How did you do it?

[The Other Mike]

Back when I marched money wasn't invented yet.

I think dues were $100 and you had to put money in your food bank. Every morning you were given your three bucks a day to eat.

[DrinkinOuttaCups]

First year - Got money from parents, relatives, and the meager earnings I got from my job (pep band).

Second year - Same, plus some small fundraising on the side.

Third (and last) year - I have no idea.

[rdtrmpt]

The minimum wage is $7.25/hr. If you need $2500 for a drum corps season, that's 345 hrs of work. You'll be exempt from taxes b/c you're not making anything. From Sept 1 to Thanksgiving (traditional camp start time), there are 12 weeks. If you work 20 hrs/week for those 12 weeks, that's 240 hrs. Yes, you have to setup your college schedule (even better if you're in HS), so that you can work Fri/Sat/Sun at a place like McD's. Beginning of fall semester is always easiest. It's also possible to setup your college schedule so that you have classes all in the morning or all in the evening, so that you can work the other times.

So, between Dec 1 and May 1, you have to work 105 more hours. That's 5 hrs per week.

This is why I have no patience for people who say "I can't afford it."

The truth is "Drum Corps is not a high enough priory for me to make it work right now." That's the only acceptable response to "Why aren't you marching this year?"

If you need to work to pay for college, that's cool...drum corps isn't for you! Your priorities have been set on school. Personally, I blew off college to march drum corps (age 20), but my priories were different. I also blew off drum corps to work for college (age 21), because my priorities changed! I never said "I can't afford it."

Amen.

You only hae a limited amount of time to do this activity. Take advantage of it.

[bluecoats88]

my dad looked at it this way. He could either have me living at home all summer which would cost him $$ for food, water usage, electricity usage, etc... or he could pay my corps dues and not have the other expenses since I would be on the road.

[Piper]

my dad looked at it this way. He could either have me living at home all summer which would cost him $$ for food, water usage, electricity usage, etc... or he could pay my corps dues and not have the other expenses since I would be on the road.

LOL - now that's one way of looking at it. It might cost you more money to keep your kid home for the summer than it would to send him/her on tour. It can also save you some aggrevation.