cixelsyd Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 One of the problems it appears we have here on DCP is that some posters comment on things that were never said, nor even implied. Such sensible dialogue then becomes impossible. If we can't read and comprehend properly what is being stated then communication quickly devolves into attempts to defend things that in fact were never uttered at all. You really hit the nail on the head there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) So which is drum corps in that analogy - the old school traditional game, or the less-restrictive modernized game? When an " either- or " scenario is attempted to be created it automatically implies that there is only one correct answer and that is found ONLY among the two. Such an " either- or " positioning gets us nowhere. I don't accept the 2 options in the manner it was presented either.... as a stacked deck option clearly stated in favor of one over the other. Limiting ourselves to 2 options only is limiting too. BOTH the 2 options could be an inaccurate description too, where other options might be far better. Its like asking us is it better to call someone who marches in Marching Band a " Nerd " or a " World's Musical Marching Ambassador Genius " ? These are the ONLY 2 options given to us that best describes this Marcher ? NEITHER fits the bill in my opinion if these are the ONLY 2 choices presented to describe this. As such, noone should be asked to choose one or the other as a description either as a result. Edited April 3, 2013 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) When an " either- or " scenario is attempted to be created it automatically implies that there is only one correct answer and that is found ONLY among the two. Ok. So drum corps is marching band, or it's something else? You might want to say "don't pigeonhole", but that's not much of a positioning statement. If American football wanted to say "hey, don't say we're like soccer or rugby or not like rugby or soccer, because we don't want to be pigeonholed", that wouldn't do much to define them as being something. New activities that are based on old activities have to be able to define themselves if they want a rationale for existence in the eye of the public. Marching band is the base activity that the majority of people understand. Now, do we want to try and define how drum corps is different than band, or are we ok with letting them hear "drum corps. it's basically marching band", think of the sloppy, soggy marching band at their local high school (since BOA bands aside, most marching band programs DON'T take it that seriously) and think "oh, you're into that, huh? Ok..." and call it a day? Until we can define fairly precisely what drum corps (or whatever it ends up being called) is for ourselves, it's going to remain difficult to define it to strangers, whether they be potential new fans, new participants, or new sponsors. Edited April 3, 2013 by Slingerland 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Ok. So drum corps is marching band, or it's something else? You might want to say "don't pigeonhole", but that's not much of a positioning statement. If American football wanted to say "hey, don't say we're like soccer or rugby or not like rugby or soccer, because we don't want to be pigeonholed", that wouldn't do much to define them as being something. New activities that are based on old activities have to be able to define themselves if they want a rationale for existence in the eye of the public. Marching band is the base activity that the majority of people understand. Now, do we want to try and define how drum corps is different than band, or are we ok with letting them hear "drum corps. it's basically marching band", think of the sloppy, soggy marching band at their local high school (since BOA bands aside, most marching band programs DON'T take it that seriously) and think "oh, you're into that, huh? Ok..." and call it a day? Until we can define fairly precisely what drum corps (or whatever it ends up being called) is for ourselves, it's going to remain difficult to define it to strangers, whether they be potential new fans, new participants, or new sponsors. Which was there first, marching band or drum corps? Why didn't drum corps call itself marching band from the get-go? Drum corps may be newer than marching band as an idiom, but it's not new. Isn't nearly 100 years of existence enough to establish a brand? Most people would "know" drum corps if they were only exposed to it. Why don't we place our energy on exposing it to more people instead of trying to change drum corps into what we think people would recognize. Is our marketing focused on people who are familiar with marching arts, or on those people who have never seen marching music and truly wouldn't know the difference between a clarinet and a baritone? If it's the former, they'll get the difference after one viewing. If its the latter who don't care anyway, why are we wasting time, energy, and money trying to teach them a distinction without a difference? There are a whole bunch of people who already get what tooting on a football field means. Let's get to them and see how the activity does before we start rebranding in order to attract people who don't care about the activity, or the distinction of drum corps, in the first place. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) Ok. So drum corps is marching band, or it's something else? It depends on who DCI primarily sees as its primary future customer base. Is it Parents and their Children in the High School and College Band programs ? Or is it the general public at large ? If its the former, then the use of " Marching Band " seems appropriate. If its the general public at large, then a new moniker would probably be more appropriate, imo. But in my view, DCI needs to distinquish for itself what is its future fan base... with good incomes... going to come from ? We need to distiquish between a " customer " and a " fan " too. They are not the same. A "customer "buys your product once or twice. A " fan " however, is to die for, for any business or entity. A " fan " comes from the word " fanatic ". These are your devotees that not only buy your product ( ie go to one show), these are the repeat customers that go to lots of shows, buy lots of ancillary products, support the activity as volunteers, or financial contributors, and essentially become " fans " level type of consumers for years and years. A person that " buys " DCI drum Corps as a student participant for a year or two, but then leaves the enterprise is a " customer ". A person that repeatedly " buys " the product over decades is " a fanatic ". DCI would be much better served finding how it can market its prodict... whatever it calls itself.... to those that will have a tendency to become long term " fans " and who will be " fanatical " in their financial support of it, and for years and years they are now " hooked " and so no new advertising dollars are neccessary to retain them, as wild horses can't keep them away from supporting the enterprise with both their attendance, volunteerism, as well as their dollars. Edited April 3, 2013 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruckner8 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Why the confusion over definitions? Drum Corps is a subset of Marching Band, not the other way around. DC is a type of marching band. All Drum Corps are Marching Bands, but not all Marching Bands are Drum Corps. This is purely technical...a band that marches. Who can argue with that? "Band" is the overall group. Even an Orchestra is a Band. It's a certain type of band, that uses strings. Drum Corps is a marching band that limits its instrumentation to bell-front, 3 piston valve brass. However, the "Essence of Drum Corps" is completely unique, and has LITTLE to do with instrumentation, IMO. The Essence of Drum Corps is in the tour, the competition, the consecutive 16-hr days of move-ins, the constant drive to perfection, the long bus rides, the huge crowds, the impressiveness of loud, the excellence achieved by all. The result of all that changes lives. That is the Essence of Drum Corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13strokeroll Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Why the confusion over definitions? Drum Corps is a subset of Marching Band, not the other way around. DC is a type of marching band. All Drum Corps are Marching Bands, but not all Marching Bands are Drum Corps. This is purely technical...a band that marches. Who can argue with that? "Band" is the overall group. Even an Orchestra is a Band. It's a certain type of band, that uses strings. Drum Corps is a marching band that limits its instrumentation to bell-front, 3 piston valve brass. However, the "Essence of Drum Corps" is completely unique, and has LITTLE to do with instrumentation, IMO. The Essence of Drum Corps is in the tour, the competition, the consecutive 16-hr days of move-ins, the constant drive to perfection, the long bus rides, the huge crowds, the impressiveness of loud, the excellence achieved by all. The result of all that changes lives. That is the Essence of Drum Corps. This will probably only cause confusion; but marching band is actually an offshoot of drum corps. Drum corps have existed for centuries upon centuries - most specifically as military signal corps. The intricate and complex drill was both an evasive maneuver to avoid the enemy from targeting a communication tool, as well as some visual "smack talk." That said, viewing drum and bugle corps as we understand them today, and you are closer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruckner8 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 This will probably only cause confusion; but marching band is actually an offshoot of drum corps. Drum corps have existed for centuries upon centuries - most specifically as military signal corps. The intricate and complex drill was both an evasive maneuver to avoid the enemy from targeting a communication tool, as well as some visual "smack talk." That said, viewing drum and bugle corps as we understand them today, and you are closer. I get what you're saying...but even then, it's still a marching band; i.e., a band of marching musicians, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I get what you're saying...but even then, it's still a marching band; i.e., a band of marching musicians, lol. I guess I just can't see the logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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