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I want to point out that this is at least the third post in which you suggest that the moderators here have ignored your requests for an explanation as to why your posts and threads were removed. Not only is this not true (for one thing, if you read the board guidelines it would be pretty clear why), but they did in fact explain to you why your post was moved to member services, and why the other posts were removed. Maybe they didn't respond as quickly as you would have liked, but they did in fact respond. The fact is, they don't have to explain anything to anyone. While this is a public board in that anyone can read or post, the board is owned by whatever private entity that runs it. They can allow, or disallow whatever they please, and can delete at will. Freedom of speech does not exist within a privately owned forum, so please stop posting threads or posts that imply that there is censorship going on. As for Teal Sound, I can certainly see why some people are concerned. I can also see why others might rush to the organization's defense. Nobody here really knows the entire story behind the hire. Nobody knows the entire story behind what the new hire did or didn't do. Nobody knows for sure what said administrator will or won't do in the future. The other thing to think about is his new role in the organization. According to the announcement, he will be "Program Facilitator", trusted with the hiring of staff, and programing the design of the show. Nowhere does it mention working with students. We all have our concerns about the move. But lets not crucify the entire organization just yet. If you don't feel comfortable allowing your child to march there, then don't. I don't think anyone here would tell you otherwise. If you feel strongly enough, email the corps. Perhaps they would be willing to share their thought process behind the hire with you. I am in no way defending Moody, or those who would take advantage of their influence over their students. I am simply suggesting that there is likely more to this story than any of us know about. Now, feel free to drive up my red negative number simply because you disagree with what I have to say.

I'm a big believer in second (and third, fourth, fifth, whatever) chances and learning from your mistakes. But when you're in education this is the one thing you don't get a second chance on. Regardless of whether or not what you did is illegal. Take your second chance in another field. You're done working with kids. And no, it doesn't matter if he doesn't work with the members all that much . . . he wouldn't (and shouldn't) get a job in school administration either. And since corps really, really, really want to be seen as educational organizations they need to hold all their employees to that same ethical standard. Yeah, this happens a lot. Yes, it's even happened recently. Does that mean this should be brushed off as no big deal, just because it has been before? Especially when the corps doing the hiring has the unbelievable stupidity to put it in a press release.

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The absolute greatest, most awesome, spectacular, spine-tingling best sound I've heard in any stadium anywhere. Even when the corps on the field is playing softly, one is enveloped by a glorious sonic blanket of sonorous brass. It doesn't even matter than one can see drums warming up behind the stadium...once the corps inside the stadium is playing, it's like having headphones on. Everyone within a few hours drive deserves to hear drum corps in this venue.

Wow! You know, you have some great points and are obviously very passionate about this topic. I also care about the children and do not want to see any harm come to them, or anyone. I'm just not willing to go on a witch hunt and sensationalize this whole thing without having knowledge about what happened. It's coming across as fear mongering. This is a common theme in the world today, too, and is another problem with society It seems... You've mentioned several things here that I have not read in any online article. Who knows what's REALLY going on or went on here? We must also be careful about ruining the life of this person. I subscribe to the Blackstone's formulation: "better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer". What we have in this case is too much, "I don't know" for me. Yes, at its worst, what has been described by a few here is terribly bad. Noone here is going to have the authority to really get to the truth or the facts, so all we have is gossip, libel, defamation, slander, and vilification. Hooray! Can we please talk about drum corps now? Thanks! P.S. I don't know any of the parties involved. I just HATE gossip that usually turns out to be grossly inaccurate in the end after all the damage has been done. If all of this is true, then I don't think Teal should have gone with this individual. I just don't know about trusting the data.

Oh, Hoi! IS this where we talk about waffles?

October 9, 2011 Syracuse, NY The Brigadiers Music Association is pleased to officially announce that the corps will be returning to the competitive field for the 2012 season!!! Under the direction of Ryan Benz, the Brigs have begun design meetings and are close to finalizing the show which will be announced in the coming weeks! The first camp of the 2012 season will be the weekend of December 10th and 11th in the Syracuse area. If interested in joining the 2012 Brigadiers, visit us at www.brigadiers.com and fill out the "Join The Brigadiers" form today! Also, check out the great article in the October issue of Drum Corps World about the corps' anticipated return!! (http://www.high-velocity-media.com/Magazines/oct_2011/oct_2011.php) Once a Brig, Always a Brig...

Close, but you forgot the most important step. 1. Administration 2. Design staff 3. Instructional staff 4. Members But all four must work hand in hand to see it all come together. When you have 1, 2, and 3, you will attract a higher level of 4.

This is true, but the situation is still 1) EXTREMELY poor judgement on the teacher's part. The teacher admitted writing sexually suggestive text message to a student that he was teaching/supervising/evaluating. In ANY case, this is extremely poor judgement that could at the very least cast doubt at the legitimacy of the teacher doing their job, and could very easily lead to the stipulation that the teacher was indulging in their sexual attraction of a student to exact favor. 2) morally reprehensible, as you suggest. He was in a position of authority and took advantage of a student under his charge: a student who was 13 years his junior (not "just" five, though IMO that is just as wrong). Putting that type of pressure on a student is wrong, and the damage he might've done to her psyche may far outlast his career as an educator. When you factor in this statement from the article, made by a student, the implication is that the teacher coerced the student into not telling anyone.As others have said, I have zero problems with second chances. But giving someone who took advantage of his student a second change in a youth-oriented industry , even in a non-teaching roll, reeks of bad judgement on Teal Sound's part that is dumbfounding. The only thing I can think of is that Moody is friends with someone on Teal Sound's management who wanted to give a friend a second chance. This, in turn, strikes me as Teal Sound's management making poor decisions based not on what's best for the organization but what's best for friendships or something. Either way, this is publicity Teal Sound shouldn't be seeking, and could've very easily avoided. If the corps management makes a decision this poor in one area, it's not out of line to stipulate they make poor decisions elsewhere...

Scouts also Picked up Adam Dalton who teaches Carolina Crown colorguard.. Scouts should make a strong showing in 2012.... no matter what!!!!

Adam Sage does a fantastic 1st season with any colorguard... I hope he is hired to clean. Jim Moore IS THE BEST in the guard business... As long as JIM MOORE is running the ship, we are fine. Adam does a great job as "back up" Jim Moore is the best when it comes to design.. I think this will be amazing... Only becaue ADAM has JIM as the writer. I give adam two years,,, to get us in the top 5 guards... if not... Ax him.

It is as equally deplorable in ALL other circumstances. You CAN learn from mistakes...FAR FAR FAR away from children. There is no grey area. There's no second chance. One and done.

Great hire for the Scouts!

Didn't they work together in '09 (9th place) and '10 (6th place)?

The Berry Center, Cypress, (Houston) TX. Gotta love high school football in TX!

I'm glad you did this - I posted a similar poll earlier and it was erased - and the moderator has not responded to several requests on why it was removed. I am completely dumbfounded in the judgement of Teal Sound.

Honestly i never got the hype on this one.

This is great news. Welcome back, Brigs!!!

Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps would like to announce the 2012 design/instructional team. Program Coordinator – Dr. Larry Tinnerman Brass Caption Head – Mr. Joe Fink Brass Low Brass – Dr. Larry Tinnerman Visual Caption Head and Designer – Mr. Curtis Shreve Visual Tech – Ms. Jennifer Clark Drum Major and Visual Tech – Ms. Cynthia Foltz Guard Caption Head and Designer – Ms. Andrea Meyer Guard Designer - Ms. Christie Johnson Percussion Caption Head – Mr. James Kirby Front Ensemble Lead Instructor – Mr. Victor Blauser Brass Arrangements by: Mr. Donny Allen, Mr. Steve Cooley, Mr. Martin Williams The 2012 Program will consist of an evening with Stan Kenton and included Here's That Rainy Day, Artistry in Rhythm Suite, Send in the Clowns, A Brief Percussion Interlude, Malaga (2012). The corps will have a new look, a new sound and a new attitude for the 2012 season. Membership day and the first camp of the 2012 season will be held November 20, 2011 at Lawrenceburg High School in Lawrenceburg, Indiana from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Perspective members are invited to visit the corps site at http://cincinnatitradition.org. Once they register as perspective members, they will be granted access and will be able to download brass parts and listen to actual MIDI recording of the music. Tradition is looking for a few more talented musicians and guard members for the 2012 season. DARE FOR GREATNESS, DARE TO BE TRADITION.

Great staff also flock to great talent; that is why most OC corps, or lower WC corps, have a difficult time retaining excellent staff.

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Personally, I think it's the members...you can have the best designed show on the field, but if the members don't have the talent to perform it, it isn't going to score well. I feel this is one MAJOR problem that a majority of OC corps don't recognize-they design and program shows that are well beyond the abilities of their members. The delicate balance is to design a show that your members will be able to "grow" into so that it is challenging and therefore educational, but also something that can be mastered and cleaned by a certain week in August. To do this also requires a dedicated and talented administration and instructional staff...but it's like a sports team, the coaches and the front office aren't the ones on the field playing the game.

As of Today, Adam Sage Of Carolina Crown, as well as one other Carolina Crown guars staff member were announced as "added to the Scouts staff" Amazing just how many Carolina Crown staff members are now with Scouts.

Spot on.

Pyware has a plug in for indoor. You can even upload your floor jpg and chart on top of it.

It's about as likely now as it was then. Anyway... Funny how you reacted -- they fell all the way to what (looks it up) 4th (one 5th) during that stretch and you're horrified at the prospect :-)

Well, I don't think anyone should be able to "work children". People should be able to work with children, however. People should also be able to work with 18 year old young adults. I'm not sure that teachers should date their students, but I have seen this happen in the past. Actually, the two I'm thinking about got married and have been married for over 18 years. At the time I was surprised, but she was 18 and he was 23. I would have probably been more upset had the teacher been a little older. It looks like all sides are well represented here, so I don't have anything to add. I just wanted to point out that the student wasn't a "child", so this is a little bit different of an issue than many of you are jumping towards. It may be reprehensible, but it is a distinct and important case than many are inaccurately reacting to, which is totally understandable when feelings are involved.

one issue I see here is PR. face it, the stench is there, regardless of the facts of the individual's case. Now imagine you are knocking on doors looking for sponsors and people say "well you have that guy involved with your group......so no." Yes people make mistakes. Many people learn and grow from them. Sadly many do not, and I don't know this person to say they did or didn't. but perception is everything, and in an activity where now word gets around about everything...it can, will and in this case, has led to bad PR

I honestly believe Steve Jobs would have made a great instructor or corps director in DCI. The man had impeccable standards, and excepted nothing short of perfection at all times. If someone didn't meet expectations, then they would be reprimanded or punished by Jobs until they could meet expectations. Why settle for second best? No one ever remembers the second best computer they had, or the second best car they drove, everyone knows and remembers the best. That's called having standards. And I know the way Jobs ran his company isn't "Politically correct" or "nice", but you can't argue with the results. He ran his employees hard, and they created the best company in the tech world.

High School Stadiums in Ohio aren't too shabby either Canton McKinley High School - Fawcett Stadium Massilon High School - Paul Brwon Stadium

Agreed. But again, just because two things are different doesn't mean they're "opposites". That is false, by the way. I've been to every open-class prelims held in Michigan City, and they all drew more than that. Again, "completely different" is a massive exaggeration. Specifically, regarding the things you mention: Management: Since drum corps are all independent organizations, unlike the scholastic groups that populate the other marching arts, all DCI drum corps are managed as non-profit youth organizations. Finances: Big or small, most of the same expenses apply to all drum corps....and most of the same fundraising ideas do too. Approach to design: You can spin this one however you want. Technically, every corps is unique; no two corps design in precisely the same manner. But in a high-level view, all corps take the same "approach"....assessing where they expect to be competitively, designing a show for that level of achievement and corps size, and adjusting it in May/June/July for whatever aspects of the corps didn't match expectations. Naturally, there are differences from top to bottom. More managers....more staff....more kids....more revenue....more expenses....more equipment....more travel....more audience....more time together. But those aren't opposites....just more of the same things. Actually, no. Hopkins is on both sides of that argument. I was in the meeting room one day when Hopkins pitched ideas to the Garden State Circuit, so I have some first-hand knowledge here. But let me be clear about a couple of things: 1. I'm sure he means well. 2. It's not just Hopkins. The majority of voting corps directors have demonstrated similar paradoxical behavior. Moving each of the regional circuits under the DCI umbrella was done by world-class corps directors that had voting power at both levels. Apparently, for some reason, they wanted DCI to manage both the big league and the little leagues. But like at every stage in DCI's development, their eyes were bigger than their stomachs. They treated the activity like a buffet, constantly taking more than they should onto their plates, with little thought given to the inevitable leftovers.

And for the Rest 1st - Blue Devils 14, runner up Cadets 10 2nd - Blue Devils 8, Runner up Santa Clara Vanguard 7 3rd - Blue Devils & Santa Clara Vanguard 8, Runner up Cavaliers 7 4th - Phantom Regiment 8, runner up Blue Devils 6 5th - Phantom Regiment 7, runner up Madison Scouts 6 6th - Madison Scouts 8, runner up Santa Clara Vanguard 4 7th - Bluecoats 6, runner up Santa Clara Vanguard & Crossmen 5 8th - Crossmen 5, runner up Phantom Regiment, Glassmen, & Blue Stars 4 9th - Blue Knights & Boston Crusaders 6, runner up Crossmen 4 10th - Madison Scouts, Crossmen, Blue Knights, & Carolina Crown 3 11th - Bluecoats & Glassmen 5, runner up Carolina Crown 4 12th - Spirit of Atlanta 6, runner up Colts 5 side note - The Madison Scouts are the only corps to place in all 12 positions at least once.

I’ve shared this before. I’ll do so again because it’s so good. On my first-ever visit to a Hooters, I barely had taken my chair when the prettiest waitress in the place broke off a chat to speed over to my table. Now, I’m a fair-looking guy. But closing in on 50 at the time, let’s just say it was “unexpected” to see a 21-year-old dream girl jazz-running to get to me. None of the expectations and fantasies that accompanied me in the door prepared me for what came next. “Do you like drum corps?” she asked. It’s no knock on my sexuality to admit I was in ecstasy before her eyes blinked twice. Here I was, middle-aged dad me, at Hooters expecting wings and beer and maybe some well-practiced flirtation. What I got was better than I should possibly have expected. I got passion in the form of drum corps through the bright eyes and perfect smile of the prettiest girl I could imagine. It turns out I was wearing a Carolina Crown shirt that day. It turns out she marched cymbals for Jersey Surf a few years back. She more or less planted herself at my table to the dismay of the other diners – all men. We talked about the shows we liked. We talked about the activity we love. She was enthusiastic and animated. She couldn’t have looked lovelier – and I’m not talking about anatomy. It was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had. HH

Not bloody likely! Sounds like one of Burt Bacharach's hits....."Wishing and Hoping and Thinking and Praying....."

I can't wait for the design and teaching staff to be announced...

Awesome I might "unretire" myself just for this Mike Brigs Guard 2000-2004

As a lifetime member of the Brigadiers Alumni and one who was very much involved in the last and most successful rebirth of the Brigs, allow me to wish Ryan and his staff complete success in both the short term and long term.

Again, we don't. He could very well have given under the $5k mark, and likely did. Speculation and facts are not the same. Regardless, we do know that though Apple doesn't give cash to charity groups, they were very active in education and disaster relief, giving equipment and support on many occasions.

OFFICIAL CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION FOR TEAL SOUND The Teal Sound Board of Directors officially announced the changes in administration for the corps for the 2012 season. Cary Byrd will take over as the Director, while Joel Moody will serve as a Program Facilitator. With the addition of Joel Moody, Teal Sound gains an experienced music educator with a wealth of knowledge in the drum corps activity. Having been a member, as well as part of the administrative and instructional teams for several drum corps, Moody will assist in the hiring of a design and instructional staff for 2012. In the search to fill the position that Joel Moody holds, Teal Sound looked at several applicants. Some things came to light in Joel's past employment as a Band Director that were of a concern for some people. “The Teal Sound organization acknowledges that while past mistakes are evident in Joel’s case, it is not what defines his breadth of overall work. This was over a year and a half ago – people make mistakes, and we all learn from them. We have done our due diligence in our background checks for all employees of Teal Sound, Joel included. We feel that Mr. Moody has been very open and honest about the situation and that speaks volumes about his character. We have the utmost confidence in Joel’s ability to help lead Teal Sound forward and we are very excited that he has agreed to join our Administrative team,” stated Cary Byrd, Director. Moody has been hard at work this off-season and has already put together an outstanding design team that includes Robert W. Smith and John Campese. “I believe first and foremost in the educational aspect of the Drum Corps activity. I am really excited for this opportunity - I want nothing more than to offer the members of Teal Sound an organization that they can be proud of. We have a great deal work ahead of us, but I can’t wait to see what is in store for the 2012!”

While labeling this child abuse is pushing it, it is most definitely unethical and creepy in the extreme. Since corps have decided they are educational organizations with faculties, students, tuition and whatnot they should themselves and their employees to the same ethical standards that employed by real schools. Think of the damage that could be done to the activity otherwise. I certainly wouldn't want my sister marching at a corps employing this guy or someone like him . . . but imagine the parents who wouldn't let their kids march in any corps, just because one group insists on keeping a creep on board? Yes, this sort of thing is rife in our activity, and gets swept under the rug way too often. But to have a guy outed for it publicly, and then dismiss as "not that big a deal"? Astonishing. Yes, this guy messed up. Yes, he deserves a second chance . . . in some field other than education. When you're entrusted with students this is the one thing that's truly unforgivable, regardless of whether or not it's actually illegal.

Interesting...but incomplete. More than 80% of the Boston Crusaders were "East Coast Kids" in 2011. In fact, I would be willing to bet that more East Coast Kids march BAC than anyone else in the top 12.

Blue stars, 1979 to 2008? That's 29 years

Think about your logic.. Would i have marched 5 years (potentially 6) if that were true? if that did happen, i would've stopped marching after my 2nd year. Also, would they have called me up 3 times in my years of marching? i highly doubt it. Especially if i was an outkast. Nobody is that oblivious.

it's funny you say that, because i definitely would NOT repeat any of the things if i was a current member. So your theory on me being considered a "4th part" flies right through the #### window. Second, it seems like you have quite the ego for someone whose corps folded. Don't care why they did, but they still folded. I also remember saying that dci every so often puts out great players. Out of the thousands of kids that have done this activity, only a handful actually got professional playing jobs. On top of that, dci was most certainly not the reason they were able to achieve those high paying jobs. drum corps can only take you so far as an individual player. I love the guys i marched with and wouldn't trade the experience for the world. But you can't make a living off marching band. In the grand scheme of things, nobody really cares about the "drum corps" circles. It's a kids activity. In the end, it's just maching band.

First off, i remember you telling me you marched for the cavaliers in 2000. Then you tell me you marched for 8 years. I honestly doubt you marched cavaliers 8 years, or else you wouldve been in the packet. second, Exactly where and when did these guys march drum corps?? Please inform me. Because there is a giant difference between teaching a summer marching band, and actually doing it at some point. (with the exception of chris martin) Not saying there aren't good players in drum corps. Because there are. But the more serious players know that being able to move and play will not get them anywhere in life. Unless you're going into the educational side of it.

I said for music PERFORMERS this is an awful activity. You all have selective listening. Kinda sad.

Ha. No way. Although i was curious at some point how it felt to march a cadet show

lol nahhh. Just needed to get serious about playing to get in the grad school i wanted to. Which i did.

amplified soloists should definately be banned!!!!!