GUARDLING Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I marched in the 90's, I did my fair share of prancing too hahaha... my point is that drum corps is a unique thing, and the elements that make it unique and entertaining (in my opinion, of course) are the blend of sport and art- the raw power and sound, the velocity and precision. Those things are universally entertaining to pretty much everyone. I am all for the "art", but I think it is the raw "sport" that seperates it from marching band and creates a hook for the general paying public. Add in flutes, pop singers, etc and scrap all the power for "creative movement" and you've lost everything that makes drum corps bad ### and awesome to people on the street. Back when I marched in the 90's we did the early season on the DCM tour- smaller more accessible shows. Perhaps a smaller regional tour model would be better, one or two headliners and one or two small corps- keep ticket prices down. Current ticket prices are very expensive, for my family of four to attend the Louisville show it was $100 for the cheap seats. Count on gas/food/etc and you are easily looking at over $150... yikes! The entertainment value and "production" of the event had better be GREAT for that kind of money, especially to capture the general publics hard earned dollars. For that money I want trooping the stands, I want full retreats, I want sound/action/fun to make the event a true professional production and different from a high school band show, which is basically how the event "feels" if that makes any sense... I served recently on the board of directors of a world class corps, and we ran (past tense) an annual drum corps show. Even with good attendance we were lucky to break even. Stadium rental/DCI fees/etc are really steep. Most the audience were people with marching music ties- high school band kids, corps alums/parents, etc. With corps arriving in the middle of the night, rehearsing during the day, and not appearing to the general public until showtime there was never an opportunity for any exposure to the public. Take away retreat, trooping stands with cadences, etc and the audience basically sees each corps a whopping 15 minutes at most. It is tough to build an audience that way. your last paragraph gives all the reasons why some of the things you want back or see again arent done anymore....corps most of the time have to feed members and hit the road before a retreat would take place...shows also used to be at night ( I remember they didnt start befroe 8pm at 1 time )...made everything sparkle, corps hated going on in daylight. BUT NOW , lights cost, stadiums cost, many shows are done by 9 or 9:30 ,,it all comes down to $$$$$$...If sponsors have to spend more noone will hold a show,,its not worth it financially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Losing the smaller circuits like DCM has had a negative impact on Drum Corps, especially in these tough economic times, when having more local shows would help reduce corps & fans travel expense. DCI won the battle but lost the war when they forced the small circuits to shut down. I marched in the 90's, I did my fair share of prancing too hahaha... my point is that drum corps is a unique thing, and the elements that make it unique and entertaining (in my opinion, of course) are the blend of sport and art- the raw power and sound, the velocity and precision. Those things are universally entertaining to pretty much everyone. I am all for the "art", but I think it is the raw "sport" that seperates it from marching band and creates a hook for the general paying public. Add in flutes, pop singers, etc and scrap all the power for "creative movement" and you've lost everything that makes drum corps bad ### and awesome to people on the street. Back when I marched in the 90's we did the early season on the DCM tour- smaller more accessible shows. Perhaps a smaller regional tour model would be better, one or two headliners and one or two small corps- keep ticket prices down. Current ticket prices are very expensive, for my family of four to attend the Louisville show it was $100 for the cheap seats. Count on gas/food/etc and you are easily looking at over $150... yikes! The entertainment value and "production" of the event had better be GREAT for that kind of money, especially to capture the general publics hard earned dollars. For that money I want trooping the stands, I want full retreats, I want sound/action/fun to make the event a true professional production and different from a high school band show, which is basically how the event "feels" if that makes any sense... I served recently on the board of directors of a world class corps, and we ran (past tense) an annual drum corps show. Even with good attendance we were lucky to break even. Stadium rental/DCI fees/etc are really steep. Most the audience were people with marching music ties- high school band kids, corps alums/parents, etc. With corps arriving in the middle of the night, rehearsing during the day, and not appearing to the general public until showtime there was never an opportunity for any exposure to the public. Take away retreat, trooping stands with cadences, etc and the audience basically sees each corps a whopping 15 minutes at most. It is tough to build an audience that way. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkjazzaxe Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Good comments- although when we ran shows there really wasn't a cost element to starting/ending it later, but you are right about corps needing to hit the road earlier because the travel between shows is longer distance than it used to be for a routine schedule. Smaller regional shows were often closer together, now most corps are driving hours every night. I remember all shows we did full retreat, ate snacks in the lot at midnight! You are right about shows being at night under the lights- made for a more professional gig and looked much sharper. Seems like most the shows I have attended recently all but the final corps were in daylight. Again, more "high school band" and less "pro" feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaseyW Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 http://www.marchingroundtable.com/2011/03/31/episode-3-the-david-starnes-interview/ Is this what DCI has been missing recently? The human element? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kckempf Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 http://www.marchingr...rnes-interview/ Is this what DCI has been missing recently? The human element? Phantom's shows lately have been particularly emotional, and of course Spartacus had a terrific connection to the audience. They're not the only ones who have put together shows with a good emotional component, with Madison Scouts last year as a good example. Scheherazade from SCV did a great job of it, in my opinion as well. Even the ones that have lacked in emotional intensity have still been veering towards greater entertainment values. Last year was a good example, with the ridiculous shows from Crown, Phantom, Blue Devils, Madison Scouts, Cadets, Troopers, and Blue Knights leading the way as far as entertainment value goes. I didn't feel as much of a connection to the Cavaliers show, nor the SCV show, for that matter, but as a DCI outsider looking in, I have to say there's something big to like from the other shows. Basically your best fans for drum corps are going to be people who do marching music at some part in their lives. This means high school and college marching band members, primarily. I don't at all think that you need woodwinds to connect to the woodwind players, by the way or even string players. I regularly drag string players to drum corps shows, and they're surprised and pretty happy to know what brass is capable of when it's given a chance. Besides, if there's ever going to be a large-scale brass and percussion ensemble, this is pretty much the only venue where it won't kill everyone. I'd hate to cede any territory to woodwinds and strings, who already have strong roles in orchestra. Hence the best thing to do is continue to establish a relationship with band directors at all levels, and to be particularly supportive of competitive marching, inside and out of BOA (none of our local schools competed in BOA where I grew up, though we had a significant local competition circuit). A tuba player like me who never had a chance to do that level of marching can idolize this high level of performance art and become a true sideline fan, even if they never have a chance to participate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 There have been three answers along with one other idea that I think can be combined to answer this question. 1. Becoming more directly involved with Marching Band circuits.... All of them. 2. The Product 3. Woodwinds 4. The Experience I doubt many old school drum corps fans are going to like to hear this, but the days of drum corps being obviously superior to marching band are over. Anyone that has been to a BOA regional or Finals can see that. I even see it in some of the local shows that I judge/go to in NJ/NY. These bands are equal to (or at least almost equal to) all but the top 3 or 4 corps year after year. Comparable design, comparable if not better performance level. My point is that drum corps used to be able to attract kids from marching band because they offered a unique challenge and performance level that they simply could not get at their marching band. It's tough to sell the kids something they already have. DCI should combine efforts with BOA, USB, and as many local circuits as they can. Offer clinics and performances throughout the summer. Offer any current marching band member a steeply discounted Fan Network membership and then cater the content towards them. Give them a membership card that gets them into any DCI show for $10 and then invite them to hang with their favorite corps at the rehearsal before the show. Bottom line - Get the MB kids (your target demographic) directly involved with drum corps. Woodwinds - it's a no-brainer. Any given band is made up of about 30-50% woodwind players. They are currently excluded for no good reason (at least not one that a 16 year old saxophonist will understand). Yes, some WW have learned another instrument and marched DC, but why put that significant roadblock in the way of 30 - 50% of your target demographic. Most WW players do not do this. It is the exception, not the norm. The Experience - currently, the model is to fly to several preseason camps ($2000 - $3000), pay tour fees ($2000 - $4000). For this $4000 - $7000 investment, a kid gets to.... Fly on a plane/ride in a car for several hours for camps Rehearse for 12 - 14 hours a day. Only 1/2 of these kids will get a spot. Go to Spring Training - rehearse for 14 - 16 hours a day Go on tour = 2/3 time is on a bus or a gym floor Of the remaining 1/3, they get to rehearse 80%, eat in a parking lot 15%, perform/warm-up at shows 5%. Priceless? To an outsider, this is a really tough sell. There has to be a concerted effort to lower the cost of The Experience or the potential market will continue to be severely limited. There should also be an attempt to include other things in the 70% travel/sleep/eat, 25% rehearse, 5% perform breakdown. Some corps already do this, but DCI should find more Big Exposure performances for all the corps to do throughout the Summer (Pro-Sports, Major Arts Festivals, Anything on TV, etc. If each corps did two or three of these peripheral events, and they were made to be FUN, it would offer a little bit of variety to The Experience and might attract a wider group of kids to the activity. The current model has been in place for about 30 - 40 years now. We know the results we are getting. The current model is not sustainable; in fact it's a bit surprising that it is still functional. Significant changes have to be made. Growth = Survival. Stagnation = The opposite. "As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. Get the picture?" Blake (Glengarry Glen Ross) DCI is a marketing partner with TOB, a large circuit covering PA, NJ, DE, MD, WV and parts of VA. We gladly help to market them, and help with corps trying to find housing in our area, and they also help do some stuff for us. We also gladly let show hosts invite any drum corps to recruit at their shows, DCA or DCI. It's been a win win for us and them,and I know Surf has been recruiting at our events for years and has helped us a lot with the TOB All Star Band that performs in the Philly Thanksgiving Day Parade. I can't say enough good things about the partnership, with both DCI and the relationship we have with Surf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Bring back the "regional tours." I remember one year, the shows swept through the Southeast. It last only about a week, but that was plenty of enough time for the fans down here to get a chance at catching a show. Now, we're lucky to drive 3 hours to see one. this. The number one complaint in my area is the lack of shows in a less than 2 hour drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavies92FTW Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Am I the only one who doesn't want DCI to get any more popular? I went to 2 shows in Los Angeles last year where there were NO seats left- people were sitting in the back. What if you went to your first show and sat in the back? Part of what makes DCI special is that only a select few of us are into it. I know that sounds a bit odd, but... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I think this is set up by the show sponsor, not DCI. They need to cover their costs, plus make some $$$ for their organization. if it is being hosted by the Cramped HS Band Boosters, for instance, the location of the show is pretty much a done deal...and unless they can make a few $$$ for the band program, what would be the point of hosting a show, with all the work it entails...and the risk of bad weather costing them a great deal of $$$. Again, covering the nut of hosting the show often dictates the revenue they need to bring in. Ticket sales had better not be the only thing they have going for them, but it is part of the pie. one of the big keys in a running a successful show...even before ticket sales...is ad sales. Load up your program book. Charge for some spots to be read. I know of some local band and indoor shows that just by having a good sales team, make money long before the gates open.....even in this economy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 More corps running local programs to get more kids involved. Marching members are the most loyal fans and the best PR organization. We need more corps to build the fan base from the bottom up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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