Wort Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Along with many other things, what I gained from this activity was not so much musical/physical (even though I am the music educator I am today because of the activity), but the very fact that I can push myself and commit to something so strenuous for an entire summer. If I can make it through a season in drum corps, there isn't a single challenge the world can throw at me that I know I can't push through and achieve with time. Even though I may fail in the end, I'm confident about my ability as a human being to withstand life's challenges and know that I'll always be better in the end for FINISHING what I've committed to! It establishes a strong sense of confidence in who you are and what you're capable of achieving. Having to perform multiple nights during the week for thousands of fans who are there for you is an added bonus. It's so much more than getting better at music and marching...SOO much more. Take a musician who's never done drum corps, have them march a season, and TELL me you don't notice a huge difference in his/her "swagger" when they get back. You can't help but smile and let go...he/she can manage. I could go on and on...but I'll leave the rest for other posters. P.S. I was hating my life for most of the time until all of what was accomplished came flooding back to me in the final week. I was overwhelmed with the wealth of information that I'd learned from the staff and, simply, what I was able to achieve when I REALLY pushed myself beyond being "over it". Yes. What we think are our limits are NOT. A season or 2 of drum corps will drive that lesson home again and again. The paid individual lessons? Maybe for some people, but not for most. The group effort keeps one going when it would be easy to quit alone. What is that worth? Dunno, but I would not be the person I am without that experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 March a local corps and save yourself the 1200$ in travel fees ........................... oh wait! Local ...... hmmmm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkfdPRphan Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 ....although I never got to march, I can tell you one thing. Do your traveling and enjoy time with your friends BEFORE you marry and/or start a career, because once you start working or caring for a family there will be less and less time (and money) for things you enjoy. I've worked now for over 40 years and its finally getting easier to be able to take time off to attend drum corps shows. I chose to work rather than to pursue music, camp or any other youthful experience after high school......after all these years, was jumping into working the right choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) 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. Well,some of this " cost " is more attributable to the more " cost " of other choices made too, Schickmeister. The choice to do the " cost " of DCI Drum Corps needs to be viewed in the context of other financial choices made. For example, one has to weigh the " costs " of a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, Education, and the loans for that vs. the typical pay scales that these degrees tend provide in careers when we are looking at this ( as we are here ) from strictly a finanicial cost vs. financial payoff down the road. If one does DCI Drum Corps and the " costs " do not seem personally financially wothwhile, them perhaps the participant should consider doing DCA Corps, as the costs are considerably less. Also, if one is talking about a " resume " for a job, if the person has a degree in Finance, Microbiology, Molecular Engineering ,MBA in Business, etc( for just some examples ) the fact that they did or did not do Drum Corps ( or Band ) is mostly irrelevent, as the person doing the job interviewing and the hiring for the non musical job position is probably not interested in your music training, background, or personal musical tastes. Edited June 21, 2012 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Three months of rent in a cheap apartment in a typical American city - $1500-2000 Food during that time - $1260-1500+ Gym membership - $300 One hour of professional instruction a day, five days a week - $4500-6000 ---- TOTAL - $7560 to $9800 Seems to me the drum corps kids are living cheaper and getting more work done than they would if they camped out at home all summer and got a little physical workout and a few hours of instruction a week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryM Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I think it is worth it, but at the same time see the argument from the other side. I think it all has to do with whether or not one is looking for the Drum Corps experience, or if they are looking for the "brand experience". There are corps out there that cost $600 for the entire summer, and there are some that cost $4000 for the summer in tuition. Look at what you can realistically AFFORD. You get the same experience at the $600 that you would at the $4000. But in the end you cannot put a price tag on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schickmeister Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Well,some of this " cost " is more attributable to the more " cost " of other choices made too, Schickmeister. The choice to do the " cost " of DCI Drum Corps needs to be viewed in the context of other financial choices made. For example, one has to weigh the " costs " of a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, Education, and the loans for that vs. the typical pay scales that these degrees tend provide when we are looking at this ( as we are here ) from strictly a finanicial cost vs. financial payoff down the road. If one does DCI Drum Corps and the " costs " do not seem personally financially wothwhile, them perhaps the participant should consider doing DCA Corps, as the costs are considerably less. Also, if one is talking about a " resume " for a job, if the person has a degree in Finance, Microbiology, Molecular Engineering ,MBA in Business, etc( for just some examples ) the fact that they did or did not do Drum Corps ( or Band ) is mostly irrelevent, as the person doing the job interviewing and the hiring for the non musical job position is probably not interested in your music training, background, or personal musical tastes. That's exactly my point. Doing drum corps full time doesn't allow for you to build your resume with anything else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Three months of rent in a cheap apartment in a typical American city - $1500-2000 Food during that time - $1260-1500+ Gym membership - $300 One hour of professional instruction a day, five days a week - $4500-6000 ---- TOTAL - $7560 to $9800 Seems to me the drum corps kids are living cheaper and getting more work done than they would if they camped out at home all summer and got a little physical workout and a few hours of instruction a week. So during your summer you moved into an apartment, went to the gym and got an hour of instruction every day? LOL, I worked in a warehouse over two summers. No personal instruction but got a great workout... and knee problems from pounding concrete all day then going to corps pratice on asphalt in the evening and weekend. Edited June 21, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterA Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 As a band instructor, and someone who has been involved in corps since the mid 70s, I would love to say yes, it is worth it. The experiences you have over the course of the summer are going to change your whole future. however, this isn't the case for everyone. Some kids are not going to get their money's worth over the summer. A lot of kids will not make it through the whole summer, and if they do, will not return for another season. And this does prove, that for some kids, it is definitely not worth it. Another part of this picture is this. In one of the classes at school, they were doing finances. One of my band students in that class was researching how much it costs for parents raising kids, broken down into 2 segments, school year, and summer. I remember his summer statistics were very interesting. If I remember right, food costs for the average teenager were anywhere from $200(close to poverty level family) to around $1,400 with most of the students averaging between $800-1,000, figuring in eating out at McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and other various restaurants. Most students are involved in at least one summer activity, where fees vary greatly as well. Soccer, baseball, basketball camps, football camps all cost money to attend, some sporting events running over $1,000 over the course of the summer, with different leagues and levels. When you add in the cost of gas, travel expenses, movies and other misc entertainment over the course of the summer, etc, and his survey showed the average teenager just to spend the summer at home, was averaging around $1800-2200 a summer. That was compared to his school year survey where the average student spent/cost around $3150-3600. So when you actually look at the cost of drum corps, it is probably only a little over double the cost of a regular teenage summer, at least from the results of a local teenage survey. So it isn't necessarily like spending $5000 for the drum corps experience, it is more like spending another $2000 from what you might be normally spending. Is it worth it? For many yes, and for many, no. It all depends on the student, and their family. I think one thing to look at, is how many kids age out every year, having marched previous years. I have heard of kids marching 10 plus years. I am thinking there was a Blue Devils ageout who had marched between the feeder corps, and the A corps, 12 years. That is probably close to $50,000 spent on the drum corps experience. As an instructor, you always hope that the experience is going to be worth the cost. and I honestly believe that for most of the drum corps students, it probably is worth the money. But it is completely unrealistic to believe that every single student gets their money's worth from the experience, And usually those members will step down after the season, allowing someone else to possibly fulfill their dream the next season in their spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) In this economy, if you're not a music ed major, from a purely economical stand point, NOT worth it. <Flame suit> Are you saying a Music Ed Degree will provide a better long term financial cost " payout " than degrees in business, finance, genetic and molecular engineering, etc ? With Cities and Towns strapped for cash to pay future obligations to pensioners ( to cite one pitfall )? That a Music Ed Degree is a great future choice " from a purely economical standpont " ? Andthat majoring in other degree specialties is " NOT worth it ". Really ? Are you serious, or just saying this tongue in cheek ? Edited June 21, 2012 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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