Is touring really worth it.

[octavia9299]

I have 2 kids in drum corps and although neither of them would ever say they did it for the travel opportunities, they both have seen parts of the country they might not otherwise have seen. They're seeing it with their friends and not vacationing with their parents, to boot. My daughter got to tool around New Orleans last summer with friends and see it before Katrina hit, which happened just weeks after her visit. My son has had free days in SF, Orlando (DWorld), DC, plus lots of smaller towns where he would call me later and say they ate at some little place where he just had the best meal ever.

Also, I think just getting out of your own little community/state and seeing what people, weather and geography are like elsewhere is big. My daughter has stayed in High Schools where the coackroaches are big and roaming around, they have both learned that it really is hotter than Hades in Phoenix and other places, that when its hot in some places, everyone looks like they just took a shower in their clothes. They see that there are actually places where there are more green colors than shades of brown in the summer. You put all this together along with the sense of "belonging" to something bigger than yourself and all that goes with that, and you've got plenty of reasons to go on tour.

By far, the best post of the week. Too cool.

[Michael Boo]

I first saw the Rocky Mountains because I was touring as a member of The Cavaliers in the mid-1970s. I still remember being in awe on the rehearsal field with the mountains towering in the distance. I saw Montreal for the first time while on tour and fell in love with Old Montreal. Got to many eastern states I had never been to. Still remember the bus driving around the rotaries. Had free time in Boston to visit the graves of many important founders of this country. Saw Manhattan and Times Square. Was exposed to egg creams.

If it wasn't for touring, many kids in corps would not be exposed to different parts of the country. And that by itself is a very major positive thing.

[jjlet]

In my opinion, "drum corps touring" is not about "seeing things". Like the activity, it's about commitment, beginning life-long friendships, knowing what you can do when you put yourself to the test, developing life lessons that will do you well the rest of your life and many other attributes that others have pointed out in this thread and many others.

If you want to "see the sights of the country", then you probably don't want to do corps. The sights you do see and experience are like those 99%+ of the o####ry never get to see or experience. And for those unique experiences, there are 5,000 -10,000 young men and women every year that are better people for that.

[bobhoehn]

In my opinion, "drum corps touring" is not about "seeing things". Like the activity, it's about commitment, beginning life-long friendships, knowing what you can do when you put yourself to the test, developing life lessons that will do you well the rest of your life and many other attributes that others have pointed out in this thread and many others.

If you want to "see the sights of the country", then you probably don't want to do corps. The sights you do see and experience are like those 99%+ of the o####ry never get to see or experience. And for those unique experiences, there are 5,000 -10,000 young men and women every year that are better people for that.

Last season while on tour with the Cavaliers they spent an off day in NYC. Everyone had a great time. Everyone needs a day to restart brain.

[Malibu]

Croosmen had a free day at the beach this year.

Waaay back when I marched we had a free day at Mt. Rushmore, San Francisco, Disney Land, New Orleans, Disney World, San Antonio, Montreal to name a few. We were scheduled one year to see the Grand Canyon but our buses thought other wise. :sshh:

[InHiFiStereo]

I remember hearing that Scott Stewart was always adamant about making the experience for the Scouts not only just a drum corps tour, but they would also make stops at national parks, historic cities, etc. This tended to trickle down to Capital Sound whenever we could find the time. Also, not many people outside this activity know about Streator, IL. Many of us may wish we would have never experienced that place but you should be lucky you had that experience. That's the type of stuff that really shows you what you are capable of in life.

[Michael Boo]

In my opinion, "drum corps touring" is not about "seeing things". Like the activity, it's about commitment, beginning life-long friendships, knowing what you can do when you put yourself to the test, developing life lessons that will do you well the rest of your life and many other attributes that others have pointed out in this thread and many others.

If you want to "see the sights of the country", then you probably don't want to do corps. The sights you do see and experience are like those 99%+ of the o####ry never get to see or experience. And for those unique experiences, there are 5,000 -10,000 young men and women every year that are better people for that.

Well, I must politefully disagree with you on that. Seeing things is part of the overall experience and corps members do get chances to see a number of things during tour. Maybe they don't get as much time to spend at places as they wish, but I know after I aged out, I went and visited a large number of places I saw while in the corps in spend more time there.

Example: Free day in NYC. When I went back, I did all the museums I had no time for, plus the Statue of Liberty, Circle Line Tour, further explored Times Square, St. John the Divine Cathedral, Central Park, etc. But being there with the corps whetted my appetite. The Rocky Mountains...when I went to Denver for the 1978 DCI Worlds after being there with the corps the year before, I did Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy, the Coors factory tour, drove through the Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road, visited Estes Park, etc. In Boston I did the trolley tour and Old North Church, as well as other sites. I knew when I got a glimpse of some of these while with the corps, I wanted to come back and see more. Being on tour released the wanderlust in me.