2000 - 2010 , what have we learned?

[garfield's_kid]

We've learned that if you win one year, you don't always win the next year.

[CT-Horn]

Ticket Price have climbed up a bit too

[Jeff Ream]

Aqua

wow. I hadn't seen anyone make fun of Boston 2004 in a long time

[Jeff Ream]

Hogwash ............

Is it still an unknown truth that the regional circuits were killed by DCI (the internal meetings with the executive BoD ... whereas, they refused to compete in the circuits in order to kill attendance, then took over the circuits in order to take the best venues (Don't worry, we'll fix things and then hand it back when it's in better shape), then handed the circuits back to the original organizations ....... with ZERO left to work with). It was a systematic termination/demolition of those organizations ........ it had nothing to do with competitive environments.

Point 2, if DCI does such a full review of the corps in order for them to tour in World Class, why aren't they listening to the corps who are struggling in order to make change that helps to keep them solvent and successful? With regards to Open Class, how can you blame DCI when all they've done is turn their backs on that class of corps altogether? Show me where 1 positive thing has been done by the BoD with regards to Open Class ?

I agree with alot of this however, the OC corps are not without blame. they allowed themselves to be treated as ######## step children, so they can not go without fault here

[Jeff Ream]

Oh, I agree that DCI should promote the interests of the entire junior activity, especially now that it has won the monopoly that it actively sought for the past couple of decades. My contention is that DCI, as a business, has no obligation to do so. It was founded by a group of large, successful corps to promote their interests, and by and large it has stuck close to that purpose. But now that DCI is being told by a group of large, successful corps that it is no longer adequately promoting their interests it is perhaps time that DCI reconsider its purpose and start living up to some of the fluff contained in its mission statement.

actually it's in DCI's charter to promote the activity

[Jeff Ream]

At least the quality of the shows have increased exponentially since 2000 as a whole. Compare 12th place then to 12th place this year

great. so quality will be better yet when we're down to 15 corps overall.

that doesnt mean much for the health of the activity

[MikeN]

We've learned -

Big stuff -

- that there is a huge market for folks to attend big weekend "regional" shows without affecting Finals attendance.

- that the costs of the same touring model as used in 2000 (and 1990) are rising faster than the corps' abililty to pay for it.

- that bells and whistles aside (even electronic ones), there has been no quantum leap in show programming as from, say, 1980 to 1990. Or 1990 to 2000.

- that the increasing number of sophisticated school marching bands are a blessing and a curse for drum corps, and probably had as much to do with the demise of Open Class numbers as anything else.

Small stuff -

- that digital distribution direct from DCI killed off virtually the entire bootlegging market overnight

- that it took years and years for someone to consider that "fade" drum finishes - always available on drum sets - might look cool on marching lines.

Finally -

- that there's room for at least one independent fan site online.

Mike