I'm taking a much needed week off after working non stop since May 22nd. I've been home since Monday and I will be leaving Monday, so I finally have time to sit down and start talking about some topics related to my work here with the Bluecoats. This organization is for non-profit, even though each member is paying about $2,000 to be a part of it. That money isn't all being used to pay people obviously, most of it actually makes it back to them either in the food that they eat all summer, the uniforms that they wear, or the instruments that they play. The shows that the Bluecoats participate in on their tour are planned by Drum Corps International (DCI). The shows are fundraisers in that DCI pays the drum corps for performing but they are also educational experiences because entire communties come out to see their favorite groups and it is highly encouraged that local high school band students attend these events.
The Bluecoats has a staff made up of about 50 people. That includes the brass, guard, percussion, visual, design, and administration. The administration staff is who I work the most with and they are made up of: David Glasgow - Executive Director, Genevieve Geisler - Operations Director, Bill Hamilton - Corps Manager, and Joe Beitman - Assistant Corps Manager. They are all kind of equally my supervisor. David makes sure that the corps is running smoothly, makes executive decisions, and has the most direct contact with DCI. Genevieve is charge of member finances, organizing the volunteers that help the Bluecoats, runs the online store/merchandise, and sells tickets to shows. Bill is responsible for knowing where and when what staff member is flying in or out of what airport and in what city, he takes care of what high schools the corps stays in all over the country and has all the contact information for those schools, and is always aware of what mail or ups packages are coming to us anywhere and everyday. Joe is Bill's assistant, they both do alot of work because there is alot of work for them to do. I am the assistant to all four of these people and it keeps me very busy. I'll touch on a new topic very soon before I take off again.
