HockeyDad

Welcome to the internet, where everything is black and white, there are no gray areas, and the moral high ground is littered with the bodies of those we climb over to get there.

Los Pollos Hermanos? I can understand Gustavo Fring isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.

I assume we’re talking about Morgan Larson. It’s all public domain. No need to hide it. I heard he was the cause or accelerator of the demise of CapitolAires. But even after release from prison, and while a lifetime registered sex offender, continued on with Kilties, Jim Ott Brass Ensemble, and a Soundsport group, as recent as 2018? . What have I missed? We have a long way to go in this activity to protect the members.

I’m starting to get a vibe that maybe they are obfuscating, like Mr. Lundegaard at the dealership messing up the vehicle VIN numbers on purpose in the movie Fargo and stinging along the financing dept.

I never thought that would be possible. Drum corps - bringing people together since 1972.

I have heard ad nauseum that DCI is the corps. So yeah, DCI is toothless and useless. They would absolutely let them compete.

That’s America today. I don’t like what he says so ban him. How about this instead - explain to us where he is wrong. Then we can ignore him. Let’s do some sifting and winnowing of ideas here. That’s what we should aspire to. I’m not much into Marxism and banning things that don’t support my ideology.

Pot meet kettle. You’ve provided zero detailed ideas (your words).

Well, you probably consider this an opposing view, but anyway, I don’t think everything one does needs to be with an eye to how it can lead to a future job or whatever. Sometimes it’s good to do something for no other reason than it’s fun or it’s your passion at the moment. And leave it at that. Yes it’s a lot of money and sounds like the plaything of the wealthy kids or kids from families who can afford the tuition. Is that not what drum corps has largely become anyway? Tons of kids spend lots of time playing soccer, baseball, hockey, you name it, and it never leads to a job. But the friends made, the experiences, the fun of it all, isn’t that what it should be about anyway? To make a living from soccer or hockey or basketball or whatever, you need to be the elite of the elite. So the other 99.9 percent of us better be going into it without greater expectations. Just my thoughts. So what makes drum corps unique and special? For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, no explanation is possible.

Well, don’t sell yourself short. Maybe drum corps taught us things such as: How to be on time, how to keep going when you want to quit, how to help a teammate, how to deal with people who are jerks, how to lead, how Not to lead, etc. I think these are all skills that help in all professions.

I think that must be common. All my kids were in the Wisconsin band. I think it had a very low percentage of music majors. Just a bunch of kids having a good time. You know those snooty music majors - college marching band is beneath them. 😎

Hope not. I also hope their fundraisers have tapped into that resource. With complete change out of the board and relocation (again), it makes me wonder how connected they are… or aren’t, with the “big hitters”

And here I was thinking people did drum corps because it’s fun and a passion. I suppose that train departed the station several decades ago.

Jeff is right. Somebody knew something. There was a failure out there. Yes, a budget was established that, if the actual spend met the projected, would have been balanced. But the actual spend exceeded the budget. Or the actual revenue didn’t meet projections. Either way, they ended in the red. Let me pivot. I’m sure many of us serve on or have served on various boards, probably in a volunteer capacity. In my case I learned that a parish priest worth his salt keeps that short list of those members to be called on when needed to balance the budget (those with the big $). You coddle and maintain that special relationship with those handful of members. It can feel distasteful but it’s reality. Surely a corps that’s been in existence for as long as Cadets must have such a “short list” of such donors identified. My hope is that the Board has or will “maximize” this funding source relationship. It takes time. It takes savvy. But it’s absolutely necessary.

I think you may have missed the point. One of the arguments used to sell amps and electronics was that the pit size could be reduced. That didn’t happen. Having said that, I don’t disagree with what you are saying.

No. It cannot and will not be fixed. This thread is the wake. Lots of emotions at a wake.

We were sold a lie !!!!!! Ok, actually, everyone knew at the time the - we can reduce pit size - was a load of B.S. In drum corps as in the government, a thing once introduced can never be taken away.

You don’t know that. You assert that. Not sure why I bother trying to engage, all you do is say no.

Dinos!!!!!!!!!! Yes it’s just too complex and nuanced. I could never understand. Here’s the thing - neither you, nor anyone else, knows if changes would solve the problem. Would you rather sit frozen in indecision because it’s complex?

When somebody does the case study on why drum corps fell apart they can use this thread as input. Tons of handwringing. All ideas to cut costs dismissed out of hand. They just won’t work. Or - that’s not the cause. Nothing is the cause of excessive expense. Not the tour model, not the staff size, not new uniforms every year (they actually make money!), not the gigantic pit, not amps, not props, nothing!! Nope you can’t take away ANYTHING they must continue to EVOLVE. Evolve right into insolvency. Apparently that’s the end state of drum corps evolution. Yup, we’ll always have our downloads and CDs. And this one - I hear there’s another one coming soon. But I surely couldn’t say who (wink wink coy coy). Let the kids pour more time and effort into it first, Then we’ll let that other shoe drop. I love that approach. We can’t go to a regional model, there aren’t enough regional corps! There aren’t enough regional contests! Well, guess who killed the regional model. Big old DCI itself. Oh no they didn’t! And on and on we go.

No. They aren’t. But you keep beating that drum.

Yes. And as far as I can tell, you don’t like props or modern uniforms, because you mentioned they add cost. I proposed a greatly reduced tour. I must not like modern buses.

False. Again. I invited you to offer your ideas how to cut costs in the big budget areas. You did not. Rather, you continue to harp upon some perceived sleight about props. Do you have any suggestions how to cut costs or increase revenues?

That’s not true and you know it. Point to one post on this thread who said if props were gone, all would be fixed. But you do seem fixated for some reason on this minuscule cost item. What are your thoughts on reducing transportation and housing costs? Those are big ones.

That was beautiful.