The Drum Corps Activity is Healthier Than Ever!

[audiodb]

I was first exposed to the drum corps back in the early 70’s when there were between 400 and 500 active drum and bugle corps in North America. In 2006 it was report there were 65. Wow!!! What a change!

But look what else has changed. The number of competitive marching bands has skyrocketed since the early 70’s. The color guard activity in the 70’s had its national championships in conjunction with DCI or some other national drum corps championship. Only a relatively small number of guards were active. Now there are hundreds and hundreds of winter guards who complete annually. And lets not forget this indoor percussion thing. It has kind of caught on hasn’t it?

Yes, there are fewer “drum and bugle corps” but certainly their offspring has increased to truly amazingly large numbers.

I would imagine most of us think of drum corps as this activity where a group made up of young adults from all over the country forms in November, gets together once a month through the winter and spring to practice, has an extended pre-tour training camp, and then embarks on 6 to 8 week national tour. Yes, there are still a few junior parade groups, local corps, and weekend warrior groups, but most that are left are like what I have described above or aspire to be the above.

Certainly 30 years ago this wasn’t the case. The category “drum and bugle corps” connected groups by instrumentation and style. Within that category there were quite a few subcategories. There were virtually no groups like I first described above. This evolution has occurred for a variety of reasons. Today’s drum corps is a whole different beast so I believe that is useless to make census comparisons unless one includes all of today’s offspring and the increase in numbers is staggering! If you do that you find that the marching arts, drum corps, is healthier than ever!

Drum corps, the groups that do the summer thing, is most certainly the “Marching Music’s major league” as the DCI promotional materials tout. We who have done and/or do drum corps know that that experience is something very special so very many reasons. Feel privileged to be one of the few in the marching arts that gets to do or has had the drum corps experience.

We don’t need to get all doom and gloomy. The drum corps activity is healthier than ever! It’s time for celebration!

Does anyone else find it odd that in a thread about the health of the drum corps activity, the main contention is that three other activities (marching band, winter guard and winter percussion) are better than ever?

[ScribeToo]

Nope.

All evidence seems to point to healthy satellite activities contributing positively to a healthier drum corps activity.

Stef

[audiodb]

Has anyone considerd that other activities have flourished because there is something to achieve in those areas that can't be achieved in DCI, like actually being competitive for a championship title?

I have. I still think the lack of competitive parity in drum corps is the most commonly overlooked problem we face. It causes attrition both in the bleachers and on the field.

To credit DCI with the advancement of WGI and others is an outrage. DCI has simply set wonderful standards in performance and design that others have used to continue to develop. Those other organizations built themselves through hard work and sacrifice, and continue to have to compete with DCI for market dollars. They are successful in spite of DCI, rather than because of anything that DCI has actually done FOR them. From its inception, DCI has structured itself for the "haves" in the corps activity, and there is no real future in DCI for the "have-nots", that is crystal clear.

That reminds me. While we're looking at winter guard, winter percussion and marching band as "success stories", what do those three activities have in common that drum corps no longer has?

Regionalization.

WGI has regional focus events where all divisions are welcome. Winter drumlines don't have to tour for eight weeks. You don't see local/regional marching band circuits being taken over by some national-level entity. All these activities have local/regional level competition organized. Even though all three activities have national-level circuits, they have chosen to coexist peacefully with the local circuits. And under those conditions, there has been growth.

Drum corps must learn that lesson.

[mistofflies]

Regionalization.

WGI has regional focus events where all divisions are welcome. Winter drumlines don't have to tour for eight weeks. You don't see local/regional marching band circuits being taken over by some national-level entity. All these activities have local/regional level competition organized. Even though all three activities have national-level circuits, they have chosen to coexist peacefully with the local circuits. And under those conditions, there has been growth.

Drum corps must learn that lesson.

Hypothetically, regionalization seems like a great way to decrease the costs of running a corps and increase publicity.

The only problem I can see is wars between show sponsors who don't want other shows nearby their own because they're afraid of losing revenue. This already happens and is in part a large reason why shows are generally at least 300-400 miles apart.

I like the idea tho..someone make this work, stat!

[ScribeToo]

Regionalization.

<snip>

Drum corps must learn that lesson.

Drum corps tried that model and ultimately, it failed.

All three of the activities you mentioned in your Regionalization Nirvana are indellibly tied to scholastic participation. Drum corps never was and IMO never should be. That's why our model works so well and fills the "off season" for WGI, BOA and winter drumlines so well.

Why should we now attempt to bust into a niche that's already filled by something that hasn't failed? What makes you think our product can be successful there now when it has already failed there in the past?

What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Stef

Edited October 10, 2006 by ScribeToo

[MikeD]

I have a simple question, and please note that I’m posing the question in reference to drum and bugle corps, not “marching music”:

How can we claim all is well when the stated aim of the activity is “education”, but when we are “educating” fewer and fewer people each year?

Because in today's model you really can't separate out drum corps from MB from WGI guard and percussion.

[MikeD]

And judging by the number of people who miss the cut at Div I and won't lower themselves to go to a Div II/III corps to work their way up speaks volumes about attitude also.

IOW - If I can't be with the best, then #### it....

It's more akin to the all-state band concept today. Kids are used to trhying out for region and all-state groups. If they do not get picked, they still have their "home" to go back to...and they'll try again next year.

For many the experience in their competitive MB provides the "local corps" experience, so that if they miss the cut with the top group, it's OK.

I don't see it as having a bad attitude at all.

Having said that...if my son or daughter had wanted to do drum corps I would have preferred it be at the II/III level actually. But I can see how others might feel differently...and I don't blame them.

[MikeD]

I only see ONE high and Pious person here. I did not create Corps. I only respect it's origins and the people that did create it.

Then you should be as proud of today's drum corps as you were when you marched. The members are having the same basic experience we had...only far more intense and with better skills in all areas.

1971 was 35 years ago....it's as different in 2006 as 1971 was from 1936.

[mistofflies]

I think it's time all of us "hopefuls" faced the truth. Drum corps is dead! All the kids performing on the field - ghosts. All the fans who spend money to come see the performances - ghosts. And the money they spend? As fake os Monopoly bucks.

(ps MikeD I love you)

[dbc03]

Wow.

That's pretty offensive to an endless number of corps over the decades. You obviously have no idea what their objectives are/were as an organization, as design team members, as instructional staff, nor as members. For you to suggest that these talented and hard working people are/were not as smart as others shows a lack of maturity on your part, and I don't mean that to be offensive. This line of thinking you hold is based upon nothing but you're opinion. I'd rather do an analysis of the facts and ask reasonable questions.

I never said that the kids in the top corps WERE smarter, I said that they WORKED smarter, which is simply a fact. It has nothing to do with intelligence.

As for their goals, you can't honestly tell me that the Bluecoats staff this past year (as the outsider corps that came closest to 1st palce) in the winter said "Lets design a show that's going to win DCI."

I'll also correct your statement on what it takes to be the best in the world. "In order to be the best in the world you have to perform better than the other corps you are competing against according to those... [JUDGES THAT EVENING]. Other judges, as well as other people more qualified from an educational and professional perspective may not agree, so the best in the world is always up for debate in our subjective system. If you know anything about this activity, which I assume you do, you'll retract that statement and acknowledge that the show design (as well as WHO designs it) plays a major part in who wins.

Did you even read my post?

Obviously the judges make the decision on who the best is, and there are set criteria that they use. In order to be the best in the world you have to perform better than the other corps you are competing against according to those sheets.

Maybe some judges don't agree, but the majority of the DCI judges do. As for show design taking a big part, I will direct you to the very post you are replying to:

Until corps start designing shows to win and start acting like they are real contenders they won't be.

When I speak of "winning", I'm also talking about being the people's choice, being in high demand for placement on a sponsor's show lineup, and achieving the envy and respect of your competitors, regardless of placement. Similar to the "once upon a time" Madison Scouts. Few corps can hope to attain this in DCI today. It is reserved for a select few, and I just think people (spectators, members, and corps organizations in general) are tired of trying to achieve the unachievable. Thankfully there are now other outlets to experience the real spirit of competition, and a realistic hope that one day... maybe. Other organizations and art forms grow, while DCI dwindles to what some suspect they want to be, a small collective of semi-professional marching units that manufacturers will cater to, and all others will pay to see.

The smaller the collective, the larger pieces of the pie they'll share among themselves.

I'm really not sure what all that is about. The winner is often not the people's choice, and corps other than the top 3 are in high demand for shows. Corps have respect for each other, etc.

Today drum corps ( I use the term lightly) is an inbred activity where everyone at the top levels knows everyone else, from directors to judges to executive level officials. These few individuals are the movers and the shakers, and they make the rules and standards for all others to follow. They've marched together and grown together for years and years, and several have actually found ways to make money (good money) doing drum corps. I believe they've lost their ability to look at the activity objectively anymore. As a result, they've rationalized away their behavior and decisions. They can no longer go back because for them there is too much to lose. We're now an art form with no true identity. Our roots are within the drum corps activity, but the reality of our "evolution" is yet to be acknowledged and defined.

This is just ridiculous, unfortunately I don't have the time to go through and discuss each point. However they have all been discussed hundreds of times here.

These are my own thoughts based upon my 25 year history and experiences in the corps activity as a marching member, staff member, board member, and former Div. I corps director. However, I must admit that you're right when it comes to me personally, I never had a true desire to "win" at any cost, and it was never a focal point of my efforts in corps. I'm proud of that and wouldn't trade my experiences in for a championship ring. I, like others, am clearly not "smart" enough to figure it out how to attain that level of success.

That's a lovely strawman that you're defending yourself against.

I never said anything at all about winning at all costs, you're the one who brought up the importance of winning to other corps. You in fact prove my point when you say "It was never a focal point of my efforts in corps." THAT is why you didn't win, not because you didn't decide to win at all costs. You did not want it.