Much of what you talked about is self inflicted. I did my camps during May. I didn't do DCI trips and my colorguard and percussion camps didn't start until I was back on contract the 3rd week of July. I didn't do other conventions and TBA is when most high school directors are back on contract. There is absolutely nothing in your contract or even the reality that a once a week drumline rehearsal makes any difference in October.

No Saturdays in the fall sucks. One of the reasons I left. Middle school folks don't deal with that. maybe they are smarter than those of us that did/do the high school thing. Although, I know a number of small school folks that don't do 6 marching contests and have all their games on Friday nights so they really only have a couple of Saturday UIL events and a region event in December.

At some point we have to stop saying we are owed for all of these other voluntary things we have done to ourselves. What are we really getting out of it? Are the kids any happier? Are more kids staying involved in music or are we just driving them away. What happens when these kids become parents? Will they push their kids to band or away?