BozzlyB Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Tour fees seem to go up every year, the average cost to march is 4-5 times higher than 20 years ago, and this is a trend that will likely continue with the ever rising costs associated with increases in corps numbers now up to 150, fuel costs rising, competitive costs rising (electronics/amps)etc... The question is, at what point is the experience no longer worth the costs for marching members and their families? If you consider the cost to march + the money NOT earned by working the summer the total amt could well exceed 10,000. This is half tuition or more for some of the major universities and even privates. Is a summer of drum corps equal to the education received during a FULL semester of college from a cost standpoint? Where would you draw the line in the sand at no longer being worth it, and will drum corps cross that line at some point before realizing something has to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bccadet09 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 If it weren't for inflation, tour fees and such would not be high in the first place. Gas....food....everything's costing more and more, yet the value's the same, like bread and milk. Drum corps is one of those things where the value far exceeds the cost....in fact, I don't think we pay for drum corps. I believe we invest in it because of what we get out of it. I learned more in 3 months than I did for 4 years of college, yet college "costs" more than drum corps. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Tour fees seem to go up every year, the average cost to march is 4-5 times higher than 20 years ago, and this is a trend that will likely continue with the ever rising costs associated with increases in corps numbers now up to 150, fuel costs rising, competitive costs rising (electronics/amps)etc... The question is, at what point is the experience no longer worth the costs for marching members and their families? If you consider the cost to march + the money NOT earned by working the summer the total amt could well exceed 10,000. This is half tuition or more for some of the major universities and even privates. Is a summer of drum corps equal to the education received during a FULL semester of college from a cost standpoint? Where would you draw the line in the sand at no longer being worth it, and will drum corps cross that line at some point before realizing something has to change. That point is different for everyone depending on their circumstances and their value of "experiences" in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 would've been too much for me in 06-07 if my parents didn't pay for it. As someone who wasn't a music major, I did drum corps because I thought it would be fun and I wanted to be on of the awesome guys on the DVDs that made me go "wow" when I first saw drum corps. Has drum corps helped me? Probably. I know I can push through difficult stuff, and I'm sure it helped my people skills some. It obviously helped my music and marching skills, which I use when I help teach HS marching band, but that is a hobby for me. My hopeful career field (currently in graduate school) is unrelated to music. Marching drum corps did not only cost me the money from a run of the mill summer job, but internship and professional networking opportunities that I am having to play catchup on. Luckily I think things are coming together for me but it might be a couple years later thanks to drum corps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I think the answer isn't any date when the fee figure becomes too expensive. The market will always finds its match. The doomsday you're talking about rather will be the result of corps attrition until there aren't enough left to field a worthwhile tour. Ironically, on that day tour fees will be zero. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 wouldn't this depend on about 100 variables that vary from individual to individual? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Tour fees seem to go up every year, the average cost to march is 4-5 times higher than 20 years ago, and this is a trend that will likely continue with the ever rising costs associated with increases in corps numbers now up to 150, fuel costs rising, competitive costs rising (electronics/amps)etc... The question is, at what point is the experience no longer worth the costs for marching members and their families? If you consider the cost to march + the money NOT earned by working the summer the total amt could well exceed 10,000. This is half tuition or more for some of the major universities and even privates. Is a summer of drum corps equal to the education received during a FULL semester of college from a cost standpoint? Where would you draw the line in the sand at no longer being worth it, and will drum corps cross that line at some point before realizing something has to change. I think the old adage is, "something is worth exactly what someone will pay for it." As long as we have thousands of people coming to auditions, and hundreds of people marching in corps, then whatever the current costs involved with being a marching member is "worth it." If the question is when is marching no longer worth the cost TO ME, that's something only you as a parent, or you as a marching member independently paying for drum corps tuition, can answer. If it's not worth it to you to continue paying for your kid's tuition, then that is certainly your business, and the final answer, so to speak. But there are obviously plenty of people marching drum corps (and probably plenty more who got cut that wished they had the burden of paying to march in their favorite corps that cut them) that feel the cost is worth it. We live in a world where things cost money, and it's up to us as adults to make the hard decisions about what is more important to pay for. Drum corps is expensive, there's no question about it: but to MANY people the benefits are worth the monetary price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexL Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) I only marched in 05-06, and i wouldnt be able to march at today's 3k+ prices. I understand why a lot (even most ) of the cost increases are there (fuel and such), but some of the other things that are merely extra comforts (like RVs), as well as the ever increasing complexity of sideline electronic equipment certainly at least appear questionable. Edited January 22, 2011 by AlexL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexL Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I think the answer isn't any date when the fee figure becomes too expensive. The market will always finds its match. The doomsday you're talking about rather will be the result of corps attrition until there aren't enough left to field a worthwhile tour. Ironically, on that day tour fees will be zero. HH Thats the thing, we already have seen the attrition. Not as much at the D1 level recently, but the D2\3 level for sure. Those are just the first levels to see the impact though. As corps dues continue to increase, you'll see a smaller and smaller pool of applicants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Thats the thing, we already have seen the attrition. Not as much at the D1 level recently, but the D2\3 level for sure. Those are just the first levels to see the impact though. As corps dues continue to increase, you'll see a smaller and smaller pool of applicants. I doubt you can attribute that cause to that effect in all or even most cases. So many of the extinction events came with full or nearly full membership rosters. This was true in many cases back in the day too. It's not that corps could not find members to pay the going rate. It is that the going rate was not sufficient to sustain the corps. HH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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