Who is REALLY boycotting DCI?

[Jeff Ream]

Many drum corps fans have their "if DCI adds X, I'm pulling my support" statement. It's different for various people... but I wonder how many people are REALLY going to give up this activity so easily?

In my opinion, I think most people on here make a lot of noise about WW's, Amps, and Bb horns...but I wonder how many people are REALLY boycotting DCI completely?? That means no merchandise, no shows, no DVDs, no CDs, no Fan Network, no downloads, no donations to ANY DCI corps, and no tuition sponsorships since your "X" was added to DCI?

Fess up now... and keep in mind that I'm not looking to ridicule anyone, just curious. I think the number is very low. I believe that it speaks to the true power of the activity, that no matter what form it takes and no matter how peeved a certain vocal minority gets about the evolution of the activity, I think 99.9% of the fans stick with it because their love is that deep.

So I put it to you now...who's for real? And please keep in mind that I WILL be looking for anyone who speaks up at every DCI show in the country.

I know many people that have given up DCI. I did myself for a few years. if woodwinds come in, I have no problem walking away

[tommytimp]

I haven't bought a show ticket, movie ticket, DVD or CD since 1997. If DCI adds woodwinds or the G7 comes to pass, I might either stop showing up here, or kill myself and all others like me.

[BRASSO]

the Cadets 2007 show's use of voice was effective because of their subject matter.

That's a matter of " opinion " too. Personally, I thought the use of " voice " by Cadets in the 2007 show was gawdawful and made their show actually worse due to it's irritating and ineffective lecture like presentation to the audience, imo.

[scottgordon]

I don't know if this constitutes "boycotting". I think it qualifies as mostly a yes:

About three years ago it became clear that DCI shows no longer appeal to me like they used to. But I do continue hoping that they come back around. So, for the past three years, I've decided to go to one show early or mid-year. If the shows seem any more exciting than the previous year, I'd go to more shows. Under this plan, for the past three years, I have been to one show per year. I have also stopped donating to corps. Although this year I bought a Blue Knights shirt because I appreciated that they played some music that excited me.

[Cardman]

I will absolutely stop supporting DCI completely if they add woodwinds, no doubt in my mind about it. It won't be hard since what drumcorps is today barely holds my interest anymore anyway.

[BRASSO]

If DCI adds woodwinds or the G7 comes to pass, I might either stop showing up here, or kill myself and all others like me.

I'm not like you. Remember that.

[BRASSO]

I will absolutely stop supporting DCI completely if they add woodwinds, no doubt in my mind about it. It won't be hard since what drumcorps is today barely holds my interest anymore anyway.

If DCI adds woodwinds, It will be one very long INT for me.

[Tom Brace]

Many drum corps fans have their "if DCI adds X, I'm pulling my support" statement. It's different for various people... but I wonder how many people are REALLY going to give up this activity so easily?

In my opinion, I think most people on here make a lot of noise about WW's, Amps, and Bb horns...but I wonder how many people are REALLY boycotting DCI completely?? That means no merchandise, no shows, no DVDs, no CDs, no Fan Network, no downloads, no donations to ANY DCI corps, and no tuition sponsorships since your "X" was added to DCI?

Fess up now... and keep in mind that I'm not looking to ridicule anyone, just curious. I think the number is very low. I believe that it speaks to the true power of the activity, that no matter what form it takes and no matter how peeved a certain vocal minority gets about the evolution of the activity, I think 99.9% of the fans stick with it because their love is that deep.

So I put it to you now...who's for real? And please keep in mind that I WILL be looking for anyone who speaks up at every DCI show in the country.

I am.

[Rifuarian]

Actual boycotters are probably rare. There a few people who may be withholding their support in the delusional hope that DCI will revert to whatever it looked like when they first became fans, but I'd say most of the drum corps audience is a bit more realistic.

But DCI's fan retention rate is surely nowhere near 99.9%. Many have stopped following the activity for a number of reasons. Some no longer enjoy the shows and stop coming. Some get caught up in life and simply forget. Some lose interest when their corps has folded. Some stop paying attention when their child/sibling/friend/significant other stops marching. Many drum corps alumni do not become long term fans after aging out. There's no (public) information on this, but I'd wager that even a retention rate of 50% over 5 years after age-out/last year marching would be optimistic. As for the hordes of band students being brought to shows every year, the retention rate after graduation is possibly very low, unless they march drum corps or remain involved with the marching arts in some other way. Again, that's hard to demonstrate because little research has been done on the portion of the audience that is supposed to be the future of DCI.

Participating DCI has had a very positive effect on thousands of people, but don't think that this effect is so strong that people will continue to spend time and money on an organization that no longer interests them. Whether more people are leaving now than ever before, who knows? It's a claim that's impossible to prove or disprove. But people do leave, and frequently.

And let's also avoid the mistaken belief, often implicit in this sort of discussion, that "DCI" and "drum corps" are synonymous.

[4181jay]

I know my stance wont affect DCI too much as I only visited finals for the first time this year but I will not be renewing my friends subscription or visiting finals again whilst they are in Indy.

Adding my two tickets and friends subscription together cost me over $1000 and for this I got seats on the 35 yard line so high up and removed from the field that it was only when we went to the lower seats for Blue Devils encore that we heard the little drum snippet from 'legend'!

I had been building my wife up for months telling her about the volume these hornlines can produce yet not one corps seemed to project enough sound into the stands to justify my build up whilst we were in our 'reserved for friends of DCI' seats.

Again, it was Blue Devils encore when they played the warm up where she turned to me and admitted it was loud and maybe i was telling the truth!

I know it was not the corps fault we couldn't hear very well as I watched BD in Kerkrade in 2005 and although on that day i was on the 30, I was still engulfed with sound. ( I did comment to my seat neighbour on how rude the 'commentator' was talking through their show and saying yowser whilst they were playing though, ah, the innocence!) It's definately the stadium, especially the higher you go.

In a usual year I spend $3-400 dollars on merchandise over the internet in the form of 'friends', DVDs and t shirts but this year my outlay has been nearer $1700.

I would not say I am a heavy sponsor of DCI at all and know that my $ probably wont be missed but this venue is not a 'Drum Corps Stadium' and has resulted in DCI losing over $1000 income per year in the future from me alone. How many others feel the same way?

I also will not spend another penny on merchandise from any Corps who uses electronic instruments. I did not like the usage one bit and found it to be a severe annoyance. I shook my head in disgust when the guitars were played and felt quite uncomfortable watching the synth players 'rock out' and start jumping up and down in a choreographed show of emotion when we all know they were just pressing a button to get a sound effect. You cant put emotional feeling into a press of a key to get a pre recorded sample through the (too loud and not good quality) speakers.

I'll still follow DCI to see where it ends up but no more money from me I'm afraid unless a corps can come out and be bold enough to ditch the electronics and fake emotional theatrics. It really appeared to me that even the emotion is staged.

Design a show that everybody, performers and crowd together, can get behind and have a genuine outburst of emotion and you'll have my $$$. (yes, i did spend a few $$ on Phantom stuff after Sparticus!)

So glad thats off my chest! Sorry for the rant, its been a very busy night dealing with scumbags and as they say, you always take it out on the ones you love