2008 MARCHING SHOWS!!!!

[Danpod]

It's good to see Rosander helping out =)

[marcomac29]

Adding on to the discussion about L.D. Bell's show from earlier, they have added more information to their show website.

 

www.ldbellthequest.org

 

 

The Quest

Music of: Sarah Brightman, Ilan Eshkeri, James Horner, Karel Husa, Frank Peterson

 

Band Directors: Jeremy Earnhart, Van Mathews, Brandon Holt, Jaime Alvarez-Calderon

Music Design: Donald Hill, Bret Kuhn, Jeremy Earnhart

Wind Arrangements: Donald Hill

Percussion Design: Bret Kuhn, Jamie Alvarez-Calderon

Percussion Arrangements: Bret Kuhn

Visual Coordinator: Wes Cartwright

Drill Design: Brian Youngblood, Wes Cartwright, Myron Rosander

Color Guard Staff: Wes Cartwright, Kala Rhidenour, Missy Thompson

Total Program Logistics: Darrell Fife

Wind Visual Techs: Chris Nolan, Bill Zieir

Percussion Techs: Jason Pena, Tricia Tedford, Jessica Fife,

 

 

judging by their staff... it's safe to say that they have a little bit of money.

[treyj]

judging by their staff... it's safe to say that they have a little bit of money.

 

 

hahaha

 

just a bit

[JustAddWat3r]

judging by their staff... it's safe to say that they have a little bit of money.

 

or maybe its like the 97-98 Chicago Bulls roster's salary where everybody except Michael Jordan made less than $5,000,000 because they cared more about the glory than the money. Basically, Jordan made 33 million dollars while the rest of the team made 30 million all together. Needless to say, they won their third straight championship. That's dedication right there.

 

So yeah my point is.

 

Glory>Money

[treyj]

or maybe its like the 97-98 Chicago Bulls roster's salary where everybody except Michael Jordan made less than $5,000,000 because they cared more about the glory than the money. Basically, Jordan made 33 million dollars while the rest of the team made 30 million all together. Needless to say, they won their third straight championship. That's dedication right there.

 

So yeah my point is.

 

Glory>Money

 

 

well somebody is still making money haha

[takigan]

judging by their staff... it's safe to say that they have a little bit of money.

 

You bet they do.

 

http://ldbellband.org/FeeSchedule.pdf

 

somebody have a ballpark figure about how many students are in the L.D. Bell band and thus, have to follow this payment schedule?

[Xenon]

You bet they do.

 

http://ldbellband.org/FeeSchedule.pdf

 

somebody have a ballpark figure about how many students are in the L.D. Bell band and thus, have to follow this payment schedule?

 

$925 per person * ~300 on-field-members (winds,battery,pit,guard) = over $277,500 just for marching season fees. Wow.

 

 

Edit: I'm sure that the people in my community are glad that my Alma Mater refuses to institute band fees.

[b_sax_agent]

hmmm

 

That's a lot of money.

 

And there is a lot of things I could say about that, but I'd rather not, because it will just bite me in the butt later on. (and no, it doesn't have to do with LD Bell)

[treyj]

$925 per person * ~300 on-field-members (winds,battery,pit,guard) = over $277,500 just for marching season fees. Wow.

 

 

woah and i was complaining about $250 band fees.

 

925, does it really take that much to be the best?

 

i tihnk not

[whitewing09]

Well they get band year books and other stuff haha idk they do a lot! It adds up!!!

[mbui]

Instead of noticing the huge $925, read the break down of what the band payment is actually being used for. The 925 dollars also includes ALL of the travel fees for the entire marching season. Including BOA Houston, San Antonio, Grand Nationals, UIL Region, Area, State and all of the football games. As much as they travel, call me crazy, but that's pretty cheap.

 

My Houston, San Antonio, and Grand Nationals trip alone as a spectator last year cost me around 700-800 dollars--including tickets, restaurant food, fuel, hotel, and etc.

[Xenon]

Instead of noticing the huge $925, read the break down of what the band payment is actually being used for. The 925 dollars also includes ALL of the travel fees for the entire marching season. Including BOA Houston, San Antonio, Grand Nationals, UIL Region, Area, State and all of the football games. As much as they travel, call me crazy, but that's pretty cheap.

 

My Houston, San Antonio, and Grand Nationals trip alone as a spectator last year cost me around 700-800 dollars--including tickets, restaurant food, fuel, hotel, and etc.

 

I'm just not used to seeing those kinds of things coming from anywhere except from the District/Band/Bandboosters budgets. But then again, I come from a district that seems to run a little differently from everyone else.

 

The only thing that we had to paid for ourselves were:

 

- Band Shirt: $10 (One time cost for 4 years or until it was worn out)

- Dinkles: $10 (Probably a 2 time cost for 4 years due to wearing out)

- Spring Trip: ~$250

 

Every bit of travel (other than the Spring Trip) was covered by somebody else (district/band/boosters) including State, long distance competitions, and Honor Band concerts.

 

 

The problem I have with fees like the ones that Bell is charging (although, they do have tons of fundraisers listed) is that it is a deterrant to having poorer students in the band. That could be half a month's take-home pay for some families. Although, it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem for them right now in that they have ~300 members out of a student body of only about ~1800 across 3 grades.

[Danpod]

As far as the $925 worth of band fees is concerned, I find the amount fairly reasonable for what they are doing this season (Three BOA Regionals, UIL State, and Grand Nationals). Our Grand Nationals trip in 2002 was $750, which included four nights stay in Indianapolis, airfare, and meals. I think for total fees that year, which included BOA Arlington, San Antonio, UIL State in Waco and Grand Nationals, the amount was a little more than $900. Their travel and lodging fees are included which constitute a lot of the money requested by the program.

 

The students in the program have many opportunities to fundraise and eliminate part of the fees. I find that some students who complain about their band fees being so high are often the ones who won't even attempt to fundraise and put a dent in them. A little elbow grease and effort can knock out some of those fees and make the actual out-of-pocket cost more reasonable.

[Danpod]

woah and i was complaining about $250 band fees.

 

925, does it really take that much to be the best?

 

i tihnk not

 

It does if the fees are the responsibility of the student and you travel across this massive State and Country we live in. If you're going to travel to all of these contests, regardless of how the results turn out, then you will have to pay up.

 

Look at the breakdown of all of the crap they have to pay for. They aren't just charging random fees to stick it to the students. There's a method to the madness.

[dfife]

The problem I have with fees like the ones that Bell is charging (although, they do have tons of fundraisers listed) is that it is a deterrant to having poorer students in the band. That could be half a month's take-home pay for some families. Although, it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem for them right now in that they have ~300 members out of a student body of only about ~1800 across 3 grades.

 

No student has ever been precluded from participation in the program for financial reason. There is always a way to make it work, with community support.

 

Many schools across the state, and across the nation have fees that are far higher. They just don't post it publicly for everyone to see.

[whitewing09]

My family definitely does not have the money to do this. However, I would soo save the majority of my pay checks for 3 months just to have the opportunity to participate in what they get to do! I think it is totally worth it, that's like a chance of a lifetime!

[Xenon]

No student has ever been precluded from participation in the program for financial reason. There is always a way to make it work, with community support.

You can say that no student has ever been specifically precluded for financial reasons (and this is a great thing), but you can't know how many parents/kids have been scared off by such fee schedules and are too proud to admit it. These fees could be cutting really deep into an already strained budget of parents that are too proud to ask for help.

 

Many schools across the state, and across the nation have fees that are far higher. They just don't post it publicly for everyone to see.

While this is true, I hate seeing this type of argument brought up. Other people doing something is not a valid argument for you (the global "you", not you specifically) doing something. But, yes, the only reason we are talking about this is because it was published, and I highly applaud how open and easily accessible all of LD Bell's information is.

[treyj]

As far as the $925 worth of band fees is concerned, I find the amount fairly reasonable for what they are doing this season (Three BOA Regionals, UIL State, and Grand Nationals). Our Grand Nationals trip in 2002 was $750, which included four nights stay in Indianapolis, airfare, and meals. I think for total fees that year, which included BOA Arlington, San Antonio, UIL State in Waco and Grand Nationals, the amount was a little more than $900. Their travel and lodging fees are included which constitute a lot of the money requested by the program.

 

The students in the program have many opportunities to fundraise and eliminate part of the fees. I find that some students who complain about their band fees being so high are often the ones who won't even attempt to fundraise and put a dent in them. A little elbow grease and effort can knock out some of those fees and make the actual out-of-pocket cost more reasonable.

 

 

true that.

I know we do a marchathon thing every year and that generate about 40 or 50 k just in its self

[marcomac29]

the district should pay for all of their UIL events... isn't that like a state law? or is our district just nice..?

 

 

 

and i'm sure that since they're the national champions and all... that they probably get some funding from the district.... just guessing though

[whitewing09]

But 300 students is a lot to haul around. Then the BOA fees I mean ya apparently it adds up fast, then you have to remember this is their fourth consecutive year going to grand nationals.

Edited August 27, 2008 by whitewing09

[takigan]

But with that many students, it should start to become cheaper per person because many businesses (hotels, charter buses, airlines, restaurants, tourist attractions etc.) are willing to offer discounts to large groups such as these just due to the fact that they're bringing in a large amount of business.

 

I think $925 is a bit excessive just for the Fall. I mean if you budget it this way:

 

Bus Charter to Grand Nationals - $50,000 - $60,000

Hotel (4 nights, 350 people split into 90 rooms at $150 per night/room) - $54,000

Restaurants (Dinner each night provided, free continental breakfast, leave remaining food at students expense, so 4 total meals at $10 per plate) - $14,000

 

I estimate the total trip tab adding up to about $130,000 (after adding taxes and miscellaneous expenses). It'd be more if you flew but this totals about $400 per person (300 band kids covering the trip for themselves plus the 50 extra people that consists of staff and chaperones). You might say "Yeah, well that's just Grand Nationals....what about all those other trips?". Of course....but since you're chartering for only 1 day for each trip (except San Antonio) and don't need to pay room expenses or meal expenses or nearly the amount for mileage, so it's just chump change. For BOA Houston you'll probably pay $10,000-$15,000 tops for the charterbus motorcade and additional expenses ($30-$50 per person). UIL Region and Area can be ventured with school buses provided by the district since the competitions are close by (WAY cheaper, you'd basically only have to pay for mileage since the band directors and parent conscripts could drive the buses). State would be just like the Houston trip (and roughly $30-50 per person).

 

The remaining venture lies in BOA San Antonio. The determining factor here is the timeslot you get for San Antonio. BOA doesn't even have to be an overnight trip if you get a good timeslot and depending on where you are. The fact that Bell has to travel farther than most bands makes them more liable to have to stay overnight. Hotel costs for one night in San Antonio would run about $12,000. Add $25,000 for the motorcade and you get about $40,000. With meals etc. that's about $150 per person for the trip.

 

Come to think of it, it IS starting to add up . Trip costs for the Fall add up to 600-700 dollars per person. When you consider the band will probably have to charter at least 4 sets of buses for the year plus at least 2 overnight stays just during the Fall, not to mention this band is already a high roller when it comes to show design, I guess the amount makes more sense.

 

That's a lot of money, and there's no way I would have been able to do band under this budget when I was in school....when I was in HS, like Xenon, we only had to pay a flat $50 fee which covered the show shirt, uniform cleaning fees and basic expenses (drinks at games etc.), plus we had to buy shoes to use during our 4-year career, plus you still had to pay your portion of the Spring trip ($150-$250). My parents would raise a ruckus at even having to pay the trip fee using inane comments like "Well, where are all of our school taxes going then?". The year after I left, my school instituted an "activity fee" of $150 or so which the school used to start turning itself into a true "suburban school band" as I like to call it. I probably would have had to drop band at that point, though I like to relish about throwing these L.D. Bell numbers at them just to let them know how easy they had it .

[takigan]

Sorry for the double post but I wonder how lucrative it would be for programs that travel this much to invest in a set of coach buses for their schools. It'd probably be cheaper for everyone in the long run.

[Trumpet of Doom]

The Woodlands has new uniforms this year. I haven't seen them but they have new ones.

 

Sweet, how did you hear about this?

Edited August 28, 2008 by Trumpet of Doom

[AzNtRoMbOnEcHiCk]

wahoo!

my 31st football game tomorrroww.

yay band.

[rpd]

wahoo!

my 31st football game tomorrroww.

yay band.

 

I refer to it as my last, first football game.

 

For me it will be 33rd game. My football team actually did well a couple years ago.