If you had the ability to change one rule in DCI

[JimF-LowBari]

I did mention that some of those schools have special missions, but I don't think that matters much if the question is: in how many high schools do students have the opportunity to participate in a competitive marching band? The answer for Ohio is approximately 245 out of 876 schools. I accounted as best I could for OMEA, BoA, and MSBA.

Same for the private PA schools I recognize. Except for the local Catholic schools that have everything the large public HSs have. If you are a student at a PA Vocational Technical (aka VoTech) school you can be in extra cirricular activities at the school in your home area (at least we did in the 70s in Dauphin County). And trying to remember what the lastest ruling is for home schooled kids. Not sure if the law allowing them to be in extra cirriculars at the local school passed or not.

Edited December 14, 2012 by JimF-LowBari

[audiodb]

You're contention is that, nationally, 80% of high schools don't offer a competitive marching band program. My first quote address that claim, saying that I think it is MORE LIKELY that those numbers are the other way around, meaning 80% DO have marching band on a NATIONAL SCALE.

No. The number of competing HS bands represents less than 20% of high schools.

A few years back, I had a lot of time to kill while our economy was melting down. To amuse myself, I set out to document the 2008 fall marching band season as thoroughly as possible. I gathered contest results from all over the country, some directly from the circuits or state associations, others from major contests not affiliated with circuits, and still more from websites like Midwest Marching and World of Pageantry, who collect such data regionally. Having done this sort of thing before, I already knew a lot about where to expect activity, so in cases where the expected results didn't turn up, I scanned individual band websites and contacted circuit officials and/or band directors to dig up data. All this information was entered into a database, where I could cross-check for similar names to make sure I accounted for all the different high schools named Washington, Kennedy, etc.

Anyway, the bottom line....I found a grand total of 5118 bands in field competition. That includes everything from scored contests to events with nothing but festival ratings (i.e. "Excellent", "Superior" or "Good"). For those of you who say festival ratings shouldn't count, removing those leaves 3803 bands that competed in scored contest formats. Personally, I think all 5118 count.

Still, last I saw, there were over 27000 high schools of the 9-12 or 10-12 variety, of which 5118 is less than 20%. There are also over 10000 more schools where 9-12 and some other grades are combined. Some of these are combined Jr./Sr. high schools, and some of them field competing marching bands that are included in the 5118 I tallied.

[N.E. Brigand]

Most helpful. Thanks, audiodb.

[xbones7480]

bring tick system back

[Jeff Ream]

Nor was the experience of marching in Our Lady of Devastating Mediocrity Drum and Bugle corps which consisted of 30 parish kids memorizing fingerings instead of music and being taught by Sister Mary Yardstick whose brother was in the Army in WW1. Their "tour" was when Fr. Wont U BeMyfriend drove the parish bus to Atlantic City for the big show with 3 other corps.

The activity has changed tremendously. Let's remember that as well. There are HS MBs today who put in far more hours of practice, out march, out spin and out play many, many drum corps of the past.

So while I agree that experience of MB today is not remotely close to the experience of marching a WC DCI corps today, we've been talking about drum corps of the past vs MB of today.

not disagreeing with you. I just said that HS marching band isn't close to the same experience as marching in a drum corps, even on the DCA level

[Jeff Ream]

. . . . and if I understand the "big-time" marching band experience correctly, compared to our own DCI, many of the same thrills and chills can be had at that level at far less effort and expense?

So . . . .

well the cost is less, but I have rarely seen a HS band give me the same thrills and chills

[Jeff Ream]

I've lived all over, and the story is the same. Where do you live that 80% of high schools DON'T have a competitive marching band? Cuz I know for a fact its not PA.

PA has 501 School districts, several with multiple high schools. I'd guess at best 30% compete

[Jeff Ream]

And you don't think there are 124 high schools with competitive marching bands in PA? Look around. High schools from that state took first and second at a BOA regional. 2 others were finalists in Dayton percussion last winter. I haven't even looked at guard.

I know plenty of people who teach in PA. I've taught groups that compete against Norwin and Kiski in outdoor, and Upper Darby, Mechanicksburg, Downington West, Methacton, and others in indoor. Is PA as huge as Texas or Florida in terms of competitive marching band? Probably not. But there is certainly more than a 20% coverage of high schools that have competitive marching programs.

And lets not forget North Oxford high school, who got crucified on this very board for some design choices that they made regarding some Russian music and a hammer and sickle. They're from PA as well.

TOB had 109 bands perform at their shows this fall, out of I believe 619...that's 17%. Of those 109, at least 30 competed in other circuits as well. So adding up others from the 4 other circuits that do comeptition in PA, you probably have close to 35-40% or so.....but, that 619 number is just public schools, and I know in that 109 number there are several private schools

[Jeff Ream]

ok good old Wikipedia

889 high schools, public, private, charter in PA. Now not all of those have HS marching bands, but let's say 750

109 in TOB

84 in Cavalcade that didn't compete in TOB

20 in PIMBA that didn't compete in TOB or CBA

15 in LMBA that did not compete in TOB, CBA or PIMBA

in USBands, I found 7 that didn't compete in any of the above

235 out of say 750....31%

[MikeD]

It seems like you are clouding two issues together - the number of marchers vs. how many kids had/have access. There is no doubt that there are more marchers in 2012 bands than there were in any year of drum corps.

There are 10X as many competitive bands as there were competitive corps...therefore more kids have access to competitive marching/music than ever did.

There are kids now who do not have that access...but there were more in my day who did not. Is it exactly the same population? No. There were many urban corps through the 50's and 60's...few made it as far as the DCI era, and those that did failed through the 70's. Not many left by the mid 80's. But...with only 440 around 1970...that meant there were huge areas that had no corps around the country...the geographic coverage was just not there as compared to 4000 competitive bands.