Want to Give a G7 Director a Piece of Your Mind?

[JimF-LowBari]

I have over 1000 CDs, and the only "popular" ones are BB King, Take 6, and Tonight Show Band. Everything else is classical.

Big diff here between what is defined as "Popular Music" and "popular" as in what sells.

Tonight Show Band cut an album?????

[GMichael1230]

excellence in marketing is different from excellence in performance ( something you always talk about)

Hey !

Bananarama" is classified as "pop" music and Im probably the only one that bought their latest release !!!

G

[Geoff]

Big diff here between what is defined as "Popular Music" and "popular" as in what sells.

Tonight Show Band cut an album?????

2 albums, actually. Volume 2 I had on vinyl for many years as a kid, and now have it on CD.

http://www.amazon.com/Tonight-Show-Band-Vol/dp/B000001O89

http://www.amazon.com/Tonight-Showband-2-S.../ref=pd_sim_m_1

[Stu]

Hey !

Bananarama" is classified as "pop" music and Im probably the only one that bought their latest release !!!

G

DEVO, Adam and the Ants, Cars, Vapors, Human League, Bow Wow Wow, Men without Hats, Yaz, Ongio Boingo, Utopia, Buggles, Toyha Wilcox, OMD, M Factor, and more and more of that great wonderful stuff; gott'em all!!!!!!

[Stu]

i'm sorry, but as I read utopia, I see the corps in a lesser classification losing out more than they do already

To a certain point I agree; because quite possibly some of the corps already on the edge in the OC might fall away if there is no institutional support helping them with securing youth for their corps. But from a fans perspective, I support middle school football, high school football, and university football (all of them contain youth, and all of them increase in competitive quality as they move up the youth ladder)' but I also support the NFL (which is an actual Major League and gives me the opportunity to see the best professional adults play the game). To that end, I personally would like to see if a "real" Major League of drum corps could actually take hold. I have to admit, as a fan I like the high quality of the top six or seven in the DCI WC each year more so for their quality than for their youthfulness. So, would it not be great to see everyone out on the field with the professional adult quality of Al Chez and Chad Sexton competing in an actual Marching Music Major League? And would not a "real'" Major League help in recruiting youth to the Junior Marching League because they would aspire to become Major League players (just like what happens at the scholastic level in other sports)? That is what I mean when I reference the word Utopia.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Stu

[Bruckner8]

excellence in marketing is different from excellence in performance ( something you always talk about)

I do focus on excellence in performance (related to judging, usually), but if you've really read my stuff carefully, I use it much more broadly, such as Charlie Anderson might say "The Universe is Working."

In a nutshell, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE EXCELLENT within an organization for Excellent goals to be achieved. This thread (and all of the G7 stuff) has transcended scores and judging.

(The Universe is Working has a dark side as well. For example, let's say Suzy is one of 20 Soprano players, and she forgot to put her horn in precise alignment with the other 19 sopranos on the sideline. Charlie would notice such things, and put it in the back of his mind. A few days later, Suzy might miss a step off, and instead of calling Suzy out on the step-ff, Charlie would GO OFF about people who don't line up their horns properly! He was a freaking genius with that stuff. "I guess the Universe is Working" would be his bottom line to EVERYONE, not just Suzy. It's a grand, deep way of saying "garbage in, garbage out" or "if you can't even focus on the small stuff, how do you expect the big stuff to happen?")

ETC ETC ETC

[Stu]

Hey Bruckner:

Jeff wrote > excellence in marketing is different from excellence in performance ( something you always talk about)

What I believe Jeff meant with this statement is this:

Raghib Rocket Ismael, Evander Holyfield, Johnny Unitas, Bjorn Borg, Sheryl Swoopes, Lawrence Taylor, Darren McCarty, Kenny Anderson Scottie Pippen, Muhsin Muhammad, Marion Jones, Nicolas Cage, Mike Tyson, Kim Basinger, Randy Quaid, Don Johnson, Michael Jackson, Dorothy Hamill, Burt Reynolds, Meat Loaf, Wayne Newton, Mickey, Rooney, Willie Nelson, ad infinitum.

All of these people were (are) great performers at sports, acting, or music; and all "went broke" due to poor marketing. So, excellence in performance does not equate to also having excellence in marketing.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Stu

[garfield]

if excellence always sells, and looking at what I see selling tons in pop culture, I'm terrified by what you see as excellence

Jeff, this is a bad comparison, IMO. Pop culture (which I agree is mostly crap) is a commercial enterprise that doesn't relate when to the "Arts" community. I think people understand the difference between the two.

But if you mean that, based upon what the public buys from pop culture, it's hard to expect that they'll appreciate the Art of drum corps, I agree.

If I misunderstood your post, pardon me for accosting your opinion.

Edited June 16, 2010 by garfield

[garfield]

I do focus on excellence in performance (related to judging, usually), but if you've really read my stuff carefully, I use it much more broadly, such as Charlie Anderson might say "The Universe is Working."

In a nutshell, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE EXCELLENT within an organization for Excellent goals to be achieved. This thread (and all of the G7 stuff) has transcended scores and judging.

(The Universe is Working has a dark side as well. For example, let's say Suzy is one of 20 Soprano players, and she forgot to put her horn in precise alignment with the other 19 sopranos on the sideline. Charlie would notice such things, and put it in the back of his mind. A few days later, Suzy might miss a step off, and instead of calling Suzy out on the step-ff, Charlie would GO OFF about people who don't line up their horns properly! He was a freaking genius with that stuff. "I guess the Universe is Working" would be his bottom line to EVERYONE, not just Suzy. It's a grand, deep way of saying "garbage in, garbage out" or "if you can't even focus on the small stuff, how do you expect the big stuff to happen?")

ETC ETC ETC

Bruckner's got this argument closed. Excellence must continue throughout the activity, from performance and marketing at the corps level, and marketing, scheduling, and promoting at the DCI level.

If any of the myriad of people involved with the process don't buy into that concerted level of excellence the system breaks down.

Even down to our local show. If we don't market and put BITS the upstream promotional assumptions within DCI change. That relates to corps' scheduled stops (shows and income), and promotion (clinics prior to, and to help market, the upcoming show).

Every piece of this activity is tied directly together, and it's a beautiful part of the system as it's intended.

That's why splitting it apart is ultimately destructive which, admittedly, some in the activity feel must be done.

Excellence as a "team" of participants is the healthiest way forward. Giving up and tearing it apart is not.

Off my soapbox now.

Anyway, good post Bruckner.

(and 1000 classical CD's?? Good God, and I thought is was a serious classical wonk at about half that!)

[Jeff Ream]

next utopia flaw. just because as a fan like all levels, doesnt mean everyone else will. I know people who wont pay a dime to see an MLB game, but have season tickets to the local independant league team.

I know people who watch all the college hoops tv can put on, but wont give a single moment of attention to the NBA

I like DCI because it gives "kids" the chance to do drum corps all day every day for several months, put out great shows and wow me with talent.

I like DCA because it allows people to put out great shows on a weekend only basis.

I like alumni corps because it allos folks who dont want the competitive schedule but want to play some drum corps to do it.

I even like the mini corps at DCA weekend because it allows ensembles of 21...in many cases ringers....to do their thing.

That drum corps has the many branches it has already is the great appeal. it doesnt need "pros". it needs the brances we already have to do a lot better at marketing what we have, embrace the fans here as well as recreuit the future fans. those future fans will help become future memebrs as well.

Sure...all of those branches I have listed have their falws....but fixing those flaws doesnt require the whole wheel to be reinvented or to start paying players. you want people to get paid, go do what Blast did.

you start having "true major leagues" as you put it, you have already changed DCI's charter, and will make it tough to keep it 501c3

and honestly, yuu will probably discourage kids from marching...'why try when people are getting paid to do it"

To a certain point I agree; because quite possibly some of the corps already on the edge in the OC might fall away if there is no institutional support helping them with securing youth for their corps. But from a fans perspective, I support middle school football, high school football, and university football (all of them contain youth, and all of them increase in competitive quality as they move up the youth ladder)' but I also support the NFL (which is an actual Major League and gives me the opportunity to see the best professional adults play the game). To that end, I personally would like to see if a "real" Major League of drum corps could actually take hold. I have to admit, as a fan I like the high quality of the top six or seven in the DCI WC each year more so for their quality than for their youthfulness. So, would it not be great to see everyone out on the field with the professional adult quality of Al Chez and Chad Sexton competing in an actual Marching Music Major League? And would not a "real'" Major League help in recruiting youth to the Junior Marching League because they would aspire to become Major League players (just like what happens at the scholastic level in other sports)? That is what I mean when I reference the word Utopia.