Weekend-only touring

[Galen]

After reading about the supposed-impending "super-series" shift of power that's supposed to be going down sometime in the near future, as well as the posts about different touring models, I thought about the notion of a weekend-only touring model, similar to what DCA corps and a couple of the "regional" D1 corps like Surf and Pacific Crest have been using the last few years.

From a fan's perspective, yeah this sucks because there are fewer opportunities to see shows near you. But let's consider the corps' side of the equation.

What are some of the problems that corps say they are facing these days? The big one is operating costs, effected by the rising costs of housing and the rising difficulties in obtaining housing sites. It's no coincidence, I'm sure, that a corps that I once paid 800 bucks to march with for the summer now has their dues at about twice that, last time I checked. So what can be done to reduce these costs? Perhaps the weekend-model is the way to go.

This way, members could stay "home" (home being whatever area that the corps bases itself out of) and rehearse at their own base of operations raather than having to dealing with going to 5 or 6 different housing sites a week. Boom- save money on gas, on housing.

If a large amount of the members are local, they could also just eat at home instead of having the corps providing 3 squares a day for 2 months straight. More cost-saving. Maybe this kind of model could, I don't know, actually encourage the idea of LOCAL corps again.

I'd love to hear some input from people who have marched with, or worked for, corps like Mandarins, Surf, PC, etc the last couple seasons and can share their own experiences.

[BigW]

Well, one issue someone like myself as a fan has had has been trying to go to a weekday show. It requires a lot more pre-planning for me to get the personal day, etc. because of my work hours. It's far easier to go to a show on Saturday for myself, and I'm certain other people as well.

You'd think it would save a lot of money for the corps budgets in terms of fuel and on-road expenses. Might even cut down on dues, which are substantial.

And yes, it's worked for DCA just fine, especially since all of the post-college folks involved work during the week. Or in my case as a kid, worked odd jobs to get the pocket money to be able to cover the far more reasonable dues and food expenses for that competition weekend.

I don't think it's a negative at all in many aspects, especially if it enables corps to fiscally survive and perhaps enable more kids to be able to participate because they can work during the week to pay their way.

[TerriTroop]

Specific to membership issues:

While there's always a kind of longing for a larger local base for membership, it just isn't going to happen like it used to, unless you want drum corps to take several steps backward. For some corps to compete at the level they are at now, they MUST recruit from the far reaches of the country. The shift from local membership to a more homogenized membership base helped drum corps push the creative and competitive envelope. It's the bed we have made and now we have to live with it.

And let's be honest, there are places that are hotbeds of marching music activity, and others that are not. Expecting the modern WC drum corps model to fall back to the older days of largely local kids with a few from around the country will, in some cases, be a detriment to competitive success. If DCI is willing to change the judging model to accommodate such a shift, then I'm willing to be more open to it, but right now the competitive model strongly favors those who recruit from those hotbeds to fill their ranks with as much talent and teachable ability as possible.

[TerriTroop]

As for weekend touring, I don't know. I'd have to be convinced. I'm thinking specifically of all those corps I would never get to see unless I go to finals and that makes me sad. I'm not talking about the possible "super corps" set that travels full time all summer. I'm thinking about all of those corps that may fall into the regional weekend set. And I'm wondering if a corps that travels only on the weekends would have trouble with bus contracts. I don't know, it just seems like a lot of trouble to organize buses for 7-10 weekend trips rather than a longer tour or two mini-tours.

[AlexL]

you bring up some interesting points,

After reading about the supposed-impending "super-series" shift of power that's supposed to be going down sometime in the near future, as well as the posts about different touring models, I thought about the notion of a weekend-only touring model, similar to what DCA corps and a couple of the "regional" D1 corps like Surf and Pacific Crest have been using the last few years.

From a fan's perspective, yeah this sucks because there are fewer opportunities to see shows near you. But let's consider the corps' side of the equation.

from a member's perspective too. corps developed into the national model because their memberships wanted it. the question then is, can you do a national tour on just the weekends?

What are some of the problems that corps say they are facing these days? The big one is operating costs, effected by the rising costs of housing and the rising difficulties in obtaining housing sites. It's no coincidence, I'm sure, that a corps that I once paid 800 bucks to march with for the summer now has their dues at about twice that, last time I checked. So what can be done to reduce these costs? Perhaps the weekend-model is the way to go.

This way, members could stay "home" (home being whatever area that the corps bases itself out of) and rehearse at their own base of operations raather than having to dealing with going to 5 or 6 different housing sites a week. Boom- save money on gas, on housing.

isnt the main cost not housing, but fuel? Home base could be farther away for many corps than just going home, meaning more driving. imagine a corps from illinois\wisconsin. For the southeastern\atlanta 'weekend' they'd have to leave thursday (if they went nonstop) from home to get there for a friday night show, and wouldnt get back til early tuesday if they left right after a sunday night show. seems like a lot of wasted time, given theyd have to turn around for the road again not long after that.

as far as the logistics of staying at a 'home base' home, that could be just as difficult and expensive as well. Staying at a school for a day or even a week or two is one thing, the whole summer is completely different. And its not like these facilities are always free either.

If a large amount of the members are local, they could also just eat at home instead of having the corps providing 3 squares a day for 2 months straight. More cost-saving. Maybe this kind of model could, I don't know, actually encourage the idea of LOCAL corps again.

imho, the days of local corps are dead and arent coming back. there are downsides to it, but also benefits to a national model.

[CrownStarr]

isnt the main cost not housing, but fuel? Home base could be farther away for many corps than just going home, meaning more driving. imagine a corps from illinois\wisconsin. For the southeastern\atlanta 'weekend' they'd have to leave thursday (if they went nonstop) from home to get there for a friday night show, and wouldnt get back til early tuesday if they left right after a sunday night show. seems like a lot of wasted time, given theyd have to turn around for the road again not long after that.

My impression (correct me if I'm wrong) is that fuel is the main actual monetary cost associated with touring, but housing is still a huge problem in that it's harder and harder for corps to find housing at all.

Edited May 17, 2010 by CrownStarr

[jpaul]

1. Where do all these out-of-town members live while the corps is not providing on-the-road housing for them during the week? Are they supposed to rent their own places? Does the corps provide in-town housing? Either way it's going to cost somebody some money.

2. If the corps isn't providing 3 meals a day, the members need to provide for themselves. Again, you may shift the cost burden off the corps, but now it costs members more.

I'm not saying a weekend only model couldn't work, but you've got to realize that some of those costs don't just disappear.

[AlexL]

My impression (correct me if I'm wrong) is that fuel is the main actual monetary cost associated with touring, but housing is still a huge problem in that it's harder and harder for corps to find housing at all.

Oh, no doubt there are more issues every year, whether due to previous actions by corps\members or due to changes in the schools themselves (schedules\policies), but just going 'local' doesnt mean you'll fix that. It can be just as hard to find housing close to home, harder if you consider you'd be trying to find a facility that would be down with you taking over the place for most of the summer.

Edited May 17, 2010 by AlexL

[Abbevillekid26]

No.

[SkyRyder_FMM]

Weekend only has many draw-backs from a financial perspective.

1. Most corps lease their buses. The days of owning your own buses are basically at an end. Cost of maintenance, dealing with DOT reporting requirements, etc., is very cumbersome. Leasing gives you safe, reliable transportation with professional drivers, and leaves all of the complicated reporting to the experts (e.g., bus company). Leasing just for the weekend every weekend would be expensive - probably as much as a lease for the entire summer. If you lease for the summer, then you need to be generating as much revenue as possible to help cover the cost (i.e., performing in shows earning performance fees and selling souvenirs).

2. Fuel is a problem. Driving to shows ans back home during the week is far more expensive than touring, where you go from show to show. Suppose you are BAC - drive to Denver and back. Drive to San Antonio and back. Drive to Atlanta and back. You get the drift. Every mile traveled equals about 1 gallon of fuel for the fleet. Take tour mileage times the cost of fuel, and there is your fuel budget for the summer. Take my BAC example, run the mileage with your weekend only proposal, then compare it to about the 10,000 miles they are probably traveling now on a summer tour and tell me which is less. I'd bet the current tour.

3. Membership is not local, so housing and feeding corps during the week would either cost the corps, or the members. This would not reduce costs.

Unless we go back to a local staff, local membership, own your own buses model, the locally based weekend only type corps will not exist. It does not make financial sense.