jonnyboy

So that Suncoast truck went to Carolina Crown, then Jersey Surf. It's still on the road.

I remember that night, I was in the Crossmen drumline. We had already performed and changed. Members were wondering all over the place, in the stadium, parking lot, talking walks etc. When they announced the scores we were literally taken by surprise. No one really knew what to do, I don't think we had played an encore that season, or in several seasons. We were in shorts, tee shirts and flip flops. World went around quickly to meet back at the truck we were going to play. The staff told us to grab any corps jackets or Crossmen clothes we had and meet up. We warmed up in the arc and let a run of the show fly. I don't think it was that good, and some members were not in top form as they were already "relaxing" for the night. I'm not even sure if everyone even got word we won or were doing an encore. A version of this story comes up at every alumni get together with people from 90, a great memory.

1. Save lives. 2. Help family. 3. Help something you believe in strongly. For me this will be Church followed by DrumCorps. WGI will survive it, there are already hopes and dreams about 2021. Drum corps will survive. Some will expire. Some will be born out of the ashes. The Rocketeers have already disbanded and put the word out that their instruments are available for donation to other groups. Keep the lights on will be the battle cry for some. Best wishes to all, there is a lot of time in between now and next summer to see how it all pans out. Looking forward to the next time I can smell summer and hear drumlines warming up when I pull into a show lot. It will be a great day.

Don't forget about drum corps this summer! After I aged out I had a few summers of just going to shows. Then a few summers of staff. Then several summers off completely from corps. I stayed connected and joined a BOD some years ago. It's great to give back on your own terms (no sweaty buses, no kitchen truck on tour, no sun burn). I don't go on tour, I just help behind the scenes. I'll probably put in bit more time than usual on trying to raise money and keep the lights on at the corps office. If the announcement to cancel is made we'll spend a few evenings crunching numbers on what is needed to make it until November 2020. The only change I'll see is that I won't be online late at night to see what the scores are, and I won't watch the stats daily and wish my corps had more points on the board.

SCV Strategic Plan Page 8 Section D Paragraph 1. "Imagine a drum corps that is not reliant on bingo." A 3-5 year plan to remove bingo funding needs starting in 2019. I'm very curious how BD and SCV fare if they go from being cash rich to cash poor, if that indeed happens.

I would imagine corps with no/few paid staff (other than summer contractors) and low overhead could easily weather a hibernation. The million dollar corps might also muster enough $$$ to keep things going. The corps that just might suffer the most are the ones in the middle, the ones that have lots of monthly bills and not a lot of incoming money. I'm sure some boards will have to make a decision that makes sense from a business standpoint, but hurts from a personal standpoint. Best of luck to all.

We have entered uncharted territory. It's looking like things out of DCIs control will force a season cancellation. Travel bans, family financial resources going towards day to day operations, schools closing until next August, continued social distancing rules as well as all out quarantines. The real question now is, what corps can survive closing doors until next November? Will DCI be substantially changed by loosing the 2020 summer? Will former powerhouse corps with multi million dollar budgets be the first to fall? Will the multi million dollar bingo corps crumble if the economy crumbles and/or stay at home rules stay in place for months? I fully expect our friends at WGI to come back very strong in 2021, and I fully expect DCI to be something very different in 2021.

Vanguard's bingo is down for 3 weeks and they are already asking for more donations. At what point does the state shut down start to negatively affect Vanguards and BDs operations? Do they rely on bingo so heavily that a several month shut down of bingo halls could throw these corps off track?

The recently mentioned Regional tour the last two weeks of June would actually add two weeks to some corps summer model. Not every WC or OC corps come out in June.

How to have a recruiting event in a foreign country: One person, presumably with connections in said country, and possibly already traveling there, grabs a few brochures and gets in front of the hornlike/drumline. They talk about DCI. They get on a plane and come home. A relationship is born. Maybe one that blossoms. Pioneer had several kids from South Africa. Other corps host kids. It happens. You get one and others follow. In the 90s we got a kid from Holland and several of his corps mates followed suit in the next few years. Same with Canada, Japan etc. Heck, this works with any University or High School. Get one kid to march, they go home and sell it to the others. Listening to NPR a few weeks ago, the President of a small (under 1000) college in CT was traveling to New Mexico, Arizona and Texas to recruit kids. He brought a few kids from previous recruiting trips (that had chosen his school) that spoke Spanish/English and the high school kids related well. Several stated that although they never heard of XYX University before that day they would be applying.

The key to the first camp deals is to try and see what the total cost is, and if there are hidden fees, or extra fees etc. The point of my post is to show there is a cheap first camp option. Surf is $30, 7th apparently is $10. Both awesome I think. Some corps charge $100-$200 etc to get through the door, they are using camps as money makers. Kids can legit pay $30 bucks to see if they even like it. Other places they can pay $200 to see if they like it. In both cases, if they decide they like it, then they can start paying the total cost. They key is getting a taste without breaking the bank.

I used to like the idea of 1000 kids coming to an audition camp and charging $100 each. Money maker. I no longer like this idea, and I think its hurting smaller corps. Have a camp, charge what it costs, have 5000 kids show up. PLEASE recommend the kids to another program if they don't make you cut list. Some corps already do this, thank you. Some corps still just cut kids on Friday night and make them sit in the hallway and wait for their taxi on Sunday.....BOOOOO. I know many kids would rather sit out the summer than march a corps that haven't been dreaming about since 9th grade. The big corps could change this perception, but there doesn't seem to be any interest from the Top 12 in building the activity. The DCI arms race doesn't have room for the weak.

The Aqua-Fitness is pretty neat. The school has a pool, the corps provides a certified life guard and instruction. There is an aqua-fitness center near by, and someone on the admin team was going there for sessions. The planets aligned. It is kind of odd to load 100 kick boards and 100 pool noodles on the the equipment truck in December. The kids love it. Kudos to 7th Regiment on the $10 camp....that's the spirit!! The Surf $30 is a legit offer to motivate kids to just try it out, no other obligations.

So I updated the fundraiser thread. Donate to "Team Old School" to initiate Free Drink Challenge. It will probably be Yuengling bottles and Coke or Pepsi, I'll have plenty I'm sure. Maybe wine as well, possibly burgers. Surf will be on early, so you won't miss your favorite corps or any of the show if you say hello. This drink challenge is not affiliated with any drumcorps, I am the sole sponsor of challenge, must be 21 or older, while supplies last. https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/NjU1OTI=/38813

Generous Donor Strives to Facilitate Inexpensive “World Class Experience” for Prospective New & Returning Members A generous drum corps fan wishing to remain anonymous asked the Jersey Surf to consider a proposal to expose a potentially larger number of prospective performers to the DCI World Class experience by covering a significant portion of the organization’s facility rental, vehicle rental and meal expenses for the November 22-24 “Experience & Audition Camp” weekend. The donor’s goal is to assist the corps in kicking off its 30th Anniversary Season by making a donation to remove a large portion of the expense involved in running what is usually one of the largest rehearsal camp weekends of the year. This will enable the corps to offer an entire World Class weekend experience at a very inexpensive price for participants. Thus, the Jersey Surf is pleased to offer a full weekend camp experience November 22-24 at the Camden County Technical School In Sicklerville NJ for a fee of ONLY $30! when registering and paying online before 11:59PM on Thursday, November 21. Price on the day of the camp and “at the door” will be $50; so everyone is encouraged to Download Audition Packets and Register Now. Participants (returning members and prospective new members) will have the opportunity to participate in a complete “weekend in the life” of a World Class DCI corps including: • sectional rehearsals & focused instruction on the instrument or equipment of their choice led by experienced, qualified performing arts educators • In-water participation in the Corps’s exclusive “Get Wet Get Fit” aqua fitness program custom designed for the Jersey Surf by pre-season conditioning partners ProSwim Fitness. • Dance and Movement instruction • informal group discussions and Q&A sessions with veteran members, alumni & corps administration • Sunday friends & family “Show & Tell” performance • All meals provided by Jersey Surf culinary team members • Attendees will have the opportunity to work directly with corps instructional staff to create a skills development plan – regardless of their intention to audition for the 2020 edition of the corps. • Those wishing to audition may do so. Contracts will be offered to returning veteran members and prospects who meet or exceed performance requirements. • Interested attendees will be invited to return to the December camp weekend to demonstrate growth between camps as they continue the process of securing a spot in the 2020 corps WHO SHOULD ATTEND? • Returning Surf members • Those interested in auditioning for the 2020 corps • Those interested in gaining insight into the behind the scenes aspect of building a world class DCI touring ensemble from the very start of the season • Those interested in gaining experience to assist in better preparing them for future audition opportunities • Students considering future opportunities as performers or educators • Students who are passionate about the marching arts and who desire to expand their perspective, make new friends and develop new skills in a safe, fun, energetic and welcoming environment. Download Audition Packets, Register and Pay Now!