chopsforever

The whole point is drum corps is not the place to learn how to teach. Go ahead and take education classes and get your M.A. and be a great teacher. March drum corps to be part of an elite ensemble with a competitive goal. Education of members is a byproduct of the high standards they have to meet all day, every day on tour. Drum corps is one of the few activities left on this planet where a kid can get his butt kicked and therefore get emotionally involved and therefore come away with a different perspective. It's more about motivation than education. Lets keep drum corps hard core and provide the most coddled generation in history, a different perspective. Less explaining, more running. cf

Look, <innapropriate comment removed - GJ>, drum corps is NOT a marching band. If you think so, I want you to write that on your application for top 12 drum corps. Obviously you have to teach the MEMBERS. But drum corps should not have to teach members HOW TO TEACH. And how to be a REALLY GREAT BAND DIRECTOR. Those things have nothing to do with drum corps. cf

The fact that such a powerful man in drum corps wants WW is scary. Drum corps is about competition, not education. A drum corps' job is not to educate the next generation of band directors. It is to perform at a high level and compete. I can't for the life of me understand this agenda to turn drum corps into marching band. Marching bands already exist, drum corps is special becuase of its roots and its distinction from college marching band. I'm all for innovation but reeds on the field cuts to the core of drum corps. cf

Saxophone line???!?! Am I the only one around here who gets nauseous when people start talking about a saxophone line in drum corps? Am I the only one around here who will boycott DCI forever if I see woodwinds on the field? Is there any drum corps lover here that can seriously tell me they want to see this??? Since when is drum corps an vehicle for the enjoyment of all musicians? Why stop at musicians? Shouldn't the debate team, chess club, and olympic curling hopefuls also get to "taste the joy of the activity?" Aern't they part of "humanity?" Why don't we just put every single activity out there on the football field. Then we can let the judges and the market decide what it wants to see. Adding woodwinds is arbitrary. Woodwinds are a holdover from concert band. That is the only reason they are on the marching band field. Recruitment??? There is like 1000 people that try out for cadets every year. Maybe the beauty of drum corps is that it DOESN'T change that much. Maybe there is beauty in a full concert arc of flat front silver horns. Maybe there is beauty in the distinctive sound of a drum corps. Drum corps is a competitive activity. It is about playing at the highest levels, achieving near perfection. It is not about educating the next generation of band directors. THAT IS WHAT PUBLIC SCHOOL AND MARCHING BAND IS FOR!!!!!!! Thoughts? cf

Bottom line, top tier instructors writing for lower six and below corps is bad for the activity. Don't try to tell me they care as much about that program as they do their primary corps. They don't, and would be horrified if the second tier corps threatened them score-wise. Examples of long term, successful relationships between major names and lower corps are few an far between. Much more common are one-year and two-year stints by major names ghost writing for lower corps. Do you think that turnover is good for the activity? It's one thing to have a major name come in to advise, it's another thing to have someone call the shots from the satellite view. Thats why businesses have CONSULTANTS. Why would you have Mike McIntosh write your book? Aren't you supposed to be COMPETING against him??? OK, I have an idea, instead of Santa Clara hiring jackson lets get Tom Aungst to write the parts but keep the old SCV staff. Now wouldn't that be Ridiculous? Regards, cf

Re: Devon do you have a problem with the top guys' writing or just the fact that they write for other corps? For example, if Hannum was teaching a top corps would you be against him writing for Div II also? Re: Jim there are no GENIUSes writing drum corps percussion parts. Talented, yes, indipsensible genius, no... I can't for the life of me understand why a corps director would want anyone other than their core staff writing the book. Too many times you see a 2nd teir or small corps go with someone halfway across the world to write, WHY? Stop the gravy train and have some faith in your staff. Put out something unique. Lets say you are marching a bottom 6 corps or Div II. Lets say a "top name" is writing your book. Great. You are admitting to the whole world that you are a secod tier corps, a hand me down from whatever corps your "top name" cares about. It would seem to me that any member is going to fly once they get good enough for top 6. Why not march for the source? Hire great local people who have a vested interest in building your small corps. Cultivate long term relationships with them. Have a philosophy so members stay. Don't be a copy. chopsf.

Nice to see a railmen thread!! my favorites: Omar I GOTTA GET OFF THIS BUS!! Blasting Frank Zappa before every show '91 "pizza" Brad Woll quotes Brad Simmons quotes John Duncan quotes Trying to keep a straight face in retreat ***THE LOVE SHACK!!!!!!!*** Shout outs to Bill, Leland, Brian, WHATS UP TY! I marched pit '91, snare '92, '93 Crossmen 1997 Bass, U. North Texas '94-'95 UNL for one week Taught Bellevue E. with Keith, Millard West '98, '99, and Papillion currently I have a line out here in MARYLAND watch out for Papillion this year... they will be unbelievable Anyone heard of Jason Lindsay? I heard he was a producer in LA. Jon Hermach anyone? And I WILL start a drum corps in Omaha. Thanks! Regards, cf (Josh S.)

Not to change the subject, but since this thread ballooned and there are plent of old devs on it... yes I said old... What did you guys think of this years show? I am going to reserve comment for a second. Regards, cf

Does anyone know where the name "Blue Devils" came from? Thanks, CF