Music

As a former Madison mom, I see many subtopics with regards to this decision: 1. The corps has tried to maintain tradition in membership, instruction, presentation, design, etc for years 2. The corps' leadership has been reluctant to change instruction, presentation, design for years because the alumni want tradition upheld 3. The corps' leadership has not been able to merge tradition and progress successfully enough to keep up with other corps' products 4. The spin becomes how members feel about being in the corps, with less emphasis of the scores that they receive from competitions 5. Yet, this is a competition. How members feel (and the audience) of each sides' perspective has a lot to do with intrinsic and extrinsic values. 6. Bottom line: score better as all male or score better as coed. But, I truly think that if the scores (proof is in the pudding) were better, then this decision to go coed would not be taking place. 7. I think the fallacy is that the leadership thinks they need to recruit better talent ... and since Madison is not in the position to recruit based upon their placements, they are not going to be able to recruit merely based upon "this is going to be a great brotherhood experience". Any corps creates a culture within itself - great memories and such. So, if Madison is down to only having that aspect to market itself, the coed decision is the last straw. 8. BUT ... will women want to join Madison?? And those that do? Will they want to stay or will they become interested in better scoring groups? Women do not necessarily bring solutions to the group - they just bring another side of the biology. 9. IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCT and all will be better. Better design, better instruction, better investment in learning how corps are delivering a presentation, less stubbornness to change. 10. If these men had already been open minded, they might have merged tradition and progress long ago.