Lesson Learned From America's Got Talent

[Steve Knob]

This video is amazing, but why?

IT'S THE MUSIC! Both the arrangement AND the performance. The visuals are neat (but maybe really a little too much of them IMHO), but try just LISTENING to it. Turn off your monitor and turn up your sound. It's still great because of the MUSIC!

Carefully chosen "pop" music does work pretty well on the field, as shown by our choices the last two years at Teal. But, I don't think genre is as important as the musical value of the material chosen.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Steve Knob

[bluecoats88]

I think it would be interesting to explore more types of music, but wouldn't that push for more instruments....guitars, saxophones, etc. I mean how does a drum corps perform "The Devil Goes Down to Georgia" for instance, without a fiddle? Also, most of the acts in America's Got Talent were solos and small groups. Their acts might get lost on football field compared to the stage. But, the entertainment aspect...yes I understand that. I keep reading on here that people want more entertainment.

funny you should mention that song. check out Spirit of Atlanta in 1980 if you want to hear a great rendition of Devil went down to Georgia (it's the drum solo)

[deftguy]

To this day, I am still absolutely dumbfounded at the decision America made for America's Got Talent. Then again, it should be no surprise as this is the same America that voted for Ruben Studdard(sp?), Taylor Hicks, and many others. While Michael Grimm was good, he wasn't spectacular. To be honest, I see his type all the time in small music venues in cities like San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. By his type, I mean a cover-singer that sings in a coffee shop as a hobby. In addition, the prize for the show was a gig in Las Vegas. There is no way in hell that he is going to survive in Vegas with the types of shows that they have. The only two performers of the finalists that I would ever see are Prince Poppycock and Defying Gravity... now Prince Poppycock will sell seats in Vegas AND would have the longevity because of the wide range of show designs he could have. But anyway, let's get back to your question...

I agree with this 100%. I could go around the corner to a bar in my area and find a Michael Grimm there singing and playing the guitar. I would never go pay to see him in Vegas, he just wasn't that kind of act to me. Prince Poppycock is that kind of act, and I would pay big bucks to see his shows over and over again because of the sheer talent he on many levels. If I had the money, I would put it up on both Defying gravity and Prince Poppycocks shows because of the entertainment values, and sheer breath of shows they could create.

I am hoping to see the kind of eye opening creativity(much like the Cavaliers Machine) again on the field, they just don't seem to come around very often.

[KeithHall]

(Yawn!)

Another "We vs. Them" or "Dino's vs. Neo's" "They are right, we are right!" America's Got Talent served NO lesson to drum corps. The "judges" have NO clue about music or dance. Same thing with American Idol. Simon Cowell was heard singing on Ellen's Show a few years ago...HE CAN'T! The only musician on both shows is Randy Jackson and he uses "pitchy." They don't judge like DCI or DCA judges.

I think all corps are entertaining but some of us Dino's need to be more accepting of where drum corps is and is going.

[atlvalet]

Show me a drum corps YouTube video with 1,000,000 views and I'll show you someone who has finally figured out how to market DCI.

[atlvalet]

i've thought about putting a blast-esque stage marching and brass playing group together to try out for america's got talent, but I've never really executed this idea. It would be cool though. I mean, if you put out some drum corps power in that type of room with those accoustics, even with 16-24ish horns, it's gonna be noticed.

It's already been done in Brazil. I met John in '93. He was playing bass drum for the Marauders. He eventually marched Blue Devils. Now he is doing his thing in Brazil for Tcha Degga Da. (I am assuming it's ok to link to this since it's not DCI-related).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BX9S9fmTNk...feature=related

[Jeff Ream]

Who is more talented, Jackie Evancho or Michael Grimm? I think Jackie, even at her tender age, has much more talent than Michael. However, that didn't matter in the judging. The viewing audience, in my opinion, voted considering what type of music they like to hear, rather than on which singer had more talent. The most entertaining singer won, according to the majority of viewers.

DCI's instructors should take note, especially if they truly want to entertain the fans more to increase the national audience. If you look at the sale of music in this country based on genre, the types of music being performed by DCI corps are the least popular: wind ensemble, classical, jazz, show tunes, etc.

Will the DCI instructors change their ways and "pander" to what the public wants? Don't hold your breath. The talent level of both the instructors and membership of the DCI corps is amazing. Why "waste" their talents performing Pop music? No, the instructors want to perform the most sophisticated material their charges can handle. The instructors are "educators". The members are "students". The rules are written to reward the most talented groups no matter what material they perform, which is certainly fair, but not likely to attract more than a minuscule audience, composed mostly of parents, friends, age-outs and old time fans like me, who happen to like sophisticated music.

On a related note, I haven't seen a DCI rule book since 1976 but currently many points are awarded based on show design, not on performance. Does anyone in the audience really understand the General Effect captions? Do away with General Effect. It rewards the instructors, not the performers. Egos are at stake. Expand the other captions and let the talent on the field prevail.

What do you think would happen if the audience at DCI shows would have a vote in the outcome, like on America's Got Talent? I think many instructors would quit. Of course, they don't have to worry about that happening. They make the rules, public be ######.

where the show is held will have sway on audience vote.

[over60]

To TerriTroop,

The customers I'm referring to are the potential new, non-drum corps fans DCI is trying to attract to bring in more revenue to keep the activity alive. The current drum corps audience is relatively numerically static and made up of mostly former members, parents and other family members, friends and a few old fans like me who are hanging around because we appreciate the more sophisticated shows. The general public's musical tastes are much, much less sophisticated than what most corps put on the field. That's why I said that the AGT outcome was predictable. It was opera versus Pop and the winner should not have surprised people. As I said before, people want to be entertained. Entertainment won over talent. That's why I said that the (potential) customer is always right.

Remember, DCI is selling a product so it has to please its customers or go out of business. What is DCI's product? Entertainment. The drum corps themselves are surely educational for the members but DCI's product is not education.The current fan base is obviously entertained or we'd all be gone. But, DCI is in financial trouble because there aren't enough of us to sustain the activity. The only way to significantly get a lot more people in the seats (and in uniforms) is to give the potential customers what they're willing to pay for: entertainment. And most of the music played today is not entertaining to the potential new fans.

KeithHall wrote, "America's Got Talent served NO lesson to drum corps. The "judges" have NO clue about music or dance." That's my point! The people who voted on AGT have no expertise about music and dance, but they know what they like, and are willing to pay for. The lesson to learn about that vote is that the untapped potential fan market is not sophisticated and does not like sophisticated music. Therefore, what DCI is now selling they will not buy.

The only way I can think of to substantially increase the fan base of drum corps and the membership base is to play music that more teens want to play. And the fact is that wouldn't be what most corps are playing today. Anyone who knows how to do this another way has yet to contribute.

[over60]

To Jeff Ream,

Obviously, the vote would have to be national, not local, so there would not be regional bias.

My reason for posting this topic was to think how to vastly expand the current popularity of drum corps. Even a national fan vote now would serve no purpose. The only people watching the show would be current fans who, for the most part, like what the corps are playing.

[drumlaw80]

Who is more talented, Jackie Evancho or Michael Grimm? I think Jackie, even at her tender age, has much more talent than Michael. However, that didn't matter in the judging. The viewing audience, in my opinion, voted considering what type of music they like to hear, rather than on which singer had more talent. The most entertaining singer won, according to the majority of viewers.

DCI's instructors should take note, especially if they truly want to entertain the fans more to increase the national audience. If you look at the sale of music in this country based on genre, the types of music being performed by DCI corps are the least popular: wind ensemble, classical, jazz, show tunes, etc.

Will the DCI instructors change their ways and "pander" to what the public wants? Don't hold your breath. The talent level of both the instructors and membership of the DCI corps is amazing. Why "waste" their talents performing Pop music? No, the instructors want to perform the most sophisticated material their charges can handle. The instructors are "educators". The members are "students". The rules are written to reward the most talented groups no matter what material they perform, which is certainly fair, but not likely to attract more than a minuscule audience, composed mostly of parents, friends, age-outs and old time fans like me, who happen to like sophisticated music.

On a related note, I haven't seen a DCI rule book since 1976 but currently many points are awarded based on show design, not on performance. Does anyone in the audience really understand the General Effect captions? Do away with General Effect. It rewards the instructors, not the performers. Egos are at stake. Expand the other captions and let the talent on the field prevail.

What do you think would happen if the audience at DCI shows would have a vote in the outcome, like on America's Got Talent? I think many instructors would quit. Of course, they don't have to worry about that happening. They make the rules, public be ######.

God Bless America. Got Talent?

On a serious note, you hit the nail on the head. E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T.

That's what this is all about.