DCW article on fixing the tour model . . .

[bawker]

http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?id=833

Orwoll (from Colts) brings up an interesting point towards the end:

“Ultimately, do we want to start a youth program that by definition excludes roughly half of the members who play wind instruments in a school -- that being woodwind players?” Orwoll said. “Now that leads to the other conversation. Should we open up to truly be the major leagues of marching band? Maybe that’s what we are some day. That would allow us to actually be from schools, potentially, because we can’t afford our own overhead.

There it is, folks. Partnering with NAMM and MENC isn't part of some tin-foil-hat conspiracy . . .but, there's the "in" on how drum corps will more than likely end up if we don't see some sort of change in the touring model.

With a school program (and I wonder if it might be a summer offshoot of colleges, there are certainly enough previous examples of this in some form . . .Spirit/JSU, BD and RCC, etc), corps will be able to latch onto public funding for at least some of their touring dollars, depending on how this might be set up.

I don't blame Orwoll for exploring the idea . . .but, if it leads to summer versions of college band, I don't think I'd be much interested in it.

There are some other ideas . . .the return of the regional model (the one we got away from to begin with, heh) and possibly shortening the season by a week.

There's another interesting quote from Hop regarding relevancy, but I'm going to do a separate thread on that.

So, how about it? What would you think of the idea of drum corps partnering up with college music programs, possibly to the point that we might see an instrumentation change?

[MikeN]

I keep wondering if the cart isn't coming before the horse here. Over and over corps are looking for new ways to pay for the existing tour structure. Instead, I think a focus needs to be put on changing the logistics of the tour. If that means cutting smaller shows in favor of the larger / regional shows, then so be it. Nowhere is it carved in stone "Thou shalt perform 25 times per year."

Mike

[bawker]

. . .agreed, and by all means, I didn't want to cut off discussion about what Jacobs and Komnick are talking about regarding touring at a regional level.

I was just trying to get a few more hits with the "if it bleeds, it leads" ever-present woodwind debate.

[Jeff Ream]

http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?id=833

Orwoll (from Colts) brings up an interesting point towards the end:

There it is, folks. Partnering with NAMM and MENC isn't part of some tin-foil-hat conspiracy . . .but, there's the "in" on how drum corps will more than likely end up if we don't see some sort of change in the touring model.

With a school program (and I wonder if it might be a summer offshoot of colleges, there are certainly enough previous examples of this in some form . . .Spirit/JSU, BD and RCC, etc), corps will be able to latch onto public funding for at least some of their touring dollars, depending on how this might be set up.

I don't blame Orwoll for exploring the idea . . .but, if it leads to summer versions of college band, I don't think I'd be much interested in it.

There are some other ideas . . .the return of the regional model (the one we got away from to begin with, heh) and possibly shortening the season by a week.

There's another interesting quote from Hop regarding relevancy, but I'm going to do a separate thread on that.

So, how about it? What would you think of the idea of drum corps partnering up with college music programs, possibly to the point that we might see an instrumentation change?

add woodwinds i'm gone. bottom line.

[bawker]

add woodwinds i'm gone. bottom line.

So, how do we move away from that "nuclear option" scenario, then, and fix the touring model? Specifically, what kinds of things can we do to save money?

Shorter tours? Bring back regional circuits? Less of a season?

[Jeff Ream]

I do think more of a regional short tour is good...i t could allow drum corps to places it hasn't been able to get to because the of the national tour.

and George, the East wouldn't be as light if you hadn't forced a corps to go 2000 miles away .

I also think opening up ALL local shows to include Open Class corps would help. This would allow these groups exposure, get some extra $, and work in Dan's 4-5 year plan perfectly. I also like how Hop himself actually addresses that some show designs have turned people away. Komnick's comments also bring merit at the end of the article about maybe mixing up show lineups.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Jeff Ream

[Jeff Ream]

and Btw Bawk...this is more than just a G7 issue. I think this should be in the main forum

[N.E. Brigand]

“Ultimately, do we want to start a youth program that by definition excludes roughly half of the members who play wind instruments in a school -- that being woodwind players?” Orwoll said. “Now that leads to the other conversation. Should we open up to truly be the major leagues of marching band? Maybe that’s what we are some day. That would allow us to actually be from schools, potentially, because we can’t afford our own overhead.”

Unless entire woodwind sections are wireless-mic'd --and wouldn't that drive up costs?-- only mic'd soloists will be audible in any drum corps of a size that isn't too large to execute the marching maneuvers now performed. (In my high school's band, you can hear the clarinets and flutes in passages orchestrated to feature them, but there are more than 100 of them in a band of more than 200 -- not exactly doing drum corps drill!). And this means that most woodwind players would still be excluded from drum corps.

“Imagine if you have a symphony orchestra, but you can’t have a concert unless you have five other symphony orchestras come to your town,” he continued. “I mean, it’s crazy. Fundamentally, it’s not sustainable long-term.”

So drum corps should put on a completely different show every week? Maybe the comparison should be to national tours of theater and pop singers.

[bawker]

and Btw Bawk...this is more than just a G7 issue. I think this should be in the main forum

Upon further reflection, I think so as well.

Moving.

[MikeN]

To take this to the logical extreme, DCI would become marching bands, playing music that marching band kids like and play in schools, for marching band kids to watch.

I don't know if that's going to suddenly grow the audience, or make those that do attend spend more per person. Is the true hurdle to getting flute players to attend DCI shows right now the fact that there are no flutes on the field?

Mike