How did you pay for drum corps?

[baristeve]

yeah i'd knock on peoples doors and be like

"HEY, HOW'S IT GOING?"

"uhh.. pretty good i guess.."

"SWEET, well hey, don't worry i don't have anything to sell you.. i'm just goin around your neighborhood today to let everyone know that this area is the first area in (city name) to be chosen to have their cable bills lowered! I just need to know if you have cable or sattelite.

"uhmm.. i have comcast cable"

"OHHH... i'm sorry to hear that.. most of your neighbors that have comcast that i was able to help out today said they were paying about 70-80 bucks a month for basic cable is that about right with you?

"uhmm.. yeah i guess so.."

"well let me show you what im doing today"

(sticks foot in door, shoves booklet in hands of homeowner)

FOR ONLY 40 BUCKS A MONTH YOU GET TWICE THE CHANNELS OF CABLE.

... i could go on forever all the pitches i used.. but all in all it worked pretty darn well, i made a lot of money.

[Silver_King]

My parents paid for my first year of corps and than I was on my own. Grad money helped alot. I've heard of people selling their plasma to pay for tour, I was wondering if anyone has done this and if it's a good idea or not. It's hard to get any kind of job in Michigan right now.

yeah Michigan sucks

[Zeke]

Working at the Corps Hall doing various Office work, xeroxing Drill..mailing newsletters....working bingo from time to time. this was back in '93.

Man I just can't imagine paying what current/new members have to pay these days. Kudos even more so..to those that are going to school and barely getting by and somehow still being able to affford to do so.

Edited September 22, 2007 by Zeke

[HylianHero]

My parents helped out a lot. I also sold my blood plasma for a semester.

[DKracing]

My parents helped out a lot. I also sold my blood plasma for a semester.

I was considering doing the plasma thing in 05...

But I was also going to school full time and working 40-50 hours a week overnight stocking at wal-mart... I figured selling plasma would have killed me :P

[Kansan]

I worked at an exclusive private Golf Course South of KC.

As they say in the metro I saved "Hella" tips and had enough money to join Sky Ryders for 3/4 of the 85 season. I took 1986 odd and worked at a Jewish Country Club in Louisville, KY and saved enough money for the 1987 season.

[Slicer]

Financed through the First Bank of Mom and Dad.

Beer money was on me, though.

[TopBass]

Dues haven't changed that much, eh?

1994 - $400 Dues + $150 Housing Fee = 550

1995 - $300 Dues + $150 Housing Fee = 450

1996 - $250 Dues + $150 Housing Fee = 400

Total $1400

Now that's a bargain! Four hour drive one way with gas split between 2-4 people. No camp fees, we always crashed at a local's house so no housing fees during the winter. Some of the local guys even paid the housing fee because anyone who stayed at the Regent with the Scouts in the mid-90's knows that was some of the most fun you had all tour! Dunk-or-dine at 2am after bar close, everydays didn't start until Noon (12-9), walking to State Street, Your Open Panty across the street, sneakin' into Camp Randall before leaving on tour, those were the days!

I paid my dues with an inheritance but I don't know how I would pay tour fees now. I would have found a way, I'm sure, but it would have probably taken me out of college for a year. Yeah, that's right, I'd skip college for drum corps, not the other way around. You can ALWAYS go to college and you'll be working the rest of your life anyway, you can only march Juniors until you're 21! (well, now 22 sometimes)