luvs me sum mello! Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I encourage every one of my students to participate in drum corps. I don't mind them missing a few days of band camp because i know they can catch up. I also know that a kid who goes away to corps can come back a great role model for the rest of the band, because that's how band works. You have a few really dedicated members driving the entire band to do better. Hell, I even offer a drum corps prep camp in October-december for people who are thinking of auditioning. Not just at my school, but surrounding programs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn craig Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 When I marched we had a few band directors that encouraged their students to march with us. We ended up with a lot from two schools in paticular. Some other area directors were not so supportive. You could even make a case that the lack of cooperation by one director had something to do with killing the corps. As others said it can vary greatly from director to director. While a director can't keep a student from marching drum corps, they can not let them be a part of their band propram if they aren't there for band camp. Make them choose between the two. I've known people to choose corps over band and hurt the band program greatly. It happens both ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 How does a Band Director get to decide for a kid anyway? Assume you're going to pay the dues to march with a top corps, but your Band Director kicks you out of the high school music program. Maybe you decide to march with a corps that has less expensive dues and pick up private lessons instead. Then you end up ahead of where the band director alone would take you and dare him not to bring you back into the fold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 While a director can't keep a student from marching drum corps, they can not let them be a part of their band propram if they aren't there for band camp. Make them choose between the two. I've known people to choose corps over band and hurt the band program greatly. It happens both ways. If they were forced to choose between the two, the resulting damage should be attributed to a lack of tolerance from the band director and not to the student. I've seen kids come back from drum corps having missed band camp and a week of school. After one week of rehearsals they were ahead of many of the other kids because they just came off of something much more intense. I have never talked to a kid that did not find marching band very easy to pick up after coming home from tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iplaytimpani Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 It's out there folks. As many of have mentioned, it's top competing groups that start in the middle of the summer handing these things down. It's not so much a "you cant" but a "You decide if your summer is more important than being in our marching band". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWonka Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) I know 3 or 4 big BOA bands in this area who discourage thier kids from marching DCI until their senior year. For that matter may be a few more but I don't know anyone around those programs. People will say "I wouldn't want to be in any band that did that and they must not be much, etc.." One of them won it all 2 years ago so they must be doing something right. I don't like it and my kid marched when she wanted too anyway but hers was a smaller band in the area that didn't care. Edited February 19, 2008 by WWonka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madscout96 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) How does a Band Director get to decide for a kid anyway? Assume you're going to pay the dues to march with a top corps, but your Band Director kicks you out of the high school music program. Maybe you decide to march with a corps that has less expensive dues and pick up private lessons instead. Then you end up ahead of where the band director alone would take you and dare him not to bring you back into the fold. But see that's the thing. Other people in this thread have mentioned what I call "Band Director Ego". A student that comes in knowing more than the director could have taught him is a threat to that ego. Here are the top three things that I think keep some band teachers from allowing their students to do drum corps: 1. Band Director Ego. The Band Director wants to be the only source of music education for everyone in the school, and perhaps the town too. Don't come onto his turf. Especially if you can do it better than he can. (there are varying degrees of this, of course not every band director has it). 2. Rotten attitudes from drum corps kids coming to band. Now this is an unfortunate fact. Some kids come back to band in the fall after having marched drum corps and they act like they're all that and know EVERYTHING and want to tell everyone how to do everything. That is bad for the chemistry of the band, no matter how bad the band is. Drum corps members really need to take a chill pill when the come back to band and not be G-d's gift to marching, and not expect the same level of commitment and drive and excellence that they had in drum corps. Band directors don't like attitudes like that, and I can't blame them. 3. Conflicts with summer band rehearsals. As has been mentioned before, lots of competitive HS bands have rehearsals in the summer, like a couple times a week, and then band camp before DCI Finals is over. Being in drum corps would definately keep a student from making all those rehearsals. I agree with those who say that anyone being in DCI will come back to band stronger and a quicker learner than everyone else and could catch up really easily. It's not like missing band camp due to going to France for 2 weeks. Band directors need to understand this, and then come up with a policy that is fair to everyone (non drum corps people too). Edited February 19, 2008 by madscout96 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicpal24 Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 i've definitely heard of this problem before, especially in the area i'm from... we have a failing marching band circuit that is stuck in the 1980's in every way, but for some reason, the band directors are totally clueless. when i told my band director that i was auditioning for a div. 1 drum corps he said "psh, yeah right." well, i made it in, marched a few years, and i haven't spoken a word to him since. most of them frown upon drum corps so much so that they barely make note to their kids that there is a dci show in town. it used to be a great show - cavaliers, cadets, vanguard, colts - all corps that are run very well and that you can learn SO MUCH from just watching an hour of rehearsal. attendance has been so low the last few years it scares me. it makes me angry because this area could grow so much and it's all been right in the palms of their hands for YEARS. i teach the most progressive band in the area and we suffer competitively because of the things we're trying to change. it really does come down to the ego thing, i think. the band directors around here are so in love with their terrible programs and dwindling numbers. they think that it doesn't get any better than high school marching band a la 1984 and it can never, ever change. i'm one of the lucky ones that realized it is a waste of time. i ###### everybody off by marching dci and i'm a better person than all of them because of it. This sounds EXACTLY like a town that I was from...Are we possibly talking about the same place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kroxxx567 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 My band director has a huge ego, hell, he even fired our brass instructors, and that' s why I didn't start marching last year, but luckily my middle school teacher talked some sense into him about drum corps and now we have like 6 people marching, though none of us can be leaders, I think it's worth the sacrifice. Why don't more directors do that, because it makes no sense for them to keep a good player out of the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euphononium Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) This sounds EXACTLY like a town that I was from...Are we possibly talking about the same place? Yep! Assuming from LER in your profile... you're not still here are ya? Edited February 19, 2008 by euphononium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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