No mass appeal, no future – A detailed explanation

[prodigital]

I knew that my original post would stir up some strong emotions, but I was surprised by the lack of understanding by some of those that replied to the post.

When I speak of mass appeal, I mean the appeal of drum corps to the Western culture as a whole, not just the drum corps community. If you are a member of the drum corps community you already love what you see and probably find the activity to be incredibly entertaining. However, if you ask someone off of the streets about the activity, chances are you would need to explain what drum corps is to them and that is the problem. Almost no one outside of the activity knows about it.

Today’s society is one of talking points, 3 second sound bites, and sport center highlights. The 10 minute productions that most corps put on the field today, although artistically impressive, unfortunately have a very difficult time finding a place in society as a whole.

I used NASCAR as a comparison because whether or not you like it, you know about it. Not only is Drum Corps more interesting then NASCAR, it is a great activity for the youth and undoubtedly teaches them to be better people. However, NASCAR makes billions each year and continues to grow in popularity.

Well, if you don’t like the NASCAR comparison, let’s try the NFL. Every off-season the NFL’s competition committee meets to discuss how they can make the game more exciting. Over the past twenty years there have been numerous rule changes to make it easier for the offensive units to score, thus increasing the level of excitement each game produces. In the late eighties the NFL figured out that a more exciting game would be good for their product. Now the NFL is the undisputed King of professional sports in terms of revenue and second only to soccer in worldwide popularity.

In the late eighties one could stumble upon the Drum Corps Championships on TV and see the Bridgemen’s snare line wearing blindfolds, the Blue Devils Sopranos screaming a Ferguson tune, the 1812 Overture by Phantom Regiment, or Ballet in Brass by the Scouts. Most of these tunes never made the American Pop-40, but they all had melodies that were catchy and made you tap your feet. The manner in which shows are designed today seem to be less interesting to the drum corps outsider. As someone who knows, and has been a part of the activity, I can understand and appreciate the shows of today. But shouldn’t an attempt to reach out to drum corps outsiders be made?

The life blood of drum corps is the product, the field shows each corps puts out each season. It doesn’t matter how it is packaged, promoted, or presented. If drum corps is to survive, new fans need to be drawn to the activity by what they see on the field. The activity needs to take notice of what is popular in pop-culture and see what changes can be made to push the activity in that direction. Maybe this idea will make drum corps purist sick, but an activity as wonderful as drum corps should not be allowed to slip away.

In short, for Drum Corps to survive, those that design the shows need to be equally aware of pop culture as they are of being artistic. Making minor changes to appease or simply interest the masses (drum corps outsiders) does not make one a sell-out, it make them selfless. It makes them promoters of our activity to the masses.

[sburstall]

You've pretty much what has been stated by the Ken Mazurs and Stuart Rices back in the 80s and early 90s when popular drum corps started taking a back seat to art. You hit it right on the head, though. Just because "we" like it doesn't equate to the general public would like it.

This is just one story from me side. The husband of my best friend only went to one show when it was in Ypsi. He's a non-music person. Never touched a horn or even participated in any musical groups. He said that the only corps he really enjoyed watching was VK. This is the guy that DCI (re: corps) need to reach, not the music performance/education type people.

[JimF-LowBari]

When I speak of mass appeal, I mean the appeal of drum corps to the Western culture as a whole, not just the drum corps community. If you are a member of the drum corps community you already love what you see and probably find the activity to be incredibly entertaining. However, if you ask someone off of the streets about the activity, chances are you would need to explain what drum corps is to them and that is the problem. Almost no one outside of the activity knows about it.

On my flickr account (which I can't access from work so I can't give a link right now :( ) have a few 1970s examples of Drum Corps being known to the general public. Two are comic strips from the local paper which have "Drum Corps" as part of the punch line. The third is from Drum Corps World but shows Captain Kangaroo and Mr Green Jeans (of all people) checking out a P/R soprano and, according to the article talking about a corps. Can't imagine that being done today.

Also in the 70s the crowd at the local shows I performed/attended had a higher percentage of non-corps people. Many of these folks never marched and didn't know anyone in a corps but went to the show every year.

Not totally sure what happened but it has hurt the activity IMO....

After reading the above post I remember this anonymous quote the early/mid 1980s: "DCI is turning into Music Majors Playing to Other Music Majors".

Edited June 26, 2007 by JimF-3rdBari

[Matt_S]

In the late eighties one could stumble upon the Drum Corps Championships on TV and see the Bridgemen’s snare line wearing blindfolds, the Blue Devils Sopranos screaming a Ferguson tune, the 1812 Overture by Phantom Regiment, or Ballet in Brass by the Scouts. Most of these tunes never made the American Pop-40, but they all had melodies that were catchy and made you tap your feet. The manner in which shows are designed today seem to be less interesting to the drum corps outsider. As someone who knows, and has been a part of the activity, I can understand and appreciate the shows of today. But shouldn’t an attempt to reach out to drum corps outsiders be made?

I think this paragraph is why you ran into trouble with your earlier thread. Is your complaint about the way that the activity is marketed, or the product on the field? Your previous thread seemed to end up focusing on the latter, largely because many differenty opinions exist as to what is entertaining. Most of the posts in response seemed under the impression that "entertainment" is actually on an upswing. I've read many accounts of people experiencing their first show and having a blast. Maybe you disagree, but I have to profess my doubt that the mainstream appeal of drum corps would truly be broadened by returned to the style of shows we had in the 80's. That's 20 years ago, and I don't think you can encourage drum corps to become more aware of popular culture without recognizing that popular culture has changed drastically over those 20 years as well.

Now, maybe what you had in mind was a return to popular culture, but updated and relevant to the culture of today? That I can understand. Corps could play soundtracks of recent hit movies, or adapt current popular music (Radiohead anyone?). Perhaps you are suggesting that these selections might resonate with a larger audience than using the same wind ensemble literature like Blue Shades over and over again. If this is what you had in mind - or even if it's not - please let me know, and I'd be happy to have the conversation you intended.

[MikeD]

When I speak of mass appeal, I mean the appeal of drum corps to the Western culture as a whole, not just the drum corps community. If you are a member of the drum corps community you already love what you see and probably find the activity to be incredibly entertaining. However, if you ask someone off of the streets about the activity, chances are you would need to explain what drum corps is to them and that is the problem. Almost no one outside of the activity knows about it.

Today’s society is one of talking points, 3 second sound bites, and sport center highlights. The 10 minute productions that most corps put on the field today, although artistically impressive, unfortunately have a very difficult time finding a place in society as a whole.

Wasn't all that different in my day. Sure, we played pop tunes at times...but it was still geeky marching band to those who were not part of it.

My non-corps friends had NO idea why I would want to spend my summer marching around playing tunes like "Battle Hymn" and "Yankee Doodle"...let alone music from Mahler's 5th. Even the pop tunes were 'bando' to them.

In the late eighties one could stumble upon the Drum Corps Championships on TV and see the Bridgemen’s snare line wearing blindfolds, the Blue Devils Sopranos screaming a Ferguson tune, the 1812 Overture by Phantom Regiment, or Ballet in Brass by the Scouts. Most of these tunes never made the American Pop-40, but they all had melodies that were catchy and made you tap your feet. The manner in which shows are designed today seem to be less interesting to the drum corps outsider. As someone who knows, and has been a part of the activity, I can understand and appreciate the shows of today. But shouldn’t an attempt to reach out to drum corps outsiders be made?

You have all sorts of types of tunes today as well. Plus, the true outsider was not into Mangione or Maynard back then either.

The life blood of drum corps is the product, the field shows each corps puts out each season. It doesn’t matter how it is packaged, promoted, or presented. If drum corps is to survive, new fans need to be drawn to the activity by what they see on the field. The activity needs to take notice of what is popular in pop-culture and see what changes can be made to push the activity in that direction. Maybe this idea will make drum corps purist sick, but an activity as wonderful as drum corps should not be allowed to slip away.

In short, for Drum Corps to survive, those that design the shows need to be equally aware of pop culture as they are of being artistic. Making minor changes to appease or simply interest the masses (drum corps outsiders) does not make one a sell-out, it make them selfless. It makes them promoters of our activity to the masses.

The band market IS the focus of DCI's marketing to new audience. They are the ones to focus on, as they already have a proven desire at some level of enjoying marching/music.

[MikeD]

You've pretty much what has been stated by the Ken Mazurs and Stuart Rices back in the 80s and early 90s when popular drum corps started taking a back seat to art. You hit it right on the head, though. Just because "we" like it doesn't equate to the general public would like it.

They were wrong then, and the idea is wrong-headed now. The 'general public' was never a major part of the drum corps market.

[Piper]

This is a problem that the activity has faced for about 50 years now. In my experience, trying to explain Drum Corps to someone outside the activity is like trying to teach an Art student Nuclear Physics. It's really not all that complicated, but they always seem to come up with that "cocker spaniel" look on their faces. TV advertizing would probably be the most effective way of reaching them, but man that's big bucks. JMO.

[prodigital]

I think this paragraph is why you ran into trouble with your earlier thread. Is your complaint about the way that the activity is marketed, or the product on the field? Your previous thread seemed to end up focusing on the latter, largely because many differenty opinions exist as to what is entertaining. Most of the posts in response seemed under the impression that "entertainment" is actually on an upswing. I've read many accounts of people experiencing their first show and having a blast. Maybe you disagree, but I have to profess my doubt that the mainstream appeal of drum corps would truly be broadened by returned to the style of shows we had in the 80's. That's 20 years ago, and I don't think you can encourage drum corps to become more aware of popular culture without recognizing that popular culture has changed drastically over those 20 years as well.

Now, maybe what you had in mind was a return to popular culture, but updated and relevant to the culture of today? That I can understand. Corps could play soundtracks of recent hit movies, or adapt current popular music (Radiohead anyone?). Perhaps you are suggesting that these selections might resonate with a larger audience than using the same wind ensemble literature like Blue Shades over and over again. If this is what you had in mind - or even if it's not - please let me know, and I'd be happy to have the conversation you intended.

I don't think corps need to return to the 80's format, show designs simply need to be recognizable or at the very least catchy. Every song gets heard for the first time, some stick with you, most don't. I personally beleive corps designers need to either use something that is currently popular, or create something that is along the lines of what is popular. It is important to experiment and push the activity, but when show designers go too far too fast, they become no longer relavent to main stream society.

[Liam]

Yeah, I agree with MikeD on this (yikes!!! twice in one day!!!) :)

No matter what we played back then, all my friends still thought I was nuts. Even if they watched a video, they might think "yeah, that's alright", but it still wouldn't get them to come to a show. Even today, with HS MB so widespread -- they're still not "popular" to the average Joe. BOA caliber or not -- a "band geek" is still a "band geek" to most.

Either you're into drum corps or you're not -- now I do agree that we need to maximize that subculture as best we can, but a subculture it will always be, IMO.

(And I'm just fine with that, btw :) )

[Liam]

I don't think corps need to return to the 80's format, show designs simply need to be recognizable or at the very least catchy. Every song gets heard for the first time, some stick with you, most don't. I personally beleive corps designers need to either use something that is currently popular, or create something that is along the lines of what is popular. It is important to experiment and push the activity, but when show designers go too far too fast, they become no longer relavent to main stream society.

But again -- I don't think that Drum Corps was ever "relevant to main stream society". The rest of what you're talking about is a matter of taste and the market (the subculture DC market, that is) will decide if the designs are getting too esoteric. Actually, with a few notable exceptions, I see the activity swinging back (albeit slowly) to more of what you're talking about (in a modern drill context, of course).

Edited June 26, 2007 by Liam