Jeff Ream Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 And yet the alumni and senior corps closest to the "oldies" formulas aren't drawing the crowds of legend. What does that tell you? I'll tell you what it tells you: Drum corps is and always will be an exception. HH depends on your area. I can tell you in places in the northeast, more people come out for the alumni corps than for the competing corps...and the alumni corps get a far better reaction than the competing corps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 depends on your area. I can tell you in places in the northeast, more people come out for the alumni corps than for the competing corps...and the alumni corps get a far better reaction than the competing corps this is very true BUT I can tell you these same ICON corps are very concerned about moving out of particular decades and some finally getting it that without including all decades in they wont be around long. Audiance love them....me included BUT sooner or later it will have to expand....noone lives forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) depends on your area. I can tell you in places in the northeast, more people come out for the alumni corps than for the competing corps...and the alumni corps get a far better reaction than the competing corps I attend both junior shows and senior shows and live in the Boston area. Shows whether junior or senior are more reunions than anything else which is fine but it's also why I think drum corps has to continuously attract new audiences. I attend junior shows for the competition aspect and I still enjoy seeing what happens on the field. I don't follow DCA the way I follow DCI, so I attend these shows more for fun.The alumni corps can be seen at both junior and senior shows and are filled with people who have never quite shaken the drum corps bug and since they often perform favorites from yesterday's shows, I'm glad they haven't shaken that bug. While they may not be in the shape they once were (not that I am either), they give audiences a good time and they take what they do seriously while still having a good time. At this point I might add that anyone who wants to see a historic moment may want to mark July 21st on the calendars. Mission Drums at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, MA (refurbished since World Open days!!!) will have some great senior action, but no offense to the Caballeros, Hurricanes, Sunrisers, Empires Statesmen, or Windsor Regiment who will be competing that night, the real excitement of the evening may be the Bridgemen and 27th Lancers alums joining forces to perform "Danny Boy." Never would have predicted that when the two were serious competitors. Edited May 15, 2012 by Tim K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 depends on your area. I can tell you in places in the northeast, more people come out for the alumni corps than for the competing corps...and the alumni corps get a far better reaction than the competing corps In places? Seriously? You can't expect us to be that gullible as to swallow the suggestion that the crowds are flocking to see alumni corps rather than junior corps. In the first place, they're not flocking. In the second, junior corps draws far more at its biggest shows (and in aggregate) than alumni/seniors do. The exception most definitely does not prove the rule in this case. HH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 In places? Seriously? You can't expect us to be that gullible as to swallow the suggestion that the crowds are flocking to see alumni corps rather than junior corps. In the first place, they're not flocking. In the second, junior corps draws far more at its biggest shows (and in aggregate) than alumni/seniors do. The exception most definitely does not prove the rule in this case. HH In the Boston area, there are usually two or three junior corps competitions and one (to the best of my knowledge) senior competition. The junior shows are better attended though the DCA show has a good sized audience. None of the shows, junior or senior, are standing room only. I'm not sure they were back in the day either. In Massachusetts the CYO Nationals and World Open were the two biggest shows at one time, but you could always get tickets the day of the show. I don't know that the alumni corps actually compete. Usually they are in exhibition. I'm also not sure that an alumni corps show could fill a stadium or whether it would be the best venue for such a show, but the alum corps do bring former corps members to the shows where they appear which adds to attendance and since the stands are filled with corps alums from a variety of units, they add to the fun, but they are not the centerpiece for most in attendance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) this is very true BUT I can tell you these same ICON corps are very concerned about moving out of particular decades and some finally getting it that without including all decades in they wont be around long. Audiance love them....me included BUT sooner or later it will have to expand....noone lives forever. Hopefully, the Alumni Corps of 30 years hence ( Crown, Bluecoats, etc ) will be out there performing and thrilling the audiences playing the Drum Corps "oldies" classics from the years of 2005-2020 when its the year 2040. This activity needs more Corps, Junior, competing, DCA, exhibition and parade. And it needs more fans. Othewise, they'll be no Alumni Corps out there performing before ANY fans in the year 2040..... and that would be both unfortunate and sad. The torch is about to be passed to the next generation of this activity.The way it was passed to them by previous generations. It'll be up to the next generation to take the lighted torch and run with it on high....... or not. In which case the light goes out on the once great Drum Corps activity and it did so on their watch. Edited May 15, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Hopefully, the Alumni Corps of 30 years hence ( Crown, Bluecoats, etc ) will be out there performing and thrilling the audiences playing the Drum Corps "oldies" classics from the years of 2005-2020 when its the year 2040. This activity needs more Corps, Junior, competing, DCA, exhibition and parade. And it needs more fans. Othewise, they'll be no Alumni Corps out there performing before ANY fans in the year 2040..... and that would be both unfortunate and sad. The torch is about to be passed to the next generation of this activity.The way it was passed to them by previous generations. It'll be up to the next generation to take the lighted torch and run with it on high....... or not. In which case the light goes out on the once great Drum Corps activity and it did so on their watch. totally agree..Alumni needs to include all who want to be a part and also realise the past is NOT just a certain decade that they mave have marched but ALL decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 this is very true BUT I can tell you these same ICON corps are very concerned about moving out of particular decades and some finally getting it that without including all decades in they wont be around long. Audiance love them....me included BUT sooner or later it will have to expand....noone lives forever. i'm seeing more willingness to adapt on the part of alumni corps in the last 2/3 years than ever before...and it's helping them gain newer and younger membership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 In places? Seriously? You can't expect us to be that gullible as to swallow the suggestion that the crowds are flocking to see alumni corps rather than junior corps. In the first place, they're not flocking. In the second, junior corps draws far more at its biggest shows (and in aggregate) than alumni/seniors do. The exception most definitely does not prove the rule in this case. HH did I say alumni corps outdraw DCI corps at the biggest shows? No offense, but you may want to go back and re-read what I said. It'll help open your eyes to some things you obviously don't want to see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 totally agree..Alumni needs to include all who want to be a part and also realise the past is NOT just a certain decade that they mave have marched but ALL decades. and again, you're seeing that movement. When I look at alumni corps, not just reunion projects, but those going out every year and doing multiple shows, several are opening up the membership and performing music of a more recent vintage. Now, some corps have roots from a certain era, then they ceased to exist until the alumni got rolling. So yes, their shows may be heavier on older stuff. But when I see say Boston or Cabs or Bucs doing tunes the field corps did within the last 15-20 years, and the faces in the corps aren't as old as they used to be, yeah I'd say they're adapting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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