Has Drum Corps Lost Its Soul

[oldschooldbc]

Ultimately, everything comes down to money. If 'ya has, 'ya gets.

I don't know, Michael. The district in Ohio, where the program was cut entirely, is not poor. It is a relatively wealthy suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The people there are not living in grinding poverty. They could have easily approved the referendum, but did not. They chose to say no, even after the superintendant told them the consequences of saying no. Thankfully, a very magnamamous donor came forward, and shelled out the money from his own pocket, to keep the music program running there.

I venture that their average household income in that district in Ohio is not much different from my district in Texas. But I have paid up to $750 per year per child, to send my son and daughter through music education programs at their schools. For me, and for my community, music education is a priority. I have backed that up with my checkbook, as well blood, sweat, and tears.

Does it come down to money, or priorities? If something is not a priority to you, then you are not going to spend money on it, regardless of how much money you have.

If families and communities do not care about music education, then it simply is not going to succeed - regardless of what "model" we adopt.

[84skyrydr]

So, I hit my thumb with a hammer, and it hurts. What next? Hit it with the hammer again....harder this time...

Guess we'll agree to disagree.

No, you change the tools you use and get something different to hit your thumb with, and call it evolution of your activity.

[Michael Boo]

I don't know, Michael. The district in Ohio, where the program was cut entirely, is not poor. It is a relatively wealthy suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The people there are not living in grinding poverty. They could have easily approved the referendum, but did not. They chose to say no, even after the superintendant told them the consequences of saying no. Thankfully, a very magnamamous donor came forward, and shelled out the money from his own pocket, to keep the music program running there.

I venture that their average household income in that district in Ohio is not much different from my district in Texas. But I have paid up to $750 per year per child, to send my son and daughter through music education programs at their schools. For me, and for my community, music education is a priority. I have backed that up with my checkbook, as well blood, sweat, and tears.

Does it come down to money, or priorities? If something is not a priority to you, then you are not going to spend money on it, regardless of how much money you have.

If families and communities do not care about music education, then it simply is not going to succeed - regardless of what "model" we adopt.

That is sad, indeed. Have you or anyone else seen any studies that demonstrate that parents will vote for referendums when their kids are in school, but will vote against referendums once their kids graduate? I'd love to see something regarding that.

I remember my mom lamenting this sort of thing by saying, "Someone paid for their kids to go to school, and now they don't want to pay for someone else's to do the same."

[CrownStarr]

So, I hit my thumb with a hammer, and it hurts. What next? Hit it with the hammer again....harder this time...

Guess we'll agree to disagree.

The idea was more like this: a man is sinking in quicksand, his buddy tries to pull him out, but can't. So, he pulls harder/gets a rope/etc to keep trying to get him out. It wasn't that his idea didn't work, it's that it wasn't done well or strongly enough, which is why he continues to push it.

[HockeyDad]

No, you change the tools you use and get something different to hit your thumb with, and call it evolution of your activity.

LOL. Thanks for the laugh - I needed that.

[Tom Brace]

Cost is but one half of the balance sheet. Income is the other. IF you accept that one reason stated for the needed changes was to increase interest in the activity, both by participants and by paying audience, then the changes (which includes electronics among others) apparently didn't produce the intended result (accepting Hop's analysis of the present situation that drum corps are in dire straits). So, I think the two ARE absolutely related. So I stand by my statement - why continue down the path that's not working??

there is little evidence to show that there is a significant dropoff in attendance due to "the changes."

More to the point, the economy...look at the growth in regional show attendance...and attrition due to older drum corps fans who are no longer with us would account for more attendance drop than "changes."

[Tom Brace]

I don't know, Michael. The district in Ohio, where the program was cut entirely, is not poor. It is a relatively wealthy suburb of Columbus, Ohio. The people there are not living in grinding poverty. They could have easily approved the referendum, but did not. They chose to say no, even after the superintendant told them the consequences of saying no. Thankfully, a very magnamamous donor came forward, and shelled out the money from his own pocket, to keep the music program running there.

I venture that their average household income in that district in Ohio is not much different from my district in Texas. But I have paid up to $750 per year per child, to send my son and daughter through music education programs at their schools. For me, and for my community, music education is a priority. I have backed that up with my checkbook, as well blood, sweat, and tears.

Does it come down to money, or priorities? If something is not a priority to you, then you are not going to spend money on it, regardless of how much money you have.

If families and communities do not care about music education, then it simply is not going to succeed - regardless of what "model" we adopt.

When was the last time a HS football program was cut? 1977 - Rockford Illinois?

[oldschooldbc]

When was the last time a HS football program was cut? 1977 - Rockford Illinois?

Athletic programs aren't getting cut, but they are becoming very, very expensive. One of my good friends had a son in football and a daughter in the drill team (which falls under the athletic program at our school.) The total cost for both kids to participate? Over $1,000. Multiply that by 4 years, and you're looking at $4,000 to see your kids perform at 10 games a year. Not cheap.

Most families in my district are willing to pay these fees, to give their children these experiences, but they are becoming prohibitively expensive. Eventually, some families may decide to stop forking over these types of fees, because they simply cannot pay, bottom line.

[Michael Boo]

Athletic programs aren't getting cut...

New Jersey and other states.

Ohio district I believe was referred to earlier.

Massachusetts cuts.

These are just three of hundreds of headlines I found.

[HockeyDad]

there is little evidence to show that there is a significant dropoff in attendance due to "the changes."

More to the point, the economy...look at the growth in regional show attendance...and attrition due to older drum corps fans who are no longer with us would account for more attendance drop than "changes."

Since attendance figures aren't released, how can you make any statement about what attendance is doing? I'm just taking Hop at his word that the present model is not working. To me that means..... income is down and expenses are up. What makes up income?