Joe Flynn

How do you explain it to people? How do you describe a summer on a football field or a winter in a gym? The people. The travel. The victory. The defeat. The sweat. The tears. The performance. The scores. Is it a sport or is it an art? What is it about the passion that captures our imagination and takes hold of our hearts? This blog is a look at the passion of the pageantry arts and the generations of memories it has created. http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/

How do you explain it to people? How do you describe a summer on a football field or a winter in a gym? The people. The travel. The victory. The defeat. The sweat. The tears. The performance. The scores. Is it a sport or is it an art? What is it about the passion that captures our imagination and takes hold of our hearts? This blog is a look at the passion of the pageantry arts and the generations of memories it has created. The Never Ending Question...Why http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-never-ending-questionwhy.html

There is a strange sort of reasoning in Hollywood that musicals are less worthy of Academy consideration than dramas. It's a form of snobbism, the same sort that perpetuates the idea that drama is more deserving of Awards than comedy.--Gene Kelly Read more at paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

How do you explain it to people? How do you describe a summer on a football field or a winter in a gym? The people. The travel. The victory. The defeat. The sweat. The tears. The performance. The scores. Is it a sport or is it an art? What is it about the passion that captures our imagination and takes hold of our hearts? This blog is a look at the passion of the pageantry arts and the generations of memories it has created. More at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

This post is the first in a series of blog posts from performers to performers. This blog post is from Torie Lawton, a 19 year old, student at Lake Sumter State College. Current and first year member of Paradigm. In this post, she describes her first moments in colorguard and how it shaped and changed her life. http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-words-of-performer-her-struggles_9.html

Blue Rock ... unquestionably it was the 1971 Dream. Still get chills listening to the recording of that day.

It’s that time of year again, folks. The OFFICIAL BEGINNING of WINTERGUARD! It’s a time of great joy and excitement for a new show, new friends, new uniform, no more summer heat, and of great misery getting rid of weird tan lines, expectation pressures, and time frames. DCI and their Finals have been completed for some time now. Congrats again to all those serious summer warriors on their amazing tours. Summer days are long over and schools are finishing or finished with football season. Marching color guards are hanging up their field shows and are ready to embrace their indoor excitement. Independent programs all over the nation have finished auditions and are already putting their shows together. Everyone is getting ready for that mad dash to Premier. But the question is - are the performers really REALLY ready to take the floor for competition? “Let’s start at the very beginning… A very good place to start….” Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

Growing up Pageantry .... How do you explain it to people? How do you describe a summer on a football field or a winter in a gym? The people. The travel. The victory. The defeat. The sweat. The tears. The performance. The scores. Is it a sport or is it an art? What is it about the passion that captures our imagination and takes hold of our hearts? This blog is a look at the passion of the pageantry arts and the generations of memories it has created. .......and it's finally time for the start of the indoor color guard season!! Here's a direct link to this week's Blog posting from Paradigm! http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2013/11/ode-to-end-of-marching-band.html

What is it that makes a great color guard tech? Shelba Waldron explores this in the latest "Growing Up Pageantry" from Paradigm. http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

How do you explain it to people? How do you describe a summer on a football field or a winter in a gym? The people. The travel. The victory. The defeat. The sweat. The tears. The performance. The scores. Is it a sport or is it an art? What is it about the passion that captures our imagination and takes hold of our hearts? This blog is a look at the passion of the pageantry arts and the generations of memories it has created. Read more at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2013/09/winterguard-beyond-friendship-beyond.html

Looking for a place you can call home? Looking for a guard whose budget is open for all performers and families to see? Looking for a competitive program that is reasonably priced, school friendly, and where the majority of staff is alumni who've returned? Check into Paradigm! We're returning for our 15th competitive season in 2014 - years that have seen the guard progress from "Novice Class" to achievement at WGI including medals in A & Open class along with multiple FFCC Circuit Championships. Auditions are Saturday/Sunday - September 14 & 15 Warner Christian Academy - South Daytona Beach Visit our website to register for auditions, see what to expect, view our rehearsal schedule, and more. http://www.winterguard.com

Where DCI is becoming the "reviled satan of drum corps" today (in some fan's eyes), that was where the American Legion and, to a greater extent, the VFW was prior to DCI. In fact, their refusal to allow corps to control their own destiny was what led to the formation of DCI. By the late 1960's / early 1970's, for example, corps had started experimenting with show concepts and programming. This was quickly shot down by the powers at the VFW who threatened to significantly penalize anyone who dared to wear anything but standard drum corps "uniforms" or to have any sort of "fun" or (God forbid) dancing on the field. Corps were required to maintain cadence between 120 & 128 beats per minute, measured three different times during the shows, with penalties assessed for any variance. "Inspections" were held with the inspection caption (at the VFW) holding the same point value as the General Effect caption! (Tells you the value that was put on showmanship!) VFW Point Assignments Inspection = 10 points Cadence = 10 points Marching and Maneuvering = 30 points Brass = 20 points Drumming = 20 points General Effect = 10 points In addition to the two veterans groups (who set the national rules), there were also dozens of local circuits who would have a variety of different twists on things as well. On the other hand ....... While there were literally hundreds of corps in existence, the "top corps" (the big name corps) numbered about the same as the World Class corps of today and, pretty much year after year, you'd see the same top corps in the national championship finals (much like today). There'd be some variance year to year with corps dropping out and another taking its place but, overall, that hasn't changed all that much. What HAS changed has been the number of shows nationwide and the absolute need to travel hundreds (thousands?) of miles simply to get a full season in. New Jersey, for example, would see at least a show happening every weekend and usually multiple shows going on each weekend. New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Massachusetts ... all pretty much the same. By the late 1960's, California had joined that list as well. The "big corps" fed on the smaller corps for membership (again, not dissimilar to today) but the need to be a "music major" was pretty much non existent in those pre-DCI days as even the big corps would teach a kid how to play from scratch. (Most top corps had very few kids who could actually read music). Another huge difference was staff size ...... most corps had a visual staff of no more than 2 or 3, a brass staff of perhaps 2, and a drum staff of 1. The administrations might total 5 or 6 (if lucky). Drum corps was also a true year round activity with (at least in the east) shows starting in mid-May and continuing until early September. There may be a break in weekly rehearsals during October but by November, most corps were back at it (again weekly rehearsals) to get ready for the next season. Definitely different times .... not sure they were "that much better" though. Transportation generally were in death traps (buses that lacked any semblance to a safe vehicle), no one understood (or cared much) about such things as "warming up" or "dehydration" but we all survived. I see how kids in corps eat and are cared for physically today and think, "Holy ####". And, finally, that all adds up to costs. Corps used to be able to function on a shoestring budget with unpaid staff and operations that were entirely run by volunteers. Corps dues of $0.50 or $1 per week were commonplace (but kids had to feed themselves at restaurants on the road). Today, if a corps dues is under $3,000, it's considered low .... and there's no way a kid, today, can maintain a summer job to help pay for things. A lot has been gained musically and professionally ..... corps are infinitely better today musically and physically. But a lot has been lost as well ....

FINAL PARADIGM SPIN CLINIC OF 2014 Paradigm will hold our final spin clinic of 2014 THIS Saturday - August 17th! Warner Christian Academy South Daytona, Florida Register online at winterguard.com Come out and spend the day Spinning with Friends!

PARADIGM returns for the 2014 season out of Daytona Beach! Auditions - September 14 & 15 Warner Christian Academy South Daytona, Florida For more information and to register http://www.winterguard.com/register-for-auditions.html

This weekend in Allentown, Troopers continued their historic tribute to the tradition that have made them America's Corps. Audience members across the country have enjoyed show after show finding all the layers that are nods to past Troopers. Some are small, such as the rifle exchange at the beginning of the show, and some are large, like the iconic sunburst at the end of the show. At Allentown the long blue line unveiled another piece of history as the star performer carrying the flag up the 50 yard line in Battle Hymn takes the field, Having worn the traditional black color guard uniform that gave the girls their image in the 70's, the featured performer debuted a new outfit this weekend. This outfit is the white guard uniform that was not only a large part of the image of the guard, but also is reminiscent of the very outfit that the daughter of corps founder and DCI Hall of Fame member Jim Jones wore when she was a marching member. This is sure to produce an emotional moment for not just fans of the Troopers but for all drum corps fans who see the show. Be sure to see this part of drum corps history.

Paradigm's third Spin Clinic of the summer happens THIS Saturday (July 20th) at BELLEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL 10400 SE 36th Avenue Belleview, Florida (Just outside of Ocala) Doors open at 9:30am Camp runs 10am - 5pm $30 at the door (includes lunch! $25 if pre-registered at www.winterguard.com Instructional staff will include: Richard Horton, Rodney Fuller, Mike McKee, Chris Palau, Heather Rothman, Jessica Marino, Mike Palau, Doris Brown, and Joy Harper. Come out and spend a day Spinning with Friends!! For more information - visit www.winterguard.com or feel free to call us at 386-243-4574

So after a less than pleasant day at work, I was driving home thinking about the nice frothy cocktail that would be waiting for me upon the conclusion of my very aggressive krav maga class, where I would be able to basically beat the hell out of my day and then put it to bed. I had a disagreement with a colleague who has difficulty thinking through the multiple alternatives to a problem. It reminded me of a situation years before where a colleague demonstrated that their critical thinking skills exist in a world based on ego and self-esteem. As this person, a friend, a long time member of the team was told that her suggestions for a solution lacked insight, she became defensive and shut down. Later in the day she resorted to middle school tactics and went and "tattled," thus making an already uncomfortable situation, a situation now based on lack of trust........ Read the entire posting at ... http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-case-for-why-your-dues-for-band.html

It's July. It's a pivotal month for the pageantry activity. Drum Corps is in full swing. Marching band is in its beginning stages and winterguards are setting their budget and signing contracts for rehearsal space. Shows are being performed. Shows are being planned. It's a time of year where many performers are making decisions as to whether they will audition in September for a winterguard or November for a drum corps. It's a tough decision on many levels, because not only is a performer nervous about the outcome, they are also entering into a potential contract that involves time and money. The contract they will potentially sign is a contract that will be paid for in sweat and tears. This is a given. This is a fact..... Read the rest at paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

Thought written for Summer Band Students ... the SAME applies to surviving the summer with your Drum Corps Staff!! A little humor to start the season!! http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2013/05/5-tips-for-surviving-zombie.html

For much of my life I have shied away from fundraising, selling myself, and selling my story. The idea of asking for money no matter how good the cause, just wasn't something I was either comfortable doing or willing to do. I should also say that I have struggled over time selling who I was. I have stayed in the shadows of many people because of fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of looking stupid. Fear of trees. Who knows what I was afraid of! All I know is that over time I have given up countless opportunities, because I didn't want to approach someone and ask for money and sell who I was. Well no more. I'm too old for that thinking and I've learned too much. My entire career has been spent working in the non-profit sector and the last 6 years has been spent working for a quasi-governmental agency that funds non-profit programs. Working in this field I have had the opportunity to work with a number of professional fundrasiers and I have written my share of grants, as well as been a reviewer of countless grant applications. With all of that, I've learned a few things and mostly what I've learned is that in this pageantry activity of ours, we depend too much on the concept of "dues" and not enough on the concept of what we in the non-profit world call "selling your story." Learning to sell your story lowers the dues, resulting in more families involvement in your program. Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/2013/05/fundraising-101-3-things-you-should.html

Yesterday in my mind's eye, I saw a group of kids. They were about 14 years old and it was the summer before their first year of high school. They were standing in a band room nervous and curious. They were waiting for something that they thought would give them an avenue to new friends and involvement in a school activity. They knew they would never make a sports team and they weren't cheerleader material. Some of them were overweight. Some of them struggled with popularity, because they were shy or different. They made good grades and many were considered geeks. Many of them were bullied in middle school. They stood in this band room as an incoming class of freshmen holding their flute and trumpet cases. Some of them were holding a flag pole for the first time in their entire lives wondering what this "thing" was and some for the first time were about to hit a drum with a pair of sticks. On this special day, their lives were about to change because on this day, they would start their very first marching band practice. On this day, they would start a journey that would lead them down a path where they would meet the people they would spend countless hours with, as well as share their laughter and their tears. On this day they would begin to live a life many can only dream of and this journey will be called...community. Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

2013 Paradigm Guard Clinic #1 is NEXT Week - May 18th!! Lockhart Middle School 3411 Dr Love Road Orlando Doors open at 9:30 - Clinic runs 10am - 5pm $30 at the door - $25 if pre-registered Includes Lunch! (Group Discounts available) Instructional Staff Will Include: Ben Adams, Richard Horton, Rodney Fuller, Heather Rothman, Chris Palau, Tina Montoya, Jessica Marino, and Britt Baumgart Enjoy a day of color guard including classes available in: Tendu Technique, Partner Lifts, Rifle Technique, Sabre Technique, Flag Technique, Drama 101, Planes in Space, Weapon Tosses, as well as Choreography for Flag, Rifle, Sabre and "Hair by Rodney." Register at http://www.winterguard.com/clinics-info.html or feel free to call us at 386-243-4575 for more information!

It is proposal season for winter guard. Guard instructors from all over the country will submit proposals to their local circuits and to WGI in the hopes of changing some rule that will help the future of the activity. Many of the proposals will have legitimacy in their intent and some will be veiled by statements of the greater good, but are really selfish in nature to serve only a few. Many of the proposals won't make a difference at all, while others will change the face of our activity forever. When those game changing proposals are voted on and accepted, then there should be a mechanism in place for an independent panel of reviewers to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposal and bring recommendations back to the Board after implementation and after an acceptable period of implementation has passed. Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com/

George Bernard Shaw once said that youth was wasted on the young. He went on to expound on that and to say that "youth are brainless and don't know what they have; they squander every opportunity of being young, on being young." Now I don't necessarily share the view in its entirety, but I do agree with the sentiment and if I may rephrase it just a bit, "Drum Corps is wasted on the young." Now before any offense is taken that I've just insulted an entire generation, just hear me out. When you are young you feel that the world is yours for the taking. Everything is an adventure and a new experience. Love, friendship, sex, and even music is fresh and exciting. The very essence of being young is about living for the moment and living for today. Responsibility isn't quite the first thing on a young person's mind. When you are young, your dreams exist in this grandeur untainted by life. We were all there. We were all youthfully ignorant and we were all doing everything we could do to survive from day to day and show to show. Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.” ― Yoko Ono It's drum corps season again. While the city of Dayton says goodnight to another year of indoor pageantry, an entire activity opens its doors to planning, training, and designing. One season ends and another begins. From winter we move to summer; from winter guard we move to drum corps. It's been this way for decades. It's what we know and it is how we live with this activity of ours that we call pageantry. Read the rest at http://paradigmwinterguard.blogspot.com