Full Time Careers in Drum Corps?

[Stu]

The drum corps activity was formed/founded to be a volunteer format; maybe start with that concept.

Teaching and Education was formed/founded to be a volunteer format; would you also advocate going back to that concept?

[Paul Milano]

I've wondered from time to time if I might have been the first full-time employee of a drum corps. Spirit of Atlanta, briefly sponsored by a local TV station that poured in a LOT of money for a couple years, hired me to be the Corps Manager in December of 1977. My salary was $12,000 a year as a full-time employee.

We then hired Tom Float and Jim Ott as full-time instructors (also $12,000 a year each). Later hired a full-time fund raiser ($12,000), a full-time drill instructor, Dave Bandy, ($9,000, I think), a few part-time folks (secretary, equipment manager, etc.) for about $6,000 each. Lots of part-time instructors for $1,500 - $6,000 each.

I'll never forget when I handed Jim Ott his first paycheck. He was confused about why it wasn't for $1,000 (since it was a monthly payment of his $12,000 annual salary). I explained about taking out for Social Security, income taxes, etc. He was shocked and said he never had a "real" job before and had always been paid in cash or as a contractor. I had to go back to the TV station and renegotiate his salary so that he got a "net" of $1,000 a month because he said that's what he had built his budget on (rent, food, etc.).

All of these pay levels were likely unprecedented for the drum corps activity back then. We caught a LOT of grief from other drum corps for our outlandish spending and "buying" of their instructors.

When the TV sponsorship was abruptly cancelled a year or so later, due to a corporate merger, we scrambled mightily to stay afloat (while the rest of the drum corps world smiled a bit at our new found proletariat status. )

[BRASSO]

Teaching and Education was formed/founded to be a volunteer format; would you also advocate going back to that concept?

hmnm......at the rate we're going ? ... hmnn... let me think about it a bit more and get back to you. Its an intriguing question, but perhaps we should not experiment with this just yet, although the Home Schooling volunteering concept is no longer considered radical anymore, more mainstream and acceptable, and seems to be working rather well for those that have the time, knowledge, committment, and energy.

Edited September 15, 2012 by BRASSO

[jjeffeory]

DCI itself has a paid staff. I'm not sure how many are full time, but some presumably are. (Of course they are not actually 'doing drum corps' as far as I know, but it would be a great way to be a part of the action.)

Can anyone certify that there is even one full-time (let's say, with a benefits package) employee of an independent drum and bugle corps, or it's parent organization? All the jobs people have listed seem to be primarily funded via marching bands, which would be government money or college money. Drum corps are independent non-profits. I'm not sure even the directors are actually full-time legally. I wouldn't be surprised if the Blue Devils have some. Is Wayne Downey full-time? Scott Chandler?

Anyone outside of BD?

George Hopkins!?!

[Stu]

hmnm......at the rate we're going ? ... hmnn... let me think about it a bit more and get back to you. Its an intriguing question, but perhaps we should not experiment with this just yet, although the Home Schooling volunteering concept is no longer considered radical anymore, more mainstream and acceptable, and seems to be working rather well for those that have the time, knowledge, committment, and energy.

While I agree with you in educational theory, my point was 'not' about the philosophy of home schooling. The point was (is) that we cannot turn the clock back once an institutional change into paying staff has ingrained itself in the culture. DCI is now the acclaimed Marching Music Major League and cannot go back to being a volunteer local get the kids off the street and out of crime activity.

[DCI Stalker]

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.

For a lot of open class corps the staff volunteers. At Forte only the captions heads were payed, none of the staff saw a dime except in compensation for travel.

[Pete Freedman]

While I agree with you in educational theory, my point was 'not' about the philosophy of home schooling. The point was (is) that we cannot turn the clock back once an institutional change into paying staff has ingrained itself in the culture. DCI is now the acclaimed Marching Music Major League and cannot go back to being a volunteer local get the kids off the street and out of crime activity.

I think the point is that it wouldn't be going back. Bill was just suggesting the OP recognize that drum corps is still essentially a volunteer activity. He wasn't recommending a future course for drum corps economics.

According to what people are saying there are may be a few full-time employees at some of the world class corps, but even there most of the instructors are either paid part-time or fully volunteer.

Let's put the OP's question this way. Did anyone ever have their first full-time job after school with a drum corps? Even given that some staff are paid, and some may even be full time, it's not realistic to shoot for that in the beginning of your career, which is the OP's question. So regardless of whether you go the college route (which you should definitely do, even if your major has nothing to do with drum corps or the arts):

1. Volunteer

2. Be amazing (can't stress this enough :-)

3. Get paid part-time

4. Get paid full-time

The question then is, how do you survive during steps 1, 2, and 3? I wonder how many of the drum corps greats were supported by others to do what they were doing during the early years (parents, spouse, trust fund, etc.). I"m guessing most became instructors immediately after aging out of a corps themselves, so they were young. Living at home for the first few years might have been a huge success factor. Some may have cohabitated with other impoverished part-time staff and worked at Burger King to support their habits. This part is largely speculation on my part.

You know what? You can call and ask the actual successful instructors what they did and what they recommend you do. They are not so famous that they are unapproachable (some of the famous ones have their own successful companies now, so it may be more difficult. Then again, for a budding instructor they may make time. They got into this to help people after all). If I were considering a career in drum corps education I'd call up some directors and instructors on the phone (root it out via a corps contact info) and start the conversation. Don't be surprised if the job you eventually get is working with one of the people you call!

[glory]

...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...

All due respect, but you're going to need a really strong Plan B. In fact, Plan B might have to be so strong that Plan A is mostly B.

Because earning a living at drum corps isn't a viable Plan A for anyone. The best at this business barely eke out minimal income and that at huge cost to any semblance of ordinary life. If you want a sense for what's required, spend some time reading George Hopkins's Facebook page. He's one of the very few who's paid a full salary for his drum corps work. Even there, he spends his autumns negotiating the band circuit and his summers urging a drum corps down the road. In between, he's begging (I mean that kindly) for a few dollars to keep it all going while managing a large and often transient staff.

There are a few Hopkins and Fieldlers. And behind them there are a few young cadre learning their way at payscales that make teachers seem rich. They're spending their summers handling administrative chores ranging from bookeeping to housing and filling the tank. Caption heads/staff get the "purer" experience. Yet that purity derives from their sales ability. Drum corps after all is only a three-month gig at best. They have to sell their experience to marching bands to make anything resembling 12-months wages. Besides, there aren't that many caption heads anyway.

Planning to make a living from drum corps is as chancey has planning to make a living as a baseball player or a rock star. Best to plan instead for Plan B.

HH

[Legolaus]

I was a full time employee of a drum corps for 13 years as the assistant director and director. I marched in drum corps for 11 years becoming a section leader before I aged out. In my last couple of years of marching I volunteered in the corps office to help out where I could-- filing paperwork, running errands, etc...

I always knew I wanted to teach drum corps, but honestly I don't remember thinking that I wanted to become a director. My first year I worked full time I was paid $6,000. That was it for the entire year! And this was in 1989. I had to completely structure my life around living off of what the corps could pay me. I have absolutely no regrets and would do it all over again if I could!

I lived in the corps office. My desk was literally 10 feet from my bed! I never bought clothes. I did everything I could to live on what I was paid for the first couple of years. It never really got to the point where I was paid a "normal" salary. At the end of my more than decade with the corps I was making just over $20,000 a year. After the very lean early years I thought I was rich! LOL

Working full time for the corps meant that I had to give my life to the corps. I worked harder and longer than I have since then. It was a work of passion and I loved every minute of it.

I know now there are many full time directors nowadays. They typically make in the $40's to $60's depending on several factors. Full time instructors, as mentioned by others typically are teaching, writing, judging, etc... several groups just to make a livable wage. I have known full time drill writers and guard people who make out okay once they have established themselves at the top of their game.

Yes it can be done, but you must be at the top of your craft before anything else will open up for you.

[glory]

Just for perspective, the $6,000 Legolaus earned for 1989 is the equivalent of $11,000 today when adjusted for inflation. The $20,000 Legolaus earned in 1999 (with 10 years experience) represents about $27,000 in 2012 dollars.

I said earning a living at drum corps is as chancey a proposition as earning a living in baseball or as a rock star. Of course, baseball and stardom have a lot more upside earnings potential. So unless you've give a live left arm, you've got to have a Plan B.

HH