luvs me sum mello! Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 It did for me and my family. Not being involved with marching anything up to that point, I actually remember thinking (at the time) "Man, those snares are sure tuned very high". The following year I became band parent president of a soon to be 4-time State Champion H.S. Band (3 times on my watch). It mattered. Awesome. See, right here is why so many of the arguments against this thing are bogus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bersurkman Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 I am sorry that I don't have the time to read all of the pages to see if this has been addressed. BUT has anyone asked the marching members? What if the MM don't like the idea and choose not to march in a G7 corps? Where does that leave the G7? With mediocre talent and a mediocre product? This is still a pay to play organization that costs thousands of dollars to participate in. And they will be NOTHING without the support of the paying MM. I think all of this has been forgotten by the directors who think their organizations are bulletproof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 The way I see it, attendance will increase with better performance, which requires better recruiting, likely increased tuition to offset the increased staff salaries to put a competitive product on the field (and this works against the increased recruiting efforts nicely). So once that's miraculously done, there will (hopefully!!) be a bigger audience and fiscal solvency for drum corps. Easy, right? But remember there can only be a top 7 or 8, with membership set by the G7. Doesn't matter if all the corps get good/better/best, there can only be a top 7 or 8. (And the rest are dragging DCI down?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Awesome. See, right here is why so many of the arguments against this thing are bogus. "Straw Men" "Bogus" (and countless other examples) Do you ever speak without such an inflammatory tongue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 It did for me and my family. Not being involved with marching anything up to that point, I actually remember thinking (at the time) "Man, those snares are sure tuned very high". The following year I became band parent president of a soon to be 4-time State Champion H.S. Marching Band (3 times on my watch). It mattered. Wait, please clarify (and congrats on your successful band program). Blast increased your drum corps audience? Were you running a corps at the time? Was Blast your first exposure to drums "tuned so high"? Or did Blast cause you to go to your first drum corps show and that's where you heard the drums. What mattered? The high drum tuning? (disclaimer: give me a break. It's been a long night.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 And who has been running the whole fan base thing the whole time? It was DCI, not the corps, that have been running the big events. DCI has failed to make money. (snip) No point in reading any further in your posts....this last sentence shows you are so far distanced from reality, we just don't have the technology to bring you back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Good god there are more straw men in this thread then a corn field. And in the proposal. Biggest one of all - "DCI is in danger fiscally". Still waiting for corroboration on that, while everyone else blindly accepts the premise. Talk about role reversal.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 (edited) dbc03, Plan9, corpsband and others...I'll be waiting on your answer to this "dbc03" covered most of the points pretty well in post #91 and I share most of his thoughts and concerns, but I have a few general comments: - Tom Brace's post #111 (IMO) is the quentessential summary and accurate depiction of how we got here, the motivation and the solution offered. Simply spot on! - As much as former members and current fans of consistently lower tier corps may pine over the situation their corps may find themselves in the very near future, the fact is that (as dbc03 suggests) there is a measurable value/draw to the upper corps. Local does mean something to the draw, but not as much as top named corps, who (whether we want to admit or not) are performing at an entirely different level. NOTE: Many years back I was a rock drummer in a locally popular band. We were an opening act for many big names that floated through our city to large draws, but we knew that most of the people didn't come to see us. When the big names became less popular, they would use semi-big names as opening acts instead of local bands. It's just the way it was (is). Follow the money. So....when times are good you can afford to bring in the less popular (which in DC, generally equates to performance level), but when times are lean...... - Finally, DCP has many great former contributors to this activity that all we love. It meant (means) enough to them that they stay in touch. What they must see (with this proposal) flies in the face of their collective history and current passion to see things remain as they experienced them. But I'm afraid the current model is failing and someone must step up and make hard decisions. This is true not only in DC but in many, many other businesses across America. I for one, applaud the efforts of these G7 leaders, their solutions may not fit everyone equally, but I honestly believe it will save the lion share of the activity. I suggest we all find a way to help and not just yell through the chain link fence. Edited May 25, 2010 by Plan9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 "dbc03" covered most of the points pretty well in post #91 and I share most of his thoughts and concerns, but I have a few general comments:- Tom Brace's post #111 (IMO) is the quentessential summary and accurate depiction of how we got here, the motivation and the solution offered. Simply spot on! - As much as former members and current fans of consistently lower tier corps may pine over the situation their corps may find themselves in the very near future, the fact is that (as dbc03 suggests) there is a measurable value/draw to the upper corps. Local does mean something to the draw, but not as much as top named corps, who (whether we want to admit or not) are performing at an entirely different level. NOTE: Many years back I was a rock drummer in a locally popular band. We were an opening act for many big names that floated through our city to large draws, but we knew that most of the people didn't come to us. When the big names became less popular, they would use semi-big names as opening acts instead of local bands. It's just the way it was (is). Follow the money. So....when times are good you can afford to bring in the less popular (which in DC, generally equates to performance level), but when times are lean...... - Finally, DCP has many great former contributors to this activity that all we love. It meant (means) enough to them that they stay in touch. What they must see (with this proposal) flies in the face of their collective history and current passion to see things remain as they experienced them. But I'm afraid the current model is failing and someone must step up and make hard decisions. This is true not only in DC but in many, many other businesses across America. I for one, applaud the efforts of these G7 leaders, their solutions may not fit everyone equally, but I honestly believe it will save the lion share of the activity. I suggest we all find a way to help and not just yell through the chain link fence. Ok so you're fine with there being no means to start a new drum corps, and having no replacement corps for when any of the existing corps fail. Oh and I guess Open Class can go screw. I'll be sure to let the kids know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fecontra Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 (edited) Lip service and charlatans! And there was a period a while back when Hopkins wanted to move the yeaH offices from Allentown to Philadelphia. It's a shame public radio didn't recognize his genius and pluck him out the year of the center stage. I do agree though that the other 6 are culpable here , and that statement by The Cavaliers is to me the ultimate in having it both ways without declaring your position. IMHO what some folks don't get here is everyone protects their piece of the pie , and won't offer it up to another because that one thinks he knows better than everyone else. The loss of revenue from selling slightly used instruments is going to hurt the G7 big time , as the band programs are now feeling the economic crunch and can't buy. When that revenue dries up , the manufacturers will re-examine their sweetheart deals with the selling agents ( aka G7 ). IMHO that is what the big guns are terrified of. Edited May 25, 2010 by fecontra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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