skywhopper Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I was wearing my Blue Stars T-shirt to the mall one day with my daughter soon after the 2010 season, and one of the guys working in one of the stores mentioned upon seeing my shirt that he had been with Blue Stars for years and had been either their horn sergeant or a section leader that year, and I was like, ####, dude, you guys put on my favorite show this year! So that was pretty awesome, but it also happens to be the only time I've ever run into anyone with any knowledge of drum corps outside of my band friends and instructors from high school and college. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 unless you live in an area where the corps is well known, it's not known at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I’d agree that it’s not known at all but strangely, in my small company 4 people know about it…use to be 5 but they left...only 1 of the ever goes to a show and they didn't go to any this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShainaBassoon Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I'd say a fair number of people in my region know about drum corps. Just the other day I saw an older man wearing a Blue Stars hat. But south central PA especially in the York and Adams counties have really strong competitive marching band programs and you can find former DCI marchers on staff. When I was in high school our drill writer and instructor had marched Madison in the rifle line in the late 70s. Our percussion guy worked with DCI corps occasionally. Our staff let us know about when the finals were on ESPN and even one year brought in the Cadets to visit. The closeness of the Cadets and formerly the Crossmen who have now moved to Texas really helped too. It's hard for me to really say because I grew up in an area where marching band was pretty popular then went to college where a fair amount of people marched DCI in the summer. But I think while it isn't as well known as we might hope, there's more people out there who know about it than we think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv4corps Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 To anyone not in the activity, it is marching band. You can explain the differences and they will nod in understanding, then the following season they'll ask "so when does your marching band perform?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelloMatt Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Could it be that sport stacking is more known than DCI? http://www.speedstacks.com/ I mean... really!?!? They did a really good job of marketing that to schools as a way of improving hand eye coordination though. I spent 2 freaking months learning how to cup-stack in 5th grade... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyWonder1911 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I do not remember going to a competition (and I have been to MANY, while touring and working for a WC corps), and one could hardly find an open seat at any given competition. We want more fans, but where are we going to put them? Maybe at the major venues, sometimes college stadiums don't fill up 100% on the performing side, but at a high school field competition, there will be no where to sit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skevinp Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I do not remember going to a competition (and I have been to MANY, while touring and working for a WC corps), and one could hardly find an open seat at any given competition. We want more fans, but where are we going to put them? Maybe at the major venues, sometimes college stadiums don't fill up 100% on the performing side, but at a high school field competition, there will be no where to sit. And what seats there are not high enough to grasp the visual, and only a few seats central enough to hear a blended sound, so they don't come away with the best appreciation of it. Are larger stadiums really that much more expensive or difficult to get at a time when they are otherwise sitting there empty and making no more money than any of the others? I'm sure there's a reason for this because drum corps people are too smart and too motivated not to find the best venues they can, I just don't know what that reason is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) How well is the drum corps activity known outside of our little niche of the world? About as well known as The International Society of Arboriculture Tree Climbing Championship is known outside of their little niche of the world. A vast overwhelming number of people in this world care about what we do as much as they care about a bunch of tree climbers; and that is ok; I mean really ok. Edited August 17, 2013 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranintothedoor Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I do not remember going to a competition (and I have been to MANY, while touring and working for a WC corps), and one could hardly find an open seat at any given competition. We want more fans, but where are we going to put them? Maybe at the major venues, sometimes college stadiums don't fill up 100% on the performing side, but at a high school field competition, there will be no where to sit. Good problem to have, I think. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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