How Much Do Drill Writers and Arrangers Get Paid?

[longhorn2190]

I was always wondering this- like how much does a drill writer get paid by one band in one year to write their entire drill and the same for the guy who arranges the music?

Anybody have an idea?

[TxRaider13]

  longhorn2190 said:

I was always wondering this- like how much does a drill writer get paid by one band in one year to write their entire drill and the same for the guy who arranges the music?

Anybody have an idea?

 

 

Depends on who does it

[Xenon]

  TxRaider13 said:

Depends on who does it

 

And how large the band is, and how new (non copied) the show is, and how complicated the show is, and much more.

[king_leonides]

Here is a fun exercise.

 

Go to Guidestar.com. Register for a free account. Then you can look up the IRS Form 990 for your band, winter guard, drum corps, or other unit. (This assumes that your organization is registered as a charity, under chapter 501C3 of the U.S. tax code. Most HS booster clubs will have this designation.) Guidestar puts out all this information to the general public. And some of it is shocking.

 

I did an analysis last year for Drum Corps Planet, to determine why it costs so much to run some of the world-class corps. It is amazing what they lavishly spend money on.

 

Anyway, regarding the designer and arranger fees: most units will not openly reveal how much they spend. But if you look closely at their 501C3s, you can decipher this. Some outfits are spending between $20,000 to $40,000 on the total fees. They generally lump these fees together, under "other professional services" in the tax return. That's likely the cost for the brass book, drum book, and drill design put together, in most cases. And, of course, some units keep the designers on retainer, so they can have changes made throughout the season.

 

Now, does the average high school band pay this much? Generally, no. Designers will charge a much smaller fee to high schools. They charge the "Neiman Marcus" fees to the drum corps - hey, if they have to ask the price, then they can't afford it.

[bchorn]

I have a related question. When are marching shows conceived? My guess is that most of the work takes place in the spring.

[Montoya]

  bchorn said:

I have a related question. When are marching shows conceived? My guess is that most of the work takes place in the spring.

 

 

Conceived? Try starting in December!

 

Constructed? Yes, the spring.

 

Fun fact... I was already designing William Mason's 2010 production, "Underworld" in the spring of 2008. Yes, that means I was working on their 2009 marching show while "figuring out" what would end up being their 2010 show.

 

And yes, since THIS spring, I've been working on what might become their 2011 show.

 

 

[takigan]

I got offered $500 to write drill for a 25-piece military band near Huntsville a couple years back. Didn't take it....probably should've though in retrospect.

 

$15 a head for an 8 minute show is standard fare here ($1500 for a 100 piece band, $4500 for a 300 piece), with adjustments made to show length and/or number of sets, plus additional charges for rewrites, extra subsets etc....you can charge a higher rate, though, if you've got the rep or the priorities.

 

I've heard rumors from more than 1 source (mind you rumors, but I believe them) that Michael Gaines charges anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000 per show for his 300+ piece full-length BOA format clients. Considering a certain Houston school I know pays $10,000/show for drill for a UIL show from a drill writer that I've never even heard of, I wouldn't hesitate much to believe that this rumor is true.

 

If drill writing takes a similar amount of time to accomplish as show arranging/writing, and someone like Montoya (who is pretty well known) is arranging 20-ish shows per year.....I can't imagine the kind of money a guy like Michael Gaines must be making considering he has more clients than he can take on most of the time.

[mellopwn1]

  takigan said:

I've heard rumors from more than 1 source (mind you rumors, but I believe them) that Michael Gaines charges anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000 per show for his 300+ piece full-length BOA format clients. Considering a certain Houston school I know pays $10,000/show for drill for a UIL show from a drill writer that I've never even heard of, I wouldn't hesitate much to believe that this rumor is true.

 

Ooooooooooooo!!!! Rumorssss...what school, what school?!?!?!?!?!!!!!1!!!!ONE!!!!11!!!