PAYING CUSTOMERS/AUDIENCE

[Perry S]

I don't see it being much different than going to some sporting events. Most NBA and college basketball teams play better at the end of the year...tickets cost the same at the beginning of the season.

Yes but they come out in uniforms and play the full time on their clock.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Perry S

[jwillis35]

There are a lot of ways one can look at this.

For me, I like both early and late-season shows. The better value is the late-season show because the corps are obviously better, but I love early-season shows too. I am so excited to see a corps come early season that it doesn't matter to me if they have a perfectly finished product. How could they? That is a tough thing to do, and weather can play a part. So it's not always the corps' fault when the show is incomplete.

For someone like my mom, your average customer who only sees one show a year, early-season shows are still incredible for her because, to her, the level of performance is so far above what she sees at an average high school band night that she is spellbound by what those corps are doing. I kind of think this would be the sentiment for many fans who only see one or two shows. What the kids are doing out there is really incredible. For me, the sound of the music alone would be enough to spend $20 and call it a summer (if I could only see one show each summer).

To the die-hard fan, there is no doubt that they would prefer to see a more complete product, especially on years where the tour doesn't present a lot of opportunity to attend shows. Not everyone lives in an area where there are lots of choices, so the one or two shows you DO see, you would like them to mean something. But again, I really think we get our money's worth when you consider the quality of these corps today and what they are attempting on the field.

[perc2100]

Early season. People (Customers) paying good money to see a "product" (DCI's and Drum Corps words, not mine). What should they feel is a reasonable expectation of a COMPLETE product? AND, are the people (Customers) who pay money for late season shows getting a better value? Spawned from the Crossmen's uniform thread.

Personally, I like to see both. Some of the shows I LOVE are early season version, for example some of the earlier season version of Cadets' shows:

* ending from 95 where the males marched off the field to one march while the females stayed on the field playing, I think, the ballad. VERY emotional, IMO.

* ending from 94 when Cadets played the Quartet version of Tonight during the 'back-field company front.' I thought it was the perfect homage to their 84 original, and I was bummed when they changed it to Krumpky

* beginning of their 2006 show. I know it wasn't very popular (and I wasn't a huge fan of the finished product), but I liked their original opening better than the final one

Another early season favorite was 1992 SCV. I saw them VERY early in the mid-west, and I LOVED their super old-school/tribute to their history. They practically rewrote the show for second season

Also, it's really fun for me to see how the shows develop through out the season. For example, I saw Star in 93 many many times, and early season it was almost a completely different show. They had their red uniforms from 92, and a lot of other things they hadn't added yet. By the time Preview of Champions rolled around, their show 'felt' a whole lot different. It was very interesting to see that show come together. Same can be said for SCV in 93. Early season there was a legitimate thought of "are they going to make finals?!" And by the end of the season they had come further than almost any corps I've ever seen.

[Liahona]

Early season. People (Customers) paying good money to see a "product" (DCI's and Drum Corps words, not mine). What should they feel is a reasonable expectation of a COMPLETE product? AND, are the people (Customers) who pay money for late season shows getting a better value? Spawned from the Crossmen's uniform thread.

Hmmmm...Well I went to the Annapolis show June 20th....Crossmen were not at this one obviously BUT...this was the free streaming show...I paid $35 each for two tickets. I traveled 263 miles to get to this show and stayed later that night at a BWI airport hotel for 5 corps. The whole day rained except for the show itself. Was it worth it??? ABSOLUTELY EVERY PENNY! ...and would I go/do again? YOU BETCHA!...BUT...I guess for someone on a budget well maybe this would not make sense...

[The Other Mike]

Well what do you suggest? You can't have your cake and eat it.

Why have a cake if you can't eat it ?

[bobchilds]

I understand that drum corps is not a professional troupe. But I still think that drum corps have a lot of nerve performing only a part of their show at an event where people are paying admission. The shows (or some early version of it) needs to be ready before the first performance. Now I'm not saying that the shows need to be championship-week quality. But shows should never end in the middle of a piece, or leave entire pieces out altogether. Audience members should never have to wonder why the guard is just standing at attention during he most exciting parts of the closer. Audience members should never think, "oh, I guess they're not done."

One would never buy tickets to a movie and accept that it just stopped 3/4 of the way through. You also wouldn't see a movie screen go black, and just hear the audio for the last few scenes. At a play, you would never see the actors stop moving and read their lines for the later scenes. (I think most people would ask for their money back.) As the supposed "major league" of marching music, why is this considered acceptable? The season starts in June. Prepare accordingly.

[IanKShields]

Why have a cake if you can't eat it ?

Not sure -- I've personally never had a cake I didn't eat.

Perhaps this cake-eating metaphor has been exposed as an emperor with no clothes... well that's how the cookie crumbles.

[IanKShields]

I understand that drum corps is not a professional troupe. But I still think that drum corps have a lot of nerve performing only a part of their show at an event where people are paying admission. The shows (or some early version of it) needs to be ready before the first performance. Now I'm not saying that the shows need to be championship-week quality. But shows should never end in the middle of a piece, or leave entire pieces out altogether. Audience members should never have to wonder why the guard is just standing at attention during he most exciting parts of the closer. Audience members should never think, "oh, I guess they're not done."

One would never buy tickets to a movie and accept that it just stopped 3/4 of the way through. You also wouldn't see a movie screen go black, and just hear the audio for the last few scenes. At a play, you would never see the actors stop moving and read their lines for the later scenes. (I think most people would ask for their money back.) As the supposed "major league" of marching music, why is this considered acceptable? The season starts in June. Prepare accordingly.

How about we drop this arrogant, money-obsessed "consumer" nonsense, and get back to treating music like thinking adults?

The reason I pay money for a ticket is to keep the activity going, and because these people are BETTER THAN ME AT WHAT THEY DO, not because I am under the delusion that I'm being serviced coin-for-coin by a mindless juke box.

If I want consumer worship, I can find it at Wal-Mart. At a music performance, I leave the "consumer" brain at home, and come away inspired no matter what.

It can be done.

[dbc03]

I would say that in early season tickets shouldnt cost as much as they do, and later you pay more cause they have a better product I believe.

This would be an excellent idea if the goal was to make sure show sponsors for early shows were never able to run a show again.

[nemesiscorps]

How about we drop this arrogant, money-obsessed "consumer" nonsense, and get back to treating music like thinking adults?

The reason I pay money for a ticket is to keep the activity going, and because these people are BETTER THAN ME AT WHAT THEY DO, not because I am under the delusion that I'm being serviced coin-for-coin by a mindless juke box.

If I want consumer worship, I can find it at Wal-Mart. At a music performance, I leave the "consumer" brain at home, and come away inspired no matter what.

It can be done.

Consumer nonsense? Bobchilds made no mention of not wanting to support the activity. In fact, his willingness to purchase a ticket and attend the event is proof of his active support of the activity. What more do you expect of him or anyone else? For all you know, perhaps he sponsors marching members, volunteers for corps or corps events, buys souvies, etc.

Knowing absolutely nothing about his level of support for the activity, IMO you were out of line bringing accusations of "arrogant, money-obsessed "consumer" nonsense." I don't know of anyone who attends shows expecting to be "serviced," and I also don't believe anyone views the work necessary to create and perform these shows as a mindless endeavor of all those involved in making it happen.

It is not unreasonable for a family of five attending an early season event to expect to see a completed, yet not totally polished "product." DCI and the corps themselves expect "consumers" to pay a full admission price to attend these events (as well they should), and it is therefore not unreasonable nor arrogant for supporters to expect a full show.

The primary issue here is that some corps (particularly some "World Class" corps) appear to have gotten to the point where they seem routinely comfortable not putting a completed product on the field early season. They recognize that there are no consequences to not performing their entire show (music and visual), and therefore they get it done on their time, regardless of the amount of time, money and personal sacrifice that some fans put into supporting those corps by attending shows. It's simply wrong.

If there were any real notion of valuing supporters of the activity, the governing body would impose some level of sanction for those units not providing a complete "product."

With your position of just coming away from an event "inspired no matter what," I ask you... is any level of unprepared product by an organization okay? If every corps at the show presents a complete production on the field with the exception of one corps that doesn't even dress in uniform and simply does a standstill concert, is that acceptable? You go too far, and you do so while also slinging unwarranted accusations.

I did not attend the Rockford "Show of Shows" this year, but it's my understanding that the show was unfortunately rained out, resulting in a standstill concert. It's also my understanding that the only corps that performed their standstill in uniform were the Open Class corps, along with Pioneer. Why would the others (including the host) not dress for this event that was important enough for some people to travel in excess of 100 miles to attend? Answer... because they don't have to, they're ""World Class." I think the classiest corps that night were those that valued the supporters in attendance, and gave them everything they could under the circumstances. Where's the arrogance in this case?