MikeD Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 The biggest thing is that you HAVE to have grass roots. DCI has pretty much lived off the VFW corps(e) for as long as it can. Without local circuits and corps you cannot hope to keep a base of fans going. The nail in the coffin was the elimination or the local circuits and tours. It also has devoided itself of anything (in a real tangible way os sense) of being unique and marketable as such. <- see funny cartoon depicting a character trying in vain to explain drum corps. The above is the reason DCI has to target itself as much as possible at the MB world, since that is where the audience and future MM are drawn from. Local circuits are not going to spring up in this day and age...they failed because they became expensive and irrelevant to those who had the same or better experience in their HS bands. 4,000+ competitive bands versus 400+ competitive corps...I'll take the 4,000+ any day, since that means many more are marching and competing today than ever before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 corrcted for you When you choose to change someones post, you should at least make it obvious what is being changed. Use bold or a different color. You are wrong in that change BTW...the number is far fewer than you try and make it appear. IMO of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Not IMO. True fans accept and embrace the activity, they don't trash it at every opportunity. Acoustic is just not important in the grand scheme of things, IMO. Its plain silly to whine and complain about it...again, IMO. We are lucky people MikeD, very lucky people. Edited February 2, 2011 by charlie1223 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 We are lucky people MikeD, very lucky people. Yes, we are Charlie1223! I saw my first show in 1964, and I've loved EVERY era of drum corps I've experienced since then as a MM, designer, judge and audience member. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 We are lucky people MikeD, very lucky special people. Corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Corrected. I like waffles... Oh! you're so darn clever! Edited February 2, 2011 by charlie1223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Oh! you're so darn clever! Hey, my sig covers waffles....hows THAT for clever! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Ah, yes it was, because drum corps are marching bands. You are the "inaccurate" one here, not me. You forgot the "IMO". AL and VFW Nats, as has been said by others here, were highly attended because they were part of the annual conventions of those organizations. So what? Drum corps has always staged events in conjunction with, or in the vicinity of, other conventions or festivals. The San Antonio focus show is one example, scheduled to coincide with the Texas Bandmasters Association convention. Talk about historically inaccurate. Back in the day an "ordinary five-corps show" was held at a HS field...won't even call them "stadiums" back then. The full capacity of those stands were in the 1,000 range. Evidently, your narrow view of "history" is based on your own selective memories. First of all, I did not say that every ordinary show outdrew today's DCI finals. Secondly, when I said "back then", I was referring to the 1950s. Your memories seem limited to the 1970s and late 1960s, and predominantly Garden State Circuit shows. I'm sorry that there were some GSC shows that didn't draw well....but there were some that did better than the examples you give. Just the crowd response on recordings proves that much. Now, for some historical data as reported in Drum Corps World. These are all ordinary five-corps shows (not national, state or circuit championship contests), all held in the Rochester, NY, area. 6/15/57 drew between 14,000 and 15,000. 7/27/57 drew 15,000. 6/28/58 drew 17,000. 7/5/58 drew 14,000. (Whoops, sorry, this show only had 4 corps competing.) 8/9/58 drew 10,000. (Like I said, not every show outdrew modern-day DCI finals.) 7/4/59 drew 11,000. 9/5/59 drew 15,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartans87 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) I don't think those of you who pass off the local shows as a waste are really thinking big picture. More shows locally do several things: 1- Cut travel cost for most corps 2 - gives more "local" kids an opportunity to see what we love (except for the electronics, they are horrible....and yes that is my vote on that issue)and potentially get intrigued enough to want to get involved 3 - With time, "could" attract support from local business that have abandoned the activity because of the lack of local interest 4 - could spur new corps to start up And for the record, I do understand this is 2011 and not the 1950's or 1960's and so on, so yes, everything cost more than it did back then. It is a fact of life. But there could still be support on a much larger scale if we bring the activity back to the "grass roots" as some have suggested, and allow some of the kids that are not going to be professional musicians or music educators, the chance to participate. The same way some on here had the chance to participate. It could work again. Differently than it did in the past, but the core concept could be employed again successfully. Regardless of what some of you think..... And I hate electronics........(did I say that already?) Edit - I know there are holes above, but it is a starting thought and I don't have all day to sit here and fully type my opinions on these missing parts.....but I do have opinions) Edited February 2, 2011 by Spartans87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Hey, my sig covers waffles....hows THAT for clever! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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