Why is DCI so unknown by almost everyone?

[Mr. D. from da 313]

I wonder if one of the reasons people might not be turned off, because of the "opera snob" attitude some DCI alumni unwittingly seem to have. I'm a bando, proud to be, and do not consider being called one an insult.

Long live Drum Corps.

Before getting turned off to DCI, they have to see it, taste it,hear it, feel it. John Q Public just dont care. He wont get to that point to have an "honest" opinion. He can give you his "honest" opinion on Dancing with the stars or Desparate Housewives cause he watches that, gets to see it, hear it, feel it. So that stuff he will have an opinion on.

Millions of people like, enjoy, know artwork. paintings. I dont, I dont care that I dont, its not part of my life, am i missing something? sure. But to include that in my life, i would have to adjust other things that are important to me.

[FrankBeMe]

Needless to say this saddened me to no end. I knew that drum corps was not very popular in america, but this kinda opened my eyes more to see just how little the activity is known. No one at my work (about 100 people) had ever even heard of the activity. It was so disheartening, to not only have all of these people not even know what the activity is, but then go on to say that it is just some "foot ball half time show lame thing".

The majority of people in Madison have never heard of the Scouts. And it will continue to drop, especially since they might as well say they're from Bloomington now.

But even before that.....oh yeah, they're some marching band. And people outside of this area think Madison is a hotbed of drum corps....it isn't.

[Michael Boo]

some people's high art is someone else's Nascar.

I used to date a woman several years ago who is a HUGE NASCAR fan. She travels around the country to the major races and was somewhat amused I have never heard of her favorite racer, Bobby LaBonte. Just as she couldn't get me excited about NASCAR, I couldn't get her excited about drum corps. I couldn't relate to her watching hunks of metal go around a track as if on a record player, and she couldn't relate to why I would watch the same groups play the same music every show. She pointed out that at any race, anyone could win, and that kept things interesting. I pointed out that at any contest, any corps could...no...uh...I don't remember what I pointed out.

[drumlaw80]

I think it has become harder to market drum corps since the DCI corps started to look and sound homogenous.

Please understand, that is not a slam on any corps or "everything was better in the good old days" analysis, just a look at the current product. There are incredibly talented performers performing brilliantly designed shows that their predecessors could not even dream of attempting. But with the exception of a few corps, most of it's very, very similar, just varying degrees of achievement.

Once upon a time, almost every corps was a visually and musically distinct entity that could not be confused with any other corps on the planet ... finals was often held in a distinctive city that made the experience that year unique from all others. That's not the case right now, which I think makes it inherently more difficult to get new fans.

Anyway, just my .07 - no offense to anyone

[Fran Haring]

I think it has become harder to market drum corps since the DCI corps started to look and sound homogenous.

Please understand, that is not a slam on any corps or "everything was better in the good old days" analysis, just a look at the current product. There are incredibly talented performers performing brilliantly designed shows that their predecessors could not even dream of attempting. But with the exception of a few corps, most of it's very, very similar, just varying degrees of achievement.

Once upon a time, almost every corps was a visually and musically distinct entity that could not be confused with any other corps on the planet ... finals was often held in a distinctive city that made the experience that year unique from all others. That's not the case right now, which I think makes it inherently more difficult to get new fans.

Anyway, just my .07 - no offense to anyone

Good points, Lee. Well said.

[Fran Haring]

I think it has become harder to market drum corps since the DCI corps started to look and sound homogenous.

Please understand, that is not a slam on any corps or "everything was better in the good old days" analysis, just a look at the current product. There are incredibly talented performers performing brilliantly designed shows that their predecessors could not even dream of attempting. But with the exception of a few corps, most of it's very, very similar, just varying degrees of achievement.

Once upon a time, almost every corps was a visually and musically distinct entity that could not be confused with any other corps on the planet ... finals was often held in a distinctive city that made the experience that year unique from all others. That's not the case right now, which I think makes it inherently more difficult to get new fans.

Anyway, just my .07 - no offense to anyone

Good points, Lee. Well said.

[ContraRich77]

Drum Corps isn't pedestrian enough to be mainstream. Maybe someday, when it starts to suck............

[nngs9]

Drum Corps isn't pedestrian enough to be mainstream. Maybe someday, when it starts to suck............

Well said!!

I used to cringe (and even be offended) to hear drumcorps referred to as a marching band but over the last 10 or so years, instead of trying to explain Corps to a newbie by dancing around the words "Marching Band" i usually say that it's that movie Drumline and marching band in general on steroids. Extreme Marching Band!!!!

[nngs9]

I used to date a woman several years ago who is a HUGE NASCAR fan. She travels around the country to the major races and was somewhat amused I have never heard of her favorite racer, Bobby LaBonte. Just as she couldn't get me excited about NASCAR, I couldn't get her excited about drum corps. I couldn't relate to her watching hunks of metal go around a track as if on a record player, and she couldn't relate to why I would watch the same groups play the same music every show. She pointed out that at any race, anyone could win, and that kept things interesting. I pointed out that at any contest, any corps could...no...uh...I don't remember what I pointed out.

I see your point but i'd bet that she really goes because she just loves NASCAR, my brother loves nascar and he goes because he loves nascar, just like a drumcorps fan would go to a drumcorps show for no other reason than it's a drumcorps show!

[Jeff Ream]

I think it has become harder to market drum corps since the DCI corps started to look and sound homogenous.

Please understand, that is not a slam on any corps or "everything was better in the good old days" analysis, just a look at the current product. There are incredibly talented performers performing brilliantly designed shows that their predecessors could not even dream of attempting. But with the exception of a few corps, most of it's very, very similar, just varying degrees of achievement.

Once upon a time, almost every corps was a visually and musically distinct entity that could not be confused with any other corps on the planet ... finals was often held in a distinctive city that made the experience that year unique from all others. That's not the case right now, which I think makes it inherently more difficult to get new fans.

Anyway, just my .07 - no offense to anyone