charlie1223 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) You indicated that you were one of the last in tier 2 let go which indicates you went deep into the camp season. While one caption head talked to another, which is noble, were the dues and fees for the secondary corps on par with the first Corps? Did the second corps give you a huge break on dues and fees because you came in rather late, or did you still have to pay nearly ‘full’ dues and ‘full’ fees to the second corps? Did the first corps give you back any reimbursements like a university would if you left prior to the drop date? The reason why I ask those questions is because most kids and parents cannot accomplish that sort of financial feat. I didn't arrive at the second corps until February. I did not have to pay the camp fees for those camps that I missed at the new corps. I did have to pay the full tuition for the summer, of course, but was offered an early-bird tuition rate even though I was accepted in the corps at a later date. Going through the audition experience with two corps cost about the same if I was with 1 corps the entire season. Going into the beginning of the season I was prepared and anticipating to pay for the entire corps experience (from audition to championships) and the fact that I did not make a corps, got cut late, and had to audition at another corps did not add to my cost of participating. I only paid for the camps and experiences that I was present for. Edited March 31, 2014 by charlie1223 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I didn't arrive at the second corps until February. I did not have to pay the camp fees for those camps that I missed at the new corps. I did have to pay the full tuition for the summer, of course, but was offered an early-bird tuition rate even though I was accepted in the corps at a later date. Going through the audition experience with two corps cost about the same if I was with 1 corps the entire season. Going into the beginning of the season I was prepared and anticipating to pay for the entire corps experience (from audition to championships) and the fact that I did not make a corps, got cut late, and had to audition at another corps did not add to my cost of participating. I only paid for the camps and experiences that I was present for. For what it is worth, that is vastly different than what some of my students have experienced over the past few years; and you have given me a little hope for the future of our activity; thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie1223 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 For what it is worth, that is vastly different than what some of my students have experienced over the past few years; and you have given me a little hope for the future of our activity; thanks! What experience did your students have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 you wrote: The majority of staff at that time, not all but most, in any given corps actually consulted with those cut to encourage them to go audition for this corps or that corps because the staff was truly looking out for the best interest of the kid and not the self-interest of their own corps; and they respected the experience and education kids would receive in other corps as being just as valuable as their own corps. Stu, where do you get this stuff? Seriously. From long, long ago and far, far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) What experience did your students have? I will revamp what I have already posted: My students who did not make a corps were always on tier 2; and while a token mention was always given to them by the staff in January or February concerning them possibly going elsewhere, they were always ‘highly’ encouraged to just come back to the next camp and receive more training. The spring camps were thus placed in the context of being educational training for future involvement with only that corps as opposed to being an audition process for the upcoming summer. Again this has been my experience as a private instructor since this tier system was implimented by many of the corps. Edited March 31, 2014 by Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I will revamp what I have already posted: My students who did not make a corps were always on tier 2; and while a token mention was always given to them by the staff in January or February concerning them possibly going elsewhere, they were always ‘highly’ encouraged to just come back to the next camp and receive more training. The spring camps were thus placed in the context of being educational training for future involvement with only that corps as opposed to being an audition process for the upcoming summer. Again this has been my experience as a private instructor since this tier system was implimented by many of the corps. Than that is really too bad. It's not something I've ever seen from either side of the drum corps world. The tier two applicants were either given spots or told they would not be continuing by January or February at the latest based on audition schedules. There were a couple that were kept on as alternates in the line, and I've only met two or three alternates who didn't eventually make it into the line at some point. The audition camps are placed in the context of educational training for some students, I know a lot advertise is for students who aren't ready for the auditions to come and get some training and experience for the next year. Or a smaller corps if they choose to go there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I realize that you prefaced your statement with, “To me’, but I do want to ask this of you concerning 'literally': So a group of concerned parents cannot ‘band’ together to voice concerns at one school board meeting? A group of old friends cannot ‘band’ together for that one and only trip to the Australian Outback? Because for people to technically (ie literally) be considered as a ‘Band of People’ is nothing more than a group coming together for one unified purpose whether it is for a single activity, or for many performances. Well, rubber can "band" together, too - but like your examples, that is off-topic. From Merriam-Webster: Definition of BAND : a group of persons, animals, or things; especially : a group of musicians organized for ensemble playing Note the word "organized" in the above definition. The examples you gave previously (New Orleans funeral, Brazilian Carnival) were the musical equivalents of flash mobs, with no prior or continuing organization. Certainly, by the time you come to me after the fact to ask if I would call such a thing a "band", I can safely say "no", since the thing no longer exists anyway. Next debate - for a band, does life begin at conception, performance, or some point in between? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Well, rubber can "band" together, too - but like your examples, that is off-topic. From Merriam-Webster: Definition of BAND : a group of persons, animals, or things; especially : a group of musicians organized for ensemble playing Note the word "organized" in the above definition. The examples you gave previously (New Orleans funeral, Brazilian Carnival) were the musical equivalents of flash mobs, with no prior or continuing organization. Certainly, by the time you come to me after the fact to ask if I would call such a thing a "band", I can safely say "no", since the thing no longer exists anyway. Next debate - for a band, does life begin at conception, performance, or some point in between? Sorry, but your position does not seem to be stable because: a)The dictionary definition you used stated ‘a group of persons’, so that blows your attempt at rubber-band out the window; b) also, if you are appealing to the dictionary, yes it stated 'organized'; however you, on your own, injected the words 'with no prior or continuing'. The dictionary definition you quoted never stated it had to have prior or continuing existence; and c) The Brazilian ensembles certainly do 'organize and rehearse' before doing the parade, and the second-line musicians certainly do 'organize and run through' the dirge music and the celebratory music before engaging in the procession. So it appears that your dictionary definition would call them bands. Wanna try again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 If a kid applies to an Ivy League academic institution he or she is informed rather quickly if they have or not been accepted without investing much time or capital; then if they move on to applying for a State University they are also informed rather quickly if they have or have not been accepted again without investing much time or capital; then they apply and are accepted rather quickly at a Junior College which does not cost anywhere close to a State university let alone costing the same as an Ivy League institution. However, this is not the scenario with applying and auditioning for most DCI units. The DCI model is as follows: A kid applies to an elite G7 corps where he/she invests a huge amount of time at audition camp and typically also at subsequent call-back camps via being strung along with a tier system instead of being informed very quickly that they are not accepted ,and they end up spending a lot of capital on fees and transportation during that process. Then after months of being on that tier system, when finally informed they are not accepted, the kid is faced with not marching this season or going to a different WC corps or an OC corps where most of them will require the same level of high fees and the same level of transportation costs; even if it is an OC corps (sort of like if a JuCo charged the same fees as an Ivy League even after the Ivy league milked much time and capital out of the kid prior to being told no entrance). ‘This’ situation is where I see the problem is as to why many kids do not go to other DCI corps after being let go by the elite corps. Off Topic: Ivy League schools do not tend to have rolling admissions. Princeton, Harvard, Brown, UPenn and Yale that I have looked at do not. They post their admissions decisions at the end of March/beginning of April. That is for the regular admissions process, not early decision or early action, where those are options. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 But of course, the biggest difference is that Coca- Cola and Pepsi spend billions each year in advertisement to compete with one another, and to beat the brains out of one another attempting to diiferentiate themselves from each other with the public. Each has no interest whatsover in becoming the other, and spend considerable time and effort making sure it does not ever occur.;..... And of course, DCI on the other hand, by contrast, goes on bended knee to the Marching Band community to bring its band community members into the the ranks of DCI ranks in the summer , and will do just about anything to become like them in instrumentation if thats what it takes to continue the money flow and personnel in the DCI summer ranks. DCI is not in competition with the Marching Band community ( as ala Coke and Pepsi are ). DCI, lets be honest here, will lay down in the middle of a busy city highway traffic for the Marching Bands, if thats what it takes to get the School and University Marching Band approval. As such, there is no relationship whatsover, imo between this and Coca- Cola & Pepsi and their intense, on going, competitive relationship. Pepsi and Coke have been in intense competition with one another for many years.. And my guess, both prefer it this way, and will probably be competing vs. one another probably into the next century, imo But you are the one wsho brought the Coke and Pepsi battle into the discussion as an analogy. Personally, I think all of these analogies that compare billion dollar entities to tiny little drum corps are, at the end of the day, a bogus exercise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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