Flowmarching - take a look at your credit cards

[c.l.]

9 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

 

Drum & Bugle Corps is a niche market. Always has been. It's not a commodity that everyone has to have, it's not a utility like electricity, and it's not something that has to be given away for free.  Some people will be exposed to its' awesomeness and some will not. Such is life.

 

So true...I sadly remember the time I tried to expose my college roommate who was not ever in band to it (trial and error).. "turn off this s***"

[Jeff Ream]

17 hours ago, lindap said:

I paid for Fan Network and that other Buffalo thing. I couldn't get Flo 'cause you know. I watched PBS for years, delighted they broadcast DCI and when I had money, I donated.

Got hooked on Downton Abbey and bought the videos. It was free, got hooked, paid for the quality. Why would I pay for unknown quality? DCI had an opportunity with PBS imo

not really because drum corps fans didnt pony up to help. People bash PBS for Peter, Paul and Mary concerts, or yanni's latest tour, but those fans pay. I did. I still donate because my daughter adores PBS kids.lord knows the government wants to cut their funding. Sesame Street even cut back to half an hour on PBs and shows stuff on HBO now.

[Jeff Ream]

12 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

Seriously, this is too much whining for me. Whatever your family situation was is your business. The point made was not to offend you (I don't believe) but to say that PBS is really not free. Many of us did donate, for years in fact. That made it possible for you to watch for free. I am glad you were able to watch and develop an interest, and ultimately march.

The $4,000 you are appalled by is what it costs to march with some organizations in 2017. What should the cost be? Nothing. $300, $600, $1200?  Why do you think many of the corps from your era have died? Poor management, poor finance, not keeping up with the times, and people wanting a lot for nothing. 

Drum & Bugle Corps is a niche market. Always has been. It's not a commodity that everyone has to have, it's not a utility like electricity, and it's not something that has to be given away for free.  Some people will be exposed to its' awesomeness and some will not. Such is life.

If drum corps, and DCI specifically, was in the "we are here to help poor children who need something to do" business then they would most likely be working with our government at the local, state, and federal levels. They would be given a budget that would likely come from our nation's tax dollars and they would also exist on donations from fans.  Still not free. The people of the country would collectively be paying for it along with those who donate. There is a similar service these days...it's called public education (paid for by the public) which in most cases provides opportunities for music education in band, choir, orchestra, and other ensembles. In the case of high school bands, band parents often raise tens of thousands of dollars extra (or more) by operating fundraisers in the local community. In other words, some in the local community are kicking in even more dollars to help local youth get an education and performance experience. Still not free. 

plus now PBS would have to deal with the licensing issues. 

[Bobby L. Collins]

2 hours ago, c.l. said:

So true...I sadly remember the time I tried to expose my college roommate who was not ever in band to it (trial and error).. "turn off this s***"

Sadly, that's ME today.

[Jeff Ream]

10 hours ago, Kyle B said:

I guess a lot of people will be watching DCA's for the first time!  In all honesty, many of you should as I do believe most people would be thoroughly surprised by the value.

I hope so. it'll dispel the myth it's old people out there drunk on the field

[skevinp]

1 minute ago, Bobby L. Collins said:

Sadly, that's ME today.

Why are you here?

[Jeff Ream]

4 hours ago, wilme861 said:

I'm honestly surprised people didn't realize it was a monthly subscription and not just a month of access. I thought it was made clear on the purchase page that it's a subscription. I just saw a screenshot that says FloPRO Subscription and $49.99/mo below that. It is really easy to forget to cancel though. Like others have said, it's always best to cancel soon after your subscription starts so you don't have to remember 30 days later to cancel.

that fine print. ignored often creating thousands of frivolous lawsuits daily

[Terri Schehr]

2 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

I hope so. it'll dispel the myth it's old people out there drunk on the field

Those days are long over.  They have stepped up their game big time. 

[Bobby L. Collins]

12 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

 PBS is really not free.

Free or not....it's public.  The PUBLIC has access to it.  An audience that would otherwise have never even bothered with drum corps had the opportunity to watch it, and to make the decision whether or not to support it.  The chance moment of someone changing the channel may very well have altered the course of someone's life, as a young child (such as myself) was exposed for the very first time to an activity that he or she otherwise would have never even heard about.  That's gone.  Now, the only way the public is going to ever even hear about drum corps is to already belong to a Facebook group or Subreddit devoted to some form of marching arts, in which DCI is promoted...or else already be in band or have a child in band (which is an ever-shrinking pool of resources, as music programs are being cut across the country).  The public isn't going to chance upon an overpriced subscription package for an unreliable streaming service that not even the fans of the activity like, nor are they going to chance upon parking lot warmups or bootleg performances on YouTube.  PBS was the best shot to reach the largest number of people, to extend outside the bubble of the activity and reach out to a wider audience.  That bubble is now sealed airtight, and as I said before, if that doesn't change, then those inside the bubble are going to suffocate.

[Bobby L. Collins]

8 minutes ago, skevinp said:

Why are you here?

To discuss issues and concerns about the activity with other passionate fans.  Is that answer satisfactory?