jjeffeory Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) I have no idea when you marched or where, but my understanding is that where I grew up (Colorado), high school marching band really started to develop as a competitive activity in the late 70s and early 80s, right around the same time when there was a major shift in the size and approach of DCI. It would be interesting to do more research on this issue to see if my speculation is correct, and if it was a nation-wide phenomenon. I was in high school in Central Ohio ( Columbus area) from around '86-'90 and at a smaller school in '84 and '85 that toured around the region. BOA was already a known quantity around here ( with Centerville HS, Westerville HSs, Marietta, Northmont, Carroll HS, Indiana bands, et cetera being so close), but the local OMEA circuit is still vibrant and influential and the sheets are STILL very different than BOA . ( Mid-States popped around that time and USBands is gaining in popularity around here **a little** as different bands seek to be successful in various circuits). I think our location is a little different because we're so close to several popular circuits and have a pretty large population compared to Colorado. I think research on this topic would be VERY interesting! Texas and California are a world onto themselves. I know that Utah and Nevada were very different ( less competition and developed circuits) to my experience. We had a school that would go undefeated in OMEA over a very long time and dominated musically, but when they went to BOA, they didn't do very well despite still holding up musically... So in my area, we had lots of competitive marching bands and very established circuits and that hasn't really changed even with the influence of DCI. Now we just have more circuits to compete in depending on show design and school desires. The have diverged for sure, but other than that there's not much of a change in talent or participation really. We just have different schools choosing to participate in the three major circuits ( OMEA, Mid-States, BOA). Edited August 10, 2012 by jjeffeory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) Even adding in the fact that education costs for college have skyrocketed in just the last 15 years, and it's easy to understand that if it's the difference between doing drum corps or working to make money for college, working is going to trump not making money + spending lots of money on fees. Drum Corps fees are much higher now than they used to be, as the costs to run Corps are so much higher now that Corps are 3 times larger than they used to be and the equipment Corps have to lug around the country has escalated. The other thing to consider is that the Music Majors of today are going into careers that typically are at or near the the bottom of income scales for those with post graduate degrees. While we applaud their public service, we also can recognize that many of them will not be able to have the funds to support the Drum Corps activity as perhaps previous generations of Corps alums were able to. I marched with some that never went to college, but also with those that were business, finance, accounting, management, engineering, etc majors in college. They were just ok as musicians in Drum Corps, but they went on to successful careers in the private sector. They made good money and stayed around to contribute financially to their favorite Corps or alum corps as they had the money to do so. Some however left following the activity for one reason or another. The future concern that DCI will have is whether or not the current DCI grads that go into public sector jobs in the public schools will in years to come be in a financial income position to contribute the levels of income to these Corps as their operating costs continue to rise. More recently, DCI must have the research data available to them to see if DCI grads of ( say ) 10 years ago, now in the public schools, are providing financial donations to their former Corps they marched with. If they are contributing financially in healthy numbers and in healthy doses of financial contributions than thats a very good sign that things will be fine. On the other hand, if these alums that are in their jobs are not contrbuting ti Corps in healthy numbers and in healthy doses than of course the problem will be exponentially increased in the years to come as these Music Majors continue to filter out into relatively lower paying jobs in the Public Sector, while non Music Major college graduate Drum Corps alums from decades ago leave the activity or simply pass away. Just something to think about anyway as we await the Championships in Indy. Edited August 9, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstar82 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I have no idea when you marched or where, but my understanding is that where I grew up (Colorado), high school marching band really started to develop as a competitive activity in the late 70s and early 80s, right around the same time when there was a major shift in the size and approach of DCI. It would be interesting to do more research on this issue to see if my speculation is correct, and if it was a nation-wide phenomenon. Colorado marching bands in the mid 70's were starting to adapt to a "corps style" program, albeit took quite a few years for most bands to move away from the high step marching, the twirlers and poms which played a part of the band and as any color guards that existed marched and did a couple of spins here and there. This was pretty much pre CBA days as the movement to corps style really kicked in thanks to JL Gerardi and Wayne Manazanares leading the way. Back then (1973-1979), there were dozens of HS bands in the Denver area that numbered 150-175 members and a few in the 200's. I don't believe when DCI was here in 77 and 78 of having any major impact in keeping those numbers afloat. I recall a few commercials that this DCI "thing" would be in town, but I don't remember it being a topic at all in school. In fact, when school budgets were reduced (with interest rates soaring in the mid teens), the arts were the first areas cut from the school budgets. At the schools I taught at, it was nearly impossible to get approval for much needed percussion and color guard equipment. Where I really noticed it statewide was seeing how the schools I talked about earlier with 150+ members were now skeletons of their self by the mid 80's. The bands with huge memberships were lucky to have 50-80 members. Quite a few of them have recovered and have a larger membership, but does DCI ever see an increase in financially stable World class corps in the future? I don't know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 God help you man! Congrats! Hey, looking into my ball, Crown upsets BD on Saturday, and SCV wins within 5 years with their current staff. I'd like to think the first part of your prediction is true, but I'm sadly gonna say not likely or they would have been closer Friday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 If DCI truly wanted to go to a WGI model, how about eliminating all tour requirements for Open class corps? Open up the regionals to Open corps - they can attend any (or none) as their budget dictates. If they only want to do 1-2 then championships? No problem. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Why even mention BOA... BOA is an outdated model and obviously doesnt represent the best of the best... The USBands, formerly known as the USSBA, is a much higher quality circuit and representation...trust me George Hopkins, who is god in DCI's eyes and among music educators, has been pushing this idea of merging marching bands and drum corps for over 30 years.... Blue Devils organization right in step with him....( Blue Devils has kept pushing wood winds and stringed instruments to be allowed in DCI, but that's another story)... Hoppy and Downey & Company have some very solid ideas on the subject USbands may be a big player in some areas, but in it's home base it has at least 4 other circuits it competes against, and all are doing well....and those other circuits are gaining favor because they are more affordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Kamarag.... Do you think there is any model that could include both scholastic bands and drumcorps that could work "feasibly" in your opinion since you have experience doing both? no. two totally different missions. yes, WGI has both, but let's face it, the independents call the shots. while indoor is large, it doesnt cost what many bands do, nor have the amount of kids per school involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 woah, put the guns in the holster... have you really been told "you dont know what you're talking about" from that many people that necessitates you writing a disclaimer? But who hasnt (at this stage) taught championship level corps and bands? That has nothing to do with it, its more about the strong organizational logistics that USBands provides... BOA just doesnt really cut muster anymore... Im not talking about the level of bands, but about the level of administration. And it might have to do with the DCI influence, because corps and corps directors are used to trying to turn #### into gold, making the best of nothing.... so they have to be organized and well planned. oh... BTW, you dont know what you're talking about.... (joking, dont get your panties in a twist) BTW, you played contra, didnt you? I think I might remember you.... true USBands story. 4 years ago, a band goes to go on the field, director notices no yard markers let alone hash marks. They don't care about the hash marks, but they at least want yard markers. chief judge starts to give the director a hard time, and the director replies "if you boos could hold up quarterfinals for hashes, I'm holding up your show for yard markers" and they did for 20 minutes while they scrambled for them. Now sure, that's a one off, but many circuits provide organizational strength and logisitical support. Even better, many other circuits give the host schools a chance to make more money and aren't begging online every week for volunteers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasgre2000 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Colorado marching bands in the mid 70's were starting to adapt to a "corps style" program, albeit took quite a few years for most bands to move away from the high step marching, the twirlers and poms which played a part of the band and as any color guards that existed marched and did a couple of spins here and there. This was pretty much pre CBA days as the movement to corps style really kicked in thanks to JL Gerardi and Wayne Manazanares leading the way. Back then (1973-1979), there were dozens of HS bands in the Denver area that numbered 150-175 members and a few in the 200's. I don't believe when DCI was here in 77 and 78 of having any major impact in keeping those numbers afloat. I recall a few commercials that this DCI "thing" would be in town, but I don't remember it being a topic at all in school. In fact, when school budgets were reduced (with interest rates soaring in the mid teens), the arts were the first areas cut from the school budgets. At the schools I taught at, it was nearly impossible to get approval for much needed percussion and color guard equipment. Where I really noticed it statewide was seeing how the schools I talked about earlier with 150+ members were now skeletons of their self by the mid 80's. The bands with huge memberships were lucky to have 50-80 members. Quite a few of them have recovered and have a larger membership, but does DCI ever see an increase in financially stable World class corps in the future? I don't know... Interesting. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I'd like to apologize for my earlier post in this thread, I know I came off as a complete jerk. I love drum corps, it has been an integral part of my life for the past 6 years, and I let myself type without thinking sometimes, and I'm sorry about that. I hate that less kids can march now than back in the 70s, but I still feel like the kids who really have the drive and determination to march can. I know when I first auditioned at a World Class corps, I was too young for a Top 6 corps, but I knew that I wanted to march more than anything else, so I went to Open Class for 2 years before making my dream corps. I used open class, and my high school and college music programs to give me the training I would need in order to march a TOC corps, and I did. I honestly think that while there are less corps, there are many more high school marching band programs to give kids the competitive experience and training the small community corps used to provide. I would love to see more corps out on the field, but it is very tough and very expensive to start and run a drum corps in today's world, and we're seeing lots of kids that can't pay their fees, so we lose more corps. Part of it is the cost, but a lot of it is corps not managing themselves well, and that's always been going on. There are lots of corps who were mis-managed, and aren't around because of it. I just hope we see better management from corps in the future, so we don't keep losing them 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.