What if a "show/historically black" style corps existed?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Strictly from a performance aesthetic, no......but what about taking other things...a marketing scheme, a presentation style of the product to prospective retailers, a executive committee to try to figure out how to give Finals/regionals the sense of bombast present in the HBCU product?

These are all considerations. To simply put this as "All DCI corps should play Snoop Dogg" is not the point...it's to try to ascertain if some of what we see at HBCU might be beneficial in some way to our own little world. :)

Are you talking about a logistical business type learning from HBCUI, or actual drum corps shows emulating show style shows?

[bawker]

Are you talking about a logistical business type learning from HBCUI, or actual drum corps shows emulating show style shows?

More of the first, with extremely small focus on the secondary.

1) Fact: it draws 60,00 people. That's a big deal. Let's tap into that kind of marketing prowess.

2) Fact: Honda is a sponsor for this, and their DVD comes in HD. Perhaps we can figure out how to get big name sponsors (bigger than instrument manufacturers, anyway) to come to the table with DCI.

Remember that guy at the Atlanta regional webcast last year that worked for a PR firm (I think Dan Potter interviewed him during a break near the end) that promised that more people would know about drum corps?

Well, there's a job for him. :)

3) Less important, and not to the extent of "DCI Presents a Very Snoop Dogg Field Show", the over-the-top pageantry of the event itself and "big time" atmosphere is something that we can look at to make our own events more "epic". We're a "Major League", but it doesn't feel that way.

In the smallest sense, perhaps someone does get an idea for a show piece or element, or discovers a drumming style, body movement style etc...and brings that little element over into our world of DCI. No different than pulling from WGI, BOA or the myriad number of others avenues we crib from, right? :)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

More of the first, with extremely small focus on the secondary.

1) Fact: it draws 60,00 people. That's a big deal. Let's tap into that kind of marketing prowess.

2) Fact: Honda is a sponsor for this, and their DVD comes in HD. Perhaps we can figure out how to get big name sponsors (bigger than instrument manufacturers, anyway) to come to the table with DCI.

A few questions. Is the Honda show only one show, or is it an entire series of competitions spread over a few months all across the nations? How many bands perform at the Honda show? From what I gather, it's only one show. So this is the only chance that many of these fans have to see the programs performed. DCI on the other hand, has over 100 shows over 3 months. There are even more than a couple regionals which draw about 15,000-20,000 each. So fans have a lot of opportunities to see the corps of their choice. If one goes to Indy, you don't really have to go to Finals in Cali, since you have seen all of the shows. And a lot of people cannot afford to go to Finals, but can go to a local show, or one a few hours away. I would wager that the combined audience of DCI shows through the summer is much much higher than 60,000. I wouldn't be surprised if 500,000 people total attended DCI shows in one summer. And there is also the fact that the HBOB seems to have more performing units that DCI. This means more parents, families, and friends who might not otherwise be fans. "Marketing" really had nothing to do with them showing up. Their kid, or brother, or niece was in a band, so they came to see them. The same thing happens in DCI. But if HBOB has more participating units, than a higher % of that 60,000 is probably going to be relatives and not real "fans".

Edited February 1, 2007 by Morgoth Bauglir

[no_itsnotadash]

Strictly from a performance aesthetic, no......but what about taking other things...a marketing scheme, a presentation style of the product to prospective retailers, a executive committee to try to figure out how to give Finals/regionals the sense of bombast present in the HBCU product?

These are all considerations. To simply put this as "All DCI corps should play Snoop Dogg" is not the point...it's to try to ascertain if some of what we see at HBCU might be beneficial in some way to our own little world. :)

hmmmm.... good point ,

It can't be compared really, considering they are 2 completely different styles appealing to completely different groups. I would like to see a movie about drum corps, I'm just afraid it'd end up like an f-ed up combination of a top 12 drum corps show and...well... Drumline.

[thePerfectbuzz]

More of the first, with extremely small focus on the secondary.

1) Fact: it draws 60,00 people. That's a big deal. Let's tap into that kind of marketing prowess.

2) Fact: Honda is a sponsor for this, and their DVD comes in HD. Perhaps we can figure out how to get big name sponsors (bigger than instrument manufacturers, anyway) to come to the table with DCI.

Remember that guy at the Atlanta regional webcast last year that worked for a PR firm (I think Dan Potter interviewed him during a break near the end) that promised that more people would know about drum corps?

Well, there's a job for him. :)

3) Less important, and not to the extent of "DCI Presents a Very Snoop Dogg Field Show", the over-the-top pageantry of the event itself and "big time" atmosphere is something that we can look at to make our own events more "epic". We're a "Major League", but it doesn't feel that way.

In the smallest sense, perhaps someone does get an idea for a show piece or element, or discovers a drumming style, body movement style etc...and brings that little element over into our world of DCI. No different than pulling from WGI, BOA or the myriad number of others avenues we crib from, right? :)

some awsome points!

I think its pretty imperative that DCI reaches more people...for the pure survival of the activity. As there is much support for it, I dont think it outweighs the financial disposition and lack of popularity drum corps recieves. The statement you said about the Atlanta regional webcast 'promising more people would know about drum corps' is a very over looked statement. Because that NEEDS to happen....the rate corps are biting the dust is putting a short time limit for more marketing and getting the activity 'out there'. if more support doesnt come soon who knows what DCI will look like, or who will be left standing in 20 years. there def. needs to be more outside sponsors than just the in-the-biz companies (like musical companies)....maybe corporations like Wal-Mart, Under Armor, or Nike?? lots of brands that are big in the drum corps world. ESPN air time was a nice step, but their needs to be more dramatic steps taken or 50 years from now we may all be say "remember drum corps? remember how bad a@@ and fun it was? yeah, those were the good ole days. I wish it was still around".... :sshh:

Edited February 1, 2007 by thePerfectbuzz

[bawker]

A few questions. I

As I understand it, there are only 10 bands there, who perform their show...I'm not sure if there are qualifiers for the performances, if its voted on, or what have you to get to that point. Hopefully, someone here can answer that...but 60,000 people to see 10 units is pretty impressive. Perhaps if there weren't as many regionals and shows where everyone is "together", maybe DCI might see an increased draw at Finals. I dunno.

You are right about more opportunities to see DCI units...I suppose the only other avenue one would have to see the HBCU units would be at a football game.

In any event, I do hope those around the DCI "marketing" branch at least take a cursory look at this type of stuff...there seems to be at least a few places where we can intersect ourselves with it.

[oldsoprano]

Comparing the attendance at the Battle of the Bands with the attendance at DCI finals or a regional is really an apples-and-oranges comparison.

Honda underwrites a great deal of the costs involved in the Battle of the Bands, to the extent that they are able to sell all tickets for only $10. That makes it a whole lot easier to draw 60,000 people.

From what I understand, Honda gives each of the "competing" bands $10,000, and pays for their hotel rooms in Atlanta.

[Blackstar]

I followed this thread and found several comments funny and several with the usual it's apples and oranges responses.

Drum Corps is not the Major leagues of marching. It's like Arena Football calling itself the major leagues. What some don't realize is that alot of people go to HBCU's football games for the bands and not the games. One of the biggest HBCU games which features Grambling and Southern many many people are there for the battle of the bands halftime show. It's one of the few (2games??) where bands have been featured on NATIONAL TV.

I've been writing for months about DCi expanding it's sponsorship. Having Honda is MAJOR!!! Drum Corps is supposed to be this all-american activity then sponsors should be lining up to put there name on it.

Drum Corps is evoling or thats what people are saying. I'm wondering why people have such a hard time with emulating HBCU's style when it's ok for a shows to have doors in the middle of the field and characters in costumes??? We have singing but why not rapping, what's the difference??

[madscout96]

... 3 or 4 fairly easy songs with 10 drill sets total is indeed good enough for a football crowd. What would a show band look like that had 127 drill sets, difficult music, and practiced 9 hours a day for 80 days? I don't know. It doesn't exist yet. ...

The 60,000 at the Battle Of The Bands wasn't a football crowd, technically. I'm just saying. Although I don't know if the bands had more complex shows than normal just for that performance or not, I wasn't there. That is a good question though, about what a show band would look like with the time and resources of a drum corps. We probably wouldn't see it, but oh well.

[madscout96]

Comparing the attendance at the Battle of the Bands with the attendance at DCI finals or a regional is really an apples-and-oranges comparison.

Honda underwrites a great deal of the costs involved in the Battle of the Bands, to the extent that they are able to sell all tickets for only $10. That makes it a whole lot easier to draw 60,000 people.

From what I understand, Honda gives each of the "competing" bands $10,000, and pays for their hotel rooms in Atlanta.

If this is true... sweet. You mean they don't make them sleep on gym floors?

See, drum corps has the potential to have appeal like this! To the point where we get sponsors to do stuff like that.