Santa Clara Vanguard 2024

[Slingerland]

1 hour ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I couldn't find a handbook on the website to check if this was already addressed and I missed it.

Note to drum corps - posting your member handbooks online is a really simple way of helping to build trust among the public, and doesn't cost anything. I know Cavaliers have theirs online, but not sure about anyone else. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Slingerland

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, rpbobcat said:

Read my post.

I never said they were all full timers.

I said " I presumed they  were all getting paid".

Full time or not, they are all getting paid.

Questions to me are :

1. Why do you need that  big a percussion staff ?

 2.How much is each staff  member being paid ?

 

 

staff doesnt make a livable wage. they get paid when they are with the corps. and in todays world, you can't get many people to be able to take the entire summer off to go on tour. so you need this many people. some only do camps. some can only do a week on tour. some can do a week now, and a week later. the only folks making any "significant" amount are designers or caption heads. and most of them aren't raising their tax bracket just on what a corps pays them

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, Richard Lesher said:

It certainly costs them a lot to fly them there and back. 

that i don't disagree with. but if the activity relied on people that could take the whole summer off in todays world, there'd be very few staff

[IllianaLancerContra]

1 hour ago, Richard Lesher said:

It certainly costs them a lot to fly them there and back. 

Yes, staff is being flown in & out over the season.  I know you are in military & thus familiar w/ logistics.   And it is the logistical tail of such a large percussion staff (& brass staff, & guard staff, etc) that are driving up costs.  Consider  the logistical impact of airport runs for these staff.  Add in the logistical costs of dragging around extra semi(s) loaded with big front ensemble, props, electronics and so forth. All these little costs add up.  And then we wonder why tuition is so high & still ends don’t meet.  

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Cymbals Lives Matter. 

well for a few corps anyway

[Jeff Ream]

43 minutes ago, denverjohn said:

Since most techs are barely above age-out age of 21/22, I propose that all tech job descriptions should read: Must be 21 or under and be willing to march and wear a uniform. Tech staff teaches themselves. That would save a bunch of space while on tour and housing space.

in these times, thats a recipe for disaster

[IllianaLancerContra]

Just now, Jeff Ream said:

that i don't disagree with. but if the activity relied on people that could take the whole summer off in todays world, there'd be very few staff

BITD older, more experienced marching members (section leaders & such) would help teach the new members.   With all the music education majors in the activity today I wonder if this is a potential untapped resource?  

[rjohn76]

1 hour ago, rpbobcat said:

Read my post.

I never said they were all full timers.

I said " I presumed they  were all getting paid".

Full time or not, they are all getting paid.

Questions to me are :

1. Why do you need that  big a percussion staff ?

 2.How much is each staff  member being paid ?

 

 

One of the shifts in the activity has been towards the staff being made up of more professional educators vs. some random people that knew somebody.  Most professional educators have real life obligations that require them to spend time back home at various times throughout the spring/summer (ex. band camp, district training, community events, etc...).  In the old days, if a tech had to go home... someone else on tour would fill in temporarily.  As a brass player, I remember having a random percussion tech stand in front of the line one day because all of the brass staff was absent.  While we made it through the practice day, it wasn't exactly what I would consider productive outside of getting reps.  At the time we were more accepting of that and even joked about it.  Today's members have higher expectations where they expect to have a professional educator familiar with their section standing in front of them at all times.  The end result is needing more staff available to cover those expectations, even if it does come at a higher expense.

[OldSnareDrummer]

4 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

BITD older, more experienced marching members (section leaders & such) would help teach the new members.   With all the music education majors in the activity today I wonder if this is a potential untapped resource?  

All true, but different times now. For $5K a year, I'd want my kid taught by a pro. 

[LabMaster]

14 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

staff doesnt make a livable wage. they get paid when they are with the corps. and in todays world, you can't get many people to be able to take the entire summer off to go on tour. so you need this many people. some only do camps. some can only do a week on tour. some can do a week now, and a week later. the only folks making any "significant" amount are designers or caption heads. and most of them aren't raising their tax bracket just on what a corps pays them

Agree with this.  One thing that helps some staffers is that they are school teachers and what little they may be compensated for with a corps, can make it tolerable.  But that’s not the case with all corps staff.