craiga Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Maybe a more apt comparison... 6 weeks at Interlochen = $7500 This. And also: ONE week at Maine Jazz Camp at UMO....$1500.....no travel, no roaring crowds And that was told to me by a tuba player's family, who thought $2400 for 10 weeks of BAC cross country tour was a prettey good deal, by comparison. The kid is now in Cali preparing for his first show... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastknight Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 .....thrown babies.....PRICELESS! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriTroop Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I don't think dollars really tell the story of value when it comes to experiences like these. Drum corps provides a huge number of benefits that can't be measured by dollar signs. When you put the "kids" together in a touring drum corps, the following immeasurables occur: Deep and life-long personal relationships Meeting time-sensitive challenges Mental and physical endurance Artistic skills honed to a fine point Learning to deal with difficult situations - both personal and logistical Experiences of independence before the pitfalls of true adulthood There are surely many more, but I have my own time-sensitive challenge to meet today so I have to move on. I think anyone can find a reason to apply that money elsewhere, and that's fine. I'm just glad that the drum corps performers of today find this worth their time and money - and so do I which is why I buy tickets and souvies, fly and drive to shows, head up an alumni committee, offer sponsorships and give donations. Clearly the value of my own marching experiences went way above and beyond the dollar signs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schickmeister Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) I'm gonna put a little different perspective on this...a PURELY economic one. I marched (aka PAID) for 7 years of drum corps. I enrolled in a Cooperative Work Assignment (aka GOT PAID) for one semester with a Fortune 50 company. For that year, I planned on NOT marching. However, I was fortunate enough to fill a hole after my Co-Op was complete. Guess which experience landed me a job with that company and allows me to live a great life, which includes still enjoying the activity and GIVING BACK? In this economy, if you're not a music ed major, from a purely economical stand point, NOT worth it. <Flame suit> Edited June 21, 2012 by Schickmeister 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) The answer, of course, is highly subjective, and it depends who you are...but I think it is important to challenge the automatic assumption many have that corps is better than anything else you could do. Who has the automatic assumption here again ? I noticed the anology here was between Drum Corps and a Symphony and another poster had the choice between Drum Corps and a gig at a Fortune 50 company. Thats like asking us would we want to vacation for a week in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo. Change the choice from vacationing in Las Vegas to vacationing in Buffalo and you might get a different response. Not all kids have the same options. And for some marchers the intangibles of getting away from home for a bit and doing Drum Corps is just what the doctor ordered... for both son or daughter, and parent(s) alike. In some cases, its worth every penny. These decisioms are all personal in nature. And what one person gets out of Drum Corps ( or doesn't by contrast ) can vary substantially from person to person. So I would not automatically assume anything when it comes to personal circumstances and personal choices here re. doing Drum Corps or not. Edited June 21, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 You can't put a price on the drum corps experience. It is invaluable and those who are fortunate enough to march will relive those memories with smiles for the rest of their lives. That's the kind of discourse I am trying to critique here. As many have pointed out, the connections are a huge upside. I am not in music ed, so those connections haven't really been as valuable to me--but I know that if I were in music ed, I would be using them a lot. Perhaps that explains why the majority of those in the top corps are music education majors--it doesn't make as much sense for others. In other words, what Schickelmeister said. I guess what I am trying to say is that drum corps opens many doors, and can close others, and this makes the decision to march or not very personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) You can't put a price on the drum corps experience. It is invaluable and those who are fortunate enough to march will relive those memories with smiles for the rest of their lives. After you are over 22, one has no chance of ever marching DCI competitive Corps again. Its gone forever. No ifs, ands, buts about it. But with skill, pluck, luck, one can still make your dream job, career. Very few options are closed off entirely with no chance of participation beyond the age of 22. Not the Symphony, Fortune 50 company, Wall Street, the Church, the Peace Corps. Not the Small business ownership. Not the Directorship of a University Band, or the Presidency of a Bank. Not the stage and professional performing Arts, Nor the CEO position of a large Company. We KNOW this.... we have adults in ALL these career positions that I just mentioned that all did Drum Corps when they were young. Plus, we have people that did Drum Corps where the experience was no less than a life altering experience for them. For some, it might have saved their very life itself. No doubt, others might have had less gratifying experiences, (though this does seem rare in my experience in talking with people.).Plus, how could all these Alumni and Reunion Corps get so many hundreds and hundreds of adults ( some with bad knees, backs, etc ) to take a large chunk of time out of their busy lives, careers, family obligations, etc to say " yes " to doing reunion exhibitions at DCI Championships if their memories and experiences of doing Drum Corps in their youth many years ago, was not something that they thought of very fondly and very proudly ? I agree with you Michael on this... we can't put a price tag on this for many of the Drum Corps participants over the years, imo. Edited June 21, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Worth every penny, however I wonder sometimes if we are actually getting the best talent there is to offer because of the cost. I am sure many are simply turned away from not being able to afford it anymore. I suppose being able to eat and have a home is going to outweigh marching corps any day or at least SHOULD if you have your priorities in order. Agree only if affording every penny doesn't hurt somewhere else. Yes great experience (disclaimer: I never toured) but most of the lessons I learned were dealing with people who were different from me (HS'er in a Sr corps) which stood me well in my work (IT field but lot of face to face jobs). But if it would have hurt my family financially or anoy other way... well no contest, bye bye DC. Everyone has different needs, expectations and priorities (BIG thing in my family) so a generic question like this can't applied. Edited June 21, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamu89 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Now adays--kids are spending close to $5000 for the summer (if they choose to march with a not pseudo-local corps), have to "move in" in the beginning of May (who can do that?) and STILL don't get the experience that we got "back in the day." Just curious, pagentryfan, what experience did you have that the kids today are not getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schickmeister Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Very few options are closed off entirely with no chance of participation beyond the age of 22. Not the Symphony, Fortune 50 company, Wall Street, the Church, the Peace Corps. Not the Small business ownership. Not the Directorship of a University Band, or the Presidency of a Bank. As someone who recruits for this "company" if you think that a resume that says nothing but band is going to get you hired full time out of college, you are sorely mistaken (unless it was maybe me hiring ). Work your way up you say? Hard to do when so many have lots of student loans to payoff just to get that Bachelors degree to even be in the conversation. It's the world we live in these days...for better or for worse. Unfortunately...a Bachelors degree is expected and really means nothing anymore. A masters will set you apart like a Bachelors degree once did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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