MikeD Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 Honestly, I am surprised that you care about competition at all, given the arguments that woodwinds should be allowed in because they find themselves unable to compete effectively on drum corps instruments. You seem to be contradicting yourself. How so? I really have no idea how you get from A to B in your above statement. How does permitting WW or other instruments have anything at all to do with the idea that competition is a valid activity? I am missing something here. Thousands of bands at the HS level compete each and every year with WW and any other instrumentation they desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekneek Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 (edited) How so? I really have no idea how you get from A to B in your above statement. How does permitting WW or other instruments have anything at all to do with the idea that competition is a valid activity? I am missing something here. Thousands of bands at the HS level compete each and every year with WW and any other instrumentation they desire. I will see if I can dig up a quote. I seem to recall you saying something to the effect that lots of woodwind players are missing out on drum corps because they aren't good enough to make a top drum corps using drum corps instruments. Your solution was to change the rules and let them in on their primary instrument instead of making them compete under the current rules. You don't see the problem with that? They are getting their first lesson in having to compete in something that isn't a core competency, which is a real life situation, and you want the rules changed because some of them just aren't willing to do it. That's not the lesson we want our young people learning, is it? When all else fails, just change the rules for entry? Edited December 6, 2007 by Tekneek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 I will see if I can dig up a quote. I seem to recall you saying something to the effect that lots of woodwind players are missing out on drum corps because they aren't good enough to make a top drum corps using drum corps instruments. Your solution was to change the rules and let them in on their primary instrument instead of making them compete under the current rules. You don't see the problem with that? They are getting their first lesson in having to compete in something that isn't a core competency, which is a real life situation, and you want the rules changed because some of them just aren't willing to do it. That's not the lesson we want our young people learning, is it? When all else fails, just change the rules for entry? I want the rules changed as I think it will make DCI stronger. Yes, it will provide opportunities for players to audition on the instruments they have been mastering for years, and that is a good thing. I like an even playing field for membership opportunities, and adding WW will do that. Personally, I don't see the addition of WW being implemented unless the DCI BOD thinks it will help ensure the survival of the organizations themselves, not because of artistic or other considerations. Electronics I think will be legalized, either this year or shortly down the road, maybe phasing in what is permitted over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drillwatcher Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 ... according to several Music Ed profs I had back in the day.I would guess the same mindset is still prevalent on many college campuses, and MusEd majors who have had valuable educational experiences in either marching band or drum corps know differently because they have lived it. Anyone have horror stories from your college days when a Music Education Professor would rail on about the horrors of competition? One thing that always seemed ironic to me- the highest level of musicianship is dependent on competition. By that I mean when you go to hear a professional symphony play, how did their musicians get their jobs? They competed before an audition committee. Same for many other professional music jobs. While their job is not a competition, how they got the job certainly was. Even in non-competitive school music programs, somebody has to audtion for wind ensemble, or show choir, or the lead in the school musical, or in many cases who gets the solo.... When winning becomes the main goal, then I agree there is a problem, but that is more on the directors priorities than on the benefits of competition itself (when priorities are in order). Thoughts or interesting stories/exchanges you guys have had on this topic? Always interesting. It must be tough to not have auditions as of course that would be competing for a spot or to have everyone play solos as you could'nt have them compete for it or even to have all first chairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaners Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 (edited) competition is all over the place in music education... not just marching band.... jazz festivals, drumline circuits, orchestra and wind band festivals... its a great outlet for students to perform and receive feedback! i do agree that if a teacher is basing their program on winning awards, then they probably are not getting across a good amount of musical understanding in each of the education standards. instead, they are focusing only on what must be done to win awards. there definitely is a happy medium, as there is with all things. on drumcorp.... ya ive had my share of professors who denounce it... though i have noticed a trend with the knowledge of the activity with these professors... many of them are not up to date with how marching band and drum corp has evolved, and how beneficial the activity can be. they do not know how marching band can be an amazing outlet to build playing proficiency evenly throughout the program; brass, woodwind, or percussion! they do not know that the goal for most circuits of marching band is to achieve the highest level of musicianship. they do not realize the opportunity that band directors have in creating educational activities through music selected. they are only thinking about band directors who do not utilize these opportunities. when ever i bring this up, the focus immediately turns to how much it costs.... true. thats when i point out that every benefit i just listed has nothing to do with money.... when this is realized, they point out that having complete focus on marching band is a loss of time. true, but most schools, money or not, have many other music groups at the same time as marching band. yes there schools that focus 100% on marching band, and i think this is wrong. but from what i have seen in southern california, this is but a small minority. after those three areas are attacked, the subject is usually changed......... not to mention that kids love marching band!!! it is an activity to enjoy. football players do not join the football team because it will help them in history... they join to have fun, work out, and hit stuff. marching band is that with soo much benefits.. minus the hitting stuff... unless you have some weird visual.. a composition faculty member on my campus thinks the drumcorp idiom is an amazing outlet for new music, and interpretation. he recognizes that mrching band and drumcorp is filled with passionate performances, and the opportunity teachers have in education with marching band... in short, he rules Edited December 6, 2007 by shaners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVQuesty Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 minus the hitting stuff... unless you have some weird visual.. Quote of the day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.