spiniki

We actually had a funnel cloud form in Arnold, MA and still performed. We were 1st in competition that night. Our show was stopped halfway through for lightning, but after about 45 minutes we went back on the field again.

It's pitiful, but I'm almost crying JUST THINKING about my last performance this year.

Well, some interesting things happened this week/weekend. First off, it was decided (not by me) that I would not be part of the color guard this year. Second, it was decided (by me, but persuaded by others) that I would now march in the Sop line. Yahoo! I had soooo much fun learning the drill and playing (actually, I was just holding) a soprano! Our IPO was better than I thought I could be. We had a decent sized audience, and appeared quite organized. It was a lot of fun. I can only play a few notes (noises) so far. I am not, however, sure that the note I am trying to play is what is coming outta the bell- but they all tell me "that will come", so I guess it will. b**bs The guard routine is BEAUTIFUL! I will miss learning the routines with them; Brian is such an awesome teacher. The CG members he has now are much better suited to take on his creativity than I was. This turned out to be a very productive weekend for the corps in my eyes. We still have a few spots open! If you wanna give it a try, come on out to our next camp on April 22, 10 AM, at Good Pasture. Visit our website for more info. Hope to see you there.

The guard routine is really cool so far! Brian rocks!

very well said

I would have to say that the majority of HS kids who do corps and absolutely love their time doing it, don't have their life revolve around it once they age out. If they did, there would be many more corps than there are.

Hmm, wonder how Matt Dudek's gonna take this news?

Wouldn't you think if this activity were harmful for younger teenagers that they would change the age range? I have noticed that DC does make players stronger and can see how that would make it harder to "fit back in to" a regular kid musical atmosphere. But, any way you slice it, if you get a group of kids together, they automatically find out who is where in the pack- and there is almost always an unreasonably arrogant one. So that point is kind of lost on me.

I agree fully with this statement! I can however see some mothers wanting to hold on to long and the other side of the coin where the kid KNOWS s/he is "ready" and the kid really ISN'T and the parents know it. It is definately a sticky situation when we don't know both sides and what all is truely involved. It does take the teenager proving their independence RESPONSIBLY. Meaning, doing what is asked of them as (and in some cases, like chores -before) it is asked.

From the experiences of my youth, the responsible role models did the best they could and really did help. I will have to say though, if a person -no matter the age- wants to do something they aren't supposed to bad enough, they will do it. If they are on tour or at home wishing they were on tour, they will have opportunities to get into trouble. Drum Corps and Marching Band not only helps build character, but discipline as well. I think that if a child is mature enough to show the kind of discipline needed to do this, knows how hard this activity is, and still wants to be a part of it, then they should be allowed to do so.

You are one sly fella there jonnyboy!

I would think probably not. If the audience member fell while coming down, would the corps be liable or the stadium? What if the audience member grabbed the mic and started cussing everyone out, or mooned the crowd, or gosh the possibilities. Even if it weren't a rule, it's still probably not a good idea.

Maybe after a couple cups of coffee... ... nope.

BTW, are you wanting to be in a senior or junior corps? That may make difference on how your parents feel about it. They each have their own pros and cons. Some of which are... senior: pro's-CHEAPER!- not so much travel- get great learning experience to prepare for juniors (if that be a goal) and others. senior: con's- the atmosphere is a bit more adult (agewise) therefore some of the "fun social activities" done away from corps are geared to adults- not so much travel if that is one of the things you really want to do- and others. juniors: pro's- everyone is relatively the same age- it's a great tool for building character, discipline, and such- all extra activities are geared for your age group- and others. juniors: con's- quite expensive- if your parents are worrisome about you being gone practically all summer- and others. I never had the chance to do junior corps so I know there are plenty of pro's and con's that I left out, and since this is my first year of senior corps, I'm positive I've left out many for them as well.

If you could get a hold of a tape/dvd of the corps you're interested in... Have your parents watch it with you or go with you to one of their camps. That way they can meet some of the members and see that we aren't just a bunch of crazies. When they see how excited you are about it, that may add some sway. Also mention the words "discipline" and "hard work" and "excellent learning experience" along with "fun". If this is something YOU are going to stick with and can make the "commitment" (another good word), the DC world welcomes you! Just remember, you're parents are going to try to do what is best for you. The more adult you respond to their decisions, the more freedoms you will have. So try not to argue or get in a fight if they still say no. Think about different ways you can respond to their points of view and envision how they will respond to yours.