Drum Corps on TV

[Fievel]

Why a "reality"-type show would be horrible for drum corps - Rookie Talent/Games.

[capusctrump]

Part of the problem is the word "Bugle." Anyone not familiar with Corps conjures up images of a soldier on horseback sounding a charge during a cavalry assault.How many times have you had to explain what Drum Corps is? Maybe Brass and Drum Corps would give a better initial impression of the activity?

Four things in this world that really don`t translate well to TV:1)Hockey,2)Rock Concerts,3)College Football,4)Drum Corps.Any of these four are too big for TV to attract new viewers,but it seems that once you have experienced one of these events live,then you can get a sense of it on TV.It has been my experience that as soon as I introduce some one to a live Drum Corps show,they are blown away,but to introduce some one through DVD or even a movie theater,they usually are left cold.

[perc2100]

The point of a reality show would NOT be to appeal to those who are already into drum corps. It would be to appeal to people who find the personalities and situations of the subjects interesting to watch. Out of THAT group, you would increase the visibility of the activity, and from there, it's up to the activity and shows themselves to turn the viewers of said show into fans.

But is it worth presenting drum corps in a possibly unfavorable (or at least, at times unflattering) way worth reeling in new fans who may not be interested in drum corps as a marching performance art? To me that's like the people who watch American Idol during the first audition phase because they are entertained by judges berating bad singers, and then tune out once the show narrows it down to the most talented performers. Or the people who watch shows like 'Hell's Kitchen' not to see great chefs blossom but to see a smarmy British guy embarrassing people. While I think a drum corps reality TV program would be entertaining, and while I think there might be an audience for that type of thing, I don't think it would be a positive for the activity. And if that's not going to be the case, then why bother? Why present an image of drum corps that isn't 100% favorable?

Anyone who thinks that simply putting Finals back on broadcast tv would increase the visibility and participation is deluded. Note that there were fewer corps at the end of 1980 (last year of the live cast in that period) than there were in 1975, when the 'GBH broadcast started. And given how badly drum corps people burned the PBS affiliates who used the show as pledge drive programming, there was very little enthusiasm on the part of the affiliates to show it by the end of the run.

I agree with this, which is why I think DCI is well off not taking on the burden of paying for and presenting itself on television. They've created (and continue to improve) a good online presence that is controlled by DCI and their member corps, and reaps 100% of the revenue without having to share with networks. They need to continue to increase their online presence, and continue to innovate with viral marketing and behind the scenes videos that might draw newbies into their website.

[perc2100]

I think a lot of folks are missing the point when it comes to Glee and the notion that if high school chorus can be a hit on TV, drum corps can too.

The point is Glee isn't a hit because it's about chorus. The chorus is incidental. Glee is a hit because it's about interesting people in interesting dramatic/comical situations. In that regard it is no different from any other successful TV show.

The good news is drum corps need not be any different. The creators of Glee might just as easily have selected the high school marching band as the counterpoint to cheerleaders/athletes and their coaches, applying the very same plots to sustain the drama and comedy. Some might argue that chorus is a more appealing - or at least less polarizing - medium for the plot than marching band would have been. On the other hand, some future producer might recognize that some of the negative marching band stereotypes might lend themselves very well to an even richer character/story palette.

HH

While I agree with this, Glee/chorus stuff is a bit easier to deal with, as there are far fewer characters in a chorus than a marching band. I agree that something akin to a 'Drumline' type plot could work, and have a core of about 5-8 student characters, plus a few adults for the majority of the stories. But filling it in with full band moments (which is what we would want I assume) would be costly and difficult. Not impossible, but shooting band classroom stuff would need a lot of extras, but even that would be on a sound stage wouldn't be as hard vs getting a high school football stadium for performance stuff would be hard to put together. I would imagine getting a production company/producer who wanted to take on that sort of task would be almost impossible.

BUT...

What if an enterprising producer put together a package that would be a sort of spin-off of Glee? It could be the same high school, with cross-over potential (i.e. maybe the drumline from the bando show could do a number occasionally with Glee, or a Glee cast member or two can sing at a bando assembly). Or it could be a spin-off they were talking about with the Glee graduating seniors going to a performing arts school, and be a sort-of Fame only with a focus more on music than dance: it could be both vocal and instrumental music focused, but the show would "spread the love" and not just center around singers.

[4181jay]

Turn it into a reality show.

And that's not a joke. Cross "The Real World" with a drum corps season, pick 6 or 7 telegenic kids from a few different corps, make the storyline about their experiences and interactions with others that summer rather than the shows themselves, and people will watch.

I pitched an idea similar to this to a TV programmer a few months ago. my idea was-

follow 7 or 8 English kids through the audition stage. human interest stuff at the forefront at first.

watch the joy and heartache of being accepted/cut.

moving to the USA and rehearsals.

on the road competing

finals week

coming home

There was a heck of a lot of human interest stuff and big scope for laughter, tears and tantrums.

it was a good, well thought out and presented pitch to the commissioner from our 5th biggest terrestrial channel which has a tiny portion of the market.

End result- wouldn't attract enough viewers to justify the (extremely small) financial outlay.

Drum Corps and mainstream TV just aren't compatible.

There is an Arts channel over here that I'll be speaking with in the New Year in an effort to do something though.

Watch this space!!!

[danielray]

Look... drum corps simply isn't all that interesting to a good chunk of the universe. It makes for great live performances.. but not good TV.

As for the backstory... I mentioned before.... the kids are too well-adjusted and focused to have any sort of real drama... just not really any meat on those bones.

Drum corps is what it is... and nothing wrong with that. Better is to figure out the viral media sort of gateway forms to bridge the gap between the uninformed viewer and proper drum corps.

Proper drum corps, as it is, it not that accessible to the general public. Don't water it down... or cheese it up... just create some new forms of virtual/viral entertainment.... sort of breadcrumbs... to get them to the real thing step by step.

TV, in any permutation, is a complete waste of energy.

[glory]

...What if an enterprising producer put together a package that would be a sort of spin-off of Glee?...

...Drum Corps and mainstream TV just aren't compatible....

...TV, in any permutation, is a complete waste of energy.

I bet a couple of years ago over at ShowChorusPlanet.com they were having a similar discussion about how Show Chorus gets no respect from TV. Then there was Glee.

If we're talking about DCI putting up its hard-won cash to fund TV programming in the pie-in-the-sky hope that marching band's reputation will suddenly soar, then that's a mistake because TV isn't going to save our reputation. It won't even bolster our market because the Internet has as much or more potentional at a lower price. If we're talking about the producers of Survivor or Apprentice or Say Yes to the Dress tackling drum corps, then that's a mistake because they're not concerned with building our reputation, never mind the vast logistical impediments for production.

If we're talking a scripted drama (or comedy), then marching band/drum corps is as fertile a field as any. As I said before, it's all about the characters. There is no reason why marching band couldn't be the background for a Glee-like script. The movie Drumline proves as much. Doug is correct that numbers and other logistical considerations would make a marching band script more expensive and/or difficult than chorus. (How many times have we cringed when actors try to act as if they're playing a musical instrument and can't even put the proper hands in the proper place?) Glee at least has the advantage of being able to recruit singers and dancers for the cast. How many real actors can really play trumpet?

I'm not saying it's likely. I'm just saying it's possible. The right script is the right script. Glee was obviously the right script for chorus on television. I suspect the next "right script" for band will once again be for a movie because the production would be too taxing week to week. TV could just as easily make the chess club the backdrop for the same comedy/drama. Yep, that's where we are.

HH

[Tim K]

It's interesting that the number of corps declined between 1975 and 80, even though DCI was broadcast on PBS. The broadcasts may have introduced new people to drum corps, but the publicity did not translate into new marchers or donors to back corps financially which is too bad. I know that in Massachusetts where I hail from, a depressed economy forced schools to severely cut music programs at the time many corps folded and the economic challenges made fundraising next to impossible. Lack of potential new members and funds caused many of the corps to fold, including corps we believed would be invincible like 27^th Lancers and North Star.

I never knew PBS was burned by drum corps fans at fundraising time, although I do recall hearing that the volunteers answering the telephones at WGBH in Boston when DCI aired took their phones off the hook during the performances of North Star and 27^th Lancers. If I'm not mistaken, the phones were staffed that evening by drum corps parents.

Thanks for weighing in, Representative Bachman.

The point of a reality show would NOT be to appeal to those who are already into drum corps. It would be to appeal to people who find the personalities and situations of the subjects interesting to watch. Out of THAT group, you would increase the visibility of the activity, and from there, it's up to the activity and shows themselves to turn the viewers of said show into fans.

Anyone who thinks that simply putting Finals back on broadcast tv would increase the visibility and participation is deluded. Note that there were fewer corps at the end of 1980 (last year of the live cast in that period) than there were in 1975, when the 'GBH broadcast started. And given how badly drum corps people burned the PBS affiliates who used the show as pledge drive programming, there was very little enthusiasm on the part of the affiliates to show it by the end of the run.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Tim K

[Tom Brace]

I bet a couple of years ago over at ShowChorusPlanet.com they were having a similar discussion about how Show Chorus gets no respect from TV. Then there was Glee.

If we're talking about DCI putting up its hard-won cash to fund TV programming in the pie-in-the-sky hope that marching band's reputation will suddenly soar, then that's a mistake because TV isn't going to save our reputation. It won't even bolster our market because the Internet has as much or more potentional at a lower price. If we're talking about the producers of Survivor or Apprentice or Say Yes to the Dress tackling drum corps, then that's a mistake because they're not concerned with building our reputation, never mind the vast logistical impediments for production.

If we're talking a scripted drama (or comedy), then marching band/drum corps is as fertile a field as any. As I said before, it's all about the characters. There is no reason why marching band couldn't be the background for a Glee-like script. The movie Drumline proves as much. Doug is correct that numbers and other logistical considerations would make a marching band script more expensive and/or difficult than chorus. (How many times have we cringed when actors try to act as if they're playing a musical instrument and can't even put the proper hands in the proper place?) Glee at least has the advantage of being able to recruit singers and dancers for the cast. How many real actors can really play trumpet?

I'm not saying it's likely. I'm just saying it's possible. The right script is the right script. Glee was obviously the right script for chorus on television. I suspect the next "right script" for band will once again be for a movie because the production would be too taxing week to week. TV could just as easily make the chess club the backdrop for the same comedy/drama. Yep, that's where we are.

HH

Just as it is quite possible that said show will be viewed as a "re-tread" of the similarly themed "Glee" and will not last a season...which could do more harm than good to the activity.

No plans should include television. It is a dying and stale medium which no longer attracts the prime demographics it once held. I believe drumline has brought the "cool" aspect out of the marching aspect. The rest...bleh for the teevee crowd. I think social media/youtube/etc. have more sway on the prime demographic and that's where the dollars/attention/potential is.

But...I think all of the jetsom being tossed out this off-season continue to demonstrate what I have been thinking for some time. 5 years. I give the patient 5 years. Costs, logistics, (especially housing) are going to continue to wain on drum corps and we are on the verge of another tipping point where we will see unexpected corps dropping by the wayside. The room for error is getting very small especially with ever tightening budgets. Fundraising is tougher than it has ever been and it takes a ton of time from mainly volunteers to make this all happen. That leads to burnout without ample knoweledge transfer...the loss of intellectual capital is huge in this activity. And this doesn't even address the increasing burden placed on members and their families.

So, teevee is a diversion. The reality show which is already drum corps...fading into it's final seasons without the cast members it used to have in many places and some of the best stars of the past are fading.

[soccerguy315]

In your opinion; but it's still pretty darn popular with the mainstream (and INFINITELY more popular in the mainstream than drum corps).

Although, this brings up a pertinent discussion: if getting drum corps on TV means changing show formats and/or design trends, plus shaping content to get the most response out of broadest audience, do we really want drum corps on TV? Is it worth radically messing with the activity to please the people least likely to organically get into/regularly follow drum corps? I personally think the activity is what it is, and I would rather any changes happen organically and not in a fairly desperate attempt to draw more viewers.

Also, FWIW, I'm not a Glee fan either (but I do appreciate and understand the fact that plenty of people are, and just because I don't personally like a show doesn't necessarily mean that the show is terrible)

quite a few million might disagree.....lol....unfortunately there arent a few million fans for our activity

sure... you guys obviously explained it better than I did, but generally hit the same points. Glee has lots of fans. Drum Corps does not. Jersey Shore and that Kardashian show also have more fans than drum corps. The goal should not be to make drum corps more like something else in order to increase the following.