cpg35223

The back says, "It's not a football field. It's a stage."

It's in the works. We almost totally sold out our souvies this year during the first tour.

Who? Southwind?

Good deal. I think there's always that tension between love of the activity and the need to build something that lasts, id versus superego if you will. Yes, a drum corps is an arts organization and should be driven by an artistic vision. But it still has to follow sound management and business principles if it is to survive. I can't do what an arranger or instructor can do, no way no how. But not many on the artistic side have a head for business. It's almost cliché. And an organization that must take in and spend hundreds of thousands, even millions a year, is a business. Regarding the Development Director vs Executive Director, I see your point. That being said, a good Development Director is a specialist who a) knows who to call and b) knows how to ask.

1. Hire a development director. 2. Develop multiple revenue streams. 3. A whistle-clean set of books. 4. Major purchases to be voted on by the board with a clear-cut statement of need versus resources. 5. No free rides on tuition. 6. Beef up the board. Ensure a wide array of board members representing the business world, not just a bunch of band directors who love the activity. People in the legal profession, marketing, and finance who can lend advice and skills to the corps' operation. Board members who will pay strict attention to operations while staying out of the way of the product on the field. Yes, it's a fine line. But as long as the corps is making progress, stick to its own knitting. 7. Renegotiation of contracts wherever possible. 8. Invest in a powerful brand, one that is reflected in merchandise and show design. 9. An energetic alumni marketing team. 10. Full transparency and communication between members, alumni, and other strategic partners.

I appreciate your point. I really do. But it should have never gotten to this point. $100,000 shortfalls simply do not happen overnight. This was the steady accumulation of problems over time. By the way, I went on the Legends website and can't find any trace of a board. Who is paying attention to the money?

I understand the unexpected. But this appears to be something completely different. No well-managed organization on the planet pipes up with "We need $100K in 24 hours or we fold." Instead, that means they let things slide until it hit critical mass and then shot up a flare. To me, it seems as if the board consensus is to give money to make sure the kids enjoy their tour rather than bail out the corps director over his lack of planning.

Well, DCI needs to do SOMETHING. As someone who does brand strategy for some pretty sizable clients, I find it obscene that DCI cannot create a more powerful brand than what they have now. Here you have this amazing performance art with a loyal following, and DCI does nothing to really create a strong and viable brand for the activity. They don’t create demand, they don’t support local shows, and they don’t tap into the fact that, during the summer, people are looking for entertainment options. I once had a conversation once with DCI’s marketing director, a guy who was obviously thrust into that slot without knowing a ###### thing about marketing. You know what he told me? “Well, DCI’s market is pretty much the parents and families of the kids who are marching.” Yes. You read that correctly. Ever have a moment where you are so shocked by someone’s manifest stupidity that you don’t know what to say? That was my moment. How about anybody who loves music? Or anybody who ever was in the band? That’s probably a good fourth of the country’s population. To me, that statement epitomized everything wrong with how DCI does thing. “Oh, we need to do another TV spot this year. Let’s don’t have anything conceptual to create excitement and curiosity. Let’s just have Steve Rondinaro voice the same tired script with new video from last year.” Seriously. When the National Spelling Bee has a loyal following, it amazes me that DCI has not been able to create a blip on the national radar screen over the past 45 years. Just shaking my head.