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Being Cut because you're fat?


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The whole problem with your thesis is that you define success as competitive success. Not that you're alone in that, as it's a school of thought that has come to dominate the activity.

IMO there are dozens of things about the drum corps experience that are far more important in terms of the lessons the activity has to offer. The competitive aspect of the activity is destroying it, and the prime motivation causing the leaders of the activity to be unwilling, or unable, to make the necessary changes in direction that are needed to prevent the activity from imploding.

Also, if education is secondary, then the IRS should strip every drum corps who subscribes to your thesis of its tax-exempt status, as they are all chartered as educational organizations with that function as their primary mission. If that's not the case, the organizations involved should not be deserving of tax-advantaged status because of it. (Not to mention that it would also make all of the promotion and advertising around the activity fraud, as DCI is, more and more, putting all of its mission statement eggs in the "we are the uber performing arts education activity" basket.)

I didn't define success as I see it in my post, so you're making some assumptions there. My basic point was that the education that occurs in drum corps, happens BECAUSE of something else, not exclusively for the purpose of education. Drum corps is NOT school.

Edited by BozzlyB
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But I see where people are coming from about it being a visual distraction.....but isnt this sport about Youth Education?

It seems like its starting to slip away from that mentality......but still gotta love it :D

Youth education ? Are you talking about Drum & Bugle corps or Summer Honor Marching Brass Bands International ?

I'm glad I marched when it was drum & bugle corps and it WAS a youth activity, however I can appreciate the product that is being produced today. What a shame many throw out the fat baby with the bathwater.

As a FAT FMM, it saddens me to think how many kids today just can't march when it's the very activity they need in their lives but my God, the product today is a thing of beauty.

My God, what these kids do today is amazing. Would I have lost the weight to march back in my day ? I doubt that I could even come close to doing modern drills even in the best of shape because of my "knocked-knees".

Signed,

A fat kid who's life was enriched and set in a positive direction BECAUSE of drum & bugle corps.

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The whole problem with your thesis is that you define success as competitive success. Not that you're alone in that, as it's a school of thought that has come to dominate the activity.

Sorry, I think BozzlyB is right. It is about education and development but not exclusively about that. More to the point, it’s not about the education and development of every aspiring member.

Drum corps dreams are a scarce commodity with each corps granting a fixed number each year no matter how many apply. This man’s disappointment was someone else’s dream – a wash in every respect.

What you seem to be advocating is some responsibility on the part of the drum corps establishment to satisfy all the dreams to meet your measure for educational fulfillment. You blame the bent for competition in drum corps as if that were the limiting factor.

It’s not. Corps must distinguish between candidates somehow. No matter what the reason, someone is left out. Surely you can’t be promoting a scheme where drum corps can’t select members to optimize performance musically and visually. Because if you are, what educational and developmental lessons would drum corps have to teach in an environment where the ability to make music and move is a random quality?

Achievement is at the core of the corps experience. No, it’s not the only quality required for education and development. It is, however, one of the qualities that define the difference between drum corps and marching band or even the rest of our lives.

HH

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You still might want to have that talk with somebody who evaluated you for Corps 1, and thank them for the opportunity, and tell them you landed elsewhere (you can be sure they'll be glad to hear that) and just ask, What should I be working on to have a better chance next year with you guys? Listen carefully to the answer, process it, file it away, work on it.

And then forget that old Dream Corps for awhile. Make your current corps your new Dream Corps. After all, they wanted you.

Great advice. Consider this a part of youth education. Sometimes fate makes better decisions than we do (especially when we're under 21). You just have to be able to go with the flow.

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The whole problem with your thesis is that you define success as competitive success. Not that you're alone in that, as it's a school of thought that has come to dominate the activity.

IMO there are dozens of things about the drum corps experience that are far more important in terms of the lessons the activity has to offer. The competitive aspect of the activity is destroying it, and the prime motivation causing the leaders of the activity to be unwilling, or unable, to make the necessary changes in direction that are needed to prevent the activity from imploding.

Can you gain the same life lessons that you would learn from marching a World Class corps through other activities? Obviously yes. Can you march competitively at a World Class level in any other activity? Um, no.

The life lessons are great, but they are a symptom, not the cause. To focus on the experience without talking about putting the best possible product on the field completely misses the mark as far as why we do what we do.

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we can talk all day about what drum corps should be teaching, but in the end, isn't it all about survival?

the corps MUST get money to survive.

how do they get money?

they sell t shirts, they solicit donations, they go to shows.

anytime you sell ANYTHING, you are asking people to buy into your brand. as stupid as it sounds, people don't like to buy into brands that aren't attractive. period. if you are in the guard, you are selling the brand.

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I was larger when I marched then I am now and here is what I would do.

Go audition somewhere else... Colts have a camp or march an open corps. Make that corps. Loose your weight during the summer and before everydays start. Next year go audition for your dream corps, make it and tell them to F themselfs.

Revenge is sweet. :)

Seriously, go march somewhere else.

Edited by CloudHype
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So I auditioned for my dream corp back in Nov.(Not going to say who), I felt like I was one of the stronger auditionees, I projected, I had the work down pact after knowing it for 2-3 days, I felt pretty good about my audition(even though I did trip on my flag that was on the ground in my audition ;P ) but I came back and my instructor had auditioned for the same corp back a few years ago and they said that once he worked on his figure he could come back. I have a feeling thats the same thing I got....I felt I was very good but unfortunely my body type wouldnt meet their "requirements". It was a World Class corp so do most of them want to look "uniform" on the field so they cut the larger people so they all look the same? If so, is this fair? I mean theres no way of proving it but since I'm of the larger nature is this fair to me that I cant follow my dream?

I haven't read all of the replies, but more often than not a performer is rarely as good or as bad as they think they are. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone audition for a corps/music ensemble/performing group who thinks they are amazing yet do not come close to possessing the required skills to make the group. I don't mean this to sound harsh, but rather instead of trying to find some sort of bias as to why you didn't make your dream corps, perhaps you should examine the skill set you have now and either:

a) find another corps that is more suitable to your level (i.e. one that accepts you as a member)

b) ask the instructor who evaluated you as below their skill level what you can work on to achieve their requirements next season

Again, I don't mean this in any mean spirited way. I understand that you are probably upset about not making your dream corps and you think you are good enough to make it. Sometimes, some years, standards are higher than others and even a real good performer with a high level of expertise in their area are simply not up to the high standards of a given corps. Perhaps your dream corps had a large number of returning vets and fewer spots to offer rookies than normal, or perhaps the corps had an insanely high level of people audition for them this year in your section.

Either way, I would contact whoever evaluated you, ask them what you need to work on, and join another corps to work on improving your weaknesses.

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The dance/stage world are professional organizations. Corps are largely Educational organizations with tax-advantaged, 501©3, corporate status.

Sorry to jump in here...

Most arts organizations are also 501c3 just like Drum Corps.

It is a common misconception that because performers get paid that somehow those groups are for profit.

You can check the status of many larger ones here.

http://activecause.com

example

http://activecause.com/nonprofit-profile/j...83f3d393c202522

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Sorry to jump in here...

Most arts organizations are also 501c3 just like Drum Corps.

It is a common misconception that because performers get paid that somehow those groups are for profit.

You can check the status of many larger ones here.

http://activecause.com

example

http://activecause.com/nonprofit-profile/j...83f3d393c202522

Joffrey ballet is a bad example. They are world renowned and get lots of grants to where they don't need to make money to stay afloat. Other companies and performing arts groups do.

It's not uncommon for people working with dance companies to make money which means they are making a profit (alvin ailey's judith jamison makes 250k a year). A smaller company most certainly cannot rely on grants if they have no reputation

attached to their name.

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