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BoaDci

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    MM Refunds, and Ticket Buyers, too? Friends?

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BoaDci

    I think for marching members it will be 100% at the corps discretion.  I know some corps will be trying to give full refunds, and some corps will just be aiming to give some sort of refund.  I would assume some things have already been paid for in advance of the season, so maybe they will take some money off as a credit for next season?  It will be interesting to see.

    • Sad 1

    Mr. Acheson--it's time.

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BoaDci

    9 hours ago, garfield said:

    (CAUTION: snark and sardonic sarcasm are employed in this post.  Those sensitive to bright, flashing lights should look away now.)

    Congratulations!  You didn't say it was your age-out so I'll presume that you're not 21 yet.

    First, thanks for coming back to a discussion board and pronouncing that you're open to discussion!  That helps.  I want to try that - "Do not reply.  I am not open to discussion."  (I just want to see if that works (I'm dubious).

    "Pretty much..." is not a sound basis on which to cancel a $20million activity with thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of fans.  I'm sorry the people you talk to wish something like this to end; in my (apparently much-longer) experience, finding a way to make things work will take you much farther in life than demonstrating your enthusiastic willingness to give up the effort.

    And since when have the band kids ever chosen to do what the jocks say, anyway?  "...changed..." is NOT the same as them cancelling.  DCI can change its season, too; apparently, you're OK with that.

    "...that the season cannot go on under these circumstances.  It just is what it is."  I don't think anyone even KNOWS what the circumstances will be under which a season could be salvaged.  Once again, "member experience" is revealing that you're approaching this from a very personal standpoint.  Sorry about your missing a season of competitive band, but this learning experience, that may take more than you think you can give (sound familiar?), can also teach valuable lessons to young people who listen to adults telling them what to do.  The only difference this time is that, if you succeed, it will likely be your corps' survival that your fans are applauding.  THAT performance may take a different kind of effort than you thought you'd expend this season. 

    "Worse show quality."  I don't think anyone expects a show that is practiced for three months to be as "good" in our judged activity as one practiced for six months.  But, so what?  And, do you mean to imply that members' experience is only good when the season is full-length?  That "good" can't be as enjoyable as Box-5?  Funny, I've been hearing for years that lower-ranking corps provide a great experience for fans and MMs.  Hmm... but you're probably right being on the inside and all.

    "Build contingency plans for corps' survival, get a refund out to everyone, and extend eligibility..."  No, no, and no.  DCI won't save drum corps - drum corps will save drum corps.  DCI knows its job really well, and it's not drum corps survival beyond providing a tour on which they can perform.  Refunds?  Pfft, forget it.  Force majeur.  How does DCI do ANYTHING to help if they refund all the ticket money and Friends membership fees?  You know what ticket-buyers have if they are magnanimous and allow DCI to simply keep the ticket money?  A charitable donation.  People who bought tickets can now get warm and fuzzy about helping to save the activity instead of going to a show.  Now, if an individual corps makes a decision to refund a portion of member dues, that's great.  I would hope that most members will find a way to donate some or all of that to the corp's survival, but maybe I'm still thinking decades ago when the activity (and its young members?) weren't so narcissistic. 

    "...attendance will be down".  Sorry, but that's not brilliant; if there are fewer shows in the season, there will be fewer fans attending shows this year.  And it's not prescient, either, so it's reasonable to think that DCI's member corps are already considering that in their discussions.

    If you can't tell that there's plenty of snark in my reply then perhaps, with a few years' more experience under your belt (any maybe not going on another DCP hiatus), your perception will improve.  The older you get, the smarter the older generations get.  You'll see.

    If you trusted your corps director (and the others, too) enough to build this whole thing for you to pay to do, I think you'd go a long way in trusting those same leaders to make a sound and reasonable decision about their programs, and by being ready, willing, and able to raise your hands up to help instead of raising them in exasperation that the adults aren't listening to you. 

    Be ready to help.  They're going to need you.  We all hope you learned in drum corps what it takes to achieve a very difficult goal.

    "Congratulations!  You didn't say it was your age-out so I'll presume that you're not 21 yet."
    This is true.

    "Pretty much..." is not a sound basis on which to cancel a $20million activity with thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of fans.  I'm sorry the people you talk to wish something like this to end; in my (apparently much-longer) experience, finding a way to make things work will take you much farther in life than demonstrating your enthusiastic willingness to give up the effort."

    I would say "pretty much" is just fine with the precedent set by the many other events that have been cancelled.  Not to mention the Olympics,  which are worth far more than DCI's $20 million, is currently considering postponing their season and it starts at the end of July.  Even with your "much longer" experience, how naive are you to think I want one of my season's to be cancelled?  The situation we are faced with is much larger than drum corps.

    "And since when have the band kids ever chosen to do what the jocks say, anyway?"

    You're kidding right?
     

    "...that the season cannot go on under these circumstances.  It just is what it is."  I don't think anyone even KNOWS what the circumstances will be under which a season could be salvaged."

    Probably because it would be near impossible to salvage.  You still need three weeks to teach the show, and then some form of a tour.  That would probably require booking large venues (that may or not be available to be booked given the current circumstances).  Not to mention schools that probably don't want to house 154 gross humans.  Drum corps is a cesspool for the virus no matter how long the tour.

    "Once again, "member experience" is revealing that you're approaching this from a very personal standpoint.  Sorry about your missing a season of competitive band, but this learning experience, that may take more than you think you can give (sound familiar?), can also teach valuable lessons to young people who listen to adults telling them what to do.  The only difference this time is that, if you succeed, it will likely be your corps' survival that your fans are applauding.  THAT performance may take a different kind of effort than you thought you'd expend this season." 

    I don't know what you're insinuating here.  Yeah my opinion is based on having a strong member experience.  And yeah, there will be new lessons to come out of this season, like any other season.

    "Worse show quality."  I don't think anyone expects a show that is practiced for three months to be as "good" in our judged activity as one practiced for six months.  But, so what?  And, do you mean to imply that members' experience is only good when the season is full-length?  That "good" can't be as enjoyable as Box-5?  Funny, I've been hearing for years that lower-ranking corps provide a great experience for fans and MMs.  Hmm... but you're probably right being on the inside and all."

    You put together a show that you perfectly aim to be able to have championship ready in three months.  Then the season gets cut down to, at best, a month in a half.  At that point you aren't judging quality of show design or what the artistry of the activity anymore, you're judging who recovered from the virus the best.  It would be like putting an asterisk next to whoever marched this season.

    "Build contingency plans for corps' survival, get a refund out to everyone, and extend eligibility..."  No, no, and no.  DCI won't save drum corps - drum corps will save drum corps.  DCI knows its job really well, and it's not drum corps survival beyond providing a tour on which they can perform.  Refunds?  Pfft, forget it.  Force majeur.  How does DCI do ANYTHING to help if they refund all the ticket money and Friends membership fees? 

    Individual corps should provide refunds, especially if the season hasn't happened yet.  I'm sorry I should have clarified, I meant individual members. Even if it's 50% it is something.  

     "I would hope that most members will find a way to donate some or all of that to the corp's survival, but maybe I'm still thinking decades ago when the activity (and its young members?) weren't so narcissistic."

    Lol.  

    "If you can't tell that there's plenty of snark in my reply then perhaps, with a few years' more experience under your belt (any maybe not going on another DCP hiatus), your perception will improve.  The older you get, the smarter the older generations get.  You'll see."

    Yeah, I sure feel educated.

    "If you trusted your corps director (and the others, too) enough to build this whole thing for you to pay to do, I think you'd go a long way in trusting those same leaders to make a sound and reasonable decision about their programs, and by being ready, willing, and able to raise your hands up to help instead of raising them in exasperation that the adults aren't listening to you."

    I think you forget, most of us are adults ourselves.  Outside of a few select corps, drum corps isn't exactly the most financially responsible activity.  I know many people that have had full seasons where everything looked great and they've gone poorly (to say the least), I would be skeptical, about how a tremendously adjusted season is handled.  Especially when some corps have issues with proper care on good years.

    "Be ready to help.  They're going to need you.  We all hope you learned in drum corps what it takes to achieve a very difficult goal."

    I am ready for whatever my corps needs me to do.  I signed a contract.  I just cannot help but think any attempts to salvage this season will be a mistake.

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    Mr. Acheson--it's time.

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    Contracted for my third season of World Class, pretty much everyone I have talked to wishes for the cancellation of the season.  I am fine with reevaluating another week or so, but they need to act.  Everyone understands the situation, that the season cannot go on under these circumstances.  It just is what it is.  The Olympics, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS- all have changed their schedules.  Any sort of a move to shorten tour will only provide worse show quality, and more importantly, a worse member experience.

    Build contingency plans for corps' survival, get a refund out to everyone, and extend eligibility another year.  This needs to be done as quickly as they can to work out logistics.  No matter what they do now, we already know that attendance at DCI events will be down.

    I'm open for discussion, it's been a while since I've been on here.

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    Staff merry-go-round

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BoaDci

    On 8/31/2019 at 11:20 AM, Tim K said:

    A bit of caution on “Dream Team” staffs: assembling a perfect or nearly perfect staff will only work if the leadership is solid and everyone is working towards the same goal. There are so many factors that can be at play. Big names can have big egos that clash. Big names can have the occasional idea that does not work as expected. Over the years there are posts that a big name is going to a corps and all that corps’ problems would be solved, and it hasn’t happened. 

    The focus should be on the right people, who may be big names, but could also include lesser known people and perhaps some new blood being given a chance.

    from a current mm:
     

    most important comment in this whole thread, something that people should pay more attention to before immediately assuming better staff=better placement.

    • Like 3

    Big news!

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted

    1 hour ago, theonlyfizzle said:

    Congrats!!!!! Have a ton of fun and take all the valuable lessons to enrich your life and relationships. Which corp? May I ask.

    Thanks!  You may ask, but Im probably gonna wait to reveal that until I ageout in a few years:)

    Time for NO size limit in WC (or at least up it from 150)

    in DCI World Class Corps Discussions

    Posted · Edited by BoaDci

    On paper, raising the limit seems great, but the only way to grow the activity, and the amount of great corps and performers involved, the 150 minimum is necessary.  There is a reason we have seen the influx of great corps start to rise up and be serious competitive powerhouses (Legends, Music City, Spartans).  Those corps are probably known as they best in the area.  What do the local folks do when they find out there are better corps than the fantastic ones near them?  They probably travel to go see them.  The limit forces talent down into lower corps and in turn the activity becomes stronger.  The limit is essential.

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