Jeff Ream Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 not disagreeing BUT Ive asked this before....is the die hard changing......or is there even such a thing anymore and on its way to to something very different as far as alumni etc etc...remember members today arent in the activity as long as we were in the past and todays member soon to be alumni, will they ahve the same likes, dislikes as well as values.. there is a greater attachment by alumni in drum corps than in the band world. Granted, there are fewer corps now than say 30 years ago when DCI was still gaining ground, but in the band world it's a revolving cast of parents thatmakes up an overwhelming majority of parents. go to DCI shows, and take out the diehards, atmajor shows especially, and the audience shrinks. A lot. Parents can travel week in and week out in most cases to see kids perform in bands. they can't with DCI. Hell, many kids don't even have a chance at a home show when they march. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSUMusician Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I'm all for change, and for doing things differently to keep them from getting stale. I wouldn't like to see woodwinds simply because of the upkeep. I don't see a saxophone or clarinet holding up to the rigors of a tour through humid and hot, and then dry and hot weather. Pads wouldn't last very long, that's for sure. For me, it's simply a logistics issue. You're exactly correct. Not to mention the technical side of playing a woodwind instrument. You can't tell me that a student would possibly be able to hold a proper firm embochure on a clarinet while jazz running at 200 bpm. Then their is instrument upkeep. Are corps going to use plastic clarinets due to the wood horns cracking? Of course not because the quality would diminish, but how many instruments would be fully destroyed due to weather? How about reeds? How many reeds are you going to go through? This just doesn't make logistical sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I'd prefer acoustic woodwinds to anything else amplified. (Which means the woodwinds wouldn't get much use, of course, but a youth misspent amidst Renaissance Fair music means shawms are very much to my taste. Bagpipes are also loud enough.) So if the tradeoff is clarinets in, synthesizers and microphones out, OK by me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I can see the rationale - expand the pool of potential marching members for one. However, this would have a greater effect on the lower-tier corps, who have a harder time filling a complete wind line, than the top groups that turn away literally hundreds of prospective players. As for the audience, I'd sure like to think that the powers that be would consider massive research and study before adopting such a change in order to increase audience size. Is there really a massive, untapped base of marching woodwinds and their parents who will be galvanized into action the day DCI finally makes the change? Anecdotal evidence and hypothetical philosophy is a pretty flimsy excuse as rationale, especially considering that the razor-thin profit margins in DCI nearly led to the collapse of the organization in 2011. I guess I'd say for Hop and those who think this is a good idea - ok, now prove it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 So secondly ... yes. BOA and Drum Corps, the model, would be very much the same thing. Except "Drum Corps" would be held as the high standard. Where kids go to achieve even more. So you keep the teeny-bopper fans and the boosters paying for seats. Adding woodwinds, expanding the coffers, and accepting the loss of long-time fans. Die-hards = dead. The "model" may be close but the two organizations have very different needs. Would be like saying the National Hot Rod Club and Antique Auto Clubs (my other hobby) should be run the same way because they both have cars. Things to consider: 1) DCI has a max member limit so only the corps increasing in size would see more money in dues and (new) family/friends that can make shows? 2) With loss of die hards fans, would the new (continuing changing) fans/alumni make up the $$$ difference in fund raising? 3) How would a downturn in the economy affect depending on "fan boy/fan girl" to be footing a lot of the bill with their tickets? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddyt Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Here is a Marching Roundtable Podcast with GH talking about why he wants woodwinds. "For the future possibility of music education." "Drum corps, as it stands now, I dont think is really a viable, doesn't have a viable platform enough to go forward." "There is just not enough people who care about it anymore." All this and more here, My link This is interesting only for those who were not aware of Hopkins' stance on woodwinds. It's been out there for years and woodwinds still have yet to come to DCI. Until Hopkins pulls an Emperor Palpatine or perfects mind control, it will stay that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsnare Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Why doesn't George add a new category to YEA - Adult Band - BUT separate from Drum Crops. Or maybe a woodwind band. George is smart enough to know that adding Woodwinds is not the only way of sustaining Drum Corps. How about regional shows till the first/second week of July. With DCI VOD, everyone could see the corps in other regions. Rotate the judges around so they see everyone before expanding into areas greater than regional. This would certainly cut expenses and therefore, cut tour fees. These are off the top of the head ideas, so with some thought, DCI could come up with solutions. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 (edited) He has said these same exact things in a presentation at my school. Where he rambled on about BS and unimportant #### about his life and how to be successful and all that... Me and another professor were giving our live commentary in the back of the room, unfortunately out of ear shot... Woodwinds are not the answer at all. Seriously, There are TONS of WW players in DCI currently. Do the research. They would rather learn a different instrument than march their instrument in most cases. Just ask people. The appeal is the all brass sound to most WW players. At least most that I know. It's different from marching band. It looks good. It looks sharp, it's the "cool" of the marching band world. Adding a clarinet, or piccolo makes the activity lose its cool factor. Maybe that's not a big deal to some. Drum corps members are the rock stars to all the bandos across the country. And most I have known would never want to march woodwind instrument in drum corps. MOST DON'T WANT TO MARCH THEM IN MARCHING BAND! They are pointless instruments on the field. And Hop is in his own world. If the BOD ever approved that rule change oI would be surprised. He might get a couple votes in his favor.. but I really doubt it. Plus losing all the diehards CANNOT be made up. Most parents already dont travel around to see corps. ESPECIALLY in this economy. Adding woodwinds would effectively KILL DCI. Not just because it wouldn't even be close to drum corps anymore, but because the loss of fans could never be made up. Hop, and anyone who agrees with him are off their rockers IMO. Sorry if that offends someone, but I just do not see the logic. Edited June 19, 2012 by kickhaltsforlife 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsnare Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Another thought. If you follow George's thinking. Pop Warner should allow baseball players with gloves to play football to expand their experiences. Drum Corps is Drum Corps - let it stay. Let bands get together and form a band circuit if they want one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBadMadMan Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Why doesn't George add a new category to YEA - Adult Band - BUT separate from Drum Crops. Or maybe a woodwind band. George is smart enough to know that adding Woodwinds is not the only way of sustaining Drum Corps. How about regional shows till the first/second week of July. With DCI VOD, everyone could see the corps in other regions. Rotate the judges around so they see everyone before expanding into areas greater than regional. This would certainly cut expenses and therefore, cut tour fees. These are off the top of the head ideas, so with some thought, DCI could come up with solutions. Mitch Except that DCI already successfully killed the regional touring model. Was a mistake of epic proportions, IMO, and may have already spelled the decline of drum corps as we have known it. Look how many corps we have lost in the last 15-20 years or so. The regional touring model kept them viable. There's a reason it's difficult to start a corps nowadays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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