GuyW Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 (edited) ...Who needs $2500 uniforms (as one poster stated)? For me, a $2500 uniform would have to be #$%%^&* incredible. It's unimaginable, really...it'd have to be at least Kilties-level...and I doubt those are anywhere near $2500. (Yes, I've had recent experience buying a uniform...) In any case, what's the point of a public HS having $2500 unis?? But this thread is very useful info for corps folks.... Edited December 20, 2007 by GuyW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneersop98 Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 At my school with a band of around 50 members and three to four staff, going to around five competitions, it is $250. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasspa Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 I remember paying $1100 to do an 8 or 9 day tour up the coast to the Whitsundays... (wasnt marching band because well.. we dont have any here.. but it was High School instrumental music all the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PioneerWebmaster Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 On the surface the thread may not appear to apply to drum corps. However, read a little into it and it really does apply. To me, it's an eye opener to see how much kids are having to pay in fees to participate in an extra curricular activity in some school districts. If there really are tons of kids/parents/boosters having to fork over $1000.00+ for each student to participate in the marching band season, does that at all hinder the recruiting efforts of drum corps today? I mean, if I went to my parents back in the day and asked them to spend that much on an extra curricular activity as well as that much on drum corps, they would have looked at me like I was crazy and something would have had to give. As it was, I had to skip a high school wind ensemble trip because I couldn't scrape together the funds to do both Pioneer and the band trip in one season.... So yes, the responses in this thread are helpful to the OP and I guess an eye opener to some of us who aren't directly affiliated with/in touch with the marching band/BOA side of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liebot Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Something I just realized - shouldn't the 88 Scouts thread be moved to the Historical Forums? I mean, since we're all about making sure everything is discussed in the right place, I think that should probably be moved as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomR Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 Something I just realized - shouldn't the 88 Scouts thread be moved to the Historical Forums? I mean, since we're all about making sure everything is discussed in the right place, I think that should probably be moved as well. I was just thinking that, actually. ~>conner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 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? We charge the band members a fee that covers band camp and a season's worth of meals, for when we go from a game to a competition. I think it's around $175. We then charge for any overnight trips we take...this season it cost, I think, $30/student for one overnight trip in October...hotel and meals. The band parents covered our second one to USSBA Nationals at no cost to the members. The band parents group does lots of fundraisers, big and small. This covers expenses such as flags and small purchases we need quickly (e.g. chime hammers). They also help kids who can not afford the $175 fee. All staff salaries are paid stipend positions, like coaches...there are only have four of us...director, asst director, guard advisor and percussion instructor. The visual design and music arrangements are paid by the district as well, sometimes out of the text book account. Any person we want to hire that will work with students must go through the substitute teacher process and be board approved....requires 60 college credits as a minimum. The process includes a bckground check and fingerprints. The days of just hiring who we want through the band parents group are long gone. We are going on a trip next March..symphonic band, wind symphony, marching band and jazz ensembles. This cost is paid by the kids, with lots of fundraisers to help offset the cost. The orchestra travels in alternate years...my son went to Austria in 97...cost about $1,500 we parents paid. This past spring they went to Moscow and two years prior Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomR Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 If your band fair share is more than 200 a year, you're doing something wrong. I'm tired of high schools trying to turn their bands into drum corps and make marching band some kind of priority in the program. Please teach these kids about music PLEASE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 If your band fair share is more than 200 a year, you're doing something wrong. I'm tired of high schools trying to turn their bands into drum corps and make marching band some kind of priority in the program. Please teach these kids about music PLEASE. I think it depends on how each district runs it's programs. I know that in our case all MB is after school...during band classes it's concert band from day one. We also create MB shows that provide sufficient challenge to the students all season long so that they are learning even in MB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 If your band fair share is more than 200 a year, you're doing something wrong. I'm tired of high schools trying to turn their bands into drum corps and make marching band some kind of priority in the program. Please teach these kids about music PLEASE. Like many have already said. It really depends on the goals and philosophy of the program. If the fair share is more than $200/year, you have to look at what that program is doing. Groups taking over night trips to different regions, meals, accessories, etc... will add up over time. There is is a reason why things cost so much, and there is a reason why some programs have to charge so much. Some school districts are not as fortunate as others to receive the funding needed to run a successful overall program. I really do not think high schools are trying to turn their programs into drum corps. The truth of the mater is... Marching Band in many places IS a priority in the program. Marching Band is generally what will bring in community support, and get the band programs name out there in the community. How many concert bands do you know, that do community service events. At least with marching band, the traveling, local and away parades, you are showing off the work of your instrumental program. Yes, you can do this with concert band. But to me, marching band should show off the skills you have learned in concert band--both can reinforce each other, if you have a director that is doing their job. We are teaching kids about music, through marching band, winter drums, concert band...etc... When did that stop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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