jeff danchik

2 valve DEG contrabasses one chrome the other silver. $375 each,great shape for 40 year old marching horns. Scratches and minor dents. No major cosmetic issues. See pictures. If interested include zipcode so I can figure shipping. Sorry no overseas sales, most be Continetal US address only

Lancers had the advantage of drawing on the membership of the local PAL parade corps. At the end all I saw were out of state liscense plates at the Baldwin indoor show. Around here its contacts that get things done. After that its up to the groups to strengthen those bonds or lose them.Money is the biggest factor, we have people who think our $400 a year is expensive. Vagabonds were active at that time too and they were free. Have re-invented Mon Valley 3 times and still going. Pretty much the last group left in Pittsburgh. Watch more than enough groups come and go during that time, Drum Corps, Drumlines, Indoor guards, stick teams and baton corps, all gone. Instead of bemoaning dropping a placement at Sound Sport we are more energized to come back stronger. Staff changes made, equipment upgrades ongoing and more emphasis on the Winds program and adding a indoor guard.

It's like sales if you make $100 on a sale and want to make$100k you got to do it a thousand times. I've learned alot in 20 years and there are ways to do it, but when someone says I'm starting a corps and doesn't heed good advise their program is doomed. We had two groups in this area try to start never succeeded, they thought they knew everything. Hype and promises don't build or sustain programs. I've made plenty of mistakes but none of them proved fatal and I learned alot.You can learn alot more from mistakes than success. First I had to learn to be Mr No! The internet has alot more resources today that 20 years ago. I've tried to bullet proof my program but still can't control human nature so its a tug of war. Each year is an oppurtunity to make another step forward, not leaps. Long Island is less of a blackhole than Pittsburgh!

there are kids out there you have to keep trying. We use to have 3-4 recruiting events. This year 10-12 recruiting events. Each year we attract 8-10 new people. Secret is to retain more of your current members than you recruit new ones. We're going a different approach this year with a dedicated social media person and recruiting at band festivals of non competetive bands. We have a track record and good revenue streams.Getting knocked down a peg at Sound Sport this year has kicked some of the complacentcy in the rear too!

Biggest problem is money, when considering starting a group anywhere. With out the community parades paying big bucks no program can exist on dues/tuition alone.Sound Sport and SDCA both have lower starting costs due to minimun size rules. Even starting a Minicorps has the issue of Labor Day and HS Football being Friday night.No one is going to plunk down $1,000 to be in a newbie group. Less likely is someone going to mortgage their house to buy equipment. More times than enough someone will post a new group starting, with new horns and drums, huge staffs and boards. They fail and kids get turned off. Its like growing a plant from a seed. Needs alot of care and tending to reach being a plant. Even then the odds are against it, that it will grow and eventually flower.

The drum major was actually a Finleyville drum major. Best thing he did was bring alot of Finleyville staff onboard. He was LJ Hancock and Kathy Rosa the guard person. Also ad former Rockets DM Ed Cagney to the staff. My city school band actually tied them in 2 captions one night and they almost blew a gasket. I had a staff of all Finleyville age outs.Last show in the books, recruiting starts in 2 weeks.

Went bankrupt trying to get back in finals. Spending money that wasn't there. The trouble I had dealing with the local music shops because corps before me still owed them money.They killed it themselves by merging the Senoir corps out of existance, for that one great chance to be relevent again. Finleyville had such poor relations with band directors in the area. Some even marched corps like the Rockets, but had horrible issues with the kids egos. Allowing the better kids from other corps to join, killed off the smaller corps.

Yes its been tough, nobody in the history of the area ever had a full group that I'm aware of, I have been a part of two of them. Finleyville and Steel City We've been stuck on 25-27 for 4 years. I've seen a half dozen or more local corps, come and go during our existance. Sadly we had more people this summer than GBV and SCA combined. Thats not to knock them but its were the activity stands now and I hate that. After many years of trying we've found a niche in Sound Sport. As to the WPIAL thing. We found out that Labor Day weekend was a major conflict. Even this week going to Sheffield we're scrambling for members because of band camps and college move ins/ oreintation. As to enthusiasm, kids dig DCI, don't know DCA or SDCA. SDCA has been good to us, their name doesn't draw people. Sound Sport has the DCI name behind it, plus they've made a good attempt to reach out to small groups. We've added TOB/TIA winds last year and hopefully a winterguard for 2018. As to costs we're cheaper than my church's Boy Scout Troop and still have to be on top of the members for dues. We didn't place as well as we wanted this year. Already made a few changes and its spurred a renewed desire to get out more and recruit. We'll see!

I did and it sucks, long hours, no money and lack of support.Most people now adays go to a show tell everyone how great their corps was and then proclaim they supported the activity. Its the people from the 80's and 90's who killed the activity by not supporting it and not sending their kids.

Sadly many groups starved out of existance when parades stop paying good money. Only one parade in the Pittsburgh area pays well. The rest think firetrucks and little league teams make a parade. They rarely want to pay, most think you owe them the public service to perform for free and some have even not paid. They forget we have expenses too. Yet small towns in the middle of no-where, pay very well and attract corps from all over.

Wanted, Battery Percussion Instructor, Pittsburgh area. Candidate should have solid battery skills and be able to work with membership that includes High School, College and adult players of various abilities.Group does TIA Winds and DCI SoundSport One all day Saturday camp and one Sunday sectional each month. Remaining schedule will be determined by performance schedule.No touring weekends only.Good opportunity for someone who wants a position where they have full control of what happens.

I have a member who's family is unable to attend finals. Tickets are in section 245. 3 tickets and parking pass. If interested email me for parents email. They are willing to sell at a loss. You can negotiate with them.

I have both a 2valve piccolo and a 3 valve flugalhorn. have anything to trade?

We're doing TIA winds 3 shows and Championships. Should be fun!

February 4th on their Facebook page! You judging in Pittsburgh this season?