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Why is DCI so unknown by almost everyone?


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Immature musical arrangements, weak source material and emotionally underdeveloped shows, to name a few. Plus irritating uses of electronic equipment. I don't think it's not entertaining, just not as entertaining as it could be or once was.

By this line of argument, the major pop acts would be even MORE popular if only they'd drop those #### electronics, right? :rolleyes:

Bill nailed it; the audience for drum corps always HAS been families of the members, for the same reason that the audience for Pee Wee league soccer, high school show choirs, and ballroom dancing is primarily the friends and families of the participants. We care about it because most of us did it (or did marching band, which is a related form). But many of us who have married outside 'the faith' can attest that for lots of other people who have pretty sophisticated musical and artistic taste, drum corps still just doesn't do much for them.

Trying to argue that more people would love drum corps if they just knew about drum corps is a position worthy of a true marching band nerd. Most people have seen it, or something close to it, and they're not that crazy about it. Folks need to stop looking to others for affirmation of their own taste, and just go with what they like.

Edited by mobrien
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You all might think I'm a little crazy but the number one reason why people don't hear about this activity is because the satanic entity called the entertainment industry hasn't gotten their greedy little palms on it.The entertainment juggernaut is only there to hypnotize the brain-dead through sex,vanity,fashion and money. I think alot of drum corps fans are very open minded,compassionate,giving and generally don't fall for the majority of brainwashing tactics employed by the red hand. It might be a crazy analogy but I think its like marketing flesh and consumerism to a buddhist monk.It just don't work.

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Stop looking to others for affirmation of your own taste, and just go with what you like.

This is the problem I have with many of the "modern" drum corps. They're too busy being ashamed and afraid that they won't sound like a symphonic band that they won't put any air through the horns.

The period I went to the most shows was the late 80's through the 90's and as you would sit through a show each corps would be both better and louder until the last couple who were usually pretty evenly matched. They weren't good because they were loud they were loud because they were good. They played with better intonation and balance and that gave them a bigger sound. You can play loud as hell and still put out a good tone if you practice at it. You're not going to sound like a string quartet though and that is fine. I wonder if some of the current fans have ever heard any Wagner played by a top-flight symphony orchestra. The trombones will about rip your face off and that is OK. The same orchestra will play with the most delicate sound you could imagine and both styles are perfectly acceptable and appropriate in their correct context.

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In my opinion, corps, DCI, whoever, do not do enough to reach out to communities to noticed. That is why no one knows about our activity. Even if the perception is considered "marching band" the mere fact that an organization can be noticed is a major step.

Outreach for example:

Parades. Corps hate doing them because they feel they above that type of activity. But they lose the opportunity to be noticed by mainstream population by not partaking. I was on my cities annual festival that included parades and an evening concert. Turned down by three corps because they said they do not do them.

Be as it may, pulling away from Al and VFW, etc to privatize to DCI took a lot of fans away (granted that most AL and VFW post are shrinking as their membership dwindles). BUT they used to have local competitions, state competitions, and national competitions with sponsored corps that created interest for competitive aspect of their Post, in general, for bragging rights even if they didn't personally care for the activity. It was a lot more than going to watch a family member perform. It was all about supporting the Post and the affiliated corps to move to the next level, local to state to nationals. My dad's friend who belonged to a neighboring AL Post could not give a crap about their corps. However, when it came to convention time, his bragging about their superiority over my corps got their name out to the community with money following. Couldn't shut him up.

Flag raising, SPB at community events. When is the last time (or first time) you heard a corps being consistently present for the colors? Participate in community functions that are unrelated to corps performances, such as clean-ups, human resources or other services and asked media to follow them in tow? It would be wonderful to hear from corps who do this. I see so little mentioned on DCP

Just saying, that I feel groups have created no motivation for population to notice them or become mainstream. They only cater to their inner circle.

I guess this is a function of the national recruitment process.

Just my opinion.

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If you think there are problems getting the general public to get involved more that's the problem then we have bigger news for you. It's just as hard to get musically inclined people to get involved.

For example, in 2004 during the post season there was the tour of champions. My band director rallied up a group purchase and took my entire high school marching band to go see the 6 still existing world title holders in the Rose Bowl. I was thrilled to go see it even as a saxophone player at the time. And on top of that, two seniors in the band had marched that season and was trying to get the people not excited about going excited because mind you we were still on our summer vacation and tons of the people in the band would of rather been at home playing video games. Some people though, mostly the drummers and trumpet players thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were talking about auditioning. After that, not including the two people who had already marched, about 6 of us (out of a band of about 129) marched, 8 total and only 4 of us marched until our age outs. As for the rest of the kids, the only time they ever saw corps again was when they were invited, forced to go with the band, or if they were sent a video off of that site we do not mention. So that's about what 3% show constant interest? And that's the age group and the group that everyone assumes DCI is targeting and seeing the corps that we say everyone "gravitates" towards and there's the results right there for ya for musically knowledgeable people.

Another example, I tell a lot of my friends that are big rock fans that the drummer from 311 marched drum corps after they already know I did corps. Still no interest in it at all with that small relation to it.

Just goes to show you that there should be no surprises to us when the general public doesn't know or doesn't want to research DCI when musicians don't even want to do it either.

I feel to promote DCI is to do some sort of reality T.V series that follows selected corps around and films them from auditions to finals. "The Road to Indy" and "Throw It Down" are perfect examples with a little less of that reality T.V flair of stupidity thrown in. Bluecoats and Pacific Crest had the right idea by creating these DVDs about monumental seasons whether it was progress or tragedy that enticed these groups to create these documentaries. Now, I know it's not pre-season training for the NFL or something like that but throwing out there what they do and how they do it with all the different backgrounds I think would grab a lot of wanted attention and growth. Just showing them a show wouldn't grab their interest if they don't know what goes on to get them to that show. It will also show all the emotional triumphs and failures that happen in drum corps and show them that we aren't that far away from being just like those proffessional athletes since drum corps represents the best of the best in the marching music arts.

two cents paid

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You all might think I'm a little crazy but the number one reason why people don't hear about this activity is because the satanic entity called the entertainment industry hasn't gotten their greedy little palms on it.The entertainment juggernaut is only there to hypnotize the brain-dead through sex,vanity,fashion and money. I think alot of drum corps fans are very open minded,compassionate,giving and generally don't fall for the majority of brainwashing tactics employed by the red hand. It might be a crazy analogy but I think its like marketing flesh and consumerism to a buddhist monk.It just don't work.

Wow! You just insulted Al Chez of the David Letterman band, Chad Sexton of 311, Steve Gadd who is arguably the best studio drum set player, and thousands of others who moved from the ranks of drum corps into a music career within the entity you called the "satanic" entertainment industry. Be very careful where you point that righteous finger of yours; because if you listen to any CDs, Mp3s, or watch any movies at all, you are also supporting that same evil empire and that would make your opinion rather hypocritical.

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Stu, there's a larger point that zhivago ties into.. let me try to shed some light on it:

This...

You all might think I'm a little crazy but the number one reason why people don't hear about this activity is because the satanic entity called the entertainment industry hasn't gotten their greedy little palms on it.The entertainment juggernaut is only there to hypnotize the brain-dead through sex,vanity,fashion and money. I think alot of drum corps fans are very open minded,compassionate,giving and generally don't fall for the majority of brainwashing tactics employed by the red hand. It might be a crazy analogy but I think its like marketing flesh and consumerism to a buddhist monk.It just don't work.

plus this...

Just saying, that I feel groups have created no motivation for population to notice them or become mainstream. They only cater to their inner circle.

equals this: we are narrowing our focus on entertainment rather than substantive community involvement that the community as a whole understands. There's the substantive community involvement WE understand (the personal kind we get going through Drum Corps), as well as entertainment value that caters to our tastes in large part because we went through it...

but little to no involvement in the things that most folks DO understand, like homeless shelters, and other traditional not-for-profit institutions that advance a cause that is tangibly and more universally accepted, with relation to the betterment of oneself, and ultimately, humankind.

Edited by Impuls!vebari
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