Ch1k3n Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Hello! So I have been thinking about what I want to do for my career when I grow up, and since I love Drum Corps, it would only be natural for me to want to have a full time job working with corps. I would love to do some sort of instruction, I really would like visual and maybe help out with music, but I don't really know if this would be a realistic job opportunity, as I'm sure most of the instructors are volunteers. I would love to work on a personal level with a corps, and was just wondering what type of schooling I would need so that I could have to chance to. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 well... you need music and visual instruction skills, which primarily, you can get in drum corps. There are probably some staff members that make enough on the summer and the marching band circuit, but most of them probably have 2nd jobs (often in education so they have their summers off to tour). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch1k3n Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 well... you need music and visual instruction skills, which primarily, you can get in drum corps. There are probably some staff members that make enough on the summer and the marching band circuit, but most of them probably have 2nd jobs (often in education so they have their summers off to tour). Yeah that's what I was thinking. So do instructors get paid? Or are most of them volunteers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 You might consider the U.S. Marine Corps D&BC. http://drumcorps.mbw.usmc.mil/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunkRawkBandGeek Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 So do instructors get paid? Or are most of them volunteers? I think there are many, if not most, that get paid, but I have often heard a saying that nobody gets rich doing drum corps. That's why many are educators as well, as other posters have mentioned, and why many are involved in the fall and winter circuits. I'm curious to know how many volunteer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckham Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Probably the only people that make a career out of it are the show designers themselves. The best of them can make really good money writing for drum corps and high school bands. But it takes a ton of skill to break into the business and make it to the highest levels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Probably the only people that make a career out of it are the show designers themselves. The best of them can make really good money writing for drum corps and high school bands. But it takes a ton of skill ... Indeed. The one DCI show designer I (slightly) know spends the other two-thirds of the year as a theatre designer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubaJon Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 (edited) I think some admins at certain corps work full time year around. But from the design/instructing part... no. Even the best designers make their bread and butter off of other circuits. In that way, it is possible. There are several designers that designer for DCI, WGI and marching band as well as make extra bread off of judging. Edited September 14, 2012 by TubaJon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I've always wanted to make my way up the ranks. I love teching. Music and visual.. I've done it all. And I know I would be good at the drum corps level.. I guess I have to just start making myself more visible. I just have other priorities right now. But being a marching band arranger, and drum corps brass arranger might be a my dream job. If I could make enough money I don'r know. I digress. I ####ed enough #### up... I gotta work myself out of this hole first before I can actually do what i want to do. However being a GM at a high volume Wawa is a great career choice. Seriously. #### being a teacher..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 You want to make drum corps a full time career? Get a degree in business and intern/get experience in the non-profit world. That's your best shot. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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