Has the time come?

[Stu]

1 hour 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.)

This!!! This has been my biggest competitive concern since the implementation of electronics!!!

[Tim K]

First of all, I saw "Blast" and I've seen come incarnations of it over the years, and I can't agree that what we see on the field today is a "Blast" style show. If anything, "Blast" is more old school. Remember, the last time Star competed was 1993. We hear the expression "park and bark" in a derogatory way for corps some do not believe move too much, but that's not "Blast."  I also think it's hard in drum corps to determine what is a trend that will change everything and what is a fad. Right now the staging and props seems to grow and grow, but five or ten years down the road less is more could be the craze. We won't know until it happens.

Regarding raising the number to 200, with some corps the field already looks too crowded, so adding marching members or color guard members could do more harm than good. I find that if a drill is well written, and if you use props well, you can create the illusion of a much larger corps. Watch Cadets in 2013. They did a masterful job at making the corps look like more than 150 members.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, garfield said:

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? 

One thing that pops into mind other than equipment purchase, truck/trailer for equipment, and likely bigger or second rolling kitchen is the impact on securing housing. Corps are already having a heck of a time doing that for 150 plus staff. Move to 200, or someone said that Hop would like 250, not many schools will want to, or be able to, accommodate those numbers. Which would make housing even more difficult, and in turn likely more expensive.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Stu

[Stu]

Moving to 200 or 250 sounds good for the G7 corps but not for corps with less resources. Why not leave it at 150 mm max per WC corps, have all corps study the BD business model, and implement their own creative funding sources, which could in turn help lower mm dues commitments.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Stu

[Stu]

1 hour 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.

Adjudicating GE from the box for massive blobs is also problematic. Some of the HS bands I have seen have well over 300 and the field looks like an over filled over stuffed burlap bag of cats.

[Stu]

I just got to thinking about what a 'wonderful' concept this is. Start an orginazation 'for the kids'; build in massive ever increasing costs withn the organization including performance equipment, extensive travel, and paying the adults for their artistic designs; grow those expenditures well past what development can handle; then put the brunt of that burden on the dues paid by the kids. An organization for the kids, paid for by the kids, while a few adults get paid for their creative designs, with a hall of fame for the adults thrown in for good measure. What a concept.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Stu

[Fran Haring]

Please forgive me for being a tad cynical here...

But with the availability of electronics to either amplify/enhance brass and percussion audio and/or create new sounds... why is there a need to add marching members, in particular in the brass and percussion sections?  Why not reduce the number of marching members instead, and let the electronics make up the difference?

Is it because... at least in part.... that synths, sound boards, and microphones don't pay tour fees? 

Perhaps it really is all about the money.

[garfield]

1 minute ago, Fran Haring said:

Please forgive me for being a tad cynical here...

But with the availability of electronics to either amplify/enhance brass and percussion audio and/or create new sounds... why is there a need to add marching members, in particular in the brass and percussion sections?  Why not reduce the number of marching members instead, and let the electronics make up the difference?

Is it because... at least in part.... that synths, sound boards, and microphones don't pay tour fees? 

Perhaps it really is all about the money.

Excellent point.  Sure it is.

[xandandl]

20 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Please forgive me for being a tad cynical here...

But with the availability of electronics to either amplify/enhance brass and percussion audio and/or create new sounds... why is there a need to add marching members, in particular in the brass and percussion sections?  Why not reduce the number of marching members instead, and let the electronics make up the difference?

Is it because... at least in part.... that synths, sound boards, and microphones don't pay tour fees? 

Perhaps it really is all about the money.

 

18 minutes ago, garfield said:

Excellent point.  Sure it is.

Now stop it you two. Garfield's an accountant, so I'll give him a pass. But Fran, who will listen to your jokes or chuckle at your shirts. The visiting grandmas just wouldn't understand.

Next you two will be advocating that the Hop talks be recorded on electronics too for rebroadcasting each season to trim the admin budgets.

[garfield]

8 minutes ago, xandandl said:

 

Now stop it you two. Garfield's an accountant, so I'll give him a pass. But Fran, who will listen to your jokes or chuckle at your shirts. The visiting grandmas just wouldn't understand.

Next you two will be advocating that the Hop talks be recorded on electronics too for rebroadcasting each season to trim the admin budgets.

Oh!  A knife to my heart!

No, I'm not an accountant and the curse of a thousand camel fleas on you for saying so.  I'm in the investment business.

As an "accountant", I would say that recording the Hop talks to replay to the MM's will make his job outdated unnecessary therefore, firing him will save the corps something like $150,000/yr in his salary.  As an investment person, I'd say don't bet against the Cadets.

I wonder if I can get elected to his BoD?  

 

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by garfield