kcbari Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Forget your marching band facebook friends...Try going up to 10 strangers on the street and asking them what Drum Corps is. Sadly, maybe about three will say, "Is that like that movie Drum Line?" Maybe one will say "Isn't that like marching band?" Maybe it wasn't always this way in parts of the country, but it's a niche of a niche activity. You nailed it with "Drumline". I always took great joy in showing my Humanities classes various DCI quality videos of great drumlines to demonstrate the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henson Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 It's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranintothedoor Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 My wife and I were talking about this just the other day! She works in a hospital pharmacy. She was chatting with another person and drum corps came up (something about what I was doing that night... took my band kids to a DCI show), and she was like, "oh yeah, my husband did that!". Then another person came up. "Yeah, my sister did colorguard in hs and LOVES drum corps!" ... and then ANOTHER one came up! Apparently, about 15% of her work place knew about drum corps! Noone had marched, but they were all connected personally. I thought it was kinda cool. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alumniof Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Frankly, today's audience mainly consists of ex-drum corps people, High school bandos & parents. It's just not a mainstream entertainment activity. When I show drum corps vids to friends there are a lot of glassy-eyed stares & folks start checking their watches about 6-7 minutes into a show. Ironically, the most interested these folks got was when they watched the 2007 Championships video from ESPN. They weren't subjected to 12 minutes from every corps, there were some background vignettes that gave them a taste of the behind the scenes stuff, and the way that they presented the scores and replays/highlights during the broadcast, also made it more familiar and tangible to a mainstream audience that watches sports competitions. A couple of "outsiders" were actually convinced to go to a live competition after seeing the ESPN vid, and were subsequently hooked. I still think this is a better way to bring it to the mainstream, than movie theaters. I mean, really.....isn't this the point. I'm surprised it took 6 to 7 minutes. Had they been in the stands, it might be even sooner with the one perspective. Does anyone care or realize that music education isn't supported because it brings NOTHING (loose term) back to the community - the people that have the money. Everyone is saying income. Last time I checked, there were how many people and companies in your community. What have you done for them to care about you. The bleeding heart "their kids and education" doesn't work. My head response is "yeah, I've got my own kids and money problems". Here is what the public spends money on - the general public. Food, MUSIC and self-pleasure. DRUM CORPS'.......YOU ARE PLEASURE. MUSIC IS HUGE. However, you are not giving it to them. You're hiding out somewhere by yourself like an elitist or a loner. Give the public happiness, electricity, the privilege of seeing not the Kardashians, but kids with horns to their faces playing music. Have a drum barrel there and ask for 5 bucks and they'll drop it. Entertain and interest them. Give and you shall receive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skywhopper Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Don't worry guys. The amplified pit and electronic instruments rule changes are going to start bringing in global attention (most likely from MTV) any day now. The audience will be flocking to TOC shows around the nation to hear the best of the best in synth patches, horn blowing, reverb effects, stick tossing, stick banging, and sampled voice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bari Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) I mean, really.....isn't this the point. I'm surprised it took 6 to 7 minutes. Had they been in the stands, it might be even sooner with the one perspective. Does anyone care or realize that music education isn't supported because it brings NOTHING (loose term) back to the community - the people that have the money. Everyone is saying income. Last time I checked, there were how many people and companies in your community. What have you done for them to care about you. The bleeding heart "their kids and education" doesn't work. My head response is "yeah, I've got my own kids and money problems". Here is what the public spends money on - the general public. Food, MUSIC and self-pleasure. DRUM CORPS'.......YOU ARE PLEASURE. MUSIC IS HUGE. However, you are not giving it to them. You're hiding out somewhere by yourself like an elitist or a loner. Give the public happiness, electricity, the privilege of seeing not the Kardashians, but kids with horns to their faces playing music. Have a drum barrel there and ask for 5 bucks and they'll drop it. Entertain and interest them. Give and you shall receive. You know, I really do not agree with you on much, I would say it isn't so much that we disagree, I would say it is more of the somewhat harsh manner in which you make your point. BUT... You spilled out a few real diamonds in your post above. In order to receive, one must first give... It is kind of like having to prepare the land, sew the seeds, keep the growing environment clear of weeds, keep it watered and then after you put in the work, you will be able to reap and eat your harvest! :worthy:/>/> Edited August 16, 2013 by Big Bad Bari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAW Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) If you live in Casper you have no clue what drum corps is, but you absolutely know who the Troopers are. Edited August 16, 2013 by KAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 If you live in Casper you have no clue what drum corps is, but you absolutely know who the Troopers are. If you live in Durham, North Carolina, you have no clue what Drum Corps is, but you absolutely know who the Blue Devils are. ( 'sorry, couldn't resist ) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I'm hoping that Sound Sport is a step in introducing more people to the wonderful world we know as drum corps. I keep running into rays of hope. Just yesterday, I went to a massage therapist to work on my leg that I twisted severely walking to my car in Indy on Sunday afternoon. We got into a conversation about what I do and he asked me if I knew about The Cavaliers. Turns out he used to coach volleyball with Jeff Fiedler at the school where Jeff used to work at In Chicago. Then, last night, after a concert I played in, I ended up at a table in a pizza restaurant with someone wearing a Carolina Crown sweatshirt. Her son had marched the corps and is now teaching at Blue Knights. She read my blog for the first time at Finals. My favorite encounter remains having to get an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar the morning of Semifinals two years ago because my five-year-old laptop fried during the Prelims blog. The Apple Genius assigned to me said, "I know who you are." He had marched Carolina Crown for two years. The people who know about drum corps are out there. We need to do a better job of finding them, getting them into seats, and encouraging them to bring in new potential drum corps converts. I think DCI should make and send out free buttons that read, "Ask me about drum corps!" I think many of us would wear them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.l. Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I was at an Old Navy a couple of years in Asheville, NC and saw someone wearing a Cavaliers corps jacket with a 2006 patch. I also knew a girl in college (UNC Greensboro) who marched Blue Stars guard from 2003-2007, for some reason that was even more random. Heck, I even remember going apartment searching and being shown a place that had a few tour pics from Cadets. I guess it's more common in college towns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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