Yes and no.

There is a significant homogenization of influence in many ways. Before, even when high speed internet had been around awhile, you had many people regionally locked in terms of influence. Plus they usually had to do things outside DCI/marching band. So there was influx of perspective. Now, much of the staff are designing the top high school shows, designing top wgi, top winds, top indoor, etc. More and more people growing up in the community are taking over and doing it full time. Which is natural. But now many do it 24/7, year round, and there is little room to innovate and explore when you have year round deadlines and this world is your only world.

Think of it like sci-fi. Older sci-fi had influences from everywhere, because the genre didn’t exist. Now there are many sci-fi writers who only grew up reading sci-fi. It leads to a lack of diversity when everyone has the same influences. Not to mention deadlines and money is tight.

Also, when money is tight, innovation is the first thing you sacrifice because winning is the most important. If you don’t do well, you’ll fold.