Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[jwillis35]

23 minutes ago, Newseditor44 said:

Your numbers for techs are a tad bit too high. And yes, I said too high. A majority of those techs will be with the corps for a week, tops. A majority do it for the experience, not the money. Nobody is getting rich. 

You're right. Just trying to make a point that if cuts need to be made then they can be made in a lot of places and not just one area only. Keeping up with the Jones has sadly hurt many in the activity. So yes, the techs do not cost as much, but if the corps is in debt and has to cut operating costs then anything and everything is up for cuts.  Obviously nobody wants to cut but clearly that is what caused the issue here with SCV. 

[Tim K]

49 minutes ago, TenHut said:

It is a long slow death. There were over 750 drum corps in 1971. What's left today 25 corps? Not good folks. 

I think the decrease in corps since 1971 has to do with a variety of factors. Yes drum corps got expensive, and in too many cases there was mismanagement. There were corps that responsibly decided not to compete for financial reasons, others who left the field owing money that was never repaid often to small businesses and individuals who loaned a corps money. However many corps folded due to lack of interest. There are also more activities competing for young people’s interests today. In 1971 towns had fewer sports opportunities limited to baseball, football, basketball and in come cases hockey and soccer. Sometimes there were running clubs that offered track and field. Sports were often open only open to boys until high school when there were girls basketball teams, softball, and field hockey. Now sports are open to all young people and include team gymnastics, competitive cheering, rugby, lacrosse, and a host of other games. Local theater programs are far better, dance instruction varied, art classes available. Music programs in schools have vastly improved. Drum corps was a catch all activity. Other things have taken its place. 

Now something that did happen just prior to DCI was the elites kept getting better. With the exception of a handful of years, the best corps improved each year with little movement at the top. Making the top twelve got more difficult and more predictable. This eliminated competition and discouraged corps. Now it’s getting too expensive to fund the elite corps. Sadly, SCV was one of the elites. 

[Tim K]

8 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:

You're right. Just trying to make a point that if cuts need to be made then they can be made in a lot of places and not just one area only. Keeping up with the Jones has sadly hurt many in the activity. So yes, the techs do not cost as much, but if the corps is in debt and has to cut operating costs then anything and everything is up for cuts.  Obviously nobody wants to cut but clearly that is what caused the issue here with SCV. 

You’re pretty accurate here. Smaller private schools that do not cater to the well to do and charter schools that have to fund raise for a portion of their budget often find tightening the budget in smaller ways over a long period of time is more effective than sweeping cuts. It would not surprise me if it was discovered that most corps that fail financially spent a bit too much here and not enough there and in the end have little to show for it. 

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[84BDsop]

1 hour ago, TRacer said:

Bruckner8 and I performed that show the summer you were born. Heck, we stood pretty close to each other in the hornline. 😊

And that was the first year SCV even had a SHARE of the Ott (but really...a three-way??  Even an uber-rook like ME was shocked at that one).

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[Bob984]

6 hours ago, college-phan said:

From what I’m hearing, it’s a combination of soaring costs related to tour (obviously) and frank mismanagement on the part of VMAPA. It’s not a lot unlike what Phantom went through in the late 2000s, just coupled with inflated costs. They should be able to recover, but it definitely should instruct corps to learn how to diversify income if at all possible.

Spending is the main issue.........I think all of the DCI corps are going to face a reality check very soon.......they can't keep throwing the additional costs onto the membership, nor can they expect alumni support to provide super high amounts.............they are going to have to learn to "cut the fat" and live within their means......I am also surprised that they didn't plea with the alumni for emergency donations, ask staff to take a pay cut, and maybe cut out a week of tour.............not going out should be the very, very last resort..............I feel for them, and Mr. Royer would be going crazy.............

[Hook'emCavies]

A finals night without SCV.... this doesn't feel right, but it's obviously understandable.

[84BDsop]

4 hours ago, scheherazadesghost said:

TIL I was probably definitely an uber-rook. 😇

To clarify...84 BD was my first time EVER marching corps-style.  My HS and college bands were squads of 4, facing direction of march, etc.  I'd never marched a slide or backwards until BD...it was a steeeeeeep learning curve.