Time to dispel a myth...

[Hrothgar15]

...that drum corps, no matter its form, was not, is not, cannot be, and never will be appealing to the mainstream public.

The symphony orchestra is appealing. Movie scores are appealing. Rock and roll is appealing. Broadway musicals are appealing. At what point in going to all brass (powerful, visceral sound) and marching on a field (action and kaleidoscopic delight) does it become "dorky"? Here's the answer: tawdry uniforms, immature characters, incoherent marimba doodling and the like. None of that, though, is necessary. There's no reason why drum corps can't simply be another musical medium, held with the same esteem and same following, that the symphony orchestra is, except for the elements I mentioned that you would never see in the latter.

A good drum corps show should be like a rollercoaster: you shouldn't have to know a lick about rollercoaster construction to be completely thrilled by the experience, but having that inside knowledge can add depth. I'm not talking about Joe Six Pack here, but at least anyone with a certain degree of education, sophistication, and appreciation of art of any kind. How many of the people going completely ape**** in my signature knew a lick about drum corps?

So here's my question: what makes the product so insular? What makes people who would enjoy the energy of a U2 concert turn down the energy of a drum corps show? How far do you have to go to appeal to get to a fanbase where a good portion had no prior involvement...like most other performing arts?

Edited November 12, 2010 by Hrothgar15

[FTNK]

Welcome back Hroth

[Lance]

it never has been, even back when you happened to love it.

myth dispelled.

[Stu]

> So here's my question: what makes the product so insular? What makes people who would enjoy the energy of a U2 concert turn down the energy of a drum corps show?

It is the sixty-year perception by the majority of the public that all marching musical units, all of them, are variants of "bad" half-time marching bands which have been made fun of in the movies, made fun of by many students at all of the high schools, and college bands doing trombone head chops as well as sousaphone dances in the stands at football games.

> How far do you have to go to appeal to get to a fan base where a good portion had no prior involvement...like most other performing arts?

Have Al Chez promote DCI on the David Letterman show by bringing on the Cadets horn line; have Chad Sexton drum with the Devils drum line at a 311 concert; convince Hollywood to stop putting horrible marching band sounds and visuals into movies and to stop the dialogue like, "One time, at Band Camp.."; convince high school students to stop making fun of the band "geeks"; convince the college band directors to stop those trombone head chops and sousaphone dances; and in about sixty years the public perception of drum corps might change.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Stu

[hornandsoccer]

> How far do you have to go to appeal to get to a fan base where a good portion had no prior involvement...like most other performing arts?

Have Al Chez promote DCI on the David Letterman show by bringing on the Cadets horn line; have Chad Sexton drum with the Devils drum line at a 311 concert; convince Hollywood to stop putting horrible marching band sounds and visuals into movies and to stop the dialogue like, "One time, at Band Camp.."; convince high school students to stop making fun of the band "geeks"; convince the college band directors to stop those trombone head chops and sousaphone dances; and in about sixty years the public perception of drum corps might change.

Perhaps a little overly pessimistic (admittedly, very odd for me to be saying that), but yeah. I don't think popularity is going to suddenly appear, barring a Hollywood miracle.

[Hrothgar15]

So here's the idea: have DCI actively distance itself from scholastic marching band as much as possible.

Win-win situation for both the general public and marching band participants who want to be "better" than their marching band.

[lindap]

So here's the idea: have DCI actively distance itself from scholastic marching band as much as possible.

Win-win situation for both the general public and marching band participants who want to be "better" than their marching band.

I marched in drum corps only. There were no marching bands where I was way back when. I moved west and there were marching bands and drum corps at the same event. To this day people know which was which. Perhaps you could find a tune that a drum corps and a marching band both do. Listen to each at the same point in time. I personally like drum corps; the instrumentation blends and is more harmonious...and when I attend the kids' stage band concert, I'm there for the jazz band :-)

[skewerz]

long standing stereotypes are extremely hard to drop...our past is rife with bigotry due to stereotypes.

[mobrien]

"Mom, make them stop calling me dork! I'm NOT a dork, I'm cool!"

===

I think that sums up the thesis of the thread, doesn't it?

Oh, in response, mom says

"Oh honey, it's a big world, and there are lots of people who like lots of different things. You just focus on being the best you can be, and don't let what anyone else thinks get in your way."

There ya go; happy ending.

Edited November 12, 2010 by mobrien

[Lance]

geek 1: " madison 95 is so much COOLER than bd 2010"

geek 2: "yeah, but bd 2010 executed at such a high level"

1 of the other 99.9% of the public observing above conversation: "uh oh, geek alert, let's get out of here before they see us."