DCI 30 years ago, and the decline of Drum Corps.

[Kevin Powell]

How do you know ? How do yo know it wasnt a certain change, or set of changes that caused the decline ? The braintrust of DCI, ie: The corps themselves implemented change after change year after year, never giving each change implemented to either sink or swim..we will NEVER know what worked or wwhat didnt because we have no research or statisitcs to prove positive or negative.....

G

I agree with this. Growth in some ways can cause decline in other ways. It is difficult to quantify but as big business, it has to be done.

DCI needs to understand that design/structure change in one place can trickle down to other aspects of the activity. Seems that they love and grasp the innovation but do not recognize the negative impact it might have. It may take years for a mistake to show its ugly face.

(I am not saying ALL innovation and change is bad)

[danielray]

A SAD Drum Corps fact: In 1982, 30 years ago, when I marched with the Bridgemen, there were:

• 48 Drum Corps competing in Open Class Prelims,

• 43 Drum Corps in Class A Prelims,

• 7 All-Girls Corps,

• 5 Class B corps, mostly in Jersey
  

• TOTAL: 103 Drum Corps, at ALL LEVELS!!, plus the others who did NOT travel to DCI.
  

Corps had INDIVIDUALITY, an IDENTITY, and played very entertaining shows that were also difficult and competitive.

...and today?? Well, not even close.

• 22 "World Class"

• 14 "Open Class"
  

• Total: 36
  

We have watched a steady decline, and it's sad to say, we may be watching the beginning of the final countdown, as the economy and DCI politics continue to kill Drum Corps.

Thanks to the "rich get richer" system that was employed, whereby winning corps made more money on tour, the activity is dwindling to a select few who attract all the kids. And if it were up to certain people, there would only be 10 corps in the whole country, and doing it on their own "tour". Call me old fashioned, but I love the old days.

To put a few things in perspective...

As a kid, I wore out Betamax tapes watching corps like the Bridgemen and 27.

At the moment, I'm sitting on the other side of the planet watching semis stream live online.

Think about that massive leap in technological change. Completely unfathomable, really.

Anyway, that sort of puts into perspective just how vast the amount of change there has been in society as a whole since then.

In the context of such change, it is really impressive that drum corps even exists at all these days. It is only due to the hard work and sacrifices of loads of people who have dedicated their time, money and in many cases their life's work into keeping this activity alive. No one is getting rich from this, quite the opposite. I don't know of any individual on any corps payroll anywhere that could not be making more money doing something else. It is kind of absurd to think that anyone is doing it for the money.

It is a fact that drum corps, if measured simply in raw participation numbers, has declined over the last 40 years. This is indisputable. But... look at the numbers of marching drums, marching horns currently being sold.... there are more being sold now than at any time in history. Marching music is healthier than it has been - ever.

If you look a bit beyond the surface, you'll also see the massive growth in marching music, and yes... drum corps.... around the world. On a global scale, there are more actual drum corps in the world than there has been at any point in history. A LOT more. Spend an afternoon on YouTube and you'll see that like nearly every other activity, that while North America tends to be slowly declining, the center of gravity is slowly shifting to Asia. 20 years from now, the top drum corps will not be from the US.

Back to the real issue of WHY corps have declined and the actual pace of that decline. This is not something new, this is not something sudden. I started marching over 20 years ago... went to my first show in the mid 80's. Even still, I never got to see corps like Bridgemen or 27 or Kingsmen live... because they folded years before my time. The reason they folded is that the skill set of the management team of these organizations just simply didn't match those required for creating a sustainable organization. Period.

People can try to assign blame or find excuses for why these corps did not survive, but the reality is that it wasn't DCI, it wasn't touring or anything else. It was simply management of these organizations we're all that great at making money and often had difficulty managing the money they did have. The corps that survived were simply the ones that figured it out... often the hard way.

Compare Cadets to Bridgemen or 27. The only reason why Cadets exist now and those don't is simply that Cadets figured out how to make and manage enough money to keep things going. That's it. There were no unique advantages on the part of Cadets, who also had a much younger management team.

Bottom line is that times changed, and the management of these organizations didn't do what it took to create sustainable organizations. It was certainly possible (see Cadets), just they weren't able to figure it out.

Anyway, lamenting or rehashing the past is pointless... we are now where we are. We should be pretty #### grateful there are drum corps out there at all... and just figure out how to help strengthen and grow from the present.

[danielray]

Guys, I don't want this to be a "drum corps was better back in my day" thing, because many would argue that drum corps "quality" is at it's highest 'art form" now. But know one can argue that there are fewer opportunities, and it's very real. The "meat and potatoe" corps who kept the tours going and filled out the shows are no longer around. A sad fact.

Also, thanks for the recognition, and I just tend to ignore ignorance and disrespect. If we were face to face, it would be different ;)

There are more opportunities for kids to learn how to play and perform on marching percussion instruments, for example, than any time in history.

Marching drum manufacturers are moving more units than ever. This is simply a fact.

Also, when we're talking about filling stadiums.... Atlanta has 16,000 in the stands just for a regional. San Antonio was close... loads of other big shows. The game is different these days, compared to filling up high school stadiums. Again, there is also online streaming, theatre and YouTube.... drum corps is being seen by more people than ever.

video by BD has been seen by almost 11,000,000 viewers. That is A LOT of people watching drum corps... more watching that one video than in 30 years of live and broadcast combined.

Drum corps ain't dying, not even close... just diversifying (is now also marching band, winter guard/percussion, BLAST, etc.).

[jjeffeory]

I did not know about this instance in Las Vegas during 2009. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. My understanding is that from this lone experiment it seemed like a "sweet gesture" and I see the point you are trying to make. But imagine if the scores and judging that currently exist were eliminated or reduced in importance and the score that really counted was the one that was voted on by the LIVE audience who was watching ---NOT ONLY in the stadium but in theaters and on pay-per-view at home. Don't you agree that it would be less a "sweet gesture" and more the all-important, ONE AND ONLY goal? This is sort of the American Idol Model. "If I don't get the vote, I don't come back next week/win."

My point is, the idea of LIVE audience voting THAT MEANS SOMETHING is one that needs serious consideration and experimentation. You can't try it out once and move on. It could prove to be the thing that saves drum corps.

Actually this brings up another interesting question about how the staff of a corps like Madison preps their members leading up to the show on Saturday night. What are their goals? Do they say, "We want you to score 2.4 more points or move up 2 places?" Or do they say, "We want you to rock the place and bring people to their feet 3 times?" What does Crown tell their members? How about BD? "Let's go undefeated? Score the most points ever? Or, "Have the time of your life?" I guess these questions could be a new thread all by themselves. I happen to think Madison has long ago told their members that the staff will try to create a show and teach them how to get a high score, but they want THEM to have a great time ENTERTAINING people in the stands.

As for your comments about similarities between Cirque du Soleil and Drum Corps, lets not start that discussion here. It is also a subject that deserves a thread of its own. And I happen to have spent a good portion of my life as an agent and producer dealing with the Ringlings and Cirque people and my brain hurts just thinking about it. They are NOT like Drum Corps people. Trust me.

I was in Vegas then and I didn't go because the lineup was too small. They did make the news though, but I'm not sure the marketing was quite worked out.

[Kevin Powell]

Nice post.

Looking back with the Cadets as a great example, they had their financial issues as well. I can think of a couple of name changes that might have been financially motivated.

To put a few things in perspective...

As a kid, I wore out Betamax tapes watching corps like the Bridgemen and 27.

At the moment, I'm sitting on the other side of the planet watching semis stream live online.

Think about that massive leap in technological change. Completely unfathomable, really.

Anyway, that sort of puts into perspective just how vast the amount of change there has been in society as a whole since then.

In the context of such change, it is really impressive that drum corps even exists at all these days. It is only due to the hard work and sacrifices of loads of people who have dedicated their time, money and in many cases their life's work into keeping this activity alive. No one is getting rich from this, quite the opposite. I don't know of any individual on any corps payroll anywhere that could not be making more money doing something else. It is kind of absurd to think that anyone is doing it for the money.

It is a fact that drum corps, if measured simply in raw participation numbers, has declined over the last 40 years. This is indisputable. But... look at the numbers of marching drums, marching horns currently being sold.... there are more being sold now than at any time in history. Marching music is healthier than it has been - ever.

If you look a bit beyond the surface, you'll also see the massive growth in marching music, and yes... drum corps.... around the world. On a global scale, there are more actual drum corps in the world than there has been at any point in history. A LOT more. Spend an afternoon on YouTube and you'll see that like nearly every other activity, that while North America tends to be slowly declining, the center of gravity is slowly shifting to Asia. 20 years from now, the top drum corps will not be from the US.

Back to the real issue of WHY corps have declined and the actual pace of that decline. This is not something new, this is not something sudden. I started marching over 20 years ago... went to my first show in the mid 80's. Even still, I never got to see corps like Bridgemen or 27 or Kingsmen live... because they folded years before my time. The reason they folded is that the skill set of the management team of these organizations just simply didn't match those required for creating a sustainable organization. Period.

People can try to assign blame or find excuses for why these corps did not survive, but the reality is that it wasn't DCI, it wasn't touring or anything else. It was simply management of these organizations we're all that great at making money and often had difficulty managing the money they did have. The corps that survived were simply the ones that figured it out... often the hard way.

Compare Cadets to Bridgemen or 27. The only reason why Cadets exist now and those don't is simply that Cadets figured out how to make and manage enough money to keep things going. That's it. There were no unique advantages on the part of Cadets, who also had a much younger management team.

Bottom line is that times changed, and the management of these organizations didn't do what it took to create sustainable organizations. It was certainly possible (see Cadets), just they weren't able to figure it out.

Anyway, lamenting or rehashing the past is pointless... we are now where we are. We should be pretty #### grateful there are drum corps out there at all... and just figure out how to help strengthen and grow from the present.

[DDFIddle]

It's become too political, too avant-garde, and it's too expensive and it's

not fan friendly any more. Frankly, these corps bore me to death. And you expect me to keep paying for that????

A SAD Drum Corps fact: In 1982, 30 years ago, when I marched with the Bridgemen, there were:

• 48 Drum Corps competing in Open Class Prelims,

• 43 Drum Corps in Class A Prelims,

• 7 All-Girls Corps,

• 5 Class B corps, mostly in Jersey
  

• TOTAL: 103 Drum Corps, at ALL LEVELS!!, plus the others who did NOT travel to DCI.
  

Corps had INDIVIDUALITY, an IDENTITY, and played very entertaining shows that were also difficult and competitive.

...and today?? Well, not even close.

• 22 "World Class"

• 14 "Open Class"
  

• Total: 36
  

We have watched a steady decline, and it's sad to say, we may be watching the beginning of the final countdown, as the economy and DCI politics continue to kill Drum Corps.

Thanks to the "rich get richer" system that was employed, whereby winning corps made more money on tour, the activity is dwindling to a select few who attract all the kids. And if it were up to certain people, there would only be 10 corps in the whole country, and doing it on their own "tour". Call me old fashioned, but I love the old days.

[SCV90-92]

When I was in SCV we had an A corps and a B corps. The B corps didn’t go to their respective championship show.

Now SCV has not only an A and B corps they have a winter guard, and winter percussion program, and all four performing units go to their respective finals.

As well, they use the facility to teach little ones to dance.

BD also provides more music education services to the community than it did 20 years ago.

I don’t think these organizations are being run as Drum Corps when it comes to the bottom line. They are professional nonprofit entities that fund Drum Corps activities. They are not drum corps trying to make a buck, they are professional organizations giving their bucks to drum corps.

[Martin I. Zing]

There are more opportunities for kids to learn how to play and perform on marching percussion instruments, for example, than any time in history.

Marching drum manufacturers are moving more units than ever. This is simply a fact.

Also, when we're talking about filling stadiums.... Atlanta has 16,000 in the stands just for a regional. San Antonio was close... loads of other big shows. The game is different these days, compared to filling up high school stadiums. Again, there is also online streaming, theatre and YouTube.... drum corps is being seen by more people than ever.

video by BD has been seen by almost 11,000,000 viewers. That is A LOT of people watching drum corps... more watching that one video than in 30 years of live and broadcast combined.

Drum corps ain't dying, not even close... just diversifying (is now also marching band, winter guard/percussion, BLAST, etc.).

daniel you make several excellent points in these two latest postings and I agree with most everything that you say. And while I agree that there are MORE people watching drum corps performances in total now than at any time in the past when video, DVD and youtube are considered; FEWER people are watching LIVE performances than 30 years ago and regrettably the fewest number of people are PAYING to watch LIVE performances than at any time in history. This is the point that others --including myself, have made and are worried about. Most of what you say is true, but if we want a healthy drum corp environment to survive in the United States, we need to find a way to help. Or else we will --as you predict-- be watching Asian corps on youtube as our only alternative.

[BRASSO]

look at the numbers of marching drums, marching horns currently being sold.... there are more being sold now than at any time in history.

your source for such numbers ?

[audiodb]

If you look a bit beyond the surface, you'll also see the massive growth in marching music, and yes... drum corps.... around the world. On a global scale, there are more actual drum corps in the world than there has been at any point in history. A LOT more.

Do you have any idea how many drum corps there were back in the day?

Back to the real issue of WHY corps have declined and the actual pace of that decline. This is not something new, this is not something sudden. I started marching over 20 years ago... went to my first show in the mid 80's. Even still, I never got to see corps like Bridgemen or 27 or Kingsmen live... because they folded years before my time. The reason they folded is that the skill set of the management team of these organizations just simply didn't match those required for creating a sustainable organization. Period.

People can try to assign blame or find excuses for why these corps did not survive, but the reality is that it wasn't DCI, it wasn't touring or anything else. It was simply management of these organizations we're all that great at making money and often had difficulty managing the money they did have. The corps that survived were simply the ones that figured it out... often the hard way.

Compare Cadets to Bridgemen or 27. The only reason why Cadets exist now and those don't is simply that Cadets figured out how to make and manage enough money to keep things going. That's it.

Then why is it that the director of those same Cadets comes along every year or two to claim that it hasn't been figured out after all, and that if we don't give top corps like his more money, the sky will fall?