Kevin Powell Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 This is to start a new topic on "HOW TO PAY and PLAY" This was spun off of the lighting topic in case other people would like to read the rest of the conversation. I personally wish that this conversation would have been moved over here to start. Stu... The board is all yours. Please tell us more about the G7 and the DCI collective. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 1) While I am a free-market capitalist in the for-profit world, I have no problems at all when a group of non-profits, or for-profits for that matter, "voluntarily" put together a collective of like businesses to watch out for each other (which is what DCI is supposed to be: a collective). Within this collective, The Scouts, Troopers, Academy, Genesis, 7th Regiment and all other non-G7 corps which are actually ran well in a business sense are getting hurt by the ever expanding requirements placed upon the collective by the G7. Therefore, because of that volunteered shared agreement to watch out for the collective "all" corps should be watching out for "all" corps at least in an oversight capacity. Do I think that the G7 corps should be forced into revenue sharing; Nope, not unless that was agreed upon to begin with. However, if the G7 have to downsize somewhat for the sake of the DCI collective survival in which they, the G7, agreed to watch out for in the first place by voluntarily being a part of that DCI collective, they either need to: a) downsize somewhat to help DCI as a whole; or b) leave the collective if they want to expand in that manner because their expansion is actually hurting all other corps within the collective which are attempting to run sound business plans. 2) As for Teal, Forte, VK, ect... they certainly bear the responsibility for their own demise because they were poorly ran by their Boards and Directors. Should DCI or the G7 bail them out financially; Nope. However, DCI is a collective in which their should have been enough oversight in the first place as to not allow those corps to compete in DCI until they were financially sound enough to accomplish what they wanted to accomplish. Please explain and if you have solutions it would be nice to hear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I am correct on this; it also takes Diligence, Responsibility, Planning, Oversight, and many other things not "just" Passion, Love, and Dedication to procure over a million dollars a year. Actually true dedication by ALL its employees does included the "Job Responsibilities" that you listed. This is the main three that makes a great business great (small or large). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I know how to pay for everything these corps dream of using. Have the top 7 corps take the money they need from the lower placing corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I know how to pay for everything these corps dream of using. Have the top 7 corps take the money they need from the lower placing corps. From all the moaning, This is happening now. If that system is broke then it needs to be corrected. UNLESS... you are talking about corporate sponsorship. In that case, let the corporate sponsor make the best deal to get the best bang for their buck. The corporate sponsors can spend THEIR money the way they see fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 How many corps have actually jumped away from that original American Legion 501c(3) mold? The bingo hall that brings in some extra money plus donations and grants. Begging for money in hard times and the competition for getting that donation is greater than ever I ask this because bingo is not a viable option in many places. I also ask because there are quite a few different ways to easily start "small" businesses that will still fit in the 501c(3) mold. I'll give one simple example: A coffee house, It could be done from scratch with low overhead or there are franchise opportunities that set you up in a way of proven success. That is one low overhead solution. People may actually be more willing to purchase that double latte if they also know that the proceeds are going to a musical organization. Open your eyes to these types of opportunities because this same location can have small ensembles play every week to give exposure to the arts. It could possibly house a couple of practice rooms for private lessons. Many times, I think we all get in a rut of "This is the way it was done - this is the way it has to be". Blue Devils and SCV both used that old model and expanded it to suit their needs. The Blue Devils have expanded beyond that and are selling their name - The System Blue, King horns and Synths - This is a good deal for King because it puts a name of success on one of their products. I am presently typing in a browser called "firefox". It is owned and maintained by a company named Mozilla Foundation. Mozilla Foundation is a 501c(3) company that touches ALL of us in some shape or fashion. It actually owns a smaller for-profit subsidiary named Mozilla Corporation. This is a company that is worth millions and brings in a majority of its $100,000,000 (Not exact number) from ROYALTIES just like that of BD and the System BLUE. A major difference in Mozilla and DCI - Mozilla does this for the common good of everyone, DCI does this for a limited audience and its overall product impact is not as great on society as a whole. I do believe that the Drum Corps model is broken, I am not a doomsdayer that is saying that DCI is in it's final days. The Corps model is still living off of many of the 40 year old legacies of the American Legions and VFWs. Simple fact is, people do not play bingo they way they use to (or they are not allowed in their state). The successful corps of today have broke that mold, some still embrace the bingo game but they have also expanded into unseen territories. Everyone who would like to be successful needs to start exploring those unseen territories. They also need to be very aware of their local community and give their community everything they "GOT" - just like they do on the field. It does not end that finals night in August. It should actually never end because it is a year round commitment to your local support. Corps need to give back as much as they request from the general public and they will be successful. I am not quite sure the general public knows that we exist. Some how, we drum corps fans have isolated ourselves and our activity from the very people that can be paying the bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 They also need to be very aware of their local community and give their community everything they "GOT" - just like they do on the field. It does not end that finals night in August. It should actually never end because it is a year round commitment to your local support. As the recruiting focus of DCI drum corps zoomed in on band kids, the year round nature of the drum corps program could not be maintained. To gain the cooperation and support of band directors, corps must work around the schedules of the bands. Many bands start holding camps immediately after DCI finals, so for the kids in those bands, it has to end that night in August. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 (edited) As the recruiting focus of DCI drum corps zoomed in on band kids, the year round nature of the drum corps program could not be maintained. To gain the cooperation and support of band directors, corps must work around the schedules of the bands. Many bands start holding camps immediately after DCI finals, so for the kids in those bands, it has to end that night in August. I am not sure you get the point. It is not all about "JUST DRUM CORPS". Small ensembles, training, instructors for those same band organizations, marching band, private lessons, giving the knowledge learned over the summer back to the community. You are thinking to small and focused. OR... if everyone is using your same logic, I too will become a doomsdayer for DCI. Edited August 22, 2012 by Kevin Powell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I am not sure you get the point. It is not all about "JUST DRUM CORPS". Small ensembles, training, instructors for those same band organizations, marching band, private lessons, giving the knowledge learned over the summer back to the community. You are thinking to small and focused. Tat is a good part of what YEA! does, with their huge USBands circuit, clinics, and small community-based ensembles created to serve kids in and near Allentown. From their home page: Teaching Life Skills through Performance Youth Education in the Arts programs are: The Cadets Drum Corps; the Cadets2 Drum Corps for young people aged 16–25; USBands; and the Urban Arts Center, a community initiative program featuring Xcape Hip Hop Dance Troupe, the Lehigh Valley Youth Drumline and the Community Hand Drumming Project Presented by Remo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 (edited) Tat is a good part of what YEA! does, with their huge USBands circuit, clinics, and small community-based ensembles created to serve kids in and near Allentown. From their home page: Thank you. Blue Devils and SCV do similar programs. Carolina Crown has built their organization around this idea and they are truly respected in the Southeast. Freddy and Lynda Martin and Originally Spirit of Atlanta tried something similar with "Spirit Camps" that branched off into its own thing - I think it is still active today but I am not sure if it helps feed the corps. Spirit Camp info Edited August 22, 2012 by Kevin Powell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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