4 DAYS TILL DCI SCHEDULE RELEASE?

[JimF-LowBari]

1 hour ago, C.Holland said:

keep in mind, this activity is no longer a service activity.  It’s a sold touring experience.   Busses, care, feeding, wardrobe, equipment, and "education" are all expected to be a premium.   Students save up to pay for less seasons.   Maybe they tour a 1-2 seasons in open class or dca, then move onto 1, maybe 2 world if they're lucky.   If the experience isn't amazing in one place, they'll quickly take their money someplace else. 

And with the internet word gets out quick and far about how amazing or crappy the experience is.
Knew a young man who did Cadets, Buccaneers and an alumni type corps over the years. He knew what each corps was like for the members and made the right choices for himself.

[fighterkit]

8 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

I was wondering as have seen posts claiming that corps use horns so much that they are trash after one season…. Then you bring up how the earlier era horns were used for years and years and you get 🤬🤬🤬 as a response.

ironic timing as just got back the trombone I used when I first started. Finish is total gone but still plays 55 years later.

When I marched in the hornline I made a point to keep my horn in good condition.

Yes it got dented and wasn't perfect at the end of the season. (My first season I was on contra. That thing was getting hit. My second was on baritone and accidents happen)

At the end of the day I seriously believe that minus one or two serious accidents the horns can be reused. Of the accidents I can remember, most were trumpets. One was rolled over cause of some choreo, one was stepped on. A baritone caught a rifle, though it still worked and just needed major fixing in that area. In 19 my trombone slide caught a rifle and it was still usable until the end of the season. 

I honestly think that most top 12 get new horns every year simply because they can and they can resell them for a decent price. I know that quite a few top 12 have had to reuse the same horns since 2020 and are more than likely going to reuse them for 23, but that may be more of manufacturing/shipping is still messed up from COVID and some of these manufacturers simply cannot get the corps new horns. Though it always makes me wonder why some corps get new horns when others don't. 
 

 

Also to the guard equipment post I saw. 

I moved in early with BAC and helped determine what guard equipment was usable and unusable (with help from the guard captains of course. I know nothing about guard.)

Majority of the flag poles and rifles were reused, with the main determining factor being if they were bent or not. 
Rehearsal flags were kept if they weren't torn, which most of them weren't, and they've been using some of this equipment for a few years. 
Show flags of course get bought for every show though. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by fighterkit
Guard equipment

[C.Holland]

9 hours ago, KVG_DC said:

Who bought those heavy ### stages with ICONIC on them? 😉

Nobody. Those were made of wood. You can buy steeldeck or staging concepts platforms and legs from SCH40 pipe for what that thing cost to build.  But yknow, don’t listen to the guy who specs that gear regularly. Heck, steeldeck would rent the stage, Those things are built for concert touring. When the apocalypse happens, only roaches, twinkies, and steeldeck will be left.

[Phantom56]

Most of the corps get free horns, percussion and uniforms every year. It's advertising for the companies, as band directors are influenced by the corps choices. 

[craiga]

13 hours ago, fighterkit said:

When I marched in the hornline I made a point to keep my horn in good condition.

Yes it got dented and wasn't perfect at the end of the season. (My first season I was on contra. That thing was getting hit. My second was on baritone and accidents happen)

At the end of the day I seriously believe that minus one or two serious accidents the horns can be reused. Of the accidents I can remember, most were trumpets. One was rolled over cause of some choreo, one was stepped on. A baritone caught a rifle, though it still worked and just needed major fixing in that area. In 19 my trombone slide caught a rifle and it was still usable until the end of the season. 

I honestly think that most top 12 get new horns every year simply because they can and they can resell them for a decent price. I know that quite a few top 12 have had to reuse the same horns since 2020 and are more than likely going to reuse them for 23, but that may be more of manufacturing/shipping is still messed up from COVID and some of these manufacturers simply cannot get the corps new horns. Though it always makes me wonder why some corps get new horns when others don't. 
 

 

Also to the guard equipment post I saw. 

I moved in early with BAC and helped determine what guard equipment was usable and unusable (with help from the guard captains of course. I know nothing about guard.)

Majority of the flag poles and rifles were reused, with the main determining factor being if they were bent or not. 
Rehearsal flags were kept if they weren't torn, which most of them weren't, and they've been using some of this equipment for a few years. 
Show flags of course get bought for every show though. 

This is all accurate.  Just to add one more dimension, the percussion piece is different but I thing most corps do the same thing.  As some folks here know, I am generally around for BAC'S spring training every year (except for one) so I can speak as an eyewitness. 

Usually, at some point during the first week of ST, an 18 wheeler arrives from the drum company.   The entire set of new drums are unloaded, and the entire set of last year's drums are loaded onto the truck.  They will be brought back to the drum manufacturer, recovered, reconditioned, and remarketed to a high school or college band.

The new drums arrive semi-assembled and the drum line will finish assembling them in one night.   It is a huge undertaking, but to the members it is literally like Christmas morning and they are excited.  If there is anything wrong or missing,  the drum manufacturer is quick to resolve it.  I recall that in 2021, there was an issue with the wraps on the ZOOM drums, but they were resolved quickly.

I also wanted to mention that BAC's first year of percussion endorsement was way back in 1990. The company at that time was Ludwig and the corps was justing coming off a 17th place finish with the smallest corps in World Class in 1989. Thus, I do not believe that you have to be a top 12 corps to be fully endorsed.

Also,  I wanted to add one more thing....Castleton fortunately has two gyms, and one of these will house all of the Percussion equipment throughout the spring training.  Between the battery percussion and the front ensemble equipment, a full gym is needed and pretty serves as a percussion headquarters for the month.

Edited December 8, 2022 by craiga

[JimF-LowBari]

20 minutes ago, Phantom56 said:

Most of the corps get free horns, percussion and uniforms every year. It's advertising for the companies, as band directors are influenced by the corps choices. 

Brings up a question I have (which is probably unanswerable).

How many DCI corps are there and how many get freebies, broken down by category.

[Phantom56]

Fred J Miller, Stanbury and DeMoulin provide free uniforms every year. Makes economic sense for them, as there are many thousands of high school and college marching bands whose directors attend finals, or regionals, and ask for a similar looking uniform for their bands. And they pay for them. Same for brass and percussion. A great business model, especially so for the 22 current World Class Corps. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by Phantom56
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[Phantom56]

Add to that WGI and the winter guard world. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by Phantom56
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[LabMaster]

11 hours ago, Phantom56 said:

Most of the corps get free horns, percussion and uniforms every year. It's advertising for the companies, as band directors are influenced by the corps choices. 

Not quite true.  Not sure where you get you info.  “Most”corps actually pay for equipment.  They may get deep discounts, they may get SOME equipment free. But a company can’t give multiple corps using their equipment, away for free.   Free stuff for all, or “most”, is an urban myth.

Edited December 9, 2022 by LabMaster

[C.Holland]

14 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Brings up a question I have (which is probably unanswerable).

How many DCI corps are there and how many get freebies, broken down by category.

The agreement is to sell the horns at the end of the season for profit. Those aren’t freebies. The corps operates as a dealer for the manufacturer.