there were years ago, The talent level (at both the MM and staff level) and quality of design and execution has never been better.

Well yeah... the less people there are in any activity the talent level would go up. Especially in an activity where there are try outs and only the best will make it. IOW - the talent level of the top 1000 people would be better than the talent level of the top 10,000. And speaking directly for Drum Corps the talent level for many local corps was not that great. But many of them were not shooting for a DCI title so trying to get the best talent wasn't a prime consideration.

For real world comparision about 10-15 years ago MLB was looking at dropping two of their teams. One reason given was the avereage level of talent had gone downhill. Players that should have been in the Minors learning skills were in the Majors because the spots in the teams had to be filled.

My personal Golden Age includes the question "Can I see a show this summer?". This year I have 1 DCI and 2 DCA shows within a two hour drive. Compare that to the every other weekend I had back in the "bad old" 70s and 80s.

Edited July 2, 2009 by JimF-3rdBari

[JimF-LowBari]

Fewer corps does not equal fewer fans.

Less corps mean less shows which mean less fans overall.

Fans want quality, not quantity.

And please don't speak for all of us.

[rayfallon]

Actually, for the 70's try 60 some deep.

getting old (me that is - not this eternal thread re: the evils of DCI... that's as fresh as ever.

Edited July 2, 2009 by rayfallon

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

many hornlines of the past were just as musical as what we see now. I think you'd be hard pressed to look at many of the top lines of the day and say they werent musical just because they played G brass. some of the best brass work ever in DCI history was done by BD on G bugles.

For some reason, a lot of folks have a lot of misconceptions about the the history of drum corps in general. In the past, I've seen threads where posters honestly suggested that drumlines in the 1970s did not tune their drums. I wonder how or where people get these kinds of ideas?