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'Ontario Must Abandon DCI, Embrace Québec' - opinion piece


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10 hours ago, Brian Tuma said:

I was surprised that Les Stentors did a California tour last season. Great experience for the kids but it must have broke the bank. 

It did not break the bank. What it did however, was generating more membership interest than years past. That result in a typical 30-35 members corps growing to 50 kids in 2022.  A 61% growth from 2019 coming back from a pandemic. 

It may look like small numbers but in a land where there is no marching band and where school music program are melting as fast the ice on top of the kilimandjaro, this was a remarkable achievement. 

The corps finished the season in the black...as always.  Wish we would be base in a more music friendly zone. At least we have winterguard and a beginning of a drumline scene getting started.

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13 hours ago, Old Guy said:

It did not break the bank. What it did however, was generating more membership interest than years past. That result in a typical 30-35 members corps growing to 50 kids in 2022.  A 61% growth from 2019 coming back from a pandemic. 

It may look like small numbers but in a land where there is no marching band and where school music program are melting as fast the ice on top of the kilimandjaro, this was a remarkable achievement. 

The corps finished the season in the black...as always.  Wish we would be base in a more music friendly zone. At least we have winterguard and a beginning of a drumline scene getting started.

 

I feel it's my responsibility to push back on this, because I believe there's better ways to grow the activity. Attracting members with touring expenses is one of the largest reasons drum corps began to fail in Quebec in the 1980's. With research by Daniel Buteau from Drum Corps World Magazine I compiled this article that highlights some of the reasons why drum corps started to fail in Central Canada.

"What Happened to Drum Corps in Quebec?"

https://sites.google.com/view/ontario-marching-arts/what-happened-to-drum-corps-in-quebec

You say the corps finished in the black, but did it end lower than it began? How much did that tour cost the organization, and how does that compare to a normal year's revenue? If it takes a trip to California to engage kids, are you originally that engaging?

I apologize if I'm wrong, but it just looks like Les Stentors is repeating the same mistake Quebec and Ontario have made since DCI hosted finals in Montreal, 1981. Chasing American glory steals an opportunity to inspire a young Canadian to take up music.

Edited by QuinnFleming
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Most of us have no idea about the marching arts in Canada, so it would be great to be able to learn about that before forming an opinion.

 

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On 3/18/2023 at 3:24 PM, QuinnFleming said:

https://sites.google.com/view/ontario-marching-arts/competitive-regionalism


Hello there, 

I'm a Canadian marching band director, I marched Boston '17 and admin'd for 7th Regiment '18. I've researched the history of drum corps in Canada extensively, and I've summarized my opinions in this article 'Competitive Regionalism: Ontario must abandon DCI, embrace Quebec'. I'd love to hear some outside perspectives on this, especially from an American perspective. 

Here's a summary of the arguments, which are at the end of the article:

https://sites.google.com/view/ontario-marching-arts/competitive-regionalism

Summary of Arguments
The ‘Touring Model’ has eroded local support
Over-extended groups financially
- the US dollar
- customs
- the distance
Ontario Marching Arts was strongest when it was local
- 1950-1980 was the strongest period of the activity, before the touring model
We export our energy with no return
- Our activity was only sustainable when local performances worked to inspire younger members and local fans


DCI has no intentions of supporting Canada
DCI will never host an event in Canada
- Boston Crusaders will never cross the border, 7th Regiment will never either
- SoundSport is just a revenue-generating afterthought
- Even when reaching out to Canada, it was framed as US-centric “Great Lakes”
- I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth they work to create revenue for DCI
We need to control our own destiny as an activity
- We have unique advantages, needs, and need to emulate other national orgs
- We need to acknowledge what the ultimate goal of DCI is - consolidated supergroups
- the “end-goal” of Canada’s participation in DCI is misguided


We can do better with what we already have
Québec, Ontario have enough drumlines/guards to compete in the Winter, and enough marching bands in Summer to host a circuit, 
- we’re organizationally/personally disconnected
Québec and Ontario should reevaluate our seasons and schedules and consider our specific Canadian needs
- our Summer should not be built around DCI Finals
- our Winter should not be built around WGI Finals
We must pool our resources if the activity is to recover post-pandemic and this is the perfect moment in history to do so

Never mind

Edited by IllianaLancerContra
Should have read whole thread first
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The OP presents some very cogent arguments for adapting the model to suit regional reality. I say "go for it". Having had some personal contact with the management of Les Stentors, I am impressed with their philosophy and family/community style of operation, as well as their creative programming. (Full disclosure: I have the T shirt.)

In a conversation about them with Hall of Famer Michel Boulanger, I suggested that this and similar Canadian corps go with their strengths, i.e., maximize uniqueness by changing the ratio of musicians to guard, for example.

Consider: Electronics provide opportunities like utilizing a small number of musicians and featured vocalists who might be essentially stationary, accompanied by a massive color guard/dance ensemble for movement, color and field coverage. Emphasize the effect caption, a traditional strength of groups north of the 39th Parallel.

When I first marched, Scout House looked and sounded very different from US corps. Their arranging and marching styles were refreshingly unique. They celebrated these things (the Bb bugles and glocks helped) and were not particularly concerned about out-doing the state-side corps at their game. They brought their own. But they consistently "won the crowd", a very gratifying thing for any performer and a great incentive to keep the act together.

Many Canadian corps followed this route, Les Diplomates being a prime example. Sitting in the stands at DCI Canada in 1986, my mother (a very hip drum corps fan) witnessed the performance of the 10th place unit, Les Eclipses. During their closer, La Vie En Rose, she turned to me and said, "Now there's a group that knows how to reach an audience". It's notable that she held her opinion even after watching powerhouses like Madison, Cadets, Star, and Spirit in that same show. (Quick, what ear-worm do you have at this moment?)

I think there's a lesson in there.

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13 hours ago, ironlips said:

Many Canadian corps followed this route, Les Diplomates being a prime example. Sitting in the stands at DCI Canada in 1986, my mother (a very hip drum corps fan) witnessed the performance of the 10th place unit, Les Eclipses. During their closer, La Vie En Rose, she turned to me and said, "Now there's a group that knows how to reach an audience". It's notable that she held her opinion even after watching powerhouses like Madison, Cadets, Star, and Spirit in that same show. (Quick, what ear-worm do you have at this moment?)

I think there's a lesson in there.

The Canadian groups always brought creative energy to the filed.  Les Etoiles and the spinning snare drummers, for instance. Les Chatelaine. L"Offensive Lions, Connexion Quebec, Ventures, Dutch Boy ... the list could go on and on.

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The coolest creative energy to come out of Canada. That dude was a blast. 

Click to view full size image

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On 3/20/2023 at 1:04 AM, Old Guy said:

It did not break the bank. What it did however, was generating more membership interest than years past. That result in a typical 30-35 members corps growing to 50 kids in 2022.  A 61% growth from 2019 coming back from a pandemic. 

It may look like small numbers but in a land where there is no marching band and where school music program are melting as fast the ice on top of the kilimandjaro, this was a remarkable achievement. 

The corps finished the season in the black...as always.  Wish we would be base in a more music friendly zone. At least we have winterguard and a beginning of a drumline scene getting started.

I love watching Corps where the members are confident enough performers that they don’t need 100 more members to back them up. 

Looking forward to seeing them in Richmond VA in July.  

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On 3/20/2023 at 10:32 AM, QuinnFleming said:

 

I feel it's my responsibility to push back on this, because I believe there's better ways to grow the activity. Attracting members with touring expenses is one of the largest reasons drum corps began to fail in Quebec in the 1980's. With research by Daniel Buteau from Drum Corps World Magazine I compiled this article that highlights some of the reasons why drum corps started to fail in Central Canada.

"What Happened to Drum Corps in Quebec?"

https://sites.google.com/view/ontario-marching-arts/what-happened-to-drum-corps-in-quebec

You say the corps finished in the black, but did it end lower than it began? How much did that tour cost the organization, and how does that compare to a normal year's revenue? If it takes a trip to California to engage kids, are you originally that engaging?

I apologize if I'm wrong, but it just looks like Les Stentors is repeating the same mistake Quebec and Ontario have made since DCI hosted finals in Montreal, 1981. Chasing American glory steals an opportunity to inspire a young Canadian to take up music.

Hello  Quinn, 

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about drum corps in Canada. There is so many aspect we could talk of. This email could be 3000 pages!! Lets start with a few observations. 

There might be many ways to grow the activity but the one who will succeed are the ones people believe in and are ready to invest time, energy, talent et money. We have those people at Stentors, pushing for a yearly DCI tour.  Those people will not invest their time for a parade corps, a local marching band or a local whatever.  The day DCI tell the Stentors we have to go "soundsport" it will be our last day. No one here want to invest 5 minutes in something less than competing drum corps. We will die as no one will take over for this new "orientation".  

We have 2 parades corps in Quebec. Both led by passionnate people ready to invest time, energy, talent and money for that purpose. They could never do a DCI tour. Their kids don't want that. Their parents don't want that. Their staff don't wanna do that too. 

Stentors could never go back to parade and local shows. Everybody here would leave. Staff, members, volunteers. Everybody. 

That said... In order to help ourself, we try to put a feeder corps in action most years (not coming out this year). They stay local. They come without prior music knowledge.

Last year we invest roughly 30 000$ US to promote music at daycare in 26 city.  We met almost 2000 kids during the summer, making them play brass, drums, danse or spinning a flag. 

You see, music is dying in school and it is a small org like the Stentors who try to reverse the situation for an entire province. What we do is a drop in an ocean. Can't do it alone. Drum corps is dying not because it is not worth it but because the society has changed. 

I don't know in Ontario or USA but here, people start working at McDonald when they are 12-13 years old now. School bring them in South America and Europe as end-of-the-year travel. You're better offer something worth it if you want to catch their interest. 

Back to your questions! 

While I may agress with Daniel Buteau and yourself, Stentors is a different bird. This is why we are still here 20 years after everyone else's gone.  We don't do things that we can't deliver. We had our share of staff earning 20$/day on tour as recently as 2015. Travelling on school bus, cooking our own food to save a few dollars, etc.  The sacrifice the people made to make this corps grow financially solid is astonishing. We made so many sacrifice which wouldn't have been done for something else than DCI drum corps. This is our passion. 

(2022) We did not finish lower or higher than year past financialy (2017-2022).  We raised our tuition from 1050$ US to 1600$ US to cover both plane tickets needed (Montreal-LA / San Francisco-Chicago). Everything else was just the same as usual for us (1 month tour + housing + food, ect.). 

Tuition is about 14% of our yearly budget. It cover about only transportation expenses. No more no less. We don't coun't on tuition to pay our bills. From 2007-2019, tuition was only 8% of the budget.  Yes by raising the tuition it became a little bigger percentage of it all. We are still VERY low. 

Can I add that many members take advantage of discountswe offer (for volunterring and more). 50% don't pay the total 1600$ in tuition.

One year we offered every camp for 0$ to all. To our surprise we didn't gain one more kid. In fact we lost a few more at the beginning of the summer. 

Now that is it more expensive, people pay way more on time. Go figure! 

How much did our California tour did cost? 
34 000$ US - Plane ticket 
12 000$ US - Extra on housing 
20 000$ US - Bus rental 
Food = as usual
Gaz = as usual (more to bring the trucks in,  less during the 2 weeks as we did not move much) 

If we hadn't been in California I'd fear we would not have comeback. If brought kid, staff, volunteers back. It brought more people in every aspect of the org. It help raised more money than ever. It stimulate people to give more time and efforts. 

All the gains we had with California last year are still paying off today as we will bring our second biggest corps since 1999 (60) next summer. Along with a bigger staff and more volunteers. We run a tight ship here. There is not many dollar spent without a good reason (we drop a dollar to much here and there of course...but not often). 

Dare I say "we eat better than everyone else"? Yes I do. 😉 

We are not repeating the same mistake Quebec and Ontario have made since DCI hosted finals in Montreal, 1981. We never been. We never "cut" members who were too young or not talented enough.  We have started all over again as many time as needed when a large chunk of older members would leave at the end of a season. We are adapting yearly at the multiple challenges trow at us by events, society changes and rising cost.  Until 2022, we still played on our old G bugle. Our drumline usually last at least 20 years, so does our uniform. 

We are not chasing the American glory and that doesn't steals an opportunity to inspire a young Canadian to take up music. In fact we still take kids with no music background and inspire our members to go further in music, nourrishing their passion for it. School with Stentors alum teaching are doing better than the other music program because of grit, passion, dedication they show at work. I believe, learn in part with us. 

We will not set up for less and will never look at group with a different goal, objective and caliber with disdain. We need a vibrant music scene in order for all of us to do well. And we try hard to show the path forward. 


 

 

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