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42 minutes ago, queenanne_1536 said:

Repeat after me: You are wrong! We are THE ONLY customer.

Wow. I thought I was the one who is supposed to be over-caffeinated. God bless you and keep you.

This view would be true if the corps paid the students. If the corps paid the students to perform, then what you say would be true. After all, they would not be students; they would be performers for hire, and you would have every right to demand whatever it is you want from the product, because they (or more precisely, the corps) would be the product.

But the kids are not paid. Quite the reverse. They pay the corps, and that changes everything. The product is not the show; it is the education, challenge and experience provided to the students. Thus, it is the students, not us, who are in a position to place demands and expectations on the corps (and circuit) providing that product. The enjoyment we get from their efforts is a byproduct. Our pride in seeing dedicated, hard-working, self-sacrificing young people grow into stellar adults is a byproduct. Our DVDs are a byproduct. Our lot experiences and BMFO goosebumps are byproducts. They are happy byproducts, to be sure, and we're happy to pay for the privilege through tickets, souvies and outright donations. But that happy outcome is possible only because of the initial transaction between the student and the corps. For us to inject our personal demands and expectations on the corps/DCI only warps that relationship.

Edited by 2muchcoffeeman
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2 hours ago, queenanne_1536 said:

It's not my problem whether the kids and staff work harder or not. It's not my problem if said kid has a horrible summer and experience. It's not my problem that the kids have to pay to be a part of the activity. It's not my problem that the staff only design shows for the judges and not THE ONLY customer. It's not my problem if I decide to get a hotdog when Corps A is one. It's not my problem if I only politely applaud when I really don't want to applaud at all. It's not my problem if I walk away and no longer spend money on supporting this activity.

If it is indeed our, THE ONLY customers, problem, then someday there won't be any customers to have a problem and DCI will cease to exist, at least as we know it today. 

Calm down, dude.  Can we get you a towel or something?  

Mike

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2 hours ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

Wow. I thought I was the one who is supposed to be over-caffeinated. God bless you and keep you.

This view would be true if the corps paid the students. If the corps paid the students to perform, then what you say would be true. After all, they would not be students; they would be performers for hire, and you would have every right to demand whatever it is you want from the product, because they (or more precisely, the corps) would be the product.

But the kids are not paid. Quite the reverse. They pay the corps, and that changes everything. The product is not the show; it is the education, challenge and experience provided to the students. Thus, it is the students, not us, who are in a position to place demands and expectations on the corps (and circuit) providing that product. The enjoyment we get from their efforts is a byproduct. Our pride in seeing dedicated, hard-working, self-sacrificing young people grow into stellar adults is a byproduct. Our DVDs are a byproduct. Our lot experiences and BMFO goosebumps are byproducts. They are happy byproducts, to be sure, and we're happy to pay for the privilege through tickets, souvies and outright donations. But that happy outcome is possible only because of the initial transaction between the student and the corps. For us to inject our personal demands and expectations on the corps/DCI only warps that relationship.

I do not think that the audience should be telling a corps what to play and not play, but the audience is the customer in drum corps when it comes to performances and competitions and not byproducts. The corps are paid performance fees and ticket sales are a major way funds to pay performance fees are collected. Yes the marching members pay to perform, but they are paying for the opportunity to perform. 

Now where I would love corps to remind folks the audience is the customer is to those staff members who think they are God’s gift, run around to take seats while the corps performs, get upset if the rightful ticket holder wants their seat, and make their importance felt. A little courtesy can go a long way in souvenir booths. But all these folks are the exception, not the rule.

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5 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

so no, you are not the ONLY customer. If the kids don't want to do what's out there, YOU'RE staring at an empty field

Two sets of "customers" here. The kids/performers... and the paying audience.

The flip side of that bolded statement is... if paying audiences don't like the product, then the kids/performers are staring at empty stands. But given the attendance increase at numerous DCI events in recent years, it sure would seem that the current product is to the liking of the audience, in general.

Ultimately, neither can live without the other... performers and paying audience... and the activity can't survive without both. 

Edited by Fran Haring
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So.  How about those Madison Scouts?

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To those who dismiss the importance of playing for the people in the stands (who buy the tickets), have you ever performed a show that you poured your heart

into, and gotten only golf applause? On the flip side, have you experienced what it's like to have the crowd stand and cheer loudly multiple times during your show?

I have experienced both. And I can tell you, no matter how much the staff tries to justify or excuse the former, it as VERY disheartening when the crowd just isn't into

what you're putting out. On the flip side, when you have been given a powerful, fan-friendly show that gets a visceral reaction, and spontaneous, roaring standing-O's throughout

your show, it's incomparable. And that's something that we in the Scouts have a history of....I know I'm going back a long way, but watch the 95 show....all summer, every crowd

was insane. And to the artsy self-appointed sophisticates of the activity, it was a pedestrian, schlocky show that was beneath them...so therefore, it didn't deserve to be considered

among the best DCI shows ever. To clarify my point, would you as a kid want to throw down money, time, and effort to have an awesome experience performing a show like that - where

every night you felt like a rockstar? Or would you rather spend them summer performing sophisticated slam poetry set to "music"?

 

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4 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

YOU'RE staring at an empty field

I never said I was the only customer - I said WE - the paying audience - are the only customers. The kids are the performers, the entertainers, the members. They are there (apart from learning and growing) to entertain that paying audience. They are not the customers. If you don't think the designers designing only for the judges, and not the audience, is not a problem then I don't know what to tell you.

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1 hour ago, MikeN said:

Calm down, dude.  Can we get you a towel or something?  

Mike

I am calm. I'm stating my opinion calmly. I was using capitals as an emphasis, not a shout 🙂

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3 hours ago, 2muchcoffeeman said:

Wow. I thought I was the one who is supposed to be over-caffeinated. God bless you and keep you.

This view would be true if the corps paid the students. If the corps paid the students to perform, then what you say would be true. After all, they would not be students; they would be performers for hire, and you would have every right to demand whatever it is you want from the product, because they (or more precisely, the corps) would be the product.

But the kids are not paid. Quite the reverse. They pay the corps, and that changes everything. The product is not the show; it is the education, challenge and experience provided to the students. Thus, it is the students, not us, who are in a position to place demands and expectations on the corps (and circuit) providing that product. The enjoyment we get from their efforts is a byproduct. Our pride in seeing dedicated, hard-working, self-sacrificing young people grow into stellar adults is a byproduct. Our DVDs are a byproduct. Our lot experiences and BMFO goosebumps are byproducts. They are happy byproducts, to be sure, and we're happy to pay for the privilege through tickets, souvies and outright donations. But that happy outcome is possible only because of the initial transaction between the student and the corps. For us to inject our personal demands and expectations on the corps/DCI only warps that relationship.

I'm overworked, not over-caffeinated.

I think the fact that the kids pay is irrelevant. I paid when I marched. I always viewed myself as the performer - the entertainer. Never as the customer. I got a rush out of the crowd going crazy. I was there to entertain them. The kids pay to learn. They pay to grow. They pay to work with top instructional staff. It doesn't make them the customer. The paying audience is the customer. If the customer isn't there, then what? Nothing. That's what.

You're right for the kids - they join because of the education, the challenge and the experience. The biggest part of that experience is performing. Have you ever heard any artist not care what the audience thinks? I knew people in Star in the early 90s and they were really saddened by how the audience treated them. They were winning. They were the best. Yet, they were saddened. I thought they were Gods.

The customer is the paying audience. Just and only the paying audience. We don't go to shows to watch a clinic. We go to be, first and foremost, entertained. 

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