The lot vs. the stadium

[Jeff Ream]

Sadly, a lot of lot music is more fun to play and listen to than what's in the show, for brass as well as percussion. If only show designers would figure that out.

I won't name the corps, but about 6 years ago, I decided what the hell, I'll go check them out in the lot. They stood there and jammed, all kinds of flam passages, crazy roll figures, bass line was splitting #### left and right...

and on the field, they couldn't play on ####### tap roll clean at any hand speed. not a flam in the show. bass line had interp issues all over the place.

I mean really? focus on your #### show. ifyou play warmups that do not have the elements of your show in there, as a staff, you are wasting your kids time.

[drumcorpsfever]

I'm all for corps finding new ways to help themselves out financially. However, cashing in on practice isn't one place I'd do it. Given the choice between most other forms of entertainment, our money in recent years has gone to drum corps - and gladly so. However, ticket prices can get a little outrageous (over a thousand dollars for 4 seats for the Super 3 at Indy). Many people simply don't have that kind of cash. I think keeping practice/warm-ups commerically free as possible can do more for the activity than trying to capitalize on it financially. What we need to see is more band programs attending the practice field as spectators. It amazes me that so few area high schools attend practices during the tour season. There are some HS band programs that will pool their students to the practice field, but it would be nice to see more. If DCI could get even more school programs involved, you'd have larger attendance - and more opportunity to increase sales. The goal shouldn't be to capitalize more on those who already attend, it should be to attract even more to attend. IF THEY COME, THEY WILL SPEND!

Seriously, dude...that's a brilliant idea.

Now...how might it be exploited? Should there be an actual booth, (perhaps supplied by DCI), that each corps utilizes to sell t-shirts and whatever else? Should each corps souvie crew come out with a couple suitcases of shirts? Does there need to be a separate booth for drum warm-ups, horn warm-ups and guard warm-ups? (It's been forever since I've been able to be at any warm-up sessions. Are they spread over a wide area with certain audiences who only go to one or another section warm-up?)

Of all the people who watch parking lot warm-ups, what percentage are at the drums, at the horns, and at the guard?

Would this benefit only the corps on earlier, or are there still people out there for the final corps?

I'm in favor of anything that makes money for the corps.

Edited August 29, 2012 by drumcorpsfever

[maestro!]

I think there may have been too much thought put into this.

The fact that a corps arrives and has a general idea of the warm up area (for each section), and then has to decide where would be a great area to warm up, hoping that spot is not already taken, would already make it that much harder for whomever they have lugging around all the souvies they plan to sell during the warm up.

Secondly, not everything has to be about money. I think the fact that people can just come hang out and listen to the corps section warm up, maybe take pictures and film the lot experience is enough souvenir for the audience. If someone wanted to turn every corner and even have general space bombarded with people wanting you to purchase things, they'd go to an indoor mall, where kiosks of commission-thirsty sales associates try shoving hand lotion down your throat.

Well, there it is.