MelloHorn13 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Is the end of drum corps near? Not exactly. Is the end of drum corps, as we know/love it, near? Very much so. The activity is evoloving. It'll find someway to adapt to the chaos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Arts, Schmarts...For one, drumcorps is just music and movement, it's not important in the grand scheme of things. If drumcorps were to die tomorrow, I can't say I'd be sorry. Of course, this is coming from one pretty disgruntled fan. The electronics have just about killed this activity for me. I just don't care very much about it anymore. But drumcorps? Art? No. Never was, never will be. That's about as honest as I can be. I wish it weren't like this. I wish that drumcorps was as exciting as it was in the 80's/90's. But it's not anymore, to me. Oh well. Your comments beg a few questions: What "is" important in the grand scheme of things? Food? Water? Shelter? Cloths? Video Games? Magic Acts? Where do you draw the line on what is and is not important in the grand scheme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I like the model of American Opera, which is massively expensive to produce, rather niche and has been said to be dying for decades They go after individual sponsors as well as corporate sponsors and to keep the bucks rolling in from the individual sponsors, often older folks, they roll out a fair amount of the greatest hit opera each season Something most successful musicians learn early on, you have to play the hits to keep the fans happy But drum corps hates it hits, they call them regressive, no wonder they don’t have those deep pockets to tap later on Seems like Cadets almost figured this out I just saw Death and the Powers, go look it up, you’ll see a foot note that it was mainly bank-rolled by an older Opera fan in Monaco, sadly, she died before it had its premier there but it did make it to the stage, then Boston and to Chicago where I saw it This was a rather progressive Opera fan as it was a very non-traditional new opera, not the hits, takes all kinds…it was a good production but I didn’t like it, it was all visual and the music was horrid. I’m a music guy as a good visual can only carry so much, Opera only works for me if the music works for me Will be interesting to see how drum corps reacts to the education bubble popping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 To add to this, the OP stated: I assume you're talking about the Philly Orchestra stating their intentions of filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. If so, I'm sure you're aware that 1) this is the first major orchestra to file for bankruptcy (not "yet another:" the first) 2) they are filing for Chapter 11, which is a debt/organization restructuring and not folding for ever: basically they'll still operate just differently I'm sure you're also aware that these things happen in cycles. The country goes through growth spurts (like the tech boom of the 90's), as well as economic lows (the current recession, the recession of the early 90's, etc). While I have only be involved with drum corps a short amount of time (20 ish years), I know that the entire time of my interest/involvement in drum corps there have been the soothsayers proclaiming drum corps eminent (and near-immediate) demise. I've been told similar things have been said pretty much for ever, going back to the infamous "drum corps died" year of 1971 when The Combine was formed. I suspect drum corps is fine, and will fine a way to survive... Yes the philly orchestra is included in that, and I do know that they plan on filing Chapter 11. But Syracuse just cancelled their season and I believe New Mexico filed Chapter 7. Detroit has been having issues. And I'm sure there are others around the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBSMYTH Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Yes the philly orchestra is included in that, and I do know that they plan on filing Chapter 11. But Syracuse just cancelled their season and I believe New Mexico filed Chapter 7. Detroit has been having issues. And I'm sure there are others around the country. Good thing DCI isn't an orchestra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 And is that a problem for drum corps, or an opportunity? welll........yes. if DCI is serious about it's outreach to youth, it needs to become more community based, and not just let MENC put their ads in their stuff. but it also can and has killed marching band programs which have funnelled kids to the corps to march. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Lots of wisdom in this comment, imo. It'll be up to today's marchers to continue to financially step up to the plate and support the activity generously, and it will be up to them to continue to attend shows for decades to come. They do that, the activity will survive. We don't want to contemplate what happens if in great numbers they don't. the only problem is there are far fewer of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 And is that a problem for drum corps, or an opportunity? Certainly not an opportunity, given he scarcity of drum corps. Far better for locals to put whatever efforts they can behind the school music program that provides a wide-ranging set of opportunities than a drum corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioCamara Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 It all depends if George Hopkins gets any more power then he has! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Frankly I do not understand the death obsession of drum corps fans (and an occassional director) that keeps us returning to this discussion. There is a causal relationship between these points in the cycle and the difficulty of some corps to navigate through the winds and the waves. It is extremely unfortunate that we have lost many corps along the way during such periods. In all seriousness Bob, many of the posters here are from corps that no longer exist. IOW - we've seen it and know it could happen to any corps. And depending how far back people go, that "some" I bolded turns into "most". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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