Eleran Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) And let's also please set just ONE goal post from which we can measure whether the world of drum corps is currently dying, because so far we've already seen those goal posts shifted from 1992, to 1972, to "BITD" (which for all I know means 1934). Can we all at least agree that comparing life today to life in Norman Rockwell's heyday isn't really getting us anywhere? Edited July 14, 2015 by Eleran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Let me tell you: DCI is NOT losing it's fan base. Anyone who thinks DCI is dying hasn't spent some time around the marching band scene. Drum corps participation seems to be undergoing an upswing in the past two years, especially this year. But that follows a decline. I've done some of this work before: Here are the number of corps who competed in DCI or DCA or the past eleven years, including this season. (In this list, DCA Minicorps and DCI SoundSport teams are not shown. DCI Div. II and Div. III are both included in Open Class. Numbers following a plus sign indicate corps who competed but didn't appear at championships, or if in parentheses, overseas corps who appeared at championships.) 2004 - 83 corps DCI World - 24 DCA Open - 12(+1) DCI Open - 27(+1)+8 DCA A - 7+3 2005 - 89 corps DCI World - 24 DCA Open - 16 DCI Open - 27(+2)+8 DCA A - 10+2 2006 - 70 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 16 DCI Open - 17(+1)+5 DCA A - 7+1 2007 - 71 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 13 DCI Open - 21(+1)+4 DCA A - 9+1 2008 - 72 corps DCI World - 20 DCA Open - 12 DCI Open - 21(+2)+4 DCA A - 12+1 2009 - 71 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 13 DCI Open - 19+5 DCA A - 11+1 2010 - 70 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 10(+1) DCI Open - 15(+1)+8 DCA A - 12 2011 - 69 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 11 DCI Open - 16(+2)+6 DCA A - 10+1 2012 - 66 corps DCI World - 22+1 DCA Open - 11(+1)+1 DCI Open - 14+7 DCA A - 8+1 2013 - 64 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 12 DCI Open - 13(+1)+4 DCA A - 10(+1)+1 2014 - 66 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 14 DCI Open - 14(+1)+10 DCA A - 5 2015 - 72 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 12(+1) DCI Open - 15(+3)+12 DCA A - 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 It is growing like mad! Ever been to a local high school band show? They are huge now! Thanks to drum corps alumni. At least in Ohio, the numbers of high school marching bands and band members now appears to have grown not at all since the early 1990s. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Not if you just look at number of corps. You have to look at number of member in all those corps and add them up. For example, the Bluecoats are marching 150 this year. If you took the 1995 Carolina Crown-112 add the 1995 Marion Cadets--23, and the 1995 Joliet Kingsmen-13, and you get 148, which is less than what Crown currently has. So 1 of those 3 corps still exists, which can look troubling until we open our eyes to the number of kids marching. If you're going to say roughly 11,000 less are marching now, then your numbers are based off full-sized corps, which is absurd. Just to set the record straight---I am a huge drum corps activity supporter (amongst other areas of the activity presently being involved with). With that said---numbers do not lie. Best case scenario, present 50 DCI corps with a max amount of members allowable = 7500 participants. 1972 with 472 field show performing junior corps at a max membership of a low average of 40 = 18880. Net lose, 11,380 participating members. Edited July 14, 2015 by bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tesmusic Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Drum corps participation seems to be undergoing an upswing in the past two years, especially this year. But that follows a decline. I've done some of this work before: Here are the number of corps who competed in DCI or DCA or the past eleven years, including this season. (In this list, DCA Minicorps and DCI SoundSport teams are not shown. DCI Div. II and Div. III are both included in Open Class. Numbers following a plus sign indicate corps who competed but didn't appear at championships, or if in parentheses, overseas corps who appeared at championships.) 2004 - 83 corps DCI World - 24 DCA Open - 12(+1) DCI Open - 27(+1)+8 DCA A - 7+3 2005 - 89 corps DCI World - 24 DCA Open - 16 DCI Open - 27(+2)+8 DCA A - 10+2 2006 - 70 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 16 DCI Open - 17(+1)+5 DCA A - 7+1 2007 - 71 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 13 DCI Open - 21(+1)+4 DCA A - 9+1 2008 - 72 corps DCI World - 20 DCA Open - 12 DCI Open - 21(+2)+4 DCA A - 12+1 2009 - 71 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 13 DCI Open - 19+5 DCA A - 11+1 2010 - 70 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 10(+1) DCI Open - 15(+1)+8 DCA A - 12 2011 - 69 corps DCI World - 23 DCA Open - 11 DCI Open - 16(+2)+6 DCA A - 10+1 2012 - 66 corps DCI World - 22+1 DCA Open - 11(+1)+1 DCI Open - 14+7 DCA A - 8+1 2013 - 64 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 12 DCI Open - 13(+1)+4 DCA A - 10(+1)+1 2014 - 66 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 14 DCI Open - 14(+1)+10 DCA A - 5 2015 - 72 corps DCI World - 22 DCA Open - 12(+1) DCI Open - 15(+3)+12 DCA A - 7 That's all wonderful, but it still does not tell the story of the number of performers. Which to me is the only way to measure. Less groups does not mean there are less participating. Until someone takes the time to evaluate that, it's all ########. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdaddy Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 This is an interesting angle that could perhaps be played up more: drum corps is a physical activity and competition that could be a safer alternative to football, the primary summer/fall sport. It would be difficult for your typical high school marching band to make that claim, but drum corps (and drum corps kids) tend to be a cooler and more attractive version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 And let's also please set just ONE goal post from which we can measure whether the world of drum corps is currently dying, because so far we've already seen those goal posts shifted from 1992, to 1972, to "BITD" (which for all I know means 1934). Why set only one year? Looking at a too short of a time period can lead to bad conclusions if you want to judge long term health of anything. Especially as things outside of the DC world changes. usually that means the economy but the mess with the copyrights may hurt exposing new people to corps. Yes the world of 72, 92, 02, 74 (my first year) are all different. But we can't ignore everything just because we might not like the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craiga Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I've said this before, but it bears repeating. I can recall going to the World Open in Lynn, MA in the late 1970s...it was a two day event, with 50 or 60 corps in it. Most of the corps had 25-30 members....the infamous Braintree Braves actually had 7 members and rode to the show in a station wagon. It is disingenuous to suggest that drum corps is dying these days based solely on the number of corps...and certainly not after BAC attracted 6000 to their (non-Regional) show at Gillette just ten days ago. Also, and for the record, the dozens and dozens of little drum corps which were around the Boston area 40 years ago never belonged to DCI or went on tour, so you can't blame either DCI or the "touring model" for that. These groups went under due to financial mismanagement and cultural changes, much like many church groups. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) We also seem to look at statistics they way we want at times...just like polls. Yes there were many corps BITD YES for many reasons they are gone. Yes kids have way more options than we did bitd . I marched in a very successful corps that still has maintained top 12 status today but the corps i marched in maybe had 65 members total then maybe went to 85 or 90. many corps ( although some large ) had way less than that. SO , maybe we have less corps but the same amount doing it? who knows As far as this clip ,and if it is growing or dying. One can also look at it as 40 years ago ( or whatever, pick a time ) this activity was not looked at as mainstream (still isnt ) there was a stigma, Band and drum corps (YES even drum corps) so to the general public they now are looking at it very differently and to them it looks like a growing thing. is that bad? So there were more bitd, so what, maybe to the world it is growing and thats fine and in actuality compared to the drop off of corps not just from the 90s but from the 70s it is a growing activity. Were lucky it's still here. Even if some stats show less of everything , does it really matter. would some rather have seen the clip say " Here's a dying activity" Kids stay away..come on. There would have been alot of barking then for sure..lol.. Edited July 14, 2015 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 1972 with 472 field show performing junior corps at a max membership of a low average of 40 = 18880. Net lose, 11,380 participating members. I was 5 years old at the time - I am in NO way trying to say you are wrong. I am just curious where the "472" number came from. Actual statistics seem so difficult to come by. For example, CorpsReps, for example, only lists 160 active Junior corps in 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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