C.Holland

If you're a corps outside of NJ or PA, your opportunities are very limited for DCA shows. Often the shows of DCA in your area have perhaps 2-3 corps in some cases, or your other option is virtual shows. Where you record your show and send it in for evaluation. Even in NJ we have shows with only 5 groups. (see rant about operations and placement of intermission in another thread) So if you want to provide opportunities for your members where they have larger crowds, and more performance opportunities in general, you'll take what your options are. This doesnt always work if DCI comes through your city on a tuesday or wednesday, but if you can do it, there's no reason not to. Its a performance op for your members and exposure for your ensembles in a very niche activity.

my last tour in OC actually had really good crowds at all the shows. i do enjoy hearing the crowd in the stands tell me "they enjoyed open class more due to the lack of crap all over the field"

DCI IS the corps. DCI is operated by the directors of member corps.

Directors that want to do summer are already on tour. Everyone else wants their summer off. Many bands already charge students to participate, and to cross state lines you often can’t use a school bus. So renting is the only option.

1. The last combo I purchased with a small drink and fries cost me $13. 2. You can’t feed members this crap 4 meals a day and expect them to perform well. Or last all season on it. It’s not nutritional. 3. your meal hour just turned into to 2 hours getting everyone to, fed, and from whatever your nearest to.

it would be a 5 show season. woof.

Keep in mind, 20 years ago the expected member marched 3-5 seasons. Now most march 1 or 2. Also keep in mind, (some) drum corps have shown that they CAN find revenue which could decrease costs but choose not to, because they can still fill their ranks without concern. Thus having more operations cash, as well as full ranks. Also, if you want to fill a hole, and don't care where you go, there WILL be open spots in may and june. Feel free to bargain. You won't be the first to do so, and you wont be the last.

Some of these are for profit groups now. Managed by BD. The small brass/percussion group that plays for New York City Futbol Club used to be independent, then BD Entertainment added them to their roster.

Some do. Parades over July 4th. (DCA does this around the Maryland area since you can hit 4-6 over a few days). Family days with symphonies. Anything that pays more than a few thousand an appearance because there is a point of diminishing return that makes some not worth it.

That era was different. Everyone used bugles for years because they were a niche item. Useless to anyone outside of the activity. However Having money to use was the first part of the process. You could then pay for great staff, good accommodations, and excellent design. Better conditions means attracting better members. Better ingredients, better pizza.

Bill would be doing what everyone else is doing in this era of using the horns, props, and wardrobe as a fundraiser, getting it sponsored, and then selling it off. Those things are a wash now.

I think they should look outside drum corps and band, wgi. Look at LORT A and B theatres, Major Ballet institutions, and other performing arts areas who can bring new ideas from other areas that are thriving.

There are things Dan did well. There are things he did not. As much as I appreciate his time in DCI, Perhaps it’s time to find someone new, with a background in non profits, how to coordinate them, and lead them together. This could be an opportunity to seek out someone in theatre or ballet, who could bring new life into the circuit, and bring back some of the service component it seams we have lost along the way.

Shorter rentals on show venues, less time needed to get the show complete as the season has been shortened due to rising costs.

"Marching Musics Major League" is where it wants to go. it just doesnt have the ability to get tv money like the NFL does or sell Bud Light ads between corps. It wants to be the NFL/MLB/NBA... or even competitive lumberjacking.

to some extent. As schools shuffle their school year and semester calendars I think this sometimes creates scarcity on facilities. but also as security, utilities, and maintenance costs go up so does the facility costs.

You need a mission statement to be able to be non profit, and to be able to bring in donations. You need to prove you mostly follow your mission for continuing to exist as a non profit. Mostly is the key word here.

Open Class is nearly 90% member due driven, hence its volatility. And then the board has to "find the rest" of the season budget. Should an open class corps only be able to find 70 students before tour, they need to make up the rest of the budget they didn't get when they planned for 110 students.

On paper they are one thing, in actuality they are another. However, the further down the line you go, you replace teaching the show, with teaching of fundamentals.

And long tones to start for a warmup. That’ll develope tone and your facial muscles. 12 count notes. Slow and steady.

you can't run each other's corps for them. you and your board have to fund yourselves. DCI is worried about communal problems. The season overview, the sheets, the major shows they collectively draw revenue from, and the contracts/agreements associated with each of these things. The rest... well each their own. Seeing as each group has its hands full finding their own respective funding sources, its not like they have time to cross over into another group to manage their finances as well. Would you really want someone showing significant operating problems to have to manage your groups?

ive watched theatre and dance companies have things incorrect in their paperwork, and because of the back and forth trying to get things corrected they either missed the deadline, missed the fixes needed, or both. Should have they just paid for an attorney to handle the process and walk the through it instead of "we'll figure it out" maybe things would have been handled better.

there are deadlines to file to keep your status, and you need documentation with it. If something is not lining up in the paperwork, or you miss the deadline, your status is revoked. There's a lot of ways to mess it up unfortunately. I've seen this with non drum corps type of groups many times.

there are limits to donation amounts and write offs if you are not a properly registered non profit.

for it to be a donation, you can't receive much beyond a tiny gift. (i don't know the % or dollar amount specifically) Such as when you give a donation to NPR, they often send you a mug or shirt or something, or when you donate to a theatre you receive some sort of gift at each level of donation. But when your "gift" receives a substantial tour, housing, food, etc. i think there's an issue with that. i'm not a tax lawyer, but the boards Ive worked alongside with had many long conversations about what they can and can't give as a gifts for donors. Heck i've given backstage tours for large donors of a season.