The Kids work hard, but I still don't like it.

[Liahona]

while I dont agree with everything he is saying, remember the old adage " the customer is always right".

I'm not saying we return to 1975 programming, but more and more people DO seem to be turned off by what they see and hear on the field. DCI isn't in a place where they can keep bleeding customers, so while you may want to bash his opinion, remember, whatever he paid last night eventually helped keep those kids safe on the road and fed.

the "fans waiting to embrace DCI" we keep hearing about aren't as plentiful as some want you to think.

so be careful...those you blast may continue to stop coming, and while you may get seats closer to the $50, you may be paying $250 for them instead of $125, and you may not have nearly as many people sitting near you as you do now.

Well it is not ALL customers being turned off. I sat next to a lady at Allentown that has made EVERY DCI finals except 1974. She said to me she only missed 1974 because it had to do with not knowing exactly where it was going to be held or something like that. Though this is true, I think MORE EXPLORATION should be made from a marketing perspective to try and "figure out" where the largest core audience numbers would be and deliver to them a product that they want. The more dollars that can be generated the more to go around for all the corps. It really is NOT all that complicated.

[JimF-LowBari]

I have heard those exact comments about "real drum corps" EVERY YEAR SINCE 1976 and do not doubt

people were saying that well before then.

I heard "That ain't Drum Corps" a year earlier (#### marching bells)........

Got to the point it wasn't entertaining enough to go see WC, so I call it time and money I can spend on other things..... *shrug*

[sixtysomething]

I know I'm going to get blasted... and I have read over and over the discussions pertaining to this topic.

Last night I went to my first DCI show in a long time and I was so excited to finally see one and I just hated it. I know the kids are working extremely hard and are putting their heart and soul into these shows... that is obvious. And to that extent, every single one of them are great! But these shows are the most boring things I've witnessed in a long time. Who ever is writing the music and the shows should be ashamed of themselves. How can you do that to those hard working kids? I was so disappointed.

...................

I left the show early. I won't go to another. I left feeling so sad for each and every kid on that field. Everyone of them is giving everything they have, and those are the worst "drum and bugle corps" shows I've ever seen. I thought, leave the orchestra music in the orchestra, get something exciting on those fields.

I know, here it comes, blast me... but all this hype about how wonderful all these new changes are, I wasn't expecting shows that just about put me to sleep.

Toomello. I'm sure you will get 'blasted' and called names for this opinion, but its also too bad you left the show early. Obviously a lot of preconceptions in your mind when you came through the gate, that were proven with the corps you saw.

I too am disappointed in some of the directions DCI is going, but after attending Allentown this past weekend, I'm also encouraged that I found more corps to "like" than I did in the past few years. Yes there have been some big changes over the past few years, and certainly huge changes from the 60's-80's version of the activity, but if you give it a chance, even us oldtimers can get excited about a corps performance. For example.........

Madison Scouts, WOW. Best crowd reaction of both nights in Allentown. The crowd was on their feet at least twice before the end and jumped up prior to the last note. Someone in the area around me said "too bad DCI doesn't understand, or embrace this kind of reaction.....at least not on the scoresheet". Have to agree with that comment, but then again crowd appeal hasn't had much to do with corps placement for a long time in DCI. The kids understand this of course, because they have been taught that demand level and perfection of technique are the goals, not to entertain. I don't like it, but that's the way it is. Having said that, as mentioned there were other corps that really impressed me. I can't even remember them all, so it must have been at least 1/2 doz, like Boston, Blue Star, Crown, Phantom, Cadets.

I absolutely hated the guitars (Teal Sound), and don't think they have any place in this activity.

I hated amps 5-6 yrs ago because they allowed the pit to overpower the hornline and battery, however I've gotten used to them, BUT with them cranked up so high that they cover up some great horn work, I've still got issues. One corps had what I thought (when I could actually hear them) a great hornline, but I couldn't tell if it was them playing or the #### amp most times. Ruined some good tuba (yes I know they're tubas now not contra basses) work. How can the brass judge actually rate a hornline when the amp music, keyboards etc, drown out the performance? I guess it becomes a matter of not how good the actual sound of the brass players is, but how they 'blend' with the amps?

When I saw the guitars come out, I figured it would be the last of my annual pilgramages to Allentown, but thankfully those 6-7 other corps restored my faith.

You really should give it another shot, and try to forget about tick systems, straight lines, high leg lifts and those other relics of our glorious past.

And to the person (was that Mr Ream?) who posted the picture of a '70's era mobile phone..........good one, it makes a point. But don't forget that it was probaly someone of my age, that invented it, so the past wasn't all that bad either.

[Jeff Ream]

But we disagree on how to expand the fanbase...IMO needs to stay on this broad push with expanded instrumentation, shows designed for younger people, integration with band programs, etc...more people involved in DCI when young means more staying involved when they leave. The 70s crowd has a big input now but won't be around forever. The key is doing this while making shows all audiences will like...such as Phantom 08, Crown 07, and so on.

and I agree with you. far too many fans get lumped in with the "if it's not G and unplugged it aint drum corps" crowd. IMO, it's less than rules changes, tho that does play a prt, than it is with design.

and here is where I feel DCI is at a huge crossroads. the designers want to make art, but how much art in the world is profitable? it's much harder for a business to make money continually losing fans and trying to find new ones, than it is to keep existing fans and adding new ones to that base.

[Jeff Ream]

If you're basing the lack of support of DCI on this forum, oh lord. I didn't see an empty seat in Atlanta, and most people seemed very pleased. And, let's not go down the applause o meter road. "Applause is in the ear of the beholder".

I'm not basing it off of anything more than what the leaders in DCI themselves had said. But please dont confuse every ### in a seat as a paying customer. lots of freebies and perks...did you know USSBA bands get a ton of free tickets to YEA run shows? that can't be helping to pay the bills.

and as far as applause-o-meter, no thank you.

[Jeff Ream]

I listened to the 1998 Championships just the other day. Go listen to the Madison Scouts again. You won't have to wait long before you hear someone yell out "real drum corps!", ostensibly implying that some or all of the other shows that year were 'not' real drum corps. This was 1998, before electronic instruments, before amplification, before any-key brass. It was before the era you yourself professed to be the way drum corps should be: 1999-2003. It's something I think about every time someone tries to act like 'fan' disgruntlement is a new or growing phenomenon.

it's not new. but it is growing

[WOOHOO]

I'm not basing it off of anything more than what the leaders in DCI themselves had said. But please dont confuse every ### in a seat as a paying customer. lots of freebies and perks...did you know USSBA bands get a ton of free tickets to YEA run shows? that can't be helping to pay the bills.

and as far as applause-o-meter, no thank you.

Is USSBA the same as DCI in Atlanta? Where you in Atlanta?

[BRASSO]

One of our drivers in 1988 said that consitently through the year. He wanted stuff like it was in the 1960's. The golden era was and always will be the era where you fell in love with it in the first place.

Exactly.... when ( say ) flutes and saxophones come into Corpsbands, the new fans not yet arrived will love it, but the fans that love the Corps of today will feel frustrated, lost, angry, and confused. They'll be called " dinosaurs " and told to get with the program or shuffle off, as " change is good ".

Edited August 9, 2010 by BRASSO

[Jeff Ream]

Well it is not ALL customers being turned off. I sat next to a lady at Allentown that has made EVERY DCI finals except 1974. She said to me she only missed 1974 because it had to do with not knowing exactly where it was going to be held or something like that. Though this is true, I think MORE EXPLORATION should be made from a marketing perspective to try and "figure out" where the largest core audience numbers would be and deliver to them a product that they want. The more dollars that can be generated the more to go around for all the corps. It really is NOT all that complicated.

I have long said DCI could be doing a lot more to get feedback from fans about a number of issues.

[Jeff Ream]

Is USSBA the same as DCI in Atlanta? Where you in Atlanta?

no USSBA is not in Atlanta. thanks for following along.

and no I was not there. But I also know people who were there and didn't pay a dime for seats, and know others that got freebies too.

##### in the seats arent always paying customers. don't confuse that when discussing business