Poppycock Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 2 hours ago, HockeyDad said: I think, more than any other motivation, DCI is all about the money. They package it as being all about the kids. I overheard a conversation where one of the staff said my name is on this. I can’t wait to get on tour so I can rehearse the crap out of them, because 50% won’t be back anyway. So it’s not about the members. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 2 hours ago, HockeyDad said: I think, more than any other motivation, DCI is all about the money. They package it as being all about the kids. I don't think anybody gets rich working in drum corps. To the degree that decisions are made by personal money interests, it's small change, and the same kind of decisions that everyone in every career makes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 9 minutes ago, MikeD said: People follow DCI for the high level excellence in design and performance the ensembles create. You don't see as many people following Open class, and DCA attendance has taken a hit from reading that forum. People follow DCI for the acoustic brass and percussion sound played at a high level you can’t find elsewhere. Excellence in design can be found in an art gallery. Or a Frank Lloyd Wright structure. Or a beautiful bridge, for example. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppycock Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 4 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said: I don't think anybody gets rich working in drum corps. There is a lot of people with supplemental incomes of five and six figure salaries working with drum corps. Add that with working with marching bands and winter ensembles, and it adds up pretty quickly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 3 hours ago, Old Corps Guy said: Let me ask this question. How many of you have been to a "local" marching band competition outside of Texas, California or Indiana? I state this as someone that has gone to many competitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic over the years. A day long competition tends to be broken up into multiple segments. The smaller classes in the morning/early afternoon and the larger classes in the evening. Even regional shows tend to fall into this same break-out of classes. Most of the "Marching Band" shows I have been to over the past couple decades have two groups of fans. The first group of the fans tends to be the parents of whatever band is performing at the time. The second group are all the band students that have already performed and are waiting for scores. If you doubt me, go to a competition right before the first group of scores are announced and watch the mass exodus once the score are announced. They don't return and the sequence starts all over for the next group of classes. "Drum Corps" shows tend to draw a different fan base. This fan base includes alumni as well as fans of Drum Corps. Many spend some time in the parking lot and then go to the stadium for the entire show. They tend to drive longer distances, stay for the entire show and spend more money. Often these fans have no ties whatsoever to the competing corps they are going to see at the local competition. That is what makes Drum Corps unique. Once it becomes a marching band, it loses that uniqueness and subsequently, its fan base. I have gone to many drum corps shows over the years that did not include a single corps I had any ties with whatsoever. I can't say that I have ever been to a marching band show where none of my kids were marching or I had not taught at a competing school. I have driven or flown to dozens of drum corps competitions over the years. I doubt I would do the same for a marching band competition when I can see them locally with schools I have taught at in the past. As I stated earlier, you can see a marching band at any local competition. The desire to go and see one that is the same thing, only cleaner is not as big a draw as going to something as unique as Drum Corps. You are correct about the current attendees of scholastic marching band shows. But it's not clear to me that it's the instrumentation that causes the difference. The attendees at your average high school football game are also mostly parents and students. But at college and especially professional football games many or most attendees have no such connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 20 minutes ago, MikeD said: People follow DCI for the high level excellence in design and performance the ensembles create. You don't see as many people following Open class, and DCA attendance has taken a hit from reading that forum. But my point is they first have to like the design and performance on the ensembles. Way I’m reading some of these posts is people will come because it’s excellent or ultimate, regardless if they even like the activity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 16 minutes ago, Poppycock said: I overheard a conversation where one of the staff said my name is on this. I can’t wait to get on tour so I can rehearse the crap out of them, because 50% won’t be back anyway. So it’s not about the members. Oh the joys of Sr corps BITD. “Hey this #### sucked when we did it last year. Why is this year going to be different “. to be clear that was one of the marchers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 11 minutes ago, HockeyDad said: People follow DCI for the acoustic brass and percussion sound played at a high level you can’t find elsewhere. Excellence in design can be found in an art gallery. Or a Frank Lloyd Wright structure. Or a beautiful bridge, for example. WC DCI is the epitome of marching music. It has more than "acoustic brass and percussion" even now. WWs just add to the possibilities. The BD with a sax section will still be the BD, the highest level marching/music performance, if they chose to go that route. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 5 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said: But my point is they first have to like the design and performance on the ensembles. Way I’m reading some of these posts is people will come because it’s excellent or ultimate, regardless if they even like the activity If you no longer like something, do not attend. I'd never suggest people attend "just because". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 (edited) 4 minutes ago, MikeD said: If you no longer like something, do not attend. I'd never suggest people attend "just because". Not saying you are and this is not part of the “I used to like it “ discussion. Saying some posts read like “more people will come because it’s excellent.... period” jeff pegged it with his Opera and the Met post... Edited January 6, 2020 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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