DCA Crowd

[Fran Haring]

Some people have mentioned corps should be playing songs people know and recognize and all that earlier in the thread. That won't make a difference in the long run.

Liz, I don't completely disagree with what you're saying here....

But I gotta be honest.... it would be helpful, in terms of attracting a "general" audience, (by that, I mean folks from a given town/area where a show is being held... who may not have any connection to drum corps, other than paying to see that show) if more corps explored more "familiar" music.

I' m not sure why this is the case in drum corps... but there seems to be an unwritten rule in recent years that somehow even thinking about playing anything that is generally well-known or has been "done before" is frowned upon by a variety of corps.

Does anyone suppose that, say, when a music director of a major symphony orchestra sits down to plan out next year's concert schedule, he or she says something like, "Hmmmm.....Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Nope. Can't do that. Been done before."

Of course not.

Those folks program their shows/concerts based on, to a decent degree, what their audience is willing to pay to see/hear... based on customer feedback, attendance patterns, etc.

So... if professional ensembles don't feel programming familiar stuff is somehow "beneath" them.... why should drum corps ever feel that way?

Two examples from this year.... and I know these are anectodal, but still:

1) At the one DCI show I saw during the season (the quarterfinals at the movie theater) the corps that drew by far the biggest response from the audience at the theater was the Madison Scouts.... with their show of tunes that were recognizable to a lot of folks... and performed with a lot of energy.

It wasn't just us "drum corps dinosaurs" applauding, either. An entire row of high-school aged kids, a few rows in front of us, gave the Scouts' show a standing ovation. It was the only corps of the night that drew such a near-unanimous response from the audience, including the teenagers.

2) On the DCA side, the Empire Statesmen, with their familiar "Oz" program, consistently received the biggest crowd reactions.... certainly at the shows at which I had a chance to view them.

I know that in drum corps, there have been any number of very entertaining shows featuring "undiscovered" or unfamiliar music. But it also seems to me that those types of shows are tougher for corps to pull off (AND tougher to connect with a general audience), unless those corps are at the top of their game virtually every time out.

I an definitely NOT saying that every corps should program Sousa marches, or the same style of music in the same year. (I could do without a repeat of 1979, when seemingly every other corps played "Children of Sanchez." LOL.)

But there is a lot of great stuff out there that either a lot of people know.... or has been done before. Enough to go around, I think. I wish more corps would not be so shy about considering the familiar.

To me, at least..... connecting with a general audience= more people enjoying your product = increased potential for more souvenir sales, ticket sales = more money to pay the bills.

Geez... I just realized that wow, this was a long-winded reply. LOL. Sorry 'bout that.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Fran Haring

[dannyboy]

...Geez... I just realized that wow, this was a long-winded reply. LOL. Sorry 'bout that.

But well said!

[nick6063]

I watch the shows and cheer loudly at the end,..............I was upset tho with the Hurricanes staff complimenting their corps during their performance while I was trying to watch and listen,..............they were right above me and it was quite distracting to say the least,.................one of my pet peeves

I agree. But this is happening with most all corps staff in the medis box. I was sitting directly below them. I think it's distasteful! None of the performers on the field could hear them anyway. Is this grandstanding?

[Cabstuba04]

I know this going to sound silly but We (Cabs competing corps) were up top for our alumni.. and yes I know I'm getting old but those seats are really not for getting up and down a lot... they don't fold, they don't allow for a lot of room. So I'm guessing the reaction at the end of some shows was all that was going to happen.. Just a thought.. Please continue on...

[JeffBanyots]

Liz, I don't completely disagree with what you're saying here....

But I gotta be honest.... it would be helpful, in terms of attracting a "general" audience, (by that, I mean folks from a given town/area where a show is being held... who may not have any connection to drum corps, other than paying to see that show) if more corps explored more "familiar" music.

I' m not sure why this is the case in drum corps... but there seems to be an unwritten rule in recent years that somehow even thinking about playing anything that is generally well-known or has been "done before" is frowned upon by a variety of corps.

Does anyone suppose that, say, when a music director of a major symphony orchestra sits down to plan out next year's concert schedule, he or she says something like, "Hmmmm.....Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Nope. Can't do that. Been done before."

Of course not.

Those folks program their shows/concerts based on, to a decent degree, what their audience is willing to pay to see/hear... based on customer feedback, attendance patterns, etc.

So... if professional ensembles don't feel programming familiar stuff is somehow "beneath" them.... why should drum corps ever feel that way?

hay Fran,

Many orchestral professionals, musicians and conductors are sick and tired of playing the same things over and over again. They program the familiar warhorses purely to draw in the audiences which only seem to respond to more of the same old same old. And yes, they very often feel that the music they are forced to program in order to survive, is, in fact, beneath them.

The fact that DCA and DCI essentially provide a built-in audience, allows the individual corps to decide what they think the most interesting use of their 11 minutes will be that year. It is like a buffet of different flavors at a show. And I think that using unheard and obscure music is an exciting part of the drum corps experience, and honestly is has been that way for decades.

An example: As far as familiarity goes, was the general public really that familiar with the music that SCV was playing during the 1980's? Unless they were big fans of "Classical" music, I doubt they were "familiar" with the music before hand.

We played Phantom of the Opera in 1988, hitting the field in June. The show had just opened 6 months earlier on Broadway (London late 86). Had that many of the people in the stands rushed out and bought the cast recording before they saw us? No. Did they hear the original London cast belting out Masquerade on over the air radio? Doubt it.

So, essentially they were hearing new music. And we all got along just fine.

My point is this. Corps have been playing music and performing shows that have challenged the spectator for decades, and the activity is still here. And honestly, all tales of doom and gloom aside, drum corps seems to be doing pretty well.

To each his own. So bring on the evil, dark, corny, obscure, familiar, catchy, crazy, sucky shows! I love to see them all, and I am not the only one. Just perform them to the best of your abilities, and people will be there to cheer you on. Or not cheer as the title of the thread implies!

[Jeff Ream]

nd well said. and if going for the not familiar, design is the key., if you chop and bop it, and it lacks flowing melodic lines, odds are the crowd wont get into it.

and funny, but the last two years, while playing a lot of stuff people didnt know, but yet got great crowd reactions was Alliance.

Liz, I don't completely disagree with what you're saying here....

But I gotta be honest.... it would be helpful, in terms of attracting a "general" audience, (by that, I mean folks from a given town/area where a show is being held... who may not have any connection to drum corps, other than paying to see that show) if more corps explored more "familiar" music.

I' m not sure why this is the case in drum corps... but there seems to be an unwritten rule in recent years that somehow even thinking about playing anything that is generally well-known or has been "done before" is frowned upon by a variety of corps.

Does anyone suppose that, say, when a music director of a major symphony orchestra sits down to plan out next year's concert schedule, he or she says something like, "Hmmmm.....Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Nope. Can't do that. Been done before."

Of course not.

Those folks program their shows/concerts based on, to a decent degree, what their audience is willing to pay to see/hear... based on customer feedback, attendance patterns, etc.

So... if professional ensembles don't feel programming familiar stuff is somehow "beneath" them.... why should drum corps ever feel that way?

Two examples from this year.... and I know these are anectodal, but still:

1) At the one DCI show I saw during the season (the quarterfinals at the movie theater) the corps that drew by far the biggest response from the audience at the theater was the Madison Scouts.... with their show of tunes that were recognizable to a lot of folks... and performed with a lot of energy.

It wasn't just us "drum corps dinosaurs" applauding, either. An entire row of high-school aged kids, a few rows in front of us, gave the Scouts' show a standing ovation. It was the only corps of the night that drew such a near-unanimous response from the audience, including the teenagers.

2) On the DCA side, the Empire Statesmen, with their familiar "Oz" program, consistently received the biggest crowd reactions.... certainly at the shows at which I had a chance to view them.

I know that in drum corps, there have been any number of very entertaining shows featuring "undiscovered" or unfamiliar music. But it also seems to me that those types of shows are tougher for corps to pull off (AND tougher to connect with a general audience), unless those corps are at the top of their game virtually every time out.

I an definitely NOT saying that every corps should program Sousa marches, or the same style of music in the same year. (I could do without a repeat of 1979, when seemingly every other corps played "Children of Sanchez." LOL.)

But there is a lot of great stuff out there that either a lot of people know.... or has been done before. Enough to go around, I think. I wish more corps would not be so shy about considering the familiar.

To me, at least..... connecting with a general audience= more people enjoying your product = increased potential for more souvenir sales, ticket sales = more money to pay the bills.

Geez... I just realized that wow, this was a long-winded reply. LOL. Sorry 'bout that.

[Andyroo]

[quote name='JeffBanyots' date='Sep 21 2010, 12:37 PM' post='2913324'

The fact that DCA and DCI essentially provide a built-in audience, allows the individual corps to decide what they think the most interesting use of their 11 minutes will be that year. It is like a buffet of different flavors at a show. And I think that using unheard and obscure music is an exciting part of the drum corps experience, and honestly is has been that way for decades.

Jeff,

You may not have even noticed it, but your second paragraph touched upon a deep concern of mine when you indicated that drum corps has a "built-in audience."

If it's only alumni and fans of specific corps that are going to shows - we're doomed as an activity. There's just not that much money available to support the activity. Over the past several years I've seen innumerable drum corps people going out of their way to avoid paying to get into a show. Take one uniform; distribute the parts among four or five people; strut in through the corps gate. Hardly a way to support the show sponsor.

So while it's nice that we're playing to and for each other, we had better not forget the "popcorn eater," that man, woman, family, etc. that goes to one show a year - partially to support their local charity, but also to be entertained. We can entertain each other until the cows come home, but if there's nobody else in the audience - we're extinct.

Just a thought....

Andy

[Jeff Ream]

no offense Andy, but I've seen people scamming into shows that way since I was 5.

[Andyroo]

no offense Andy, but I've seen people scamming into shows that way since I was 5.

Unfortunately true, Jeff.

Could this be a part, however small, of the dearth of non-corps-sponsored shows we face today? How long will it be, for example, before the Band Parents Association in Lewisburg says they've had enough of minimal financial return for all their work? Or the Children's Home in Kingston?

They look into the stands and see 5,000 people. Their ticket receipts then say they had 2,000 in attendance.

As people on this thread and others have often said, "Follow the money!"

Just my thoughts....

Andy

[Jeff Ream]

I agree on outreach to the locals. but scamming has always gone on as far back as anyone can remember. Those are the people that will always look for a cheap way in.

drum corps themselves need to look at the landscape and decide...both DCA and DCI...is it about art, or is it about making some money?

because most artists end up starving