ajlemm Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 If you suddenly won the lottery, or came into money somehow, let’s say $100 million for argument’s sake, what would you do for drum corps? I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I would love to be able to do something huge for drum corps, which has given me such great pleasure in my own life. I do what I can now, but many of us are not millionaires. But what if you suddenly were? I just thought I’d start a thread to allow DCPers to show how they would help drum corps, whether it’s helping a specific corps, starting some kind of organization, resurrecting a corps that has left us, or whatever. What would you do for drum corps if you won the lottery? Personally, I would set up a foundation and give the overarching DCI organization a huge endowment so that they have the ability to create a long-sustainable business that ensures millions of fans get to hear drum corps for a long time, give each and every member organization an endowment of their own, and have a chat (and another big gift) with a number of specific corps that have given me so much joy over the years. Then I would go relax in my Italian villa for a few months before touring the country next summer, attending every possible show from June through Finals. What would you do? Also, please don’t criticize others’ choices. This is just a fun exercise to see how you would give if you had the option. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 If you suddenly won the lottery, or came into money somehow, let’s say $100 million for argument’s sake, what would you do for drum corps? I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I would love to be able to do something huge for drum corps, which has given me such great pleasure in my own life. I do what I can now, but many of us are not millionaires. But what if you suddenly were? I just thought I’d start a thread to allow DCPers to show how they would help drum corps, whether it’s helping a specific corps, starting some kind of organization, resurrecting a corps that has left us, or whatever. What would you do for drum corps if you won the lottery? Personally, I would set up a foundation and give the overarching DCI organization a huge endowment so that they have the ability to create a long-sustainable business that ensures millions of fans get to hear drum corps for a long time, give each and every member organization an endowment of their own, and have a chat (and another big gift) with a number of specific corps that have given me so much joy over the years. Then I would go relax in my Italian villa for a few months before touring the country next summer, attending every possible show from June through Finals. What would you do? Also, please don’t criticize others’ choices. This is just a fun exercise to see how you would give if you had the option. I dont live in a world of If's (at least i hope not )...lol..but I would set up an internship for young adults ( 15-17) to WORK for corps all summer to actually see what they are getting into and what it means and then,only then pay tuition to the corps of their choice after a year or 2 of volunteer work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyWonder1911 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 (edited) I guess I would set up a secret drum corps emergency fund, so when a corps is ready to go under, they are saved. The fund would be kept secret so it would not be abused by those who aren't really about to go under. I did start a thread similar to this last summer. http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/159924-what-if-someone/?hl=lottery Edited August 12, 2015 by BoyWonder1911 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeDz Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Set up a number of scholarships per corps to cover tour fees, based on need..... no one should be excluded from drum corps because they can't afford it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyWonder1911 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php/topic/144956-i-just-won-the-lottery/?hl=lottery There's another lottery thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainwelch Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I would buy DCI, and have finals anywhere else besides Indianapolis. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornTeacher Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 (edited) I'd set up some form of copyright/royalties endowment fund, which would cover all such expenses accrued by Corps. In that way, they may each perform the music which they wish to perform; and shows may be taped with the regularity which used to occur, with fans of the activity being able to enjoy not only what happens now, but the entire history of the activity as well. Edited August 12, 2015 by HornTeacher 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 (edited) It's always best to use money to attract more money, so I would create a foundation that would have the stated goal of bringing in more support from other comfortably well-off persons. Managing that foundation to do the things in the OP would be a joy. It wouldn't all be about money, though. Celebrity fundraising events bring in not only funds but interest and support in other ways, particularly public attention. Also, there are many former corps members who are successful and might be attracted to assisting in their own professional ways, such as musicians doing clinics. One thing not mentioned in the OP is promotions to prospective members. If we assume that one in ten corps-age kids would want to do drum corps if they knew what it was, and that one in ten of those can afford to do it, then if there are 30 million corps-age kids (say) in the USA, then there should be 300,000 american corps members. We have less than 10,000 in DCI now probably. But that's not surprising because I rarely run into anyone who even knows what drum corps is. Simply informing kids, teachers and parents about drum corps could have a dramatic impact on the activity. So I would include that as a big part of the foundation's role, working with DCI/DCA/DCE, etc of course. Edited August 12, 2015 by Pete Freedman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 If I had only slightly obscene amounts of money, I would start an all-female corps, from director to staff on down, to use as a training ground to get more equitable participation in the activity at all levels. If I had truly obscene amounts of money, I'd start a "corps in a box" company that funded, ran and placed a 55-member (one bus) corps in every single state in the US as well as territories with minimal fees, standardized curriculums and business structures and volume-buying. I'd take kids only from MS and HS ages. Then I'd send them on short regional tours at the end of the summer, culminating in Indy. (Let's see Open Class prelims with 80 corps competing... hah!) I'd be building a love of marching music from early education on up. I'd also hire a massive music act to perform at DCI Finals after performances - let's see only 20k attend *then*. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 If I had only slightly obscene amounts of money, I would start an all-female corps, from director to staff on down, to use as a training ground to get more equitable participation in the activity at all levels. If I had truly obscene amounts of money, I'd start a "corps in a box" company that funded, ran and placed a 55-member (one bus) corps in every single state in the US as well as territories with minimal fees, standardized curriculums and business structures and volume-buying. I'd take kids only from MS and HS ages. Then I'd send them on short regional tours at the end of the summer, culminating in Indy. (Let's see Open Class prelims with 80 corps competing... hah!) I'd be building a love of marching music from early education on up. I'd also hire a massive music act to perform at DCI Finals after performances - let's see only 20k attend *then*. Mike Yeah, baby. Get Pat Metheny to perform for the post-encore after party. With special guest Al Chez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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