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When will drum corps be popular enough? How would we know?


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On 9/3/2018 at 12:36 AM, BRASSO said:

 Speaking of which, DCA announced tonite at the DCA Championships that DCA had " their largest attendance in 7 years. "

... (edited)

Doing the math from the previous figures DCA announced for the size of high school stadium and the additional seats brought in to augment doesn't add up. That is, unless DCA is giving us the gross number of ticket sales cumulating prelims, alumni corps, and finals as one number (7K.)  So fans who go to all 3 events are counted 3 times, once for each event.

If I remember correctly, DCI uses a different method and gives total for each day (Thursday prelims as distinct from Friday semis as distinct from Saturday World finals) of PAID attendance (purchased tickets as opposed to comps given through DCI office in Indy, HoFers, or certain allotment for each corps. Thus 7K-DCA is different from 7K-DCI when understanding the true and larger picture.

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1 minute ago, xandandl said:

Doing the math from the previous figures DCA announced for the size of high school stadium and the additional seats brought in to augment doesn't add up. That is, unless DCA is giving us the gross number of ticket sales cumulating prelims, alumni corps, and finals as one number (7K.)  So fans who go to all 3 events are counted 3 times, once for each event.

If I remember correctly, DCI uses a different method and gives total for each day (Thursday prelims as distinct from Friday semis as distinct from Saturday World finals) of PAID attendance (purchased tickets as opposed to comps given through DCI office in Indy, HoFers, or certain allotment for each corps. Thus 7K-DCA is different from 7K-DCI when understanding the true and larger picture.

as DCI releases numbers, and while picked apart and questioned, DCA doesn't release squat. Based on inside sources, I'm not entirely sure they were getting 4000 paid the last few years in Rochester. Plus the additional seats were from the 20 out, and weren't sold. All three sections were pretty full by the end of each day, but i have no idea how many were members coming back in. But, DCA being DCA, the president will be more than happy to call out "internet trolls" who complained about things but not release real numbers.

 

As for mass popularity, I just said this elsewhere and it applies here: When it comes to explaining this activity, we are our own worst enemy. We get too hung up on minor details the general public doesnt care about. They could give two ##### the difference between band and drum corps, and often when trying to explain this crazy game to outsiders, we come off as preachy and lecturing...and it turns people off. Yes years ago, I complained to no end about the statement "Drum Corps is band"....but in hindsight, to those outside looking in...it's exactly that. And the more we try to snobbify ourselves, the more we make harder for people to want to give it a try.

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27 minutes ago, xandandl said:

Doing the math from the previous figures DCA announced for the size of high school stadium and the additional seats brought in to augment doesn't add up. That is, unless DCA is giving us the gross number of ticket sales cumulating prelims, alumni corps, and finals as one number (7K.)  So fans who go to all 3 events are counted 3 times, once for each event.

If I remember correctly, DCI uses a different method and gives total for each day (Thursday prelims as distinct from Friday semis as distinct from Saturday World finals) of PAID attendance (purchased tickets as opposed to comps given through DCI office in Indy, HoFers, or certain allotment for each corps. Thus 7K-DCA is different from 7K-DCI when understanding the true and larger picture.

 I really don't know how DCA arrived at their attendance figures calculations to state on Finals Night it was their largest attendance in 7 years. We can only say with certainty at the moment that DCA calculates the numbers and announces those attendance figures compared with other seasons within hours, and that DCI calculates and announces their attendance figures compared to other seasons in about 4- 5 weeks.

Edited by BRASSO
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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

As for mass popularity, I just said this elsewhere and it applies here: When it comes to explaining this activity, we are our own worst enemy. We get too hung up on minor details the general public doesnt care about. They could give two ##### the difference between band and drum corps, and often when trying to explain this crazy game to outsiders, we come off as preachy and lecturing...and it turns people off. Yes years ago, I complained to no end about the statement "Drum Corps is band"....but in hindsight, to those outside looking in...it's exactly that. And the more we try to snobbify ourselves, the more we make harder for people to want to give it a try.

You will have to show me where this problem is occurring.  In this day and age, who is getting the attention of the general public only to waste it on explaining the distinction between drum corps and marching band?  Show them video clips, followed by a link to the tour schedule and ticket ordering.

If anyone asks me what drum corps is, my general public explanation is around four words, with the option of expanding to two sentences if I see they are intensely curious.  If they are not patient enough to listen to the 4-word answer to their own question, they probably will not enjoy a 12-minute drum corps show, much less 6 of them in one sitting.

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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

 

As for mass popularity, I just said this elsewhere and it applies here: When it comes to explaining this activity, we are our own worst enemy. We get too hung up on minor details the general public doesnt care about. They could give two ##### the difference between band and drum corps, and often when trying to explain this crazy game to outsiders, we come off as preachy and lecturing...and it turns people off. Yes years ago, I complained to no end about the statement "Drum Corps is band"....but in hindsight, to those outside looking in...it's exactly that. And the more we try to snobbify ourselves, the more we make harder for people to want to give it a try.

Wish I had insight to how Corps sell themselves to potential members but never got the idea that Hanover sold itself as real drum corps or even drum corps. More like “hey you want to play music then here is something different” without getting bogged down in details. 

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And one more thing...

1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

And the more we try to snobbify ourselves, the more we make harder for people to want to give it a try.

Honestly, this is a snobby activity.  It has contests with official results adjudicated subjectively by a small pool of judges.  It promotes itself as educational.  Even the shows often try to educate the audience.  If people are put off by that attitude, we will need to change much more than just how/if we explain the distinction between corps and band.

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7 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

And one more thing...

Honestly, this is a snobby activity.  It has contests with official results adjudicated subjectively by a small pool of judges.  It promotes itself as educational.  Even the shows often try to educate the audience.  If people are put off by that attitude, we will need to change much more than just how/if we explain the distinction between corps and band.

So nothing about members enjoying what they do and fans being entertained? If the activity is all about  members and nothing about non members/fans that’s snobbery imo.

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9 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Wish I had insight to how Corps sell themselves to potential members but never got the idea that Hanover sold itself as real drum corps or even drum corps. More like “hey you want to play music then here is something different” without getting bogged down in details. 

I agree, Jim... the Lancers are a bit of a different animal. And it's working for them.

Their schedule includes several of what we might consider "non- drum corps/non-marching music" events... town festivals, etc.  IMO, that's a good thing... it gets them out in front of the general public. And they have a good enough corps to make a positive impression on just about anyone.

Heck... even at the spring indoor show they sponsor, they've had a number of groups different from "just another drum corps"... the local all-star percussion section, that Civil War-era brass band, fife and drum corps, you name it.

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1 hour ago, BRASSO said:

 I really don't know how DCA arrived at their attendance figures calculations to state on Finals Night it was their largest attendance in 7 years. We can only say with certainty at the moment that DCA calculates the numbers and announces those attendance figures compared with other seasons within hours, and that DCI calculates and announces their attendance figures compared to other seasons in about 4- 5 weeks.

But doesn't DCI release the actual hard numbers?   DCA doesn't... not in recent years that I know of, at least.

Forgive me for being a bit skeptical... but hard numbers work better for me.

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10 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

I agree, Jim... the Lancers are a bit of a different animal. And it's working for them.

Their schedule includes several of what we might consider "non- drum corps/non-marching music" events... town festivals, etc.  IMO, that's a good thing... it gets them out in front of the general public. And they have a good enough corps to make a positive impression on just about anyone.

Heck... even at the spring indoor show they sponsor, they've had a number of groups different from "just another drum corps"... the local all-star percussion section, that Civil War-era brass band, fife and drum corps, you name it.

Thanks Fran, half tongue in check I call them the town band that happens to be a drum corps. Half kidding as the mind set and lot of the gigs would match a town band.

lol when you have a drum corps as part of the Gettysburg Brass Band Featival....

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