Why is DCI so unknown by almost everyone?

[Stu]

...because...

It's not broadcast on TV... Boom. You do that and you've got something people would have atleast heard about...

For years DCI was on PBS, and even on ESPN2 for two years. There was no real increase in ticket sales from those broadcasts, so being on CBS Sports Sunday would not yield the increase in paid audience in relationship to the huge cost risk it would take to pay for the national broadcast.

[scv guy]

And I am sure that a huge corporate sponsor supported the Night at the Opera at ATT Park in San Fran. My point was when I asked if someone thought that Opera or Symphonies could "Sell Out" big stadiums like U2, the response from SCV Guy was "Yes"; that he had witnessed over thirty thousand people attending the ATT Park Opera event. However, when pressed further, it was only then that SCV Guy admitted that it was actually a FREE event. That omission of fact in his first response sort of negated his basis for supporting a contention that Opera could "Sell Out" a large stadium.

I was addressing the point of "appeal" rather than the price of tickets—sorry to confuse. All I was sayin' is that (free or not) I thought it was totally amazing to see that many people in one place watching opera (on TV). I was impressed and have never seen so many people in one place for a classical music event. Most of the people there seemed to be actual fans, but some like me were just checking it out. Maybe DCI could have some kind of free event in big cities?

See you watching supertitles at the next "opera in the ballpark".

[Mr. D. from da 313]

...because...

It's not broadcast on TV... Boom. You do that and you've got something people would have atleast heard about...

I think people must have at least heard of it before you put it on TV. Nothing worse then holding a party and no one comes.

[Stu]

I was addressing the point of "appeal" rather than the price of tickets—sorry to confuse. All I was sayin' is that (free or not) I thought it was totally amazing to see that many people in one place watching opera (on TV). I was impressed and have never seen so many people in one place for a classical music event. Most of the people there seemed to be actual fans, but some like me were just checking it out. Maybe DCI could have some kind of free event in big cities?

My hometown only has around 300,000 people. However, every summer over 20,000 show up for a FREE evening symphony concert in the park by the lake. What draws them are the aspects of socialization, sitting on blankets, eating out of picnic baskets, and having the opportunity to listen to some quality music for Free. Charge the crowd tickets, even if the price was nominal, and very few would show. How do I know that? Because ticket sales to regular symphony concerts at "The Hall" have not increased at all since the concert in the park was instituted. In fact, symphony ticket sales have slightly fallen off, but there is no way of gauging the exact cause of that drop. By the way, the word Free only applies to the attending audience; a corporate sponsor has to foot the bill. So for a Free to the public DCI extravaganza to occur, major sponsors would have to cough up a boatload of cash.

[scv guy]

My hometown only has around 300,000 people. However, every summer over 20,000 show up for a FREE evening symphony concert in the park by the lake. What draws them are the aspects of socialization, sitting on blankets, eating out of picnic baskets, and having the opportunity to listen to some quality music for Free.

Yep. I saw a whole lot of that, but I also saw a gajillion actual opera fans there. Dressed up, etc. Opera and Symphony prices are insane here in SF and there are some rabid opera fans here. I thought is was rather odd to see so many like that. Perhaps it's different where you live.

By the way, the word Free only applies to the attending audience; a corporate sponsor has to foot the bill. So for a Free to the public DCI extravaganza to occur, major sponsors would have to cough up a boatload of cash.

Of course! Wouldn't that be awesome if some companies would put up the cash? The general public does get a little dose of drum corps down in LA on July 4 at the Rose Bowl Fireworks display (the audience pays a small fee to sit inside the stadium). It's kind of sad that the "fireworks people" don't really get into it. The smaller number of drum corps fans chunk up around the 50 while the rest of crowd watches the corps shows from the side angle. They get a little stoked with the mass brass patriotic tunes, though.

[charlie1223]

For years DCI was on PBS, and even on ESPN2 for two years. There was no real increase in ticket sales from those broadcasts, so being on CBS Sports Sunday would not yield the increase in paid audience in relationship to the huge cost risk it would take to pay for the national broadcast.

oh your right. Being off the air for however many years has really helped the activity get noticed! Tickets sales are through the roof!

[Todd Tanji]

Drum corps is so unknown because it is a small niche within marching band.

[Stu]

oh your right. Being off the air for however many years has really helped the activity get noticed! Tickets sales are through the roof!

Charlie 1223: Are you really. I mean really, aware of the huge cost it entails to broadcast something on PBS or especially ESPN? Study after study within DCI has shown that the amount of people actually tuning in to watch and the numbers of new fans garnered has not to been cost effective. They also found out on both PBS and ESPN2 that they were spending a tremendous amount of money per viewer but they were not recouping those costs via donations to PBS or new ticket sales to live DCI shows. In fact, the loss was so great they would have gone belly up if they had not dropped ESPN2. Moreover, outside of the typical DCI sponsors (Yamaha, Stanbury, Band Hall, etc...) they could not generate much interest from companies who wanted to advertise during the DCI events on ESPN2. Like it or not, this is a money deal plain and simple. And the high cost of the broadcast is not worth the gain in new viewership.

[Stu]

Wouldn't that be awesome if some companies would put up the cash?

That sounds like the Utopian statement; wouldn't it be awesome if we could have world peace? Major Companies fork out cash for events because they get a marketing or public relations benefit from the audience getting exposure to their services or product. I am sure that the DCI marketing team over the years has approached companies outside those with a direct interest in the marching arts to generate capital. None of those companies seem to be interested in taking the risk of handing over that much capital to DCI for any possible gain in PR that they might receive. And I agree with the companies; if I was the marketing director for Coke, for example, I would have to balance the cost of producing a 'Free to the Public DCI Show' compared to the gain my company would get from that investment. It has been proven that companies can benefit from sponsoring the annual Battle of the Bands in Atlanta. Once DCI can bring in a 60k sell out, and I mean a sell out all around the stadium like the Battle does, companies will take notice. Until then, DCI has to exist in the niche it has found itself in since 1972.

[Piper]

Maybe because we're society's black sheep and we like it that way. Drum Corps people are known for many things but total sanity has never been one of them.