MarimbasaurusRex Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 He is referring to competitive MB, and he is (IMO) 100% correct. Far more kids engage in marching/music competition today than ever did back in the day. OK, if he is 100% percent correct, then why was my school and all the others near it (and pretty much every one I knew of at the time) in marching band competitions through the 70's? I'm betting your high school competed as well, Mike. Bands of America also started in the mid 70's and my HS band was in it. People act like there wasn't competitive marching band going on back then and it just isn't true. Most bands were also moving to corps style by about 1975. it really wasn't all that different than it is now, with the exception of the broader scholastic participation in WGI. Let's try to avoid revisionist history to support a falsehood. My point is, you simply can't say nothing was lost with the death of so many corps. It just ain't true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tupac Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I always thought it would be interesting to do a study on drum corps members of today vrs the 70's when DCI started. Most members were not able to read music back then and were basically street kids looking for something to occupy their time compared to today, where there are auditions and the talent level is there before they even march one step. Both eras had tours and both eras worked just as hard. Looking at a daily schedule from today's corps, it's not much diiferent than in the 70's except we had no food truck and ate a hell of a lot of McDonalds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 (edited) I get your point, Stu, and I suppose its debatable whether the owner of www.artdepartment.com is qualified to act as Director of Marketing of DCI, but I would suspect you'd agree that such a person has marketing qualifications that would rank as more valuable to the activity than the interns efforts of the past. I surely get that there should be uninterested board members with little knowledge of the activity to guide it but, in the marketing position, I wonder if that characteristic is worthwhile. After all, the design and implementation of drum corps marketing would be better served, IMO, by someone who has a familiarity with the activity. Presuming you're right, however, would reinforce my contention that it represents serious flaws in the business management of the activity. I just read through the bios of the three people at Art Department. Bob, Steve, and Marc are all great people with various aspects of experience; Bob and Marc have great experience at Directing/Designing for Corps; Steve has great experience at Production/Graphics. ***And I have no doubt that these good people can run the Administrative/Production/Design aspects of Art Department (or for a drum corps for that matter) or deal quite well with their specific clients for their products*** . However, where in their bios does it state that they have a vast amount of experience in Sales/Marketing dealing with bringing in thousands or millions of dollars in advertising/sponsorship for a huge corporation? Where, in their bios, does it indicate that they can show they have sold tons and tons of Ice to Eskimos (selling something to those who have never heard of the product)? The Corporation of DCI is not just a small entity; it is a large National, if not International, conglomerate with a collection of many multimillion dollar units under its wing; and that large of an institution requires a Director of Marketing to have the marketing track record experience, even it is as an intern for another large corporation, of already pulling in national/international caliber advertisers/sponsors. Edited July 14, 2012 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mello Dude Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I just read through the bios of the three people at Art Department. Bob, Steve, and Marc are all great people with various aspects of experience; Bob and Marc have great experience at Directing/Designing for Corps; Steve has great experience at Production/Graphics. ***And I have no doubt that these good people can run the Administrative/Production/Design aspects of Art Department (or for a drum corps for that matter) or deal quite well with their specific clients for their products*** . However, where in their bios does it state that they have a vast amount of experience in Sales/Marketing dealing with bringing in thousands or millions of dollars in advertising/sponsorship for a huge corporation? Where, in their bios, does it indicate that they can show they have sold tons and tons of Ice to Eskimos (selling something to those who have never heard of the product)? The Corporation of DCI is not just a small entity; it is a large National, if not International, conglomerate with a collection of many multimillion dollar units under its wing; and that large of an institution requires a Director of Marketing to have the marketing track record experience, even it is as an intern for another large corporation, of already pulling in national/international caliber advertisers/sponsors. You actually have to have something to market Stu. Word of mouth is best and if you can't get that, esp with Drum Corps, you have to find a way to make it happen. The only way I can think of is more people getting experience with it and that will start at the local level and SOMETHING has to be changed to make it unique (distinct from marching band readily discernible to the average person) or you are spinning your wheels. More local parade/show combos that will allows corps to be paid more per show etc. Perhaps have a "corps" touring models that uses trains to move around and local transportation...some gimmick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 There was a corps called the Islanders (Long Island) that were sponsored by 7-Up...they wore 7-Up green unis with Orange and White trim, and they had a 7-Up logo on their unis. Didn't Anaheim play the Mickey Mouse theme because of an arrangement of some type with Disney???? Then you had the senior Ballentine Brewers, sponsored by the beer company..."make mine Ballentine!" ..and the Hershey Chocolatiers (sp??) For a couple of years, the Kiwanis Kavaliers were The Tim Horton's Kiwanis Kavaliers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 You actually have to have something to market Stu.... Yes you do have to have something; sugar, air, food coloring, and a cardboard tube. Someone ( a sales/marketing genius) marketed that as cotton candy making millions of dollars in the process. Now correct me if I am mistaken, but I believe that DCI has a little more substance than cotton candy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 OK, if he is 100% percent correct, then why was my school and all the others near it (and pretty much every one I knew of at the time) in marching band competitions through the 70's? I'm betting your high school competed as well, Mike. I graduated HS in 1971...my band never came close to 1) corps style and 2) competing. The below pertains to my own area...NJ and the areas close. The 70's is when many bands started to convert to corps style, but here in my area competitions were not all that prevalent. TOB existed in its early stages, primarily in PA and South Jersey back then, and there were far fewer shows than today. That was it, circuit-wise, through the 70's. There were occasional independent shows of varying types in the 70's, primarily on Sunday afternoons. These shows had no set rules, and judges were hired on an individual basis, often drum corps folks, but sometimes not. There were also some pure exhibitions, such as the Herald News Band Festival in Clifton and the Home News Festival in Woodbridge...no judging at all. Bands of all types participated. Outside of TOB, there were no band championships...because there were no circuits. MBA, the predecessor to BOA, had zero impact in NJ. Bands of America also started in the mid 70's and my HS band was in it. People act like there wasn't competitive marching band going on back then and it just isn't true. Most bands were also moving to corps style by about 1975. it really wasn't all that different than it is now, with the exception of the broader scholastic participation in WGI. Let's try to avoid revisionist history to support a falsehood. Many bands were moving to corps style shows, that's for sure. Other band circuits were forming...in Northern NJ and CT the EMBA circuit in 1979. NY had the NYSFBC, MA had NESBA. These were not the powers in the 70's they became later on, and around 88/89 the Cadets started CMBC...just a couple of shows initially. Oh, yes...Eastern PA had a smaller circuit, the Cavalcade of Bands. Western PA had PIMBA, but I have no real knowledge of either. Yes, the 70's through the mid 80's were VERY different from the mid 90's through today in the scope and availability of the competition world for bands. Not even close. Before the 70's...hardly any band competitions. My point is, you simply can't say nothing was lost with the death of so many corps. It just ain't true. I didn't say "nothing was lost", just that the rise in the competitive band world far outstripped the smaller local circuits of back in my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 As slow as this site got tonight for just a regional show I think it's safe to say the activity is doing pretty well thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njfritz Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) I honestly only see this activity surviving until 2016, unless something drastic changes. No real reasoning...just an unfortunate prediction :( Edited July 15, 2012 by Njfritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpt43 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 1342328333[/url]' post='3173307']As slow as this site got tonight for just a regional show I think it's safe to say the activity is doing pretty well thank you very much! I am hoping the live performances are better. I watched DCI MN last night and found Blue Devils too abstract to follow. They do a lot of things well except connect with the audience (from what I heard of the audience over the feed). If this is the way the activity is going... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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