Drum Corps along the Gulf Coast

[Roland]

We are NOW forming a Corp in Mobile(central location for the Gulf Coast is the reason).We will be beginning at the start of the school year. We are Looking for instructors who can commit to three afterschool (2:45 to 5:00 or so)days,and or then in nov will start auditions camp. the school program is at Dunbar Creative and Performing Arts Middle School. The program is under the school until the 501©3 stuff is completed. The aftersch prgm will be an enrichment op for students who have the required gpa. We will Have tutors for the youth the 1st 45 mins then we plan to have 3 grps, drums/pit, brass, and guard. INSTRUCTORS are Needed NOW. The work will be hard but if you've marched you know the rewards. we hope to have a div III by the 07 summer. Hope to draw youth from mostly this area as far North as montgomery, tallahassee lafeyette, What an Opportunity to Showcase the youth of region in our and then promote the region on the DCI circuit

[geluf]

Might want to put some contact info here.

[Krista]

:lolhit:

[ssorrell]

I'm all for new corps being formed, however, a few pertinent questions...

1. Who is the director? Is there a Board of Directors?

2. Is long term funding in the works? Where will operating capital come from?

3. You plan to have "tutors"? For what...core curriculum? If they meet certain GPA restrictions, is that necessary? Or are you talking about private instruction on their instruments (which I've never heard referred to as "tutoring", thus my confusion)?

If you are starting up as an after school program for the time being, I wouldn't target anyone outside of the immediate Mobile area. Shooting for members from as far away as Montgomery or Tallahassee is reaching quite a bit for such a program. In fact, targeting anyone outside of that particular school might be questionable.

Again...I'm excited to see some new corps emerge since we've lost so many, but ONLY if there is a solid long term plan in place, which I believe must be publicly presented if it is to be supported. Shooting for a competitive Div 3 corps by next summer is a lofty goal, so you need to be quite forthcoming with info if you are to make that a reality!

Good luck!

Edited May 17, 2006 by ssorrell

[Roland]

I'm all for new corps being formed, however, a few pertinent questions...

1. Who is the director? Roland Phllips

Is there a Board of Directors? Yes

2. Is long term funding in the works? Yes

Where will operating capital come from? Grants, Fees, Fundraising, Corporate Sponsors

3. You plan to have "tutors"? The Afterschool Program

For what...core curriculum? We are here for the kids

If they meet certain GPA restrictions, is that necessary? Yes

Or are you talking about private instruction on their instruments (which I've never heard referred to as "tutoring", thus my confusion)?

If you are starting up as an after school program for the time being, I wouldn't target anyone outside of the immediate Mobile area. you're Right

Shooting for members from as far away as Montgomery or Tallahassee is reaching quite a bit for such a program. Ah, You are confusing the drum corp with the aftersch prgm.

In fact, targeting anyone outside of that particular school might be questionable. Right

Again...I'm excited to see some new corps emerge since we've lost so many, but ONLY if there is a solid long term plan in place, which I believe must be publicly presented if it is to be supported. Shooting for a competitive Div 3 corps by next summer is a lofty goal, so you need to be quite forthcoming with info if you are to make that a reality!

Good luck!

This is an opportunity for the area to provide young men and women a future and a hope and a lifelong LEGACY for 'em- It is a monumental task that needs to be done There are many jobs open ANYBODY interested in HELPING????????? Roland

[ssorrell]

This is an opportunity for the area to provide young men and women a future and a hope and a lifelong LEGACY for 'em- It is a monumental task that needs to be done There are many jobs open ANYBODY interested in HELPING????????? Roland

Can you answer any of the questions? You have to admit, those are IMPORTANT issues when forming a drum corps! I might know people that could be interested in helping, but only if there are plans in place to insure that this is being thought through carefully and thoroughly. Because if you plan to field a corps in 2007 like you stated, you've got a TON of work to do. Are you doing the right things to make sure this won't be another failed attempt to start a corps? If so...share those plans with us!

Edited May 17, 2006 by ssorrell

[ssorrell]

Sorry...I just noticed that you answered the questions in the body of my message in your response...I had overlooked that earlier.

Can you give your background in drum corps, non for profit organizations, etc?

Operating capital: Grants...from whom? Fees...how much? Corporate Sponsors?...are you kidding? Look at how many top Division 1 corps have had difficulty surviving after a "sponsor" pulled their support (Spirit and Suncoast to name two...and both in the deep south to boot!). I speak from experience...it will be difficult to get a grant from anybody that amounts to anything, if you can get one at all. Corps fees usually account for less than 1/3 of the operating capital needed (if 100% of the fees are paid in full, which rarely happens in any drum corps). And Corporate Sponsors are not a solid foundation to count on for any length of time.

And yes...I'm confused...what's the difference in your after school program and the drum corps? If you need instructors now to start the new school year, then one would assume that the drum corps will be rehearsing, otherwise, why would you need instructors NOW?

I ask these questions because I am in the State of AL and I have friends with plenty of teaching experience that might be interested in teaching in the area (if they still live down there!). Are you asking for volunteers to teach or do you actually have paid positions available? Asking for instructors 3 days a week is a little much, IMHO. Are these instructors supposed to be "tutors", or is that a different group of people handling that?

Hey...I'm not trying to bust your chops, but this pales in comparison to the scrutiny you will receive from parents of kids that might march in your corps. I'd love to see another corps in my state, but I can't support something with little or no information. Put your complete plan out there and maybe some folks will get behind you!

Edited May 17, 2006 by ssorrell

[Roland]

Sorry...I just noticed that you answered the questions in the body of my message in your response...I had overlooked that earlier.

Can you give your background in drum corps, non for profit organizations, etc?

Operating capital: Grants...from whom? Fees...how much? Corporate Sponsors?...are you kidding? Look at how many top Division 1 corps have had difficulty surviving after a "sponsor" pulled their support (Spirit and Suncoast to name two...and both in the deep south to boot!). I speak from experience...it will be difficult to get a grant from anybody that amounts to anything, if you can get one at all. Corps fees usually account for less than 1/3 of the operating capital needed (if 100% of the fees are paid in full, which rarely happens in any drum corps). And Corporate Sponsors are not a solid foundation to count on for any length of time.

And yes...I'm confused...what's the difference in your after school program and the drum corps? If you need instructors now to start the new school year, then one would assume that the drum corps will be rehearsing, otherwise, why would you need instructors NOW?

I ask these questions because I am in the State of AL and I have friends with plenty of teaching experience that might be interested in teaching in the area (if they still live down there!). Are you asking for volunteers to teach or do you actually have paid positions available? Asking for instructors 3 days a week is a little much, IMHO. Are these instructors supposed to be "tutors", or is that a different group of people handling that?

Hey...I'm not trying to bust your chops, but this pales in comparison to the scrutiny you will receive from parents of kids that might march in your corps. I'd love to see another corps in my state, but I can't support something with little or no information. Put your complete plan out there and maybe some folks will get behind you!

OK still a bit Green in this Whole thing, But everything is still in the pilot infancy so there is a lot of stuff to be done. I have folks that have said great and expressed interest, or they have given me a litany of negative feedback. The Parents have been very positive and receptive to the idea, the local arts counsel is to. We have the support of the largest school system in our area. This a Great op for Knowledgable DC people to come to the Aid of the Little Red Hen to grow this kids, fertilize with instruction/guidance, cull kids out with care and compassion, harvest kids of quality, produce the kids into a body of movement and sound and shape, bake that body of kids into a performance venue to represent this area by showcasing these now young men and women

[Roland]

:angel: :blah: ^OO^

OK still a bit Green in this Whole thing, But everything is still in the pilot infancy so there is a lot of stuff to be done. I have folks that have said great and expressed interest, or they have given me a litany of negative feedback. The Parents have been very positive and receptive to the idea, the local arts counsel is to. We have the support of the largest school system in our area. This a Great op for Knowledgable DC people to come to the Aid of the Little Red Hen to grow this kids, fertilize with instruction/guidance, cull kids out with care and compassion, harvest kids of quality, produce the kids into a body of movement and sound and shape, bake that body of kids into a performance venue to represent this area by showcasing these now young men and women

[ssorrell]

I appreciate the fact that you are taking the time to respond, but can you answer the questions in my last post?

Your attitude is great, but the support and long term stability has to be defined. Parental support is great too, but that doesn't build a drum corps. The largest school system supports you? How? Financially?

You continue to state that this is a great opportunity. A drum corps can be a great opportunity for a few kids, but if it is not managed correctly, it can become a nightmare for the administration AND the members. Ask the kids who paid hundreds of dollars to join a corps only to be left to find their own way home in the middle of tour. Ask anyone from Spirit in 2000 how it felt to have your corps director attempt to fold the corps only a week before tour is supposed to start. Call up kids or staff from Kiwanis Kavaliers, Court of Honor, Troopers, Suncoast, Magic, Velvet Knights, or 27th Lancers...ask them how hard it is to survive. Look at that list of corps in that last sentence...some of them have decades of history, then suddenly for various reasons had to cease operations or take a year off to rebuild. The fact is, running a drum corps properly, even a small one, is a most difficult task even for experienced individuals.

My first suggestion to you...you might want to reconsider your plans to field a Div 3 corps in the summer of 2007. If you are still "green" and plans are still in their infancy, you might need to shoot for a MUCH later date. Of course it doesn't matter, as DCI will ultimately decide when the organization is prepared for membership and touring.

Again, if you can answer some or most of the questions I've posted, I might can send some people your way that might be interested in helping.