Music City Folds

[BoyWonder1911]

I don't see how that would make any sense. How does DCI NOT care about open class? Do you think that they think they would be better off without open class?

Or maybe they would just be happy having 15 corps, and that's it, and have them tour together or half one way half the other, and meet at regionals.

but the idea is to try and get as many kids involved in the activity as possible.

It doesn't even really matter how much they tour, or how high of a score they get, America needs this activity for our youth.

[N.E. Brigand]

Where was DCI on this? They really need to hire some kind of auditor who goes around and reviews all the corps' income, expenses, and travel plans. To me this was their fault. They should have made sure this stuff doesn't keep happening.

DCI is the corps (particularly the World Class corps). Auditors are not cheap. (Believe me. I work at a non-profit and I'm preparing for our annual audit.) The corps do not want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars --because that's what it wold take to audit all the corps-- that could be going to them.

[Sayre Kulp]

Where was DCI on this? They really need to hire some kind of auditor who goes around and reviews all the corps' income, expenses, and travel plans. To me this was their fault. They should have made sure this stuff doesn't keep happening.

It's not DCI's job to micro-manage the corps. The corps have the responsibility of maintaining their financial houses and taking care of their students.

I'm sure what the director meant was that they "couldn't continue to bring in enough money to field a corps and pay me enough at the same time"

Conjecture.

How many more corps foldings is it going to take before DCI gets their hands involved? Too many corps have folded. Magic, Capital Regiment, Memphis Sound, Impulse, Kiwanis Kavs, Southwind, just to name a few. I thought that the Glassmen having some money issues was a big red herring. What an embarrassment for DCI. And to think of all the kids that put everything they had into it. Oh well, I guess one good thing is that the talent will be a little bit more consolidated, maybe the quality of shows will go up a notch. I had high hopes for Music City.

In the end, running a drum corps is running a business. Those that don't make money won't be doing it for long. And that's no one's fault except theirs. I've been part of many a drum corps that had to make equipment and uniforms last 7-8 seasons or (in some cases) a whole lot longer. We didn't get new stuff every year. We had staff for each section of the corps - 3 or 4 caption heads and maybe a few techs. Look at staff rosters nowadays. How do they pay 40+ staff?

[DonR]

It's not DCI's job to micro-manage the corps. The corps have the responsibility of maintaining their financial houses and taking care of their students.

Conjecture.

In the end, running a drum corps is running a business. Those that don't make money won't be doing it for long. And that's no one's fault except theirs. I've been part of many a drum corps that had to make equipment and uniforms last 7-8 seasons or (in some cases) a whole lot longer. We didn't get new stuff every year. We had staff for each section of the corps - 3 or 4 caption heads and maybe a few techs. Look at staff rosters nowadays. How do they pay 40+ staff?

In a lot of corps, even WC, the staff, particularly techs, are volunteers. They do the work for the bio, not the cash. Even if they get paid, it is very little.

[Piper]

This is something that I don't understand and probably never will. According to DCI's own rules, a startup has to spend a minimum of one season in OC before they can even apply for WC. OK, fine, I get that. But if they don't have enough OC corps then where the hell are they going to get more WC corps from, the fairy godmother? By their own logic OC should be at the top of their priority list.

[WWonka]

Sounds to me like they just got tired of fighting it. They finished the planned season, didn't fold randomly, etc. Did it right.

And if the board/administration of MC has decided it's not worth it any more not much you can fault them for.

Edited August 16, 2013 by WWonka

[kansasDC]

BoyWonder, you really need to spend more time actively involved in some OC corps before making statements like that. My experience shows that most have volunteer management staffs, volunteer educational staffs, and even volunteer semi drivers. In a few cases, I personally know management and educational staff members who have spent their personal accounts to zero to get the members through a season. If anyone thinks they can make a great living off of OC drum corps, they really need to wake up to reality.

[Stu]

In a lot of corps, even WC, the staff, particularly techs, are volunteers. They do the work for the bio, not the cash. Even if they get paid, it is very little.

Ok; which 'a lot' of corps, including WC corps, instructional teams are staffed 'mainly' (as in the majority) with volunteers doing it for the bio? (and I will not count the G7) Boston? Spirit? Troopers? Pacific Crest? Oregon Crusaders? Genesis? Please give a number of corps and the corps names.

[Stu]

In a few cases, I personally know management and aeductional staff members who have spent their personal accounts to zero to get the members through a season. If anyone thinks they can make a great living off of OC drum corps, they really need to wake up to reality.

KansasDC. I noticed that you are a Dad of someone who marched his first season with Revolution; then moved to the Blue Stars; then moved to the Cavaliers, a G7 Corps. Question: Why did you not encourage your son to march through his age-out season with an OC corps which contains mostly 'volunteers' who spend their personal accounts to zero to get the members through a season instead of marching with two business minded top-tier corps, one of which is a member of the G7, who pay most, if not all, of their staff very very well?

[BoyWonder1911]

....when I mentioned about paying staff, I was not talking about OC. But you still have to get the drill written, and if that drill is going to be any better than a high school marching band, it's going to cost some money. Then copies for all the drill books. And music. And horns.

Volunteers will only take you so far.

And corps like the Blue Stars and Cavaliers, they have a strong pool of people willing to help out from year to year, alumni, marcher's parents, etc. and some who just like what they see and want to be part of it.

Open Class corps do NOT have that reserve built in. They don't have years and years and years of tradition and history and alumni to come and save the day. They get by on less in that way, too. So not only is money tighter, but volunteer help is tighter, too.

It takes money. If you can't find a cook, you have to hire one. If you can't find a truck driver, you have to hire one. If you can't find a brass caption head or brass arranger willing to work for free, you have to PAY to have it done, and it doesn't come cheap.

There are plenty of people willing to help, but not all of them can do it for free. It's just not a possibility.

To say that "if they go out of business, oh well, it's their fault" is just ignorant. It still doesn't solve the problem, and that problem is the viability of DCI to survive into the future. Don't for a minute take it for granted that the activity will still be around 20 years from now. In fact, it may be more likely that it does NOT survive, especially the way DCI seems to be handling it. The Glassmen folding was a big sign of that. They were supposedly financially healthy.

Also don't forget that corps in California make a LOT of money doing Bingo. A lot of states have made that illegal, even for non-profits. What if California decided to follow suit? Those corps over there might not be able to weather that.

DCI needs to have some kind of system put in place to help the activity survive and GROW. It's like they are ignoring the babies for the sake of the adults. Open Class needs to have more attention put into it. One corps folding is one thing, but EVERY YEAR there seems to be another one gone.