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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/08/2017 in Posts

  1. Given the complexity, lack of clarity and sometimes outright contradictions in the ethical rules, being superior is no guarantee of insulation from malpractice. So in that sense, you can sometimes run that gamut while standing still.
    1 point
  2. All the credit in the world to the band kids who suit up in the cold weather, like the weather that is forecast for this weekend in the East. When I marched corps, I definitely preferred warm weather. The warmer, the better. Heck... that is still the case with me. LOL
    1 point
  3. Snoring was always a problem with the Couchmen. I think that's why so many members migrated over to Sofa Clara and Pacific Rest.
    1 point
  4. These are great surveys, trouble with some of these corps that outside the top 12, it is hard to remember what their shows were. This is more of the fault of DCI perhaps because it seems of late, they only make Top 12 available. Would it be possible to provide some links to their shows for us to review?
    1 point
  5. You're correct and the story I was referring to in the earlier post is not recent (probably about two years ago). In the Greater Boston area Pop Warner Football had been declining for years and soccer was often to blame, then lacrosse and rugby gaining popularity was seen as a factor, but I am sure that the recent local declines (one local group could barely field a team, one city with two programs recently combined and even with that had smaller numbers) is due to concerns about concussions.
    1 point
  6. I am also not as familiar with the Mandarins as I should be. I do have to say I loved 2017 Inside the Ink. I think that most years it would have made finals but the field was just too good this year. The design was genius with the ink blots and it was one of the most fun shows to watch for 2017. The hornline sounded great too. A few months ago I watched their 1997 division III championship show when they did Eric Whitacre's ghost train. They put out a lot of sound for a small corps and their interpretation of the piece was fantastic. I may edit this later...busy day at work.
    1 point
  7. I'm not as well versed in Mandarins shows as I want to be, since I don't think I've ever seen a show of theirs I've disliked, though I've only been following since 2009 and don't own any Volume II DVDs from prior to that. I guess my top five would be: 2017 - Inside the Ink 2012 - Prophecy 2013 - Destination America 2016 - Forbidden Forest 2009 - Absolute
    1 point
  8. 1 point
  9. INT always seem to be invisible. The Couchmen always seem to be quiet ... well, until they begin to snore.
    1 point
  10. I gives you a likke ....cuz I dont no why so many people on hear cant seem to spell and type write.... and the wurst is the grammer. It can gets so anoying. So Im wit you on this, skivimp.
    1 point
  11. To me, its importance renders it worthy of reasonable, respectful and rational discussion with the goal of understanding the problems and conceptualizing and facilitating effective solutions. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen if we focus all our energy on the other people in the discussion instead of on the problem to be solved.
    1 point
  12. I marched in a huge college band - there is a point where the field gets just too crowded. Props certainly don't help either. So, I say , go back to 128 members - the idea was that this would only require 3 busses (less carbon emissions, better for the planet, cheaper for the Corps). This could also help increase membership of smaller Corps (Pioneer come so mind) Flame shields up
    1 point
  13. Ahh the social justice warriers don't let a moment go to waste. Madison Scouts can include or exclude whomever they wish for whatever reason they wish.
    1 point
  14. This is very well presented and summarized. Around Finals there appeared an internal BAC video of what that corps' members did during their time in Boston city and hub communities before pushing out on the last weeks of tour. One of the synocopes showed the mms all seated in Most Precious Blood Church, the original founder of the corps. The mms were being addressed by someone of middle age who engaged them well enough that the kids were laughing, focused, and receptive. It showed to me an excellent transition from the corps at its roots to the corps of the present. It could only happen when the well developed strategies and personalities mentioned in the above post were in sync. Nicely rounded.
    1 point
  15. Yes, there is a lot more. I'll attempt to be brief. Everyone noticed the staff migration to Boston, and the corps' improvement. While the staff is being paid appropriately (as any recruiter will tell you) it takes more than merely money to get/keep an A-list staff. There needs to be organizational stability, a good work culture, and the chance to grow. Before the success of 2017 could happen, Boston needed to create the right environment by getting clear about their mission, making some leadership changes, and increasing what was beneficial in their culture. The G7/TOC movement shook up DCI. It was conceivable that DCI might dissolve if the G7 broke away. In response to that risk, the leadership at Boston examined who the organization was, and what it was about. The leadership believed that musical and artistic education, with a focus on the pursuit of excellence, provided unique and important benefits to young people. BITD, the corps was smaller and had a higher percentage of kids from the local region... as Colin McNutt explained in his recent interview, it was his chance to pursue his musical ambitions. To return to providing such benefits to the local region, Boston formed a larger organization, Inspire Ars & Music (IAM) that would consist of far more than the drum corps. Programs such as the Hyde Park Youth Percussion Ensemble (HYPE) and the Great East Music Festivals (GEMF) benefit over 20,000 young people ranging from kids who've never even touched a musical instrument previously, to kids who are intermediate/advanced and looking to improve. In short, IAM expands the reach of the organization and raises visibility to the kinds of benefits many of us experienced in drum corps. This has translated into revenue streams, volunteers, and fundraising opportunities. After years of changes and adjustments, the leadership at BAC has settled into a successful combination of people. There is deep competence, deep love for the activity, a bedrock of trust toward the leadership from alumni/friends, and a solid commitment to giving the current MMs an awesome marching experience. Many of these changes were in place before the 2016 season. It was the reason the homers were so hyped. Most everything was going well, behind the scenes. Debt was being retired. Great ideas (some learned at DCI board consortiums) were being implemented successfully. The board was being expanded, which lessened director fatigue and opened new avenues to bring in expertise and raise money. A management consulting firm (I believe donated by a board member) was brought in to evaluate how the organization functioned, and provided detailed feedback and advice (kind of like a judge's critique!). Things were starting to click in a big way: board members served on internal committees and raised money, the executive board focused on the org's direction, designers designed, admin staff killed it, instructors taught, and volunteers were worth their weight in plutonium. On the field, the corps was not as competitive as expected. Because the organization was functioning so well, the leadership was able to quickly evaluate what was needed (design and staff changes), and take swift action. It was clear to prospective staff and designers that the organization was headed in the right direction. In addition to money, they saw stability, commitment, sustainability, freedom, and the chance to take on new challenges. More money and a better staff were "symptoms" of a deeper (good) condition at Boston. Talk to any of the current staff at BAC. You will hear the same things. They are happy and energized to be there. They love working with the other staff members. They want to stay on. The summer was great. The kids worked hard and had a blast. They feel very much like family, instead of like an expense. They are allowed to do what they do best, without interference. It's the same kinds of things workers say in the business world... a great work experience is just as important as money. This was not always the environment at Boston. It took years of work, behind the scenes, to create a culture that would attract great staff and marching talent. More than ever previously, Boston's leadership is trusted and sound. The management of finances is stable and improving. IAM has a mission that can survive independent of DCI (or the G7). People have clear responsibilities and are enabled to deliver results. Getting those things happening was no easy task. Once they did happen, the increase of money and staff improvements seemed incidental. Top level staff and designers were not going to migrate to Boston for money alone. They were also responding to much deeper things that the organization could provide.
    1 point
  16. I love it when one-year vets of an organization start calling for heads. It's like Philly sports talk radio with you guys. Also, Madison is not on the same level as BAC financially. I've seen groups overspend on staff and regret it later (or not even survive to regret it).
    1 point
  17. until the artist has the power to call shots, it's the way of the business forever
    0 points
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