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Corps Income/Revenue Stream


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Not sure who does these, but the successful income methods I've seen that I believe every corps should be doing:

  • Music camps (summer and winter): leadership, drum major, drum corps experience, etc. 
  • Director clinics: educational seminars for band directors, can also offer pay-to-play certifications
  • Marching band and winter shows; literally every corps should host at least one of these in their area, or co-host if there's multiple corps in the area
  • For-hire music ensembles available for corporate/private events. Doesn't need current members, can be made up of alumni or just local musicians off the street
  • For-hire marching band/winter clinics for local programs; bring in staff members for one-day clinics
  • Local sports involvement; if a pro or even minor league team exists, the corps should have a performing ensemble in exchange for either money or a concession stand (the logistics will change for these from sport/venue to sport/venue)

 

Bottom line, corps should brand themselves as the premier local area youth music education program, and leverage their brand name and available resources to provide their own versions of the things that are already happening within the youth music education space.

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Just popped up on Mandarins FB page:

 

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18 hours ago, CrownBariDad said:

Just popped up on Mandarins FB page:

 

Does anyone else remember a few years back when California Corps (inc BD & SCV) were bemoaning a change in CA law that was going to negatively impact (or stop) their bingo revenues?

I guess that didn't happen, or at least not as bad as feared. 

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On 8/23/2017 at 4:55 AM, garfield said:

$$$ is the "romance" the activity runs on.

"...poached..."   Pfftt.  Do you know how many dollars were spent on those instructors?  Oh yea, drum corps aren't allowed to spend their money on improving their staff according to you.

You must have REALLY hated Star of Indiana in its day.

 

 

 

And if he hated Star, I'm sure he also really hated Spirit of Atlanta in the beginning when the corps had a corporate sponsor (the local ABC affiliate at the time) basically writing the corps a blank check each month.

I'll say one thing, though. The affiliation with the TV station led to some pretty crazy fund-raising efforts.

In late 1977, the station decided to throw a New Year's Eve party to raise money for the corps - rent a banquet hall, hire a band and sell tickets. Well, the station's marketing department took the idea and ran with it, and before we knew it, they had rented out a portion of the World Congress Center (the local convention hall), and hired the Charlie Daniels Band to play.

Despite the high overhead, the party, which was called "SuperBall '78," made a decent amount of profit, which only emboldened the TV station to try to outdo themselves the following New Year's Eve.

For Superball '79," the station rented out the ENTIRE convention center and hired a bunch of bands that, at the time, were major acts. The entertainment that night was Charlie Daniels Band, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Wet Willie and, get this, CHEECH & CHONG!

Corps members were enlisted to work backstage that night, and I was assigned to Cheech & Chong's dressing room. Now THAT was an interesting night.

 

Edited by oldsoprano
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6 minutes ago, oldsoprano said:

And if he hated Star, I'm sure he also really hated Spirit of Atlanta in the beginning when the corps had a corporate sponsor (the local ABC affiliate at the time) basically writing the corps a blank check each month.

I'll say one thing, though. The affiliation with the TV station led to some pretty crazy fund-raising efforts.

In late 1977, the station decided to throw a New Year's Eve party to raise money for the corps - rent a banquet hall, hire a band and sell tickets. Well, the station's marketing department took the idea and ran with it, and before we knew it, they had rented out a portion of the World Congress Center (the local convention hall), and hired the Charlie Daniels Band to play.

Despite the high overhead, the party, which was called "SuperBall '78," which only emboldened the TV station to try to outdo themselves the following New Year's Eve.

For Superball '79," the station rented out the ENTIRE convention center and hired a bunch of bands that, at the time, were major acts. The entertainment that night was Charlie Daniels Band, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Wet Willie and, get this, CHEECH & CHONG!

This. Is. Hilarious.

 

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2 hours ago, oldsoprano said:

And if he hated Star, I'm sure he also really hated Spirit of Atlanta in the beginning when the corps had a corporate sponsor (the local ABC affiliate at the time) basically writing the corps a blank check each month.

I'll say one thing, though. The affiliation with the TV station led to some pretty crazy fund-raising efforts.

In late 1977, the station decided to throw a New Year's Eve party to raise money for the corps - rent a banquet hall, hire a band and sell tickets. Well, the station's marketing department took the idea and ran with it, and before we knew it, they had rented out a portion of the World Congress Center (the local convention hall), and hired the Charlie Daniels Band to play.

Despite the high overhead, the party, which was called "SuperBall '78," made a decent amount of profit, which only emboldened the TV station to try to outdo themselves the following New Year's Eve.

For Superball '79," the station rented out the ENTIRE convention center and hired a bunch of bands that, at the time, were major acts. The entertainment that night was Charlie Daniels Band, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Wet Willie and, get this, CHEECH & CHONG!

Corps members were enlisted to work backstage that night, and I was assigned to Cheech & Chong's dressing room. Now THAT was an interesting night.

Go on...

(The statute of limitations is probably expired, right? Right?)

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17 hours ago, oldsoprano said:

 

Corps members were enlisted to work backstage that night, and I was assigned to Cheech & Chong's dressing room. Now THAT was an interesting night.

 

 When you 1st met Cheech and Chong, did they give you the high five ?

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3 minutes ago, 84BDsop said:

And was Dave there??

..... or the Corsican Brothers ?

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