Pearson Out at Santa Clara Vanguard

[ContraRich77]

Sorry to see him go.

Jeff Pearson is the epitome of what makes SCV, well........SCV. A more warm, caring, passionate, honorable, dedicated man you could not find if you tried.

I wish him the best in his future endeavours.

[GMichael1230]

As an aside, the SCV alumni who is calling for SCV to fire Key Poulan needs to catch a clue. The organization is lucky to have a professional composer of Key's caliber on staff.

edited cuz i cant spel

Thank you

Geoffrey

[trptjock]

Seeing Jeff Pearson leave the Vanguard Organization is a sad day, but they (SCV) have prospered with many new people at the helm (administration and staff) and have faired well, they may not have won, but they have done well. The issue is not the music selections, the issue is based on design of the show. The music is decided on by a design team not one person. To blame Key Poulan for the selection of music is not fair and does not bode well to his favor. And to have you know, Key was responsible for the 2004 show both as designer and arranger, and I think many alumni would agree that the 04 show was one of the better shows that the Vanguard has put on the field in this decade (thus far.)

Having worked for the Vanguard organization in 2007, the issue was not his arrangements or his timing, but the changes that were made by caption heads and design team throughout the winter months to guarantee the product is the best it can be before move-ins. Trust me, Vanguard is not the only corps that makes changes to music from November to the end of the season...every drum corps does it. But it seems that Vanguard seems to let this get blown out of proportion. Yes, Cadets and Regiment all make changes and adjustments from month to month. If you used the same show from the beginning of the winter camps until the end of the season, the show would not improve and remain stagnant. Is that what you want? Each corps adjusts and changes these things (music) to compensate for visual concerns, ensemble timing or coordinated effects.

There can be many factors for the book not being "ready" and that would be left up to discussion, but in 2007, the materials were all presented in a timely manner. I can speak for 2008 (having spoken to Key about this), the music book could have been completed well in advance but the coordinated effort is between the Horn Arranger and the Percussion Arranger. In this case the issues were dealt between two people rather than three (Horn, Battery, Pit). Snags in the process happen, as it also happens in Life. You can not expect everything to work smoothly from day to day and get the same result. It is life, deadlines are met and some are not. The issue is not the arranger, the issue is the design choice. That is like saying the design of the Phantom Regiment show this year was flawed because the color guard book was so light overall (as a hypothetical, not as fact). Or that the Blue Devils horn book was too complex for the judging community to understand so it was watered. That simply is not true.

So if something in the design process is not met because of an emergency or some other pressing issue comes up on someone's life (Like finishing up a Doctorate in Music), then the season is lost. Really?

If you have a disagreement with the selections of music that are being discussed for the current years production, send them to the design team at SCV. Bringing back old shows in the modern era could be a "Hit or Miss" proposition. That is saying the SCV 1987 show would work well in this day and age if nothing was changed taking the same drill, drum and horn book and putting it on the field in 2009. It probably would from a position of familiarity but not from a design. The judging community is looking for a story-line or literary thread to sink their teeth into and dissect over the span of the season. If that is the case, then if a story-line is what is needed, then the music selections should be secondary to the story or support said story. If the music is coordinated, in terms of effect, then the product is working (i.e. Cavaliers 2003 or 2006). If the music is not coordinated in terms of overall design of the show, then the thread is lost (insert a corps less-than-favorable performance here).

All drum corps design teams come up with show concepts for the start of each season. They either work or they don't. It will be hard to tell until you have something to base this off of. Yes, SCV did beat the Blue Devils in the early part of 2007, but the reason why the gap started to happen was because the drill design was so late in the process that we did not have a closer until mid-June. Once we got the closer, it had to be changed because it was not at the caliber of what the fielded portion of the drill was, so it was changed. This change put the corps back at least 10 days and we never caught up to our competition. I don't know how many alumni were crawling out of the woodwork singing the praise of the design team for finally beating the Blue Devils in the early season and then wanting peoples heads at the end of the season when the corps finished in 5th.

Not to mention that the drill with Vanguard has always been gray (even when they won in 1999, and I am sure the alumni from 1999 would agree with me). That does not mean that the Vanguard is a faulty organization because the drill is dirty, but it is what it is. If you are given a product with enough time to clean it (rather than changing it in advance), then the corps can be more successful because the product is in the members hands (not the staff). There are many issues that can be discussed on here until the cows come home, but the topic is really Jeff Pearson leaving the Vanguard Organization. A corps with so much tradition has lost one of its own. The Pearson chapter has ended, but I am sure another one will begin soon. I am sure many people said the same thing when Rick V. and JW were let go. Not to mention Allan Dekko and a myriad of other staff members and designers from the early years.

It is a sad day. But perhaps good things are on the horizon. For crying out loud, its the Santa Clara Vanguard. Its not like they didn't make finals this year.

Go SCV!!!! I will still support you no matter what.

Edited August 19, 2008 by trptjock

[Perry S]

You really think Webber's drill is cheesy? It's like an amazing blend of Gaines and Murphy, where geometric meets follow the leader. I love it! What parts would you say are cheesy and why?

Honestly curious....not trying to start a fight.

He said the drill was FAR FROM cheesy. lol

[cmathis]

What exactly happened with Dean Westman and Gordon Henderson? Those arrangements were awesome!

[ouooga]

He said the drill was FAR FROM cheesy. lol

Sigh...I need to read better and sleep more before I post. Sorry Jared!!!

[Strongo]

Edited because the original quoted poster deleted HIS original post.

Key's great, had the whole book to us by January. Woo hoo

And, back on topic, I consider Jeff a good friend who helped me a whole lot in the early season, and I hope I will see him frequently with both of my families. (SCV and Renegades)

Edited August 20, 2008 by dare2makemusic

[drumlaw80]

These are just my opinions and do not reflect anything from my alumni corps.

I have worked with Key on numerous projects, and never had a problem with him completing anything on time. Key is also one of the most successful arrangers, publishers and composers for marching organizations in the United States, a position that he would not have attained if he had the work habits you seem determined to pin on him.

You see, it is easy for to point the fingers at one staff member and pretend that you know what would solve everything for the Santa Clara Vanguard. But you need to realize that the arm-chair drum corps directorship is just taking shots at someone's livelihood without really knowing what you are talking about in regards to what is really going on within the organization.

Edited August 20, 2008 by drumlaw80

[PepsiTwist]

I don't understand why so many people are criticizing them for being 7th place... or saying the season was unsuccessful.

Gimme a break. About 10 years ago there were only 3 or 4 corps that were legitimate contenders. Now you have a good solid 7 that are very very strong and it comes down to a few things. A matter of tenths of points... a matter of taste in the show... and a matter of everything working out perfectly and peaking at the right moments during the season. None of that falls on the director's shoulders. It's all mostly luck!

I wish Mr. Pearson the best as he moves on from this and I am positive that no matter what place the corps is next summer that is will be a successful season.

[Newseditor44]

Jeff Pearson is a talented guy and a class act, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

As an aside, the SCV alumni who is calling for SCV to fire Key Poulan needs to catch a clue. The organization is lucky to have a professional composer of Key's caliber on staff.

edited cuz i cant spel

Agree with Lee here, Key is a class act and a great arrainger. I don't think you would be able to find anyone that can "replace" him. He was also a great band director back in the day (Hey Key, it hurts that I have to say "back in the day" doesn't it?!? LOL)