HS Marching Band fees

[Lancerlady]

I was just wondering how parents could afford to send their kids to band and drum corps according these numbers it's very costly. NO wonder some parents won't let their kids march.

The only thing I remember paying for was my french horn for concert band and we had band boosters raise money for whatever expenses we needed like uniforms etc...the community was always supportive.

[oldsoprano]

It has also been pointed out that the forum there would not have been a good place for this person to receive the information they were looking for.

In the end, some people got truly bent out of shape over something that should not be a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

I honestly think some people come on here just looking for a reason to get bent out of shape. Those folks need to just step back, take a deep breath, and stop taking themselves quite so seriously. I mean, jeez, it's just a discussion forum. The title of the thread made it clear what it was about. If you don't want to participate, or read it, then DON'T. It's really pretty simple.

[BigSnareline]

Thank you! This existence of this thread in the drum corps forum has seriously been stressing me out.

Me too! If it doesn't get moved soon I'm gonna blow!

[HoltonH178]

"We're not a marching band, we're a band marching!"

Seriously. Sometimes I wonder just how bad drum corps' people's egos must be if they're dependent on constantly asserting their superiority over the "bandos".

As far as the whole cost of BOA vs. cost of DCI thing goes...well, first of all, DCI's fees only cost about the ~$1800 or so for the about ~$8000 expense of putting a member on tour, and this is possible because of the strength of the corps organization itself. Comparatively, I paid ~$1400 a year of each year I was in marching band, and the primary benefits were first-rate instruction (my caption head instructors in HS will be staffing at Madison, Blue Stars, and Crown this year), a week-long band camp, BOA regionals, state championships, and BOA Grand National Finals every November.

Each experience was different, worth every penny, and I wouldn't trade one or the other for anything.

Plus, I wasn't about to make a Div I drum corps when I was 13 . I ain't THAT talented!

EDIT: Oh, one more thing. Any music program that was not a class, the marching band included, received a whopping $0 from the school district. Amazingly, the program is still one of the best in the country, but this is obviously due in large part to the high fees charged to the students/families...

Edited December 20, 2007 by HoltonH178

[liebot]

band1 /bænd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[band] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1. a company of persons or, sometimes, animals or things, joined, acting, or functioning together; aggregation; party; troop: a band of protesters.

2. Music.

a. a group of instrumentalists playing music of a specialized type: rock band; calypso band; mariachi band.

b. a musical group, usually employing brass, percussion, and often woodwind instruments, that plays esp. for marching or open-air performances.

march 1 (märch) Pronunciation Key

v. marched, march·ing, march·es

v. intr.

1.

1. To walk steadily and rhythmically forward in step with others.

2. To begin to move in such a manner: The troops will march at dawn.

3. To proceed directly and purposefully: marched in and demanded to see the manager.

4. To progress steadily onward; advance: Time marches on.

2.

1. To proceed directly and purposefully: marched in and demanded to see the manager.

2. To progress steadily onward; advance: Time marches on.

3. To be arranged in an orderly fashion that suggests steady rhythmical progression.

4. To participate in an organized walk, as for a public cause.

Edited December 20, 2007 by TSRTS13

[contrajedi8]

Oh. Thats right. I was clearly trying to assert my superiority. Great diagnosis. Even though I teach high school band and think the world of my students.

I was simply trying to state that there is another forum for the discussion of these things. I don't think one is better than the other.

Sometimes I think there's not a great deal of IQ floating around these boards.

[madscout96]

I tried making this thread relative to drum corps earlier, but too bad nobody bought into it, or picked up on what I was alluding to.

I had no idea bands charged fees that are so high. Let me see.....1000 bucks to go to BOA or 2000 to march corps. Corps all the way.

As a matter of fact, I'm getting sick to my stomach thinking about how much these programs are making kids pay. Who needs $2500 uniforms (as one poster stated)? How much are these staff members getting paid?

Stop the arms race!!!! Use the same uniforms every year. Take care of your equipment so you don't need to replace it as often. Band trips are great, but try sleeping on the floor instead of renting 100 hotel rooms. Hire a few techs, but how many teachers does one band need? These budgets must be disgusting.

I'm still wondering why some bands have dues that are so high. The band I last taught, a few years ago, didn't have any dues, but only had a band camp fee. That was about $200 or something like that. That's all. Why are some bands charging so much? Is it because of what I bolded above? And what I was alluding to before is this: Is this the real reason drum corps' dues have gone up as well? Not just gas and everything?

[JayM]

Oh. Thats right. I was clearly trying to assert my superiority. Great diagnosis. Even though I teach high school band and think the world of my students.

I was simply trying to state that there is another forum for the discussion of these things. I don't think one is better than the other.

Sometimes I think there's not a great deal of IQ floating around these boards.

So insult the intelligence of those who disagree with you...that seems like a good tactic.

It makes me sad to see that some districts don't support their band programs. I guess we're pretty lucky down here. While for whatever reason our district actually does not allow for a band booster program, they do actually support the band pretty well. For trips to the state championships in San Antonio, they pay for the buses and and the two-night hotel stay, and also provide the students a $10 per diem.

Band camp was four weeks long this year, but no student paid a penny for it. I guess some bands have their students actually go out to site where they actually end up sleeping there and doing band all day? We just do band camp at the school, and practice for 4 hours a day.

The band is going back to San Antonio in February to perform as the 4A Honor Band, and I would assume the district is paying for that as well.

Our band has been disproportionately successful compared to the other bands in our district, but I have no doubt those bands get the same kind of support as well.

God Bless Texas.

[Casaba]

back on track...Cobb County, Georgia band program my son is in was $1350 last year and I think $1150 this year. I am not very pleased with the costs since things have to be done first class but they are a very good program. An earlier poster was correct about being in affluent areas and costing more. Before we moved here the last school in SC was $300.00 and we went to BOA. Most was fundraising efforts

[Lancerlady]

Oh. Thats right. I was clearly trying to assert my superiority. Great diagnosis. Even though I teach high school band and think the world of my students.

I was simply trying to state that there is another forum for the discussion of these things. I don't think one is better than the other.

Sometimes I think there's not a great deal of IQ floating around these boards.

Good luck on trying to make any sense of this anymore!

Edited December 20, 2007 by Lancerlady