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DCI Tuition Survey Results


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33 minutes ago, IndigoDemonFan said:

As a current parent covering the costs of a World class member, here's a short summary of where the majority of tuition $$ goes from my perspective (my 2 cents 😉 ). Not in any particular order.

1. Instruments - New ones every other year ish

2. Uniforms

3. Food

3. Transportation

4. Staff

6. Housing during camps and tour. I don't think those high schools are free.

7. Equipment maintenance (Trucks, trailers, instruments)

8. Props

9. Maybe some music licensing?

 

 

 

And unfortunately ( although high ) a members tuition doesn't come close to covering all this.

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1 hour ago, GUARDLING said:

And unfortunately ( although high ) a members tuition doesn't come close to covering all this.

One time I was talking to my sister-in-law, who is an accountant, about drum corps costs.  She said we should have a fund-raiser!  I emailed her my workup of a balance sheet of what goes in and out to run a drum corps.  My budget was $2.5 million.  What is the real figure?

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Maybe to give tuition costs for mm’s a little perspective given what you get; my daughter did a 5 week ballet camp last summer in PA.  Comparatively she got less for her money than an mm gets and her tuition was over $5,000. 

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2 hours ago, IndigoDemonFan said:

As a current parent covering the costs of a World class member, here's a short summary of where the majority of tuition $$ goes from my perspective (my 2 cents 😉 ). Not in any particular order.

1. Instruments - New ones every other year ish

2. Uniforms

3. Food

3. Transportation

4. Staff

6. Housing during camps and tour. I don't think those high schools are free.

7. Equipment maintenance (Trucks, trailers, instruments)

8. Props

9. Maybe some music licensing?

 

 

 

...and not every corps is covering housing, some are covering camp fees while others are not, some cover all-days food while others do not include that cost, some have extra costs including uniform fees while others are all inclusive.  The comparisons are really hard to do unless you truly break down what you are getting for these fees.

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2 hours ago, GUARDLING said:

And unfortunately ( although high ) a members tuition doesn't come close to covering all this.

But they also perform at paid events that bring in revenue for the corps while "working" for free.

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3 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Maybe to give tuition costs for mm’s a little perspective given what you get; my daughter did a 5 week ballet camp last summer in PA.  Comparatively she got less for her money than an mm gets and her tuition was over $5,000. 

Very True

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2 hours ago, cybersnyder said:

But they also perform at paid events that bring in revenue for the corps while "working" for free.

 not close...Think about everything from food , transportation, rehearsal locations, etc etc it's crazy .

Even a small winter program struggles with costs, especially rehearsal facilities " IF " you can get one

Edited by GUARDLING
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6 hours ago, GUARDLING said:

 not close...Think about everything from food , transportation, rehearsal locations, etc etc it's crazy .

Even a small winter program struggles with costs, especially rehearsal facilities " IF " you can get one

“Also” the key word meaning in addition to. Tuition doesn’t cover their costs, but the corps don’t play for free. 

Edited by cybersnyder
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On 3/8/2020 at 9:44 AM, George Dixon said:

Massive bargain - always has been.

Couldn’t pay for the transportation and food alone at these prices. 

 

15 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Maybe to give tuition costs for mm’s a little perspective given what you get; my daughter did a 5 week ballet camp last summer in PA.  Comparatively she got less for her money than an mm gets and her tuition was over $5,000. 

This is true, but just because other activities are more expensive doesn't mean drum corps isn't pricing out anyone below the upper middle class. It's not like poor kids are choosing between ballet camp and drum corps, they are both unobtainable for a growing portion of the population.

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16 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Maybe to give tuition costs for mm’s a little perspective given what you get; my daughter did a 5 week ballet camp last summer in PA.  Comparatively she got less for her money than an mm gets and her tuition was over $5,000. 

Yes...and for further perspective, the Maine HS Jazz  Camp which runs for one week at the University of Maine is almost $2000.  That's one week, zero travel, and one performance at the end of the week.

And something else...let's dispel this notion that drum corps is for the rich kids only.  I know a huge chunk of the Boston kids, and none of them is rich...at least the ones I know.  They go to school, and work, and fundraise.  Yeah, I only paid $450 for the summer in 1980..we had two 2 week tours, no food truck, 30 year old uniforms, and ate a lot of peanut butter and mac & cheese.

Today's corps eats 4 meals a day, and has physical trainers, an RN and an MD on tour.   Not apples and oranges.  Not even close.

 

 

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