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Has the time come?


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1 minute ago, FTNK said:

Indeed. Was watching early 2000s stuff; 64 member hornlines looked sleek

But over the past few years show design concept in DCI has changed. It is now moving more toward staging, body movement, and sort of a multi-ring circus type design with some drill interconnecting those aspects.  The sleekness you are referring to seems to now be considered as old-school aesthetics.

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9 hours ago, littlejaw said:

Any increase in corps size would require the addition of another member bus. Currently at 150 members, there are 3 busses for the corps. Think of all the extra costs associated with that. Bus driver, gas, insurance, bus rental, etc. doesn't make economical sense to me for drum corps.

Since the days of the venerable Bill Cook walked our stadiums, drum corps is, and always be, "...a whole you throw money in".

Not much about it, frankly, makes economic sense, IMO.

 

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8 hours ago, Stu said:

A bus typically can haul around 50 people and costs around $1,000 per day. There are around 52 days needed for the entire summer tour. That comes to around $52,000 to add a 4th bus. The typical dues for a mm is $3,000. So an additional 18 mm would Garner $54,000 to pay for the bus lease, and with 50 additional mm that would Garner $150,000. So as long as the corps can indeed secure 168 mm the bus lease is paid for, and the extra food and supplies would be covered if a full 200 mm were secured. Therefore the bus 'in of itself' is not that much of an issue. What also needs to be factored in are the other items which may cause this to not be feasible, such as extra performance equipment and an extra truck/trailer for that equipment.

Nicely done

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7 hours ago, Stu said:

Other than collecting more dues from more mm, what increase in real production would there be which in turn would increase revenue to offset inreased cost?

That's the point, there is no other.  Funny, I was going to ask you the same.

Other than food, what variable or fixed cost does a new mm introduce?  You've mentioned on a couple of occasions, "all" the incidental costs of increasing membership.  Other than the capital cost to acquire the rolling stock and the contract to drive/power them, what "additional" cost is there besides a mouth to feed?  Most corps can feed kids four meals a day for less than $10 each.  What other expense eats into the increased mm tour fees?  Housing is paid mostly by TEP's on tour, and $150 audition fees by an extra 100 kids doesn't make the school cost more but it does build the food/fuel/equipment war-chest.

But, if this is about the economics of all of drum corps, it's the wrong approach entirely and DCI should push back strongly against any discussion to increase member maximums.

(OT - To the corps who promote the notion: Show me first that you're serious by mandating that mixing board operators must meet marching member age limitations.  Then we can talk about your commitment to youth participation.)

 

 

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5 hours ago, FTNK said:

You're probably right. A huge amount of corps' income is donations, and those wouldn't increase (at least not until a corps marched 200+ for a while). More members = more volunteers and I highly doubt most corps have an enormous surplus of dedicated volunteers. Anyhow I am sure someone could do all the math. Another thing to consider is that you would have either one food truck working overtime (is that even possible?) or two food trucks working at partial capacity (inefficient) unless there are 250+ members

Also housing sites are hard enough. I hope corps don't get bigger.

This is the single biggest barrier to the idea taking hold in any serious way, IMO.

 

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5 hours ago, Stu said:

With more and more on the field you will either have a massive blob doing drill moves, or a six+ ring circus that only those with a 3-second attention span can enjoy. Other than collecting more dues from mm, what is the point of going to 200, 250, 300, ...?

This is exactly the point.

The "creatives" will say "Give us more, We want more!  No rules!  Rules are stoopid!" as they perennially get bored with their own work and attempt more rings in the circus, or bigger rings, or vertical rings, or suspended rings...ad nausea. 

Yawn.

It will come down to money only, as it usually does.

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10 hours ago, littlejaw said:

Any increase in corps size would require the addition of another member bus. Currently at 150 members, there are 3 busses for the corps. Think of all the extra costs associated with that. Bus driver, gas, insurance, bus rental, etc. doesn't make economical sense to me for drum corps.

From a drill writers point of view, they really are at the point where you can work on the field pretty easily, except for all the props that are on the field.  The props are the most difficult thing to deal with, but more people on the field will make even more problematic.  It would also become more difficult in field judging.  More people on the field means fewer times to listen or see individuals work, making it harder to get a handle on what's happening.

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9 hours ago, Ghost said:

And put the adult working the board out of work?

 

29 minutes ago, garfield said:

 (OT - To the corps who promote the notion: Show me first that you're serious by mandating that mixing board operators must meet marching member age limitations.  Then we can talk about your commitment to youth participation.)

I'm glad someone took my reply to the next suggestion.  

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3 minutes ago, Vdad76 said:

From a drill writers point of view, they really are at the point where you can work on the field pretty easily, except for all the props that are on the field.  The props are the most difficult thing to deal with, but more people on the field will make even more problematic.  It would also become more difficult in field judging.  More people on the field means fewer times to listen or see individuals work, making it harder to get a handle on what's happening.

Wait, so more kids equals less props?

Hmmm...I may have to rethink this.

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