Full Time Careers in Drum Corps?

[MikeD]

Street Musicians in many major cities today even have to obtain a business license and conform to various city codes.

Yup...I'm sure that is true. Back then they just put down a hat in front of Lincoln Center and made a nice piece of change while auditioning for a real gig.

[Pete Freedman]

It certainly matters!! It matters to all of the hard working tax payers when 'their' taxes are facilitating someone who would rather play around like a kid in a musical playground instead of securing gainful employment; people who get Earned Income Credit do not pay taxes, the tax payers pay them!

...

There's a misunderstanding here. En929's comment can be interpreted to mean to choose street performing as a career. Of course, that would be awful advice. My interpretation was that you could do street performing in addition to a regular job of some kind. That is, as a way of continuing to learn and grow in the arts until you get good enough to make real money professionally (in addition to other activities). In much the same way that actors group together to do their own performances that no one may even see, but it keeps their chops up. But they still need a job in the meantime.

So, to the OP, whatever you do, make sure to be able to gainfully support yourself in addition to your ongoing training. Most likely, your life will come at you out of left field while you are doing all this. But at least you'll be as ready as possible!

[En929]

There's a misunderstanding here. En929's comment can be interpreted to mean to choose street performing as a career. Of course, that would be awful advice. My interpretation was that you could do street performing in addition to a regular job of some kind. That is, as a way of continuing to learn and grow in the arts until you get good enough to make real money professionally (in addition to other activities). In much the same way that actors group together to do their own performances that no one may even see, but it keeps their chops up. But they still need a job in the meantime.

So, to the OP, whatever you do, make sure to be able to gainfully support yourself in addition to your ongoing training. Most likely, your life will come at you out of left field while you are doing all this. But at least you'll be as ready as possible!

You got my point correct. Sadly, some people have a tendency to make things out to be more than what they really are (I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but it’s just what I see sometimes). Either one is going to go forth with their plan or not. To the original poster, I encourage your ambitions and simply do what you have to do to make it work somehow. Someday, I’m going to try to get a drum corps back up and running and I guarantee when I start, I won’t be worried about an entourage staff, taxing, politics, and whatever else. I’m simply going to be worried about getting a few instruments, signing on people who are interested in joining, getting a sound place to practice, and when it gets decent enough, we’ll go and have some places to perform. That’s pretty much it. Ok, thank you, I’m pretty much done with this topic. I gave my two cents. One can spin it how they want!

Peace!

Edited October 7, 2012 by En929

[Stu]

You got my point correct. Sadly, some people have a tendency to make things out to be more than what they really are (I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but it’s just what I see sometimes). Either one is going to go forth with their plan or not.

That is not what you posted; you posted that one can make a 'Career' out of Drum Corps and Street Music. No offense, but you apparently do not understand what a 'Career' actually entails.

Someday, I’m going to try to get a drum corps back up and running and I guarantee when I start, I won’t be worried about entourages, taxing, politics, and whatever else. I’m simply going to be worried about getting a few instruments, signing on people who are interested in joining, getting a sound place to practice, and when it gets decent enough, we’ll go and have some places to perform.

If you are going to 'Run' a corps you had better be more concerned about the business of a non-profit like revenue, expenditures, 990, budget, staying in the black, liability and property insurance,... and way less concerned about the music/art; otherwise your corps will be in the graveyard along with over 1200 other corps.

[Pete Freedman]

Lets look at the quote again, shall we:

...

But if a person wants to have a career with drum corps, another thing that I could suggest is street performer (or performer somewhere).

...

This can indeed be interpreted to mean 'Become a street performer to train for a career', not necessarily 'Become a street performer as a career'.

[Stu]

Lets look at the quote again, shall we:

This can indeed be interpreted to mean 'Become a street performer to train for a career', not necessarily 'Become a street performer as a career'.

Give me a break; another infamous person tried the same type of word parsing with the phrase, "It depends on what the word 'is' is" argument, and that did not work out very well either. The statement by the poster, as written in context, implies that a drum corps position is considered by the poster as a Career when combined with being a Street Performer. Moreover, the belief that drum corps is a Career is flat erroneous even if your name is Paul Rennick; the only people coming close to drum corps being a Career is maybe Hop, Gibbs, Fiedler and a very, very, very select few other directors of top, top corps.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Stu

[Pete Freedman]

Give me a break; another infamous person tried the same type of word parsing with the phrase, "It depends on what the word 'is' is" argument, and that did not work out very well either. The statement by the poster, as written in context, implies that a drum corps position is considered by the poster as a Career when combined with being a Street Performer. Moreover, the belief that drum corps is a Career is flat erroneous even if your name is Paul Rennick; the only people coming close to drum corps being a Career is maybe Hop, Gibbs, Fiedler and a very, very, very select few other directors of top, top corps.

Actually, his (accidental) implication was that a street performer by itself was a good career choice. There was nothing in his post about also being in a drum corps position. But in any event, you made a good point that street performer by itself would not be a good career choice. I said his wording was sloppy (since nobody would argue that street performer by itself is a good career choice). He now says that he meant to say to help start a career and keep one's chops up, not to be a career. Can we move on?

[Stu]

Actually, his (accidental) implication was that a street performer by itself was a good career choice. There was nothing in his post about also being in a drum corps position. But in any event, you made a good point that street performer by itself would not be a good career choice. I said his wording was sloppy (since nobody would argue that street performer by itself is a good career choice). He now says that he meant to say to help start a career and keep one's chops up, not to be a career. Can we move on?

As long as there is a realization by those posting in this thread that out of the 1000+ people involved in drum corps each year only around 8 - 10 of them are anywhere close to making any semblance of a Career out of drum corps, then yes we can move along.