glory Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 It seems as if some are reconstructing history in reverse and creating some inaccuracies about national touring in the process. Most of the corps who vanished in the 70s and 80s never participated in the national tour and didn't die as a result of it. The increasing dominance of the national tour was the outcome (not the cause) of the demise of so many smaller and lower-placing corps. Most of those disappearing corps were the victim of local, not national, circumstance. Migration from city to suburb, economic dislocation (stagflation anyone?), backlash against the military and things military, shifting attitudes toward church and religion, expanding youth sports options, the rise of "corps style" high school band programs, an increase in college attendance - all these things and more robbed locals corps of members and resources. As each corps passed into history, so did the shows they hosted. So too did their spots in the shows that remained. In time, the corps that remained were forced to travel farther to attend the same number of shows. The local circuits were dying with the local corps. It didn't happen all at once, of course, If I recall, here in New Jersey the Garden State Circuit (is that what is was called?) survived in the 21st Century (or nearly so). But it and others like it were a shell of their former selves. HH 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 The 1970's... so relevant to now. The 80's ... so relevant to now. The 90's.... so relevant to now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The economy has changed, youth activities have changed, life has changed... and is changing dramatically. The only thing relevant to now is now and the next few years into the future. Whatever happened even last year is irrelevant. This is the world we live in... and kids are moving along even faster, with less interest in the past. DCP seems to be mostly about the past. and DCI, who needs to live in the now, isn't marketing to it, the past, the future or any other era well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Each of those are selling primarily to an audience that is reliving their youth and is becoming progressively older. Drum corps is dependent on continued interest of youth.... it is a youth activity. Period. not sure how many of these bands you've een live recently....the crowd has the look of...well....DCI finals. a lot of older folks and a lot of younger folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 IMO they have done a decent job, though certainly there needs to be more done. It has not been the woeful job you are painting, at least not around my area. One of the good things about the scholastic bands is that there are new kids beinf exposed to drum corps every year. Yes, few will become the fanatical type of fans that corps veterans from the past have been...the model of a corps fan is changing, by necessity. Older folks constantly drift away. It was that way even in my era. DCI does what it is able to do with limited resources to retain older fans, but it just can not...and should not...do anything to jeopardize the continuing need to attract the younger new fans. BTW...there a plenty of legacy fans at shows I attend, so it is not like every legacy fan has left. IMO without that direction attendance would be worse than it is today. ok so every year new kids come in. But Mike.....kids havent kept DCI alive. the fanatics have. And the number of fanatics built by going solely after kids is not going to measure up to what DCI is slowly but surely losing. Especially with fewer corps to produce fewer alumni, if DCI hasn't broken apart due to politics, in 20 years, we're going to look back on discussions fo 19,000 atfinals and be amazed we got that many people to go. The key to any SMART business is to retain what you have while adding new....and DCI has not done this and still isn't doing this. DCA is just starting to focus on building new, and time will tell if that ever pans out. But I'd say odds arent great for either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normy diploome Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 (edited) It seems as if some are reconstructing history in reverse and creating some inaccuracies about national touring in the process. Most of the corps who vanished in the 70s and 80s never participated in the national tour and didn't die as a result of it. The increasing dominance of the national tour was the outcome (not the cause) of the demise of so many smaller and lower-placing corps. Most of those disappearing corps were the victim of local, not national, circumstance. Migration from city to suburb, economic dislocation (stagflation anyone?), backlash against the military and things military, shifting attitudes toward church and religion, expanding youth sports options, the rise of "corps style" high school band programs, an increase in college attendance - all these things and more robbed locals corps of members and resources. As each corps passed into history, so did the shows they hosted. So too did their spots in the shows that remained. In time, the corps that remained were forced to travel farther to attend the same number of shows. The local circuits were dying with the local corps. It didn't happen all at once, of course, If I recall, here in New Jersey the Garden State Circuit (is that what is was called?) survived in the 21st Century (or nearly so). But it and others like it were a shell of their former selves. HH I find this accurate, well stated, and too true. What is not noted however is the use of birth control and the change of family size. No longer are there six or seven kids in a Boston family who joined the CYO corps at various levels. No longer does the population live principally in the East or Midwestern cities where corps were traditional, no longer are the same ethnic groups who populated the corps for so long balancing the population levels of the U.S. The center of population has shifted, who comprises that population has shifted, and the cultural matrix is now based on other pillars than those on which drum corps as an activity stood for many decades. It's a new world needing new thinking. Edited April 4, 2013 by normy diploome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 So with Major League you confirm the performers are paid professional adults, yes? Fortunately I don't have to. I and most people take marketing slogans for what they are: A general appeal, not a specific promise or contract. Is Coke the real thing? Don't know. Don't care. Does IBM make the planet smarter? No idea. Is Disney imagination? Probably even if I've sworn never to step foot in the Magic Kingdom ever again. P&G doesn't have to change its logo because some kooks think it might make everyone suddenly start worshiping Satan. DCI doesn't have to sweat the comp issue. It just has to make marching band seem cool. HH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 It seems as if some are reconstructing history in reverse and creating some inaccuracies about national touring in the process. Most of the corps who vanished in the 70s and 80s never participated in the national tour and didn't die as a result of it. The increasing dominance of the national tour was the outcome (not the cause) of the demise of so many smaller and lower-placing corps. I would not be so quick to make such sweeping and definitive statements about which corps died and why. Following discussions here over the years, no one has had much luck proving their contentions because the reality was a combination of many factors - kind of like what you say next... Most of those disappearing corps were the victim of local, not national, circumstance. Migration from city to suburb, economic dislocation (stagflation anyone?), backlash against the military and things military, shifting attitudes toward church and religion, expanding youth sports options, the rise of "corps style" high school band programs, an increase in college attendance - all these things and more robbed locals corps of members and resources. As each corps passed into history, so did the shows they hosted. So too did their spots in the shows that remained. In time, the corps that remained were forced to travel farther to attend the same number of shows. The local circuits were dying with the local corps. ... except you left out one important factor - kids leaving "local" corps to march with "touring" corps. Hard to miss that, as several posters have alluded to it in this same thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 (edited) BTW...there a plenty of legacy fans at shows I attend, so it is not like every legacy fan has left. I'd agree with this. In the last couple of years of the DCI shows broadcasted in the theaters, there were more ushers under 21 working in the theatre we were at than those under 21 watching the DCI Corps up on the screen. Without the Legacy Fans, they'd be hardly anybody in the theatre. And without the Legacy fans at the outdoors shows we attend, they wouldn't be able to hold the shows without taking a huge financial loss each and every year. There are few fans under 21 at the shows. Maybe its different in other regions of the country where lots of High School Bands compete on football fields...... like Texas, Florida, etc. I've heard it is. DCI used to have shows in Canada. But because of the outdoor cold, they don't have many High School Bands competing on football fields, so DCI Drum Corps has essentially vanished altogether in the entire North American country of Canada. Its sort of sad in a way, as when DCI held their Championships in Montreal in the early 80's their attendance in Montreal was more than double what we see at Finals these days. Edited April 4, 2013 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 ... except you left out one important factor - kids leaving "local" corps to march with "touring" corps. Hard to miss that, as several posters have alluded to it in this same thread. This is true too. Attitudes changed. Mobility increased. These were some of the many changes in society during that period that together doomed so many locals corps. Still, my primary point stands: The death of local corps was mostly a local event. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 (edited) no longer are the same ethnic groups who populated the corps for so long balancing the population levels of the U.S. I'd agree with this. While DCI still does get marchers from the urban, large city, the Drum Corps marcher demographics have changed over the years to the point that there has been a notieable shift to that of the suburban... and even rural...... home resident marcher. As such, even the music played by Corps reflect this Drum Corps marcher demographic shift, imo. Where are today's DCI, CMCC Warriors, Bridgemen, Chicago Cavaliers, Bronx Kingsmen, Stockton Commodores, La Chinese, Toronto Optimists, etc where the activity once had lots of diversity re. race and ethnicity ? Drum Corps once had a visible presence in many of the large ciities of the US and Canada. For all intents and purposes it has now completely disappeared in these Cities... and at time that in my opinion it is MOST needed for the inner city youth. Edited April 4, 2013 by BRASSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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