The Four Regions of Drum Corps
One noteworthy question on the DCW survey requested the respondents’ postal zip code. Using Microsoft MapPoint software, DCW entered zip codes for all respondents in the United States in order to see where most drum corps fans live -- at least, the die-hard fans that took this survey. A map of these regional groupings is included below:

This map displays the geographic location of drum corps fans who took the DCW Survey. A pushpin stands for isolated fans, and a three-color marker for a more well-represented group of fans (map by Chris Atkinson).

Not surprisingly, most respondents hail from the East, followed closely by the Midwest, California, and Texas/Deep South. Smaller pockets of drum corps fans exist in the Northwest (Washington state), Arizona, and Colorado (Denver). As might be expected, there is a vast area in the Great Plains region that is not well represented in terms of drum corps fans.

The biggest surprise in this might lie in the Deep South, through Georgia and the Carolinas. The area appears disproportionately represented in terms of a fan base when one considers that there are fewer corps in this area. The Midwest and Northeast remain strong in terms of both drum corps and fans. South Florida has seen something of a resurgence in fans, with Boston holding camps in the area.

The number of fans in Texas is perhaps smaller than one might expect, considering DCI’s present marketing effort and the organization’s location of a major regional contest in the state. The California circuit, in light of survey respondents, is remarkably isolated. The "drum corps median," if one were to be drawn, would extend roughly through Illinois south, paralleling Mississippi’s border with Alabama. The fan respondent median would likely be further east, perhaps through Indiana.

This information is engaging, considering the debate that is often prevalent regarding the location of the DCI Championships from year to year. While the interests of the California corps are often overlooked in terms of selecting locations for finals, the drum corps fan base is clearly skewed toward the East Coast. Even Kansas City, given the present distribution, is a border area as far as the present distribution of drum corps and fans is concerned. Buffalo is similarly a border area, given the drop in Canadian corps.

Orlando, with only a few corps in the area, is convenient only as far as it allows drum corps fans a reason to visit Disney World, and it is horribly inconvenient for the California and western corps. The distribution of the fan population does not seem to support many places to hold finals that are convenient to the majority of corps and fans.

Look for more survey analysis and results in the next issue of Drum Corps World.

Demographics
Map of Survey Participants
Discussion
Factor Analysis
Regression and Correlation
Acknowledgements
Part 1: DCW Survey Results

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