gbass598

If you've done it. It's fine. A legit accomplishment is something to be proud of. Where bios become a stretch is when people stretch the truth to make themselves look better.

I guess we just can't trust the hiring and training process anymore if we expect to scrutinize a detailed history of what judges list what they have done up to that point. Bios are little more than ego boosting wordsmithed paragraphs to make your accomplishments seem more important than what they actually are in a lot of cases.

You can't tell me people don't just love talking about all the bad things that have gone on in this activity. Society loves focusing on the negative. If doesn't matter if you are drummer picking ticks or watching the evening news and listening to everything horrible happening in the world. This place is no different.

It's also a waste of time, effort, and energy to do so. Shows have focal points where we want everyone's eyes and ears to focus during a performance. if you aren't focal point at that moment, it doesn't need to be overly difficult. You just need to do your job. If everyone did everything hard it would just sound like 1 big long prog rock song featuring some guitar player wank on his guitar for 12 minutes.

Maybe I choose not to believe every post on this place like some people but if you've ever met anyone who is a go getter and gets things done, they don't believe the words can't, won't and impossible. Everyone in this place is just ready to give up, close up shop and write them off for dead and expect their staff to jump to their favorite corps and that clearly hasn't happened fast enough for people wishing for their demise.

And I would like to believe real problem solvers are working to find real solutions about problems and not posting every little detail on an internet message board.

Is it though? They established an entirely new non profit entity to separate from YEA and still did it without missing a year. It’s not out of the question. Troopers were on the verge of financial ruin more than once. They took a year off and we’re in much better shape. In the late 90’s word is Phantom Regiment was in bad shape and they survived without taking off a year. Each situation is different. I still stick by the fact key design staff stuck with SCV is a good sign of potential stability if they are able to return.

Or you could look at how bad the Cadets were financially after the downfall of George and the YEA. They survived and now appear to be more stable for the future after what seemed like a very touch and go few years.

And I believe this stuff could all be planned and waiting to be released pending the decision to return. I don't have direct knowledge of anything. I just know people who know people like everyone else but this place tends to be doom and gloom about everything. I'm sure we'll know of a decision on '24 within the next 30 days or so and I think the fact that a return is even possible at this stage with none of their core design staff jumping ship should be considered a good thing.

I sit and learn new things off of Youtube and drum old stuff from when I was marching on my pad pretty often. Trying to regain some skill I had 25 years ago and learn new stuff. As far as doing body work and drill movements. That's just too much for me. Teaching basic marching technique to a drum line and maybe some body stuff directly related to what they are doing is as far as I will take it. But no, I'm not hanging out in my backyard trying to learn drum corps visual moves.

And I would say we don't know what the design staff has been working on. They haven't jumped ship and I highly doubt they are sitting around doing nothing. They could very well just be waiting for the word on finances to move forward with everything for '24. It's not like they have to launch a drum corps from scratch. they just need the money and a place for kids to show up. Can anyone name a single staff member from SCV who has left to go somewhere else? I highly suspect the design and teaching staff are simply waiting for the word go. With that staff, kids will show up if they come back and I think those names who have stayed will provide a certain level of comfort that this isn't going to be a thrown together season.

I would expect that if SCV returns, they will have all of Gaines, Van Doren, Rennick etc. on staff. If SCV announces they are not returning then all bets could be off but until they announce 1 way or another they aren't going anywhere as far as I know. Obviously that information should be coming within the next month since people need to plan auditions.

Maybe.

Longevity helps you maintain it. Just because you do something a long time doesn't mean you are good at it. They've been fortunate to have a team that has fostered success and then those people stick around. If you look at a lot of professional sports teams, you can turn around an organization in a few years with the right people involved. Staying at the top longer than that is where the longevity is required. I'm just surprised people don't try to copy how BD functions creatively. Not copy "what" they do but "how" they do it. It clearly works.

You have to assume some brass staff changes are happening. The gap between percussion and brass performance like that shouldn't be acceptable.

All I know is at appears one of you has bad information. The question is which one? Most people will probably never know.

My bad. easy mixup.

In what role? He's not the program designer for BA, Wes Pendergrass is. He'd probably be a better fit for corps director or a highly powerful board role to direct change but it would be crazy to leave Broken Arrow for a drum corps job.

IMO designing for drum corps and a successful band program boils down to 3 things. Competent organizational structure, a competent instructional staff and a talented member base. There are lots of band programs out there way more competent than drum corps organizations. I've taught a HS band where the instructional staff and the member base was much better than the show design they performed. We now have a competent show designer and look forward to having big things happen this year to take advantage of our strengths for greater success What does Madison have? Competent organizational structure - I see nothing but alumni on here complaining about the corp leadership and probably rightfully so. Competent instructional staff - I don't know that I can answer that fully. I know the percussion staff has shown some gains and some respect in the last couple of years but now we fall to point #3 as to what may be holding them back. I believe they have solid educators overall but are they being put in a position to succeed? Talented member base - By all accounts, Scouts just don't draw the talent that others around them do. How do they fix that? I guess we cycle back to point #1. If you are failing on 2 of those 3 points, design doesn't do much for you but will certainly take the blame. Design is just notes and drill dots on a page until the organizational structure provides the resources to accomplish it and the instructional staff makes it happen. Someone just doesn't become a bad or good designer just because it is drum corps and not marching band. The whole package needs to be right.

That's an opinion based upon only seeing on field product with no consideration to possible organizational dysfunction. I have reason to believe it could maybe be a bit of both. I can only speak for what I would do if it were me and if an organization doesn't allow me to be in a position to succeed why would I want to stay for the amount of time, effort, and stress placed on me for the amount of money I'm being paid. You can blame show design and drill design if you choose. Competitively it wasn't any better before those people arrived and I don't think it will be any better with who they hire to replace. The addition of bringing Scott Boerma back didn't change anything for them. The constant here has been the corps leadership. All captions scored in the same range. That being said, I also don't think having a very "Madison show" is a necessarily a good thing. Maybe there are different interpretations of what a "Madison show" is but living in the past is not really a good way to live when the world is changing and evolving around you.

Maybe. depends on the circumstances that only those people truly know. In all honesty, its all speculation since we don't know anyone was getting fired and we don't know who decided to leave because it is not a situation they enjoy being in any longer.

Are you assuming they were fired or do you consider the possibility of them leaving of their own free will and a potential forthcoming staff exodus to be a good thing for the future of the corps?

I'm kidding but I'm just imagining the Cavaliers drums staff looking at the horn staff after they got 10th in brass achievement. Quite the disparity in scoring on the main performance captions. I wonder how they plan to address this before next season.

No idea. I saw him on the field during the Hall of Fame ceremony and then he's handing out cards to age outs.

The biggest surprise of all tonight is that Roman Blenski is still around.