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Same as it has always been - because most kids want to perform with the big names that DCI highlights to the world, at big shows, and in general won't consider anyone else if they don't make it? Mike

Tell this to those who don't come from middle class areas. It's sad that drum corps is this expensive now. When I marched, I could barely afford to march even a division II corps. I worked my ### off with an after-school job at McDonald's and sponsorships to help me pay for the cost to march Cadets. With all the crap going on nowadays, if I were of marching age, I wouldn't dare try to march drum corps.

No. I think the problem is that the $5000 drum corps experience costs performers $5000. I marched in the late 90s when corps fees amounted to about 10% of my full college costs for a year….now it would be a little more than 20% (with increased college costs taken into account). Again, people will say “but look at what you get! It’s a steal!” and I’m sure it is…but $5K is $5K and is a for some income brackets. I don’t think is sustainable.

It’s funny … most of my favorite corps are Blue. Maybe it’s my eye color.

Ah yes BD 2011. That was a crazy year. I remember BD starting the year 4th-5th place and staying there thru the first few weeks. Some people predicting here on DCP they would finish the year 6th or 7th as they wrapped up the Texas shows. LMAO. Then BD got their sea legs underneath them and they started to catch fire mid-July, pulled into the rearview mirror of the Cavies by San Antonio, who was nearly two pointing the field............then came Atlanta.............fasten your seatbelt................... BD beats Cadets, and DCP had a meltdown of biblical proportions. Boy it was entertaining being here laughing at grown adults freaking out over some shows performed by 18-19 year olds lol. I could picture BD being announced first in Atlanta, and the majority of DCP was in their living rooms punching the air like Cuba Gooding Jr (Boyz in the Hood reference for you young folks). LOL. I am here to tell you, DCP is way more exciting when BD is on top. And in the end BD took a well-deserved silver medal. But with the way BD started the season so slowly coming out the gate, 2011 will always stand out.

I don't think anyone said it had to be from a hornline....

Like many youth-focused arts and sports organizations, the Jersey Surf World Class Drum Corps has been working through the challenges of returning to full operation after two long seasons away from the performance and competition field, with limited ability to share our love of what we do with each-other… and the world. With an understanding […]View the full article

yet thousands of middle class kids do sports camps that last a week and cost more.

You sure people are blaming the entirety of increasing costs on props/electronics? Or could it just be that props/electronics are costs that we have more control over compared to food or housing?

Staff drives the budget! Performers are paying more each year, and getting less and less. What the staff wants, staff gets, or they threaten to walk. Administration will risk everything to win regardless of incurred cost. So most don't care to mitigate risks. IMO, Surf made the wrong decision. Now it's a perceived value equation. In other words they’re not going to have any more or any less students because of fees.

“That DCI highlights to the world” Bingo….. Push the “names” and shoot yourself in the foot when the other corps have issues because of it

Yep. The problem is that performers want the $5000 drum corps experience but don’t want to pay $5000. People often blame expensive props, electronics, etc. for ballooning the costs but that’s not really much (in most cases- there have been exceptions) compared to fuel, food, bus rental, bus drivers, tractor rental and drivers, housing, etc. If a lower cost experience is what would make this activity more popular, open class corps would be packed with members and world class would be looking for members. I think corps used to foot more of the costs through donations and sponsorships in the past and now more is on the member. The one thing that’s probably changed the most is corps moving from entirely / nearly entirely volunteer to more paid staff, drivers, etc.

Late 70s Caballeros also played this. One guy started singing the Rice Krispies song…. while the corps was playing it on the field. 🤭 Just love the “my mother in law” bit

I just received my Super 3 Ticket email today. No problems sending them to my Ticketmaster account and also saving them to my Apple Wallet. I didn't get my first pick, but from my notes on previous seat locations, these will do.

STAR OF INDIANA, 1993....you all know the chord after the big bass drum rolls..Medea..nuff said

And for good measure...this company front in 1979:

Spirit of Atlanta in 1979 and 1980. I'll never forget when Spirit was asked to march halftime for Georgia Tech at the Tech-Alabama game ( because Tech students weren't even back in school yet). Alabama brought their "Million Dollar Band" with what looked like a million members. And...just a couple of weeks off of Finals, Spirit walked out onto the field behind them with 128 and just blew the paint off the pressbox. Good times.

Mine marched five seasons in a Division 2 corps and he probably would have stayed there for the last four seasons but the big dog had to eat so the little dog got sent to the vet and put down.