Pete Freedman Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 You assume the school board funds it. In reality, many competitive marching bands are self funded. Boosters do the fund raising to get the band on the road, pay for staff..in more and more cases even buy the equipment. Marching band now to many schools is like football....they give you a little, you go out and raise the rest yourself Your're right, I was assuming that, but my argument works just as well with "Those who control it." If the school funds a school program, even partially, they control it totally. I was a founding editor of my school newspaper. We initially got no funding at all from the school, and no control. We spent a huge amount of time on the streets getting advertising. Then the school gave us a tiny amount, for which we were initially grateful. As soon as the check was cashed, they demanded complete editorial control. Bummer. Not that we were saying anything outrageous; we just didn't like the disingenuous way they did it. It was a good education, ha ha. Happy Thanksgiving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 A simple question that is probably easily answered: If HS marching bands do such an excellent job of preparing music kids to march in drum corps, why do BD, SCV, and others spend money to maintain feeder programs? By their very existence, are they an admission that HS band doesn't do a good job of preparing kids to march in the A-corps? Just wondering. It is not really about the effectiveness of scholastic programs, it is about organizational mission, resources and revenue streams. Many corps with feeder programs have revenue streams that are linked to things like bingo where there should be a balance of programs within the community and programs that represent that community on a broader scale. In addition, organizations that have programs where many kids from local scholastic programs participate help to strengthen these programs by providing a local model of best practices, further developing talent returning to these programs as student leaders and supplemental support to educators. This, in turn, helps to even further prepare students for the world class programs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Just a bump in hopes that someone will answer this question: Well, how many of the BD and SCV lower corps march with the WC corps? I don't see that it says any such thing..you think most of those members are not band kids? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I'd hope so for the dues he charges compared to other DCA corps Care to give some evidence that C2 costs are out of line as compared to the rest of the top level DCA corps? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Your're right, I was assuming that, but my argument works just as well with "Those who control it." If the school funds a school program, even partially, they control it totally. I was a founding editor of my school newspaper. We initially got no funding at all from the school, and no control. We spent a huge amount of time on the streets getting advertising. Then the school gave us a tiny amount, for which we were initially grateful. As soon as the check was cashed, they demanded complete editorial control. Bummer. Not that we were saying anything outrageous; we just didn't like the disingenuous way they did it. It was a good education, ha ha. Happy Thanksgiving! if a school even pays for the band director, in many cases, they know jack #### about what goes on unless a problem arises. Oh the band wins a trophy? Sure, they'll take the credit, but in essence, most school boards know very little about their band programs. Now football... so again, you assume way more than is actually happening in a majority of cases 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Care to give some evidence that C2 costs are out of line as compared to the rest of the top level DCA corps? sure. go find the massive C2 thread in the DCA forum from last year. if I recall, what they charged was close to double what most other NE corps were charging, if not more 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 (edited) sure. go find the massive C2 thread in the DCA forum from last year. if I recall, what they charged was close to double what most other NE corps were charging, if not more I do see the C2 cost for 2013, but I can't find the 2013 cost of the Buccs, the closest DCA corps to C2. I'm sure C2 is higher cost than them, though, for sure. I'm not sure how it matters as it relates to the post you referred to with that comment. And, as long as they can draw members, it doesn't matter. The band I teach actually has about 4 or 5 members at least expressing interest in marching with them. Not any will end up there, but at least its a start. Cost is far less important than the experience, IMO. Edited November 23, 2012 by MikeD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 if C2 is charging the $1400 or so again this year, and most other corps hold their fees at roughly the same levels as last year, it's at least double. the key is if C2 doesn't fill up early and they start offering deals to fill the spots...that hurts the bottom line, and that was done last year 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 if C2 is charging the $1400 or so again this year, and most other corps hold their fees at roughly the same levels as last year, it's at least double. the key is if C2 doesn't fill up early and they start offering deals to fill the spots...that hurts the bottom line, and that was done last year c2 does run their corps as a jr. corps. different model -- different costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 if a school even pays for the band director, in many cases, they know jack #### about what goes on unless a problem arises. Oh the band wins a trophy? Sure, they'll take the credit, but in essence, most school boards know very little about their band programs. Now football... so again, you assume way more than is actually happening in a majority of cases 1. Problems like, say, doing a dark show, or parents complaining about anything. Exactly my point, really. 2. Yes, marching bands have little school funding, and are largely funded by parents and fundraisers. I don't know average percentages. If I said that marching bands are entirely funded by schools, then I gave the wrong impression. I'm not sure I said that, though. Nor is it particularly important in my argument. 3. My argument was that the fact that drum corps are independent organizations enhances the value of the education they provide. And that's a key reason to keep them around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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