SO......what do you do?

[FPonzo]

I'm sitting here, looking at all of these posts, and I know a majority of you. But I only know that you are involved with Drum Corps in some way.

What do you actually do for a living, when you are not playing drum corps on the weekends?

I'll start this off.....

My official title is Contracting Manager, USA & Canada.

I work for a Receptive Tour Operator in East Rutherford, NJ. What we do is take care of all travel arrangements for international visitors into the United States. We handle their ground transportation, their hotel arrangements, their sightseeing, show tickets...anything that has to do with their travel needs once they are here. We do not handle any of their air transportation at all.

What I actually do is talk to the hotels to try to get the best net rates available for a year long period of time, and then produce a brocure based on those hotel rates. I visit hotels, do site inspections to see if it is worth it for my company to sell, then negotiate the rates for these hotels. I travel all over the country, attending different international trade shows for all of the chain hotels (Marriott, InterContinental Hotels, Best Western, etc...). In the next couple of weeks, i'll be in San Francisco, Houston, Palm Springs and Las Vegas attending these trade shows. It really is a sucky job, but someone has to do it!!! (LOL....NOT)

One of my friends like to describe my job as the guy in the hotels.com commercial, who sits in the pool with the clipboard at different hotels while he is getting sunburned. To be honest, it's not that extreme, but that is kinda like what I do as well.

So what do you do for a living?

[Contra Joe]

So what do you do for a living?

Frank, I can't top that...I am an Internal Auditor for a Health Care Organization in Upstate New York. As people always say: Auditors don't do any work of thier own, they just look at everone else's work. LOL That would be me!!! I also coach youth travel soccer (U8 Mixed and U10 Girls). I sit on two Soccer Boards (I am the 1st VP for one club and the Webmaster/treasurer for another). I am also the webmaster for www.skyalumni.org . In my spare time I try to take out the horn and play a few notes every night but I just can't find a mute big enough to put into my contra (and the wife just loves me playing my contra every night - see post regarding non-Drum Corps Wives).

Edited March 26, 2008 by Contra Joe

[KeithHall]

Frank,

I am Keith J. Hall, Director of Music at the Sarasota Military Academy in Sarasota, FL. I direct the concert and Jazz band and facilitate the Rock Ensemble. I also teach Music Theory, Music Appreciation and Sound Recording I and II. Happily married to Susan. We just had three new puppies born Easter Sunday named Randy, Paula and Simon. I have opted out of doing drum corps for a bit as I am deeply in love with my wife. We are starting a drum and bugle corps at the high school and I am preparing the students for what will happen at that time. I haven't left drum corps entirely. I fully support my two favorite corps, The Sun Devils and The Rochester Crusaders.

What I like about this forum is I get to talk to guys like Donny Allen, Frank Ponzo, Al Chez, Lee Rudnicki, etc.

GREAT post Frank!!!!

[JimF-LowBari]

Unix Computer Specialist for the US Navy. CompSpec is Government-speak for I do whatever the Hades they can think to throw at me. Since I started with the Unix (smaller system but NOT a PC) I've programmed in four different languages, worked with an Oracle database, maintained bunch o' funky programs, trouble shooting, etc, etc, etc <$1 to King of Siam>. Also set up some Unix boxes at overseas sites but got tired of trouble calls at all hours of the day. Got too old for that kind o' crap.

In the middle of Web based (Java type) training which would be the latest long strange trip <$1 to Grateful Dead> I've been on since getting my degree Dec '79.

Yeah... Total Tech Head who plays horn for relaxation... Only in Drum Corps.

Edited March 26, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari

[Jocko the Wonder Llama]

Well, I'm a retired military member, who now rides motorcycles for a living. I'm the full-time test rider forone of the largest BMW motorcycle dealers in the USA.

My job entails testing bikes comming out of service as a quality assurance. I also assist the technicians in the diagnosis of running or handling problems. I also perform

evaluations on bikes as part of the trade-in or consignment process. All-in-all, not a bad way to make a living.

[dukecornwell]

Getting to know each other a little more. Good thought Frank.

I am retired. I didn’t want to retire this early, but my back decided it for me. I was a Director of Patient Accounting at Atlantic City Medical Center, Director of Communications for a Cable TV outsourcing company, worked on Wall St. when I was much younger and some other stuff. I also did some visual design work, but wasn’t good enough to make a living at it. I was ok though and it helped to keep me sane. It also helped me be a more confident judge.imho

Now I spend my time keeping utd on corps and bands by reading web sites and discussion groups. Judging Corps and Bands as well as Indoor Guard and Percussion Visuals. I am also planning on working with the Cabs Alumni again this year as long as my back will let me be on my feet to help with their drill.

That’s about it. Nothing earth shattering, but I am still having a ball staying in this crazy activity.

[Big Bad Bari]

I am the sales manager for a commercial vehicle sales operation in San Jose California. "The Hartzheim Dodge Business Link Commercial Vehicle Sales Team" We sell light to medium duty trucks and vans to local companies and even some that are far away as well.

[kevingamin]

My official title is "Network Assistant" for DeVore Technologies, Inc, in Bedford, Ohio. My unofficial title is "Jack of All Trades". I oversee the company's internal IT/network needs, set up our classrooms for training sessions we offer, handle Level 1 customer and technical support calls, and oversee the operation of our web and email hosting services.

Also, when the CEO's whim happens, I run the vacuum, empty the garbage, make the coffee, put out the food for the clients...I really do it all.

[84BDsop]

And one Signorelli follows another (kinda like we did in BD!)

I have 2 jobs (unfortunately). During the day I drive for a messenger service....not a bad job, as costs aside, at least it's not an office job!

In the evenings and on weekends tho, I run the job I truly enjoy. I am an equipment vendor for the sport of fencing. I'm the only storefront vendor between Escondido (north San Diego County) and San Jose...and I am the ONLY vendor west of the Mississippi who regularly attends local division-level events with my wares. There are some divisions that hadn't seen a vendor for years until I started going out. basically, if it's within 200 miles from home, it could be on my schedule, although I've driven farther for collegiate events.

I'm also a certified armorer, so I know how to repair the gear. I'm also getting into designing my own line, with improvements built in....yy major problem is lack of funds to develop teh ideas that have been proven to work in the field in the prototypes.

[Sayre Kulp]

Nothing too exciting:

I work for Continental Casualty as a Senior Policy Service Representative for the Middle Market area of World Wide Operations. Trying to guess what that obnoxiously long title translates to? I write commercial insurance policies for a living. And even though I live and work in Pennsylvania, my scope is primarily focused on our branch offices in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and Colorado.