Western Burger Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Even bananas are backwards these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesjones0611 Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Even bananas are backwards these days. Thats what she said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 except Mike more and more schools aren't giving the bands anything. it's all fundraised. Some bands around here dont even get $$ to go to away games Oh, I agree it's not easy, esp today. However, the infrastructure of the scholastic music program is still on the whole a model that has a better chance of surviving than one that has to fund everything itself. There are 25,000+ HS in the US...the vast majority have some level of instrumental music, and most have a marching band at whatever level they can support. What I disagreed with was the idea that such an independent group has a better chance of survival than a scholastic based program...not that those are a sure thing with unlimited options...but that overall they are more likely to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 To Mike- my opinion was not backwards. It was a reasoning for the need of the kids right now who do not have a band or music program to go to, and aren't good enough or have enough money to do DCI or DCA high level corps. And IMO the idea that those organizations will thrive over a scholastic program...taken overall...is just not true. Otherwise, there would be thousands of corps, not dozens. There are 10's of thousands bands between HS and college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd_Star_Brigade Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 And IMO the idea that those organizations will thrive over a scholastic program...taken overall...is just not true. Otherwise, there would be thousands of corps, not dozens. There are 10's of thousands bands between HS and college. no, the reason that those corps went out of existence was because during the time that they existed all over the country, the school systems didnt put anything toward extracurricular or non math or science based courses. Why? the cold war with the soviets. school system models were based on one thing, creating genius business men and scientists, to boost the american economy and beat the soviets in developing nuclear and biological arms, spaceflight, and computer systems. and, mission accomplished. schools began to have bigger budgets, which led to an increase in music programs, music careers, and general culture in america today. the problem lies with the change in economic temperature right now. independent organizations are the only viable, well procured, solely devoted platforms for young people to get the education they deserve in real world terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd_Star_Brigade Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Oh, sometimes it is not easy, I agree. And there are districts who cut things like band (not just MB). IMO it is still an option more likely to survive than a self-funded independent organization. why? these organizations devout their full existence to music, whilst school boards see red ink. the writing on the wall says Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin. so shall you reap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rifuarian Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 why? these organizations devout their full existence to music, whilst school boards see red ink. the writing on the wall says Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin. so shall you reap. Go out and create a local corps of your own. Report back to us in one year and tell us about your experience. I've often wondered if some kind of little league style organization would work for drum corps, so you could try that. But it probably wouldn't turn out so well. I'd love to see local corps and regional touring make a return. But they're not going to -- their era, sadly, has passed. And no, it was not DCI that did it. The organizations that sponsored drum corps, and the type of civil society that maintained them, is nearly gone. The veterans organizations that made competitive drum corps big business are waning. Competitive drum and bugle corps is in fact older than the AL and the VFW, but the organizations that supported these corps -- churches, Scouts, unions, fraternities (not the college type), lodges, and so on have all seen drastic declines in membership. What made all these thousands of little corps successful was their dependence, not their independence, on these organizations and the pride of membership and of locality. When they began decline, these corps were cut loose or shut down altogether. In the long run, few could survive on their own, which is why we have only a handful of these oldest corps left today. Whether we like it or not the niche that all the little, local corps once occupied has been filled marching band. And if marching band suffers and declines, their will be no revival of regional corps. No such thing has happened in Canada. Drum corps will die. Fortunately, I don't think it marching band is in such terrible danger, yet. At least not in the states I'm familiar with (Indiana and Kentucky). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Go out and create a local corps of your own. Report back to us in one year and tell us about your experience. I've often wondered if some kind of little league style organization would work for drum corps, so you could try that. But it probably wouldn't turn out so well. Interesting you should tell him that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 When we go on DCP to " DCI World Class Corps Dicussions ", we can scroll down to the very bottom of the page to the Advertisement section . What do we find ? An Advertisement for " MARCHING BAND GIFTS ". Advertisers know their customers, and their market better than anyone. Except for perhaps current marchers themselves. ( ie Carolina Crown current marcher) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euponitone Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 When we go on DCP to " DCI World Class Corps Dicussions ", we can scroll down to the very bottom of the page to the Advertisement section . What do we find ?An Advertisement for " MARCHING BAND GIFTS ". Advertisers know their customers, and their market better than anyone. Except for perhaps current marchers themselves. ( ie Carolina Crown current marcher) And most decent high school programs advertise drum corps, through various posters on the walls and blurbs by the director. As many have said, the melding of band and corps has been as much about band becoming more like corps as the other way around. Perhaps we can start calling band, drum corps. Or maybe we could call them both the same thing, but neither band nor drum corps. If only there was a good word for that floating around in this thread somewhere.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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