c mor Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Sure; because 'c' is the current state of DCI. However if you want the activity to grow in fans and grow in revenue to support the multimillion dollar touring system it needs to move toward 'b'. So, for popular bands, which comes first, the hit single, or the great concert experience? What about a drum corps SiriusXM station? Can an all instrumental activity compare/compete with actual songs with lyrics? Do you think most non-musical people that might comprise a more broad-base general type of audience would ever prefer an all brass & drum line sound instead of guitars/keyboards/drum set? Big concerts have pretty severe stage, sound, lighting, & pyro requirements which are mega $$$ I'm guessing. I dunno - as much as I enjoy drum corps, for non- marching band initiated people it still seems to fall somewhere between ice capades and cirque du soleil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 We need not worry. Corps that utilized " girls in bikinis and " dudes in bannans suits " died in short order for such utilization, despite the roaring crowds. Lol: corps that utilized girls in bikinis and dudes in banana suits died in short order because of awful finances. If you're saying died competitively that's not exactly true either: a more apt explanation is they died competitively due to poor execution and show design (outside of bikini-clad ladies, of course ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 DCI judging opinion is currently skewed to push back at 'entertaining' shows like Regiment 2008 DCI judging opinion is currently skewed to push back at shows like Phantom Regiment 2008: the show that won DCI in 2008? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 DCI judging opinion is currently skewed to push back at shows like Phantom Regiment 2008: the show that won DCI in 2008? :blink:/> My reasoning: the Visual and GE judging within the current state of DCI 'highly favors' the esoteric; even in 2008. What happened in 2008 was that on Finals night Regiment placed 1st in Perc while BD placed 5th in Perc (and even if the perc placements stayed the same, if Regiment was .02 lower in Perc score and BD was .02 higher in Perc score BD would have taken home the Gold because of the highly skewed scoring toward the esoteric in Visual and GE). That is what I mean by the skewed judging pushing back at 'entertaining' shows like Regiment 2008. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Another absurd comparison to popular entertainment. DCI is not and never will be U2, regardless of what the shows look like. There is no evidence, other than base assertions from people like you, that show design has anything to do with decreased attendence (if said decreased attendance even exists in the first place). There are dozens of different theories I can come up with to explain decreased attendance that have absolutely nothing to do with show design. Quit pretending like DCI has ever been, or ever will be, a financial juggernaut popular to the masses. It will never happen, and that is alright. The last thing we should be doing is dumbing things down in the futile attempt to attract mass audiences that could not give a crap about drum corps, regardless of design. DCI audiences have always been, and will always be, largely made up of DCI alumni, their families, and high school band members taken to shows by their directors. I am one of the few that has come to the activity without having any real exposure to it until my mid-20s (and even then I was in high school marching band and was at least aware of DCI in high school). The idea that DCI can expand its audience by any large measure if it will just play more show tunes and pops is silly. Drum corps audiences are shrinking (assuming that bald assertion is even true) because there are less and less alumni (fewer corps), busier high school students, easy access to shows via the fan network (making it less important to attend multiple live shows), unjustified increases in ticket prices, DCI's misguided efforts to prevent any exposure outside fan network subscribers, and a bad decision to lock up the championships in a bad venue. None of that has anything to do with show design. I am not pretending DCI is anything of the sort. All I contend is that if DCI wants to increase the audience attendance the shows, the top shows, the winning shows need to be 'entertaining' (ie Regiment 2008 or Cadets 2011); if DCI wants the audience numbers to shrink then the shows need to be artistic intellectualism (ie BD 2012 or Cadets 2005). By the way, I agree with you about less corps mean less alumni in the stands; but we can thank the push for the multimillion dollar all-summer long national touring model for that issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcat Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 You guys are getting way too wrapped up in what audience engagement should be. A "drum corps" definition might be something close to "getting it on first read." IOW, this selling tickets thing is a detour. Marketing sells tickets. Product sells return buyers. Content satisfies customers. Confusion deters them. So if Susie Bandmom understands a show concept by watching it one time, you have succeeded. You probably have done a good job if you can describe a show in one word, or at least something short. Godfather Latin jazz Save the earth Star Trek Horses Spartacus Las Vegas Wild West No one comes away confused with what the Troopers do, right? By engagement, you simply have to convey a concept or intent. Whether it captivates anyone isn't quantifiable. I might "get" a show, but it is still my getahotdog show. Once you start talking about attendance you are correlating something that isn't that closely tied. The last 1000 tickets you sell are nearly all profit, so it is important, but art isn't sold on universal appeal. Art is sold on concept, and having to think or enjoy something. People don't mind a challenge to think about a show, form an opinion, etc. in order to do that, the performance must take a point of view. If it is music to simply enjoy, make it cohesive somehow. If you ask for thought, the thesis must be clear. Just don't give me a show that I would have to likely see 4 times to "get it". Drum corps show..... You had one job!!!!!11 (Engage audience through clear thesis) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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