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karuna

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Posts posted by karuna

  1. Reading an interesting thread on Reddit.  

    Lots (most? all?) top 12 corps try to carry some alternates into spring training to avoid starting from zero when the inevitable spring training holes appear (due to injury or just bailing out for other reasons).  Alternates are contracted,  are full members, and frequently get the opportunity to fill a hole either in the spring or during the season.

    But I had not heard of contracting twice the "normal" number of alternates, bringing them into spring training, and then cutting half of them.  That's...crazy.  Effectively locks those talented performers from marching elsewhere that season (other corps have already filled holes and the cut alternates have already paid up their contract(they couldn't afford to march elsewhere even if they found a spot).

    • Like 4
  2. On 3/15/2024 at 7:03 PM, Bruckner8 said:

    Can someone hook me up with Crown’s spring training dates and location? Internet searches have been unreliable. Is Ensemble Rehearsal open, even for old curmudgeons? Message me if Q clearance is required 

    18 May to 16 June at Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs NC.  Rehearsals are open.  

    • Thanks 2
  3. On 3/1/2024 at 1:29 PM, NewArpege said:

    RHRN had an excellent book top to bottom. I understand why it was thematically controversial, but that music was fire 🔥 

    Musically both design and execution have been consistently excellent for a very long time. RHRN, Spacepants show,  choose your "miss" : they were all visual blunders.  Hell 2010 was a design blunder (spend massive amounts of time of unjudged part of show and then put performers in impossible listening positions.  Musically that show was fabulous but was undercut repeatedly by frankly ridiculous staging.  Visually under Rick Subel they were ... what's the word ... amorphous?.   The visual design was there but no one was quite sure what it was.   Also (just personal opinion here) Rick doesn't "get" outdoor the way he does indoor; and that's no indictment of Rick's abilities.  There are a LOT of indoor designers who just don't seem to get outdoor (again IMHO mostly because they can't stand to "lower" themselves to being obvious.  Football fields need obvious.)  

    And so Crownies are repeatedly left hoping and praying that this year the visual design excellence will match the musical design excellence.  Heck even the "old" visual team missed as often as they hit.    

    • Like 8
  4. 7 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

    They had to. Or suits against YEA would have killed it

    While this is technically true, it's not quite how it happened.   Even after the acquisition, things were very tenuous with USBands.  Judges, bands, show hosts -- there was a lot that could have gone wrong.  

    In any case the Cadets were literally run by USBands.   The Cadets income didn't begin to cover their expenses.  Despite this financial reality,  the people running the program received no respect or recognition from the clown supposedly in charge (or for that matter from the entire drum corps side of the house).  

  5.  seen on the interwebs :ninja: 

    Mackey will write the closer after seeing (hearing?) the rest of the show.  Now THAT'S interesting as it provides the opportunity to both tie together concepts and recapitulate motifs from throughout the program.  So it's not just a Mackey piece commissioned by Crown -- it's a Mackey piece written specifically for this show and these other pieces.  

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 5
  6. On 12/19/2023 at 1:59 AM, MadisonBandMan1 said:

    The direction the ensemble went this past season has had me incredibly excited for the talent pool and the direction of the ensemble this year. 

    I share your excitement.  Was just listening to some audio and was struck with the sophistication of the arrangements.  There's no one out there doing what they're doing.   Yes there are other excellent drum corps performances out there -- settle down people.  But Klesch's skill at arranging is aging like fine wine and the percussion writing last year was phenomenal.   Kind of scary to think what things could be like in 24.  

    • Like 5
  7. 4 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

    We’ll, I’m a retired military officer.  Been through quite a bit to obtain & maintain security clearances.   Most of this, save application fee, in fact.  

    It was of course a tongue-in-cheek response.   Uncle Sam put me in the system as well.  

    But I respect that you're ready and willing!  Sadly unless the corps themselves were advocating for this sort of program,  it's a non-starter.   It might also be a challenge to implement it in way that was not very disruptive.  There might be a continuous line of complaints outside your door.  

     

    • Thanks 1
  8. 3 hours ago, Tim K said:

    Have background checks eliminated abuse? No, nothing is fool proof. Have they reduced abuse? The theory is they keep potential predators away, however it is always the case that the background checks along with checking personal references and close supervision are necessary. The supervision is probably the most critical component. Any time you take a training to spot predators, the first thing often mentioned is that predators are usually expert manipulators.

    It's a pro forma response that sounds good to school boards and administrators but has not been shown to be particularly effective.  In the band and drum corps world,  many (if not most) of the instructors are already educators in their real jobs.  The training is mostly online courseware which is often considered more of a nuisance than effective education.  And most people who are "mandated reporters"  in fact fail to report anything at all.  

    It's a start -- but like most well-intentioned starts its falls very short of accomplishing much.  

     

  9. 11 minutes ago, bluesman said:

    Are we now living in a time where "The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children"? I'm sympathetic to anyone who has been the victim of sexual assault or harassment, but this was almost 42 years ago.  Some kids aren't going to get to march because of something that happened before they, or in some instances before their parents were born.  I'm sure I'm going to get blasted for this, but the alleged incident happened more than 4 decades ago. 

    There's truth in what you're saying.  Up to the legal system to determine what responsibility today's Cadets (Cadets A&E) may have for the actions of the Garfield Cadets so long ago.  

    • Like 1
  10. 5 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

    Back in 1990s had training from churches insurance company on protection from child abuse. Line that applies here is “abusers are looking for organizations that either do not check for abusers or have holes in their protection policy “.

    More I read about abusers (staff and members) being able to bounce to another corps….. no wonder this is still going on as much

    High school programs were using the background check process well before drum corps.  Has it eliminated abuse there?    As I said it's mostly a legal CYA action.  

  11. 30 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

    So disheartened by these recent posts.   How about DCI create a compliance group of about 5 people and have them develop mandatory reporting guidelines that each corps shall follow. And give them investigative authority.  If lack of oversight is the problem then create oversight. 

    I think the idea of having a DCI paid ombudsperson at every corps is a good one.  A person independent of the corps who's accessible to every member could potentially be a very valuable resource for both members and staff.  Maybe a "problem member" is really a "problem instructor".      But would there really be people willing to assume that role for the token salary that position would inevitably be paid?  

  12. 1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

    if it was known to the world at large, it was a secret.

     

    i do feel for corps however when it comes to these kids coming to them.....short of an admission of guilt or legal actions, it's a slippery slope to cut them based on rumors. one parent mad Johnny didnt get his drill dot with a lawyer could cause huge problems

    It sounds easy to have a shared database of "problem" members.  But accountability is a real thing (for the entity maintaining the list and for the corps submitting data to the list).   Good ideas are good until you get down to implementation.  Then reality sets in.   Just ask anyone who's written software for the health care industry.   What sort of problems can be reported?  How are they documented?  Who is authorized to see, add or remove MM's from the list?  And most importantly: who's liable if a MM appears on (or is absent from) the list and something bad happens.

    As for due diligence (like Lab immediately posted about Boston) -- that's been going on forever (all the way down to the smallest school activity) and quite frankly it's a joke.  Unless someone has been convicted of a serious offense,  they're going to pass right through those checks.  And even in that case,  many offenders successfully get records expunged after doing their obligatory community service.  And we're just talking adults here.  MM's are in general completely in the clear as juvenile records might as well not exist for background checks.  Background checks are mostly CYA theater.  

  13. How about a show called "influencers" which twists the modern interpretation with pieces from composers who greatly influenced western music (with the caveat that no one else has played it before).  Visual / storyline stays with the modern spin but the music does not (until the closer perhaps?)

    I'll put my 2 cents in with this particular arrangement of G. Gabrieli to open the program:

     

    Could you imagine hearing CrownBrass playing this?  Only one word would suffice:  GLORIOUS ! 

    • Like 3
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