Amil Muzz

SCV has proven themselves to be an unreliable business partner. They flaked out on the post-COVID tour and sent a video and through a complete failure to take care of their financial obligations they flaked out last season. They don't seem to get that they are under a big microscope. Many of the ugliest issues that have plagued the activity in recent years, this organization has been the epicenter of a lot of it. The Troopers were tossed from DCI for the same thing that is on going here. They seem to be reluctant to be transparent. They are continuing down the same path that led them here. These aren't opinions, they are facts. Hard facts. The General Membership of DCI has some hard choices to make. Their gross financial malpractice leaves DCI in a bad spot, just like the Troopers prior to their suspension. It is grossly unfair to the organizations who struggled thru COVID to come out the other side. Again, look at Troopers. Pre COVID- very weak, post COVID setting new standards for themselves. SCV has to rebuild trust that they aren't going to flake, AGAIN for the 3rd time. They have a suspect management structure. They don't seem to have learned anything. There is a word for this- HUBRIS. There is one way that ends and it's not good for anyone. Especially the students and families who chose to engage with an organization that's shown to be unresponsive to scrutiny.

Mr. Jones made it a point NOT to put his own money into the corps.

Lots of incorrect info...in fact almost all of it.

My gut reaction to this poll was funding issues. In light of finding out that there are drum corps who have members practicing and performing DESPITE a positive COVID test. I guess the issue that still needs to be addressed is MEMBER SAFETY. After everything that's happened in the past 5 or 6 years, its just gobsmacking that adults would still be that reckless with the health and well being of members. It is beyond disappointing that there are people, "responsible adults" who are so wrapped up in winning at "super band camp" they would risk the health of kids, volunteers, drivers, staff, and the future of the activity (as well as potentially their own future) over a score or placement. I would say it is unbelievable, but sadly it is not.

Hey! That me at the end of the opener! Fun season!

Actually, there has been some discussion on the Crossmen Alumni Facebook group about it. It seems as though the new Director is is being very clear eyed about addressing it amongst the alumni’s concerns. Then this announcement tonight.

I grew up in Casper. Mr. Jones started touring to give kids in Casper the opportunity to travel who would have probably never had that experience. It is ironic.

Right, more kids that CAN afford it. Money, more and more money. Cheap experience? I couldn’t have afforded it, let alone march for 6 seasons. I have heard that argument before, and DONT BUY IT. I am sure there are performers who can’t afford it. That is by far the minority. By. Far. I guess we can agree to disagree. But I watched the change. I was there in the trenches. Where I worked there wasn’t any mercy for kids who couldn’t afford it. Kids who 20 years ago could have done it. That’s a fact, chum. Drum Corps is an activity for the top 10%. I have heard that with my own ears come out of the face of a prominent person, very prominent in DCI’s leadership. That’s what drum corps is now. FACT. By design. I also heard the same person say “That’s what SoundSport is for, for kid who can’t afford the World Class experience.” Drum Corps used to be exclusive to those who had the grit to do it. Now, to those who can afford it. Sorry, that’s the way it is, again, by design.

The “inclusion” rap is laughable. The sheer cost makes the experience unreachable for way too many. Inclusion? Look for ways to reach more kids who can’t afford $5,000 for a summer. Just the economics of it makes Drum Corps exclusionary by class.

I think that extremely well stated.

Maybe all time... The best teachers I have EVER SEEN are Middle School teachers. Period. Fact. No credible argument can be made unless you are galactically ignorant. I guess that’s how some judge quality teachers. What grade they teach. Stupid. Dazzlingly stupid.

So is Jim Prime

Don, I am sorry you are having to defend yourself in this forum. This kind of thing represents the worst side of this Forum. People who, anonymously for the most part, spread half-truths, idle gossip, and dirty laundry here. People who think they know something and mostly don't. As Don said in an earlier post; these are real people you are talking about. A good friend of mine described drum corps as "Politics for Peanuts." Outside of the 10-12 people who can actually support themselves through this activity, the rest of us do it out of love for the activity, an honest desire to give young people the best possible experience doing something that is incredibly difficult mentally, physically, and spiritually. That applies to staff people as well. It really sucks that people can be so thoughtless and reckless. For the meager wages that DC pays, you too can have your reputation damaged, have a bunch of dilettantes say really nasty things, and call for your public firing. The people who do this go into it with the best of intentions. In 34 years of doing this, its my observation that very rarely the case that people do it for any other reason than the love of it, period. Sometimes things work out great sometimes they don't. That's life. When people put themselves out there and enter the arena its always a gamble. That's the nature of what this is. Its unfortunate that people who post stuff with qualifiers like, "I heard....", "Someone told me....", etc. are allowed to do so. People who teach drum corps are mostly poorly paid public educators and teach because its their passion. People who teach drum corps sacrifice a great deal to follow their passion. Believe me, the price tag is high on every possible level. With the advent of forums like this, part of the price tag is to have people "who heard" or think they have some juicy gossip say, publicly, some really awful things. Part of the price tag is to deal, on the road, with things that are said here. It's seriously the ugliest and most unpleasant part of this activity. It's a real shame. For the people who so easily call for people's public firing and shaming; I hope it happens to you. You deserve to know what that feels like. J. Buckingham

I am just going to limit my comments to the management style. It was a very "Political" management style. There were two kinds of people, "The people who were there, and the people who heard about it." Conversations that were had on the bus were reported to management. It was like a twisted game of telephone. People were set against each other, purposefully. I don't know who EXACTLY was doing this but, it was the management style. Some relationships recovered some have not. A great friend of mine told me," if you can get through a summer with the same friends you came in with, it been a good summer." I found this to be very true. So in that context, the logic of "this is my decision, and that's that." Makes sense. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. As a person, I think Fred is more than a decent man. I do. I think he made a decision that was naive initially. The repeated decision to ignore people when they did have issues with it, I don't want to characterize. I have my opinion about it, but my opinion about it makes no real difference. We are where we are. As I said, I felt it was a huge risk and an exposure to bad PR for the Corps and the Activity writ large was, again, "UNWARRANTED." As far as motivations driving it? I don't know and I don't think it matters. The only thing that matters is getting it right. That means acknowledging some less than pleasant things and making the prerequisite changes. My worry with Drum Corps is it is so EGO driven for some people. I think having a Chairman of the BoD of DCI who is not concerned with placements, scores, "advantage seeking" and is truly an Independent voice is long over due. One of two things will happen. Things will begin to get fixed, or, she will not be listened to and she will resign and we are back to square one.