MarimbaManiac

I would assume then that you are not the ideal audience for judging the demand for pop culture.

Yes, I think this is the crux of the situation. The financial realities are going to continue to get more complicated, and simply raising the price of tickets isn't going to fix that. Reimagining what the model looks like, and how content is delivered in a way that's worth the cost and accessible, is going to be the real focus. I have seen, or will see, Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service, Two Door Cinema Club, Metric, Kim Petras, Arcade Fire, Pink, Daði Freyr, Dirty Loops, Snarky Puppy, Camera Obscura, Jenny Lewis, and others all for less than $75 in the last year or so, even with Ticketmaster fees. Not to mention I can usually see the BSO for less than that depending on the seats. I'm seeing them play the Turangalila in April and I payed $52 for a front row balcony seat. For someone who sees a LOT of shows, that was a surprising amount.

I'm not arguing any of that, I'm simply arguing the cost/benefit analysis. There exists a financial tipping point where the benefit of seeing corps in person no longer provide a significant enough value to justify the cost, when you can watch the shows for free pretty ubiquitously at home. Again I'll use the cinema analogy...$20 tickets per person, $30 in concessions, parking costs and inconveniences to get to the theater, vs. an essentially free or very cheap experience at home with a lot of the same elements. It just becomes hard to justify. Since the show is somewhat close, I'll probably go watch some lots and then head home. Not exactly what they anticipate when putting something like this together.

Yes, I will be (for free on youtube), as will many other people. Just like we have been doing with movies since the pandemic when people realized watching at home on our large screens and nice sound systems was cheaper and just as good. Movie sales still haven't recovered from that prompting a change in how movies are delivered (more streaming releases). You can be flippant about that, but it just makes the business model less viable as time goes on and people are priced out of attending (or discouraged from attending after a hiatus).

At this particular show, $55 are the lowest tier.

I mean, sure. Everything is more expensive. It just seems like another indicator that the DCI business model isn't exactly working anymore. That cost is prohibitive.

Ok, so full disclosure I haven't been to a show since 2015, and haven't PAID for a show since 2003 in the pocket between when I marched and when I started teaching... ...but I had the urge to look into seeing a local show this summer, and was shocked that a show with 6 corps is $55-$75. HAS THIS BECOME NORMAL? I can see a popular band at Roadrunner or MGM in Boston for that amount. I paid only slightly more to see the Postal Service and Death Cab when they were here in the fall. I'm seeing a slough of shows this Spring with popular groups and NONE of them even are that amount. Needless to say, I'll catch the show online. Just kinda baffled at how crazy prices have become for a non-regional, small show.

Yeah agreed. Depends on the design process of the team. In corps I've been involved with we would try and have at least the opener for all sections during audition camp for them to read through, but some teams like to have the entire show sketched out before they move on to percussion. I'm not really sure how their particular team operates, but horn arrangements would usually be at least the minimum by December.

I believe it was December. Considering the time and energy it requires for music clearances, I would be shocked if they hadn't already decided on a concept, selected music, and sketched out horn arrangements. This is usually work that happens in the off season, and even if the music doesn't make it to the members until the spring camps it's likely been in the works since August. Yeah exactly...this is an early fall discussion. The first round of horn arrangements is likely done by the first camp.

There are like three active threads at a time here, it's off season. No one is following you around, it's not that serious. I just call out people who are peddling BS without any kind of rational support behind it. What's sad is that you're convinced people must have negative intentions to want to expose corruption and mismanagement of an organization they love and have devoted countless hours and energy to.

Got it, so you have no real answer. Believe it or not, most people have enough going on in their lives and aren't hanging on the details of an organization simply because they want to watch them burn, or for their own amusement. For everyone I've actually interacted with in good faith discussions, the only "mission" is to expose the dysfunction and behind the scenes toxic culture that has permeated in the organization for decades. It's because people actually care about the organization and want to see it fixed. I'm sorry that you have such a negative view of people that they only reason you can think of for people to put in the time and energy, and open themselves up to abuse and vitriol, is because they are narcissists, but I think that says more about you than anyone else.

Yeah, again, you haven't been able to adequately state what "mission" people have that would motivate them to speak out against SCV. You just throw out these ill informed comments and then refuse to engage when people question what you're saying. Not a ton of probative value in that, IMHO of course.

...and they frequently have SCV staff and members playing. It's not a set cast, they individually cast each gig and MANY of the gigs use SCV affiliated players.

I mean, Blue Devils have been able to figure that out. I remember being at rehearsals in Santa Clara where the staff were recruiting people to play for Blue Devils entertainment at 49ers games, or Warriors games, or television commercials, or corporate events, or educational clinics, all things that brought BD money while employing SCV staff and members. That's money that could have been going in the VMAPA coffers if they stopped myopically focusing on bingo and tried to diversify. There is money out there to be made for people who are willing to do the leg work.

Great, just passing along the info. No one going that path is ever going to be rich so taking on a ton of debt isn't a good idea. I was lucky enough to get a free masters and PhD but still carried debt from my bachelors and it's not fun!