alumniof Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 You have to remember that this summer a whole bunch of new kids went to a show and got their minds blown. They saw something they never thought possible or could imagine. And some of them will go on to live the dream and have the experience of a lifetime. They come from a world on 1000 channel TV, short you tube clips, and electronics everywhere including their music. Where you see a problem, they find delight. At the same time their are old timers saying; "That's it! Dancing, gaudy uniforms, I don't know the music.......". That's what I heard when I marched in the 80s, that's what I hear now. One gen leaves, another comes in. Same as it ever was. Some can only connect with some aspects of the activity and their appreciation never grows beyond that. That's okay. Others, like myself, are hopelessly hooked on the basic formula of brass, percussion, and guard as well as the joy of the performers. That's okay to. Drum Corps esthetics change. Audiences change as well. Everyone decides where he or she doesn't enjoy something anymore. That doesn't mean that it is wrong, just to different for them. To another newer fan, this is a golden age full of new and wonderful things. I didn't hear that in the 80s. I heard. Nothing but love until it started going in this direction. Also...you can't measure it not affecting ticket sales. 17,000 seats il for this kind of event is not success not to mention the empty seats at the HS events and how many corps do we have now in DCI versus before? Last time I checked we have more sports and more teams in every sport including a WNBA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alumniof Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Entertainment is and ALWAYS will be a secondary or even tertiary mission for DCI. It is first and foremost an educational organization. I don't know why people don't get this, even though DCI officials say it over and over again. The experience of the people on the field will always come before the people in the stands, and that is how it should be. They (or their parents) are paying far more than 99.9% of the people in the stands ever will on the activity. The same is true of school music programs. They aren't there to entertain the general public. They are there to provide invaluable educational opportunities to students. It would be a travesty if music programs were shut down because people weren't entertained enough by high school band concerts. Educational point is to entertain your audience. School music programs? There is a great model. 3 judges at assessment and the few parent volunteers scattered in the empty auditorium. Yeah....support music end....right. The same school music programs that cause us to hear the same plea to write our legislators for their job because what they do is so special and relevant. No it isn't. Its relevant to them and that's it....which is why nobody cares. Music people...and I'm one but I own several businesses and joined the other side...and when I say music person I'm looking at my music end degree on the wall in front of me as I type.....music people are dumb....for example.....Boston Pops. They aren't dumb. 500,000 people show up to see their music set to fireworks and CBS televised it for 20 years. Pops. Entertainment. We get it. We relate. And if they are smart...like Hollywood you can make real music pop- ulnar......steak...its what's for dinner. Aaron Copeland. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 At the same time their are old timers saying; "That's it! Dancing, gaudy uniforms, I don't know the music.......". That's what I heard when I marched in the 80s, that's what I hear now. One gen leaves, another comes in. Same as it ever was. Some can only connect with some aspects of the activity and their appreciation never grows beyond that. That's okay. Others, like myself, are hopelessly hooked on the basic formula of brass, percussion, and guard as well as the joy of the performers. That's okay to. Heard grumping when I started in the mid 70s. And having recordings going back 2 decades before my time I'd guess that some people from the 50s would look at my 70s era and say "That ain't Drum Corps". Personally I like the sound of drums and horns and anything else is like that annoying static when you try to listen to a song on the radio and reception ain't clear. After a while you either continue to listen or change the station. Some change the station quicker than others and some stick with it. Drum Corps esthetics change. Audiences change as well. Everyone decides where he or she doesn't enjoy something anymore. That doesn't mean that it is wrong, just to different for them. To another newer fan, this is a golden age full of new and wonderful things. Another change would be what is going on outside of DC that affects the activity. Mainly costs and other society changes that clobbered group activities within your own neighborhood. Can't blame DCI or DCA for that and nothing you can do about it. Or so says the seminar I went to when we tried to figure out what to do about our city church that has been going downhill since the 70s.... Amazing how much the reasons for the church decline could be matched with DCs decline over the same time period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alumniof Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Also anytime I meet someone from any drum corps town I ask if they ever heard if their local drum corps....blue devils, crown, phantom.....9.9 out if ten its a no and the .1 I think they are lying. Drum corps and the activity is for itself and the parents and kids .....which us fine. Just don't ask for money or expect me to check you out anytime in the near future. Total nimumber...and I'm an alumni of a top 6 corps for secmveral years...of shows I've attended since 1986 is 4. Last was Allentown thus year. I won't be back for anything unless i get a buzz something is different. Nor will my guest or the people I tell how much it sucks. I'm not on a mission...I'm Joe public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeldrum Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 People have been complaining about championship shows for years and years... Doesn't seem to be effecting the amount of fans that buy tickets. Did you see the size of the audience at LOS as Phantom entered the field last night??? Look at PR's facebook picture posted last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKT90 Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Also anytime I meet someone from any drum corps town I ask if they ever heard if their local drum corps....blue devils, crown, phantom.....9.9 out if ten its a no and the .1 I think they are lying. Drum corps and the activity is for itself and the parents and kids .....which us fine. Just don't ask for money or expect me to check you out anytime in the near future. Total nimumber...and I'm an alumni of a top 6 corps for secmveral years...of shows I've attended since 1986 is 4. Last was Allentown thus year. I won't be back for anything unless i get a buzz something is different. Nor will my guest or the people I tell how much it sucks. I'm not on a mission...I'm Joe public. A friend of mine marched Phantom in 89 and refuses to even watch a clip of any DCI show today. I know a few others who do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seen-it-all Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I didn't hear that in the 80s. I heard. Nothing but love until it started going in this direction. Then you weren't listening. A lot of the diehard fans from the 50s and 60s and even the 70s started tuning out. They didn't like color guards that danced. They didn't like the costuming and more theatrical presentations. They didn't like the more complex shows (similar complaints to today...too much going on, hard to even know what it's all supposed to mean, a very common jab at what Garfield was doing at the time..."it's too high-brow"...sound familiar?). Every generation has that experience where a prior generation just doesn't connect to what they do because it's different than what it used to be. It's no different than what happens with tastes in music, fashion, movies, you name it. If the internet had been around back then, you would have heard those complaints just fine. I heard them loud and clear when it was happening. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Then you weren't listening. A lot of the diehard fans from the 50s and 60s and even the 70s started tuning out. They didn't like color guards that danced. They didn't like the costuming and more theatrical presentations. They didn't like the more complex shows (similar complaints to today...too much going on, hard to even know what it's all supposed to mean, a very common jab at what Garfield was doing at the time..."it's too high-brow"...sound familiar?). Every generation has that experience where a prior generation just doesn't connect to what they do because it's different than what it used to be. It's no different than what happens with tastes in music, fashion, movies, you name it. If the internet had been around back then, you would have heard those complaints just fine. I heard them loud and clear when it was happening. Agreed... What I heard in the mid 80s was a snide "Music majors playing for other Music Majors" but of course that was one opinion..... Check History of Drum Corps Volume I year by reveiew of DCI. Forget exact year but ca 1993 was "Year of Audience Discontent" with the direction shows took during that time. That sticks in my mind as that was around the time I took 10 years off from watching DC. To be fair, only part of the reason I left was being less than moved by the shows. Rest of the reasons were changes in my personal life that were more important and took time from following corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seen-it-all Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Educational point is to entertain your audience. School music programs? There is a great model. 3 judges at assessment and the few parent volunteers scattered in the empty auditorium. Yeah....support music end....right. The same school music programs that cause us to hear the same plea to write our legislators for their job because what they do is so special and relevant. No it isn't. Its relevant to them and that's it....which is why nobody cares. Music people...and I'm one but I own several businesses and joined the other side...and when I say music person I'm looking at my music end degree on the wall in front of me as I type.....music people are dumb....for example.....Boston Pops. They aren't dumb. 500,000 people show up to see their music set to fireworks and CBS televised it for 20 years. Pops. Entertainment. We get it. We relate. And if they are smart...like Hollywood you can make real music pop- ulnar......steak...its what's for dinner. Aaron Copeland. I think you missed a few classes while getting your "music end" degree... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I think you missed a few classes while getting your "music end" degree... Great photo representation of the three lonely judges in the 'empty' auditorium listening to a hs concert band competition just like what alumniof described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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