Kamarag Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I agree somewhat with the OP. There are less kids participating in the activity today. Due to a lot of issues, mainly economy, this has happened. The quality of performers is much better today than 20 years ago. It's just too bad there aren't more kids participating. While the economy is A factor, it's not THE main factor. The single largest contributor to the decline of drum corps is the fact that kids today have access to thousands of activities that they didn't have access to "back in the day". Even those in my generation (I marched the second half of the 80's) are astounded at what's available to today's youth, and we had it better than the generation before us did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I agree with your suggestions, but I disagree with your disdain for dinos (I am one). The only thing more frustrating than arguing with dino is arguing with kids who think they know everything. My Dad used to say "Son, the older you get the smarter I'll get"; it applies here as well. As to the bolded above, you appear to not have fully thought through this contention. An alignment of DCI with BOA would not incent a school board to admit corps for housing. Their motivations are money-oriented only because they have to turn on the lights and a/c, pay custodians, etc. Any group that approaches a school board these days to donate those costs should not be surprised when they are voted out the door. School boards don't give a hoot about DCI and/or their relationship with BOA. They care about not spending money, period, and approaching them with anything else in mind is useless. If you want school support, find a way to make the cost of housing corps LESS than the revenue they receive by doing so. Then you could put DCI/BOA/USSBA/WGI/... or any other name on it and be relatively certain that the school board will go along. :worthy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I have no problems with a strategic alliance, but let's be honest here. BOA caters to a very small number of competing high school bands, let alone a minuscule fraction of high school bands in general. What DCI needs to be doing is expanding the alliance to the regional circuits (much like what they have started with Tournament of Bands), but provide even more incentive and resources to those circuits. BOA gets a lot more credit than it truly deserves when it comes to "bands in America". I'm a fan, but I also realize that participation in BOA is unrealistic for the vast majority of band programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Our band director not only has encouraged 11 kids to join BDB but we have an all Blue Devils staff and bought BDB's drums from 2011. Booo Yahhhh! Well, that takes care of about 50 bands across the country, presuming all corps have such deep ties to at least one school. What to do with the other "thousands" of bands out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Who cares how many marginal corps we lost. Kingsmen? Muchachos? Guardsmen? Crusaders, Optimists, Blue Rock, 27th Lancers, Suncoast, yeah - who misses any of them???? If you take a look in a thread I started earlier today, on this day in 1974 a worse-than-marginal corps scored a 34.60 in US Open Class A and All-Girl prelims, placing 32nd and way out of finals. Their name was the Canton Police Bluecoats..... I keep getting told my taste in corps design is irrelevant (BD this year). Well so is yours. It doesn't matter if you think they would have entertained you to your personal standards or taste - it's a death in the family, and every one of them broke the hearts of the kids that marched there. Please don't forget that.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) right, and if the Drum Corps fans had actually sent in their pledges PBS would have not had a reason to look for different programming to bring in more money, because the Drum Corps show would have been a cash cow. So we, the fans, are the most to blame for losing the PBS broadcast. Probably depends where you live but in my area the amount being brought in (and number of people watching) by the live DCI Finals feed was decreasing each year. First year we had DCI was 1975. After so many years of a downward direction it doesn't take long to realize that something needed to change. IOW - interest in Drum Corps was falling off so would be dumb to keep showing something that less and less people are watching. Even having corps members man the phones and having people who pledge name their favorite corps (think they made it a contest) didn't work. Last few years the local station has moved from THE big night or two to a pledge drive every few months. Interesting thing is it is always a music broadcast being shown. Recently we've gone from 50s Doo-Wop reunions to 60s Folk and Pop reunions. My guess is the people who like the 60s music now has more disposible income than the 50s fans. Edited August 8, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 If you take a look in a thread I started earlier today, on this day in 1974 a worse-than-marginal corps scored a 34.60 in US Open Class A and All-Girl prelims, placing 32nd and way out of finals. Their name was the Canton Police Bluecoats..... A new piece of trivia for me.... Also 1974 a reformed Sr corps came in last at DCA Prelims. Few years later they were runners up and won DCA years later. Yeah.. you never can tell.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecoats88 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Probably depends where you live but in my area the amount being brought in (and number of people watching) by the live DCI Finals feed was decreasing each year. First year we had DCI was 1975. After so many years of a downward direction it doesn't take long to realize that something needed to change. IOW - interest in Drum Corps was falling off so would be dumb to keep showing something that less and less people are watching. Even having corps members man the phones and having people who pledge name their favorite corps (think they made it a contest) didn't work. Last few years the local station has moved from THE big night or two to a pledge drive every few months. Interesting thing is it is always a music broadcast being shown. Recently we've gone from 50s Doo-Wop reunions to 60s Folk and Pop reunions. My guess is the people who like the 60s music now has more disposible income than the 50s fans. yes and the reason for the decline was that the Drum Corps fans stopped sending in money even though they pledged. PBS got tired of that and moved on to something that would attract people who pledged and paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Mr. Groove... I just sent you a PM. Because you're new here, look at the little white envelope at the very top of your forum page. EDIT: Oh, and click it. Mr. Groove should feel privileged to be invited into the Garfield Star Chamber for a personal counseling....the place we loving call "the G Spot"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Come on, Plan. By any definition you are a BD dino, which is what makes you so hard to argue with. (And you thought it was the strength of your arguments? Ha! The only thing different about you and the other dinos is that the drool dripping off your chin is blue. ) Yes, I am a dino by calendar years... but I'm just a sprout in DC years. Therefore I am wonderfully ignorant and burden-free of those "thrilling days of yester year". I see what I see today and except it as it is.....remarkable! I have also been privileged to be around some of the finest musicians and performers to ever grace the DC field, doing some of the most innovative and challenging show designs in DC history. And it's only going to get better. And, my old friend.....since when is Gin blue? Edited August 8, 2012 by Plan9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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