garfield Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 (edited) If you've ever doubted that drum corps is business, here's proof. Leave it to BD. I have several viewpoints about THIS. You can't doubt that BD is setting the pace in the activity. And they're finding ways to promote themselves beyond the stadium. I'm not sure if it's entertainment or art, but I know good business when I see it. On a personal level, "dialing in" and "playing through the same equipment that BD uses" raises that fear in me that the activity is becoming electronic, if profitably so. It's surely possible that the electronics will actually enhance, or improve, the fan's experience. I loved acoustic blow-my-hair-back air, but I suppose I'll accept the fate of my age and ride along. Back to my business brain... I'm pretty sure these kind of advancements is exactly what BD has in mind. To my untrained eye, the organization has PLENTY of money and doesn't need recognition endorsements to make even more money. What would they do with more? So the correct play is to spend money on improving the fan experience, to build the fan base that supports your effort. Spend in the activity to make it better for your own benefit. Again, and to my admittedly untrained eye (I've never run a drum corps) this seems like a brilliant business model. It's one that - and this is MY opinion - the other "top" corps should follow as well, if for purely my personal enjoyment of drum corps only. And what a great marketing angle for these audio companies. "Be like the Blue Devils!" is likely gold among those band programs that can afford it. And it's surely gold to BD. Finally, disclaimer: I'm not singling out this as the only example of leveraging a drum corps' brand into a legitimate product to enhance the user experience. I've just not heard of any other corps showing so much effort in this brave new world of drum corps electronics. EDIT (Dang! I was hoping not to have to): Be SURE to watch the video, especially if you're an audio geek. The technology is quite impressive. Edited October 10, 2014 by garfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 If you've ever doubted that drum corps is business, here's proof. Leave it to BD. I have several viewpoints about THIS. You can't doubt that BD is setting the pace in the activity. And they're finding ways to promote themselves beyond the stadium. I'm not sure if it's entertainment or art, but I know good business when I see it. On a personal level, "dialing in" and "playing through the same equipment that BD uses" raises that fear in me that the activity is becoming electronic, if profitably so. It's surely possible that the electronics will actually enhance, or improve, the fan's experience. I loved acoustic blow-my-hair-back air, but I suppose I'll accept the fate of my age and ride along. Back to my business brain... I'm pretty sure these kind of advancements is exactly what BD has in mind. To my untrained eye, the organization has PLENTY of money and doesn't need recognition endorsements to make even more money. What would they do with more? So the correct play is to spend money on improving the fan experience, to build the fan base that supports your effort. Spend in the activity to make it better for your own benefit. Again, and to my admittedly untrained eye (I've never run a drum corps) this seems like a brilliant business model. It's one that - and this is MY opinion - the other "top" corps should follow as well, if for purely my personal enjoyment of drum corps only. And what a great marketing angle for these audio companies. "Be like the Blue Devils!" is likely gold among those band programs that can afford it. And it's surely gold to BD. Finally, disclaimer: I'm not singling out this as the only example of leveraging a drum corps' brand into a legitimate product to enhance the user experience. I've just not heard of any other corps showing so much effort in this brave new world of drum corps electronics. EDIT (Dang! I was hoping not to have to): Be SURE to watch the video, especially if you're an audio geek. The technology is quite impressive. BD even BITD have always known how to do this. It's exactly the reason they were able to retain so many staff for such a long time. The means may have been different back then but the intent the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 The pit sounds awesome through those new systems! (Especially the drum set)! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 As a lonely DM, I was quoted on a 1974 magazine that drum corps should be more business like. When we went to DCI finals in 2010 my corps director from 1977 said 'Let's take the age-outs and make something' (like Blast). His wife said 'We're not in drum corps business anymore'. I'll try to put pieces together later, then and now. A few BD learned something while instructing AAG 1975. Some seemed be have applied business sense in 1976 and onwards. Kudos! The business plan that worked well then may have been adapted to modern times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) His wife said 'We're not in drum corps business anymore'. I'll try to put pieces together later, then and now. A few BD learned something while instructing AAG 1975. Some seemed be have applied business sense in 1976 and onwards. Kudos! The business plan that worked well then may have been adapted to modern times. The main take-away is the the Blue Devils aren't just in the drum corps business, they are in the *Blue Devils* business. And they do it well. The Sonus Pro Audio thing via System Blue is cool, but it's not all they are doing. Check out Fanfare and Rumble, both from Sample Logic. When you buy Sibelius 7.5 from Avid, it includes samples from Fanfare and Rumble, and mentions the Blue Devils right on the box. Those samples are fantastic, by the way, a must-have for any serious composer arranger in the band and corps fields. Edited October 11, 2014 by Kamarag 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmc5682 Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 If you've ever doubted that drum corps is business, here's proof. Leave it to BD. I have several viewpoints about THIS. You can't doubt that BD is setting the pace in the activity. And they're finding ways to promote themselves beyond the stadium. I'm not sure if it's entertainment or art, but I know good business when I see it. On a personal level, "dialing in" and "playing through the same equipment that BD uses" raises that fear in me that the activity is becoming electronic, if profitably so. It's surely possible that the electronics will actually enhance, or improve, the fan's experience. I loved acoustic blow-my-hair-back air, but I suppose I'll accept the fate of my age and ride along. Back to my business brain... I'm pretty sure these kind of advancements is exactly what BD has in mind. To my untrained eye, the organization has PLENTY of money and doesn't need recognition endorsements to make even more money. What would they do with more? So the correct play is to spend money on improving the fan experience, to build the fan base that supports your effort. Spend in the activity to make it better for your own benefit. Again, and to my admittedly untrained eye (I've never run a drum corps) this seems like a brilliant business model. It's one that - and this is MY opinion - the other "top" corps should follow as well, if for purely my personal enjoyment of drum corps only. And what a great marketing angle for these audio companies. "Be like the Blue Devils!" is likely gold among those band programs that can afford it. And it's surely gold to BD. Finally, disclaimer: I'm not singling out this as the only example of leveraging a drum corps' brand into a legitimate product to enhance the user experience. I've just not heard of any other corps showing so much effort in this brave new world of drum corps electronics. EDIT (Dang! I was hoping not to have to): Be SURE to watch the video, especially if you're an audio geek. The technology is quite impressive. You say to your untrained eye that BD seems to have plenty of money yet you do acknowledge they are a business. I do not know any CEO, or BOD who would be happy to hear anyone in their company say "we made enough money last quarter/year so lets just sit back and relax". If I said that to my boss I believe I might even be fired. Most businesses I have been involved with want to provide a great product and also make as much money as possible. Companies tend to get in a lot of trouble when they stop growing their bottom line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Garfield, 1. Thanks for keeping us aware. 2. These two salespeople could probably sell air in a bottle for the right price. 3. BD is not the only drum corps business of course. Whether it's buying your flooring from Crown, etc., there are a number of corps branching out. 4. Being the business person you are Garfield, what's your commission on future sales? or will we have to wait to check BD's 990's, ha, ha. :-) 5. This seems like a great follow-up to the DCI loopholes thread. Thanks. Edited October 11, 2014 by xandandl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 a must-have for any serious composer arranger in the band and corps fields. Poor Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, etc., having to make due with mere paper, ink and their minds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 let alone Beethoven and his hearing hassle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornTeacher Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 It's surely possible that the electronics will actually enhance, or improve, the fan's experience. I loved acoustic blow-my-hair-back air, but I suppose I'll accept the fate of my age and ride along. Which is why you are, probably always have been, and surely always will be a far better man than I. As for me, I'm afraid that I shall someday go kicking and screaming into the same institutional void as McMurphy...and probably to the same fate. However, I'll still have the sound of Brady's solos in my head -- and with that, a certain amount of solace. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.