garfield

I think my work is done here. Tip your waitress.

The band geeks ought to pipe in about this one: A "new experience"? “'Marching Music’s Major League' is engaging in this reimagined experience in the fall for marching bands and musical ensembles. The best that we can bring, we are bringing to the fall."

"Groups will be encouraged to perform locally in a broad range of categories that can create pathways for national and international performance opportunities." Gee, I wonder where SS groups might find those opportunities? Now, I realize I'm reading a PR release from DCI but I'm not finding anything to really draw scorn.

"...live and virtual stages"... (emphasis mine) Does SS or even DCI have that capability now?

Yea, I'm with Continental below - you, and everyone outside the military, should stop using it.

"Designed to welcome thousands of new participants..." Meaning: We have SCALE and we can take this nationwide. THAT is the power of teaming up with a billion dollar national company. I don't see anything yet in this announcement that reflects DCI had to sell its soul to get this critical component to success.

...supporting lifelong participation in music and performing arts.

...expand, reimagine, and reintroduce SoundSport... ...performances that reflect their local schools and communities... ...expansion program will...ensure student safety... And that's barely through the second paragraph.

Your thinking is really too linear here...

Well, it's true to anyone that's ever been in the military. I was shocked, actually, at the variety of uses I encountered beginning day one of boot camp. It may be pathetic but, somehow, killing people makes it less so.

Seriously, would anyone mind if the discussion stays with the link in the OP? I'm intrigued by the deliberate wording around the fall engagement plan. "...bringing the best to the fall..." they say. Aren't they just stepping into an already crowded competitive marketplace?

Yes! DCI passed a rule allowing cheer leaders AND baton twirlers at all DCI events! You didn’t get the memo?

YES! Just look at how they run their other operations to see your answer.

SMH

Except you didn’t. Is this the part where I chastise you for going low, because your snark is no better than mine. What you did do is discredit the contention of the podcast - if you’re right, giving money to DCI ends up benefitting the corps. Shame when your usual argument is turned against you, isn’t it? Just stop, Jeff. Oh, and edit, that makes you and me in agreement here. Let's keep that clear to help keep the discussion OT. DCIs budget is created out of the same gate, but it is approved by the corps. Money given directly to DCI finds its way to benefit the corps. It doesn’t work in the other direction. You should definitely stop laughing at your own jokes.

is it shown that he died OF covid or WITH covid? It was announced this morning that something like 90% of the covid deaths had comorbidity.

Yes, correct on Bridgespan. And a quick look at their WEBSITE shows it consults on social impact more than anything else. Here's Bridgespan's own description of their relationship to Bain: "The Bridgespan-Bain & Company Partnership Bridgespan and Bain & Company are separate, independent organizations with no legal affiliation; however, the close relationship between the two has been a key factor in Bridgespan’s history and development. In addition to having incubated Bridgespan and committing more than $10 million in seed capital and ongoing grants—plus essential infrastructure support—Bain generously offers Bridgespan employees access to its intellectual capital and thought leaders. In turn, Bridgespan hosts Bain consultants for six-month externships. We also are privileged to have Bain senior management team members serving on our Board of Trustees. "

Isn't it correct that DCI has a rules committee that makes the rules for performance/competition? Are you saying it's NOT separate and distinct from the member corps? Are the drum corps making the rules under which they themselves are competing at all DCI-sanctioned events? Isn't that exactly what Varsity is being pilloried for as a for-profit? Is the DCI rules committee separate from DCI's member corps. Are they making rules in a vacuum, ignorant of the activity's current circumstances, demands, and abilities?

Great post. You're thinking too narrowly about what DCI can and can't do. Do drum corps attract HS and college-aged kids? Don't those kids attend scholastic programs? Wouldn't it be great to have a presence - even a promotional presence - in that arena from which DCI can recruit? You're not incorrect that DCI has to build its tour around scholastics. You are incorrect that DCI can't "be" in that space to encourage kids to cross over into summer band. Cook Group? Umm... that wasn't activity-wide (EDIT: and Bill Cook himself said drum corps is a hole in the ground you throw money into. Do you think Varsity will find the same?). ESPN? Talk about demanding profit! We PAID to be there! That wasn't a partnership at all. Indy? Yea, OK, they're an example except they are a municipal government (non-profit) agency. Keep going though, let's list them all. McDonalds? The Chicken place? The Insurance Company and the Troopers? (Memories fade), let's get them all out there. How about We Scan Files? Are any of these presenting the same kind of hand in support that the Varsity companies are? Aren't those companies just making money off of drum corps marching members' and the organizers? SHAME! Vultures don't eat live meat.

Yes, Varsity can because Varsity is already in the space that DCI has been trying to expand into for years. Of course, DCI member corps' leaders are not stupid and many are, in fact, greatly concerned about the strategic future while they also worry about their own orgs. And again I'll ask to all: When was the last time in our long histories enjoying this activity have a non-music program-building and deep-pocketed camel stuck its nose into the competitive MUSIC performance activity? Yours is NOT the only solution. That solution is the only realistic one that existed right up until the moment Varsity called DCI and said "Yes, let's talk." The presumption is that Varsity will demand control. That's crazy because that's the one thing the drum corps will never give up (same as pre-Varsity). So, that known, Varsity is still here and, maybe, the framework for a bigger and mutually-beneficial larger relationship will develop. Not that anyone listens to me, but DCI had better be ALL OVER Varsity offering anything possible to help make it a wild success. Does DCI have the relationship-building CV to be able to accomplish that? A partnership solution may not require the corps to give up creative control, but I can almost guarantee you that the member corps need to focus on making their own orgs lean, mean, and building reserves by taking advantage of Covid to do things differently and, presumably, better. Could DCI benefit from the venue negotiating power of a billion-dollar company? Hmm.. Sounds crazy...

Hmm... I'm not on the inside of the SS business vision, but I just saw a FB post of a DLB contest between the FreePlayers and a HS group. Isn't SS and DLB already "known" by band directors as a platform? I strongly agree that nothing will happen without band/music director approval and, so far, well... Wouldn't a growing number of HS groups and participating prove, or not, the success of SS/DLB in schools? I really appreciate the platform for the FreePlayers to perform. That's fantastic. If the platform won't interfere with existing programs, is it only summer participation that differentiates the Varsity/SS-DLB platform from other indoor HS groups? Band directors adopting SS/DLB for their kids' summer. Many I've heard from thinks summers are for band camp and DCI interferes with those camps. I'm not peeing on the Cheerios here, just trying to be realistic and repeating "Sounds crazy, might work".

Question for the herd: If Bain Capital's charitable arm, Bridgespan Group, is providing, or would provide, funding in any way to any drum corps located in the Boston area, would those dollars be tainted by the contention that such charitable arms of such investment firms as Bain Capital are the playground of the 1%? And, thereby, should any and all such support (purely hypothetical and without substantiation on my part) of local drum corps, or the activity as a whole be disavowed?

And, with focus, these podcast sources are making contentions against Bain, not Varsity. The non-profit, charitable platform (Bridgespan Group) at Bain is not related to Varsity. Since Varsity is a portfolio holding for Bain, and especially because the "business" of cheer is largely arcane to most people (similar to drum corps, ahem), I'd lay odds that Bain's practice is to leave Varsity management in place and fund their ventures so long as they return profits smartly. SS and, so goes the guess, drum corps will be "playing ball" with Varsity, not Bain. So Bain's charitable ventures in Boston are of no value to this discussion.

...and NOT support DCI, the platform started by the drum corps themselves. Great. Seeing the "we" reveals your bias, Jeff. I see nothing at all, not a single word, in this podcast to support your claim that it's "positive" toward the activity. Furthermore, I hear several unsubstantiated and angry claims made against DCI and it's policies. I'll wait for corroboration beyond just opinion before placing any validity at all on them. Mr. Weldy's anger at DCI is only demonstrated in his cast, not proven by it.

So, your research that Bain "isn't a fan" is based on two blogs, both of which are written by SJWs and angrily claim that 1. Bain has a charity for their convenience, and 2. It's nothing more than a "playground" for the 1% to "hide" money Bain isn't af fan of "doing business" with non-profits? They STARTED ONE to run charitable events around Boston. This isn't "research". It's angry opinion wrapped in biased, self-supporting, hand-picked evidence. If non-profits are, in fact, the playthings of the wealthy, shouldn't your claim be that Bain loves sheltering profits in charitable endeavors so much that they started their own? I'm hoping there's more than this, and the three or four posts linked in the show notes, that is the foundational research behind the podcast.