Memphis Sound Move to TX

[Lancerlady]

Sine the name will be changed, I think it would be awesome for the new one to reflect both Memphis Sound AND Memphis Blues.

Memphs Blues has its own history. How is a move to Texas going to reflect a name or the history of a great drum corps that accomplished so much in it's first year and the other years of it's existence?

Edited March 7, 2009 by Lancerlady

[CSGreen]

For the record, FPAA, which is one of about 17 non-profits that I have started, I am no longer involved in. I resigned my position and all positions within Frontier when I took the position with Memphis Sound.

MYPAA's Board is made up of 4 Memphis people and 2 TX. We are actively recruiting board members. I actually convinced the board to add two positions to allow Memphis Sound alumni to join the board, something that previously was not allowed.

[texmex]

As a new "board" member I wanted to address some of the negative press that has been in this thread.

First I heard Memphis was looking to move to DFW and thought it was a smart move. DFW is a hotbed of the best bands in Tx....lots of great color guards to recruit from and possibly hooking up with an affiliation with a top notch indy guard much like some of the World class corps do.

Second I wanted to offer my expertise and experience to a group I think has ALOT of potential. This group and the staff have ALOT of potential especially with the ability to recruit out of Tx. If most of the group is from Tx then why not move?

Third I marched in a corps that moved to Tx and was a one hit wonder and that was the Sky Ryders. Within three years of bad management and recruitment and bad show decisions they were gone. The "sky" was the limit with them and it was frittered away. I vowed I would always try to support another corps and saw this as an opportunity for me to help. Leadership through service is what I am looking for.

I am here on the board to offer my help and guidance in admin decisions and also to offer what I would "instructional" guidance for any and all that would want it on staff thru Chris. I am not the MOST experienced person but I have a background coming from education and having been a judge and instructor of another transpanted corps(Spirit) that I think I bring experiences to the table that would be put to good use.

I am here to help and offer whatever I can for the success of this corps in Tx. I invite any Memphis alumni or current members to e-mail me as I would like to meet more of the Memphis family.

I am excited and thrilled that we have another corps in Tx and opportunity for kids in Tx to march in a quality drum corps.

My e-mail is Danielgalloway@sbcglobal.net

Daniel Galloway

Clements Band

Memphis Sound Board

[WWonka]

I have a couple of comments. First off I was worried Memphis Sound would fold when Trey moved on. I went to a couple of their camps with a daughter the year before he moved on and you could tell he was the heart and soul. It was his baby. That was meant as no disrespect to any one else involved. Most drum corps seem to be "cults of personality" with that one person... Not all but many. And for the record she ended up marching somewhere else.

I've met Chris, sat through a Div II/III show with him and watched from afar all the things with Frontier, trying to help start Masquerade, helped found Carolina Gold, helped start up the "Texas Drum Corps Preview", etc. I'm sure the move and a name change ruffles some feathers but I'd be willing to bet he has nothing but the best intentions and will find some way to make this work. He's the "good guy."

Would you rather be an alum of a corps dead and gone or a corps who might have moved but is still fielding? I know which I would choose. But instead my old corps raced to Open Class, made top 25, then imploded like so many others in the early-mid 90's.

If you don't get too much push back from the local directors, I think north Texas could turn out to be a great location. Remember there is a lot of talent north of the Red River you could recruit also with OKC, Tulsa and most of that state within a 3.5 hr drive.

I know you severed your ties with FPAA and Frontier to do this gig but I bet there a lot of things the two groups could explore that would be mutually beneficial to both.

Good luck Chris and crew with this new endeavor!!!

Mike

P.S. The 19 yr old decided drum corps was not her thing after one year. But I have a 13 year old trumpet player coming up I'll send your way in 2 or 3 years.

Edited March 10, 2009 by WWonka

[corpsvalues]

Would you rather be an alum of a corps dead and gone or a corps who might have moved but is still fielding?

I would rather be an alum of my thriving corps. Once you move my corps to another place and change all of the leadership and the membership, it really isn't my corps any more. It's just a name slapped on a corps from another place. And, in this case, it won't even be that, apparently. In my opinion, doing something like this barely skirts around the rules for evaluating a new corps. For all intents and purposes, it is a new corps and should be evaluated as such.

[tealeuph]

I am probably getting myself into a huge mess here, but, I'm gonna do it anyway.

To the former members of Memphis Sound. I would suggest talking with the new Director for yourselves. Sometimes there are reasons for transitions that you may not know of. Take it from a former member of two corps that have undergone massive moves, and administration changes, some of you may not get over it and that is ok. But, the longer you don't support the more some of your traditions will be lost to newer members.

Also, I feel that any Alumni of any corps should support, because any changes that happen where not the decision's of the kids. Isn't that what drum corps is about sporting the youth? Alumni are what keep organization's strong and rich in tradition. If you are not around then your corps WILL loose their identity( name change or not ).

BTW this is my own opinion, just thought someone would like to hear it.

[From The Pressbox]

Most importantly--at least to me anyways...

When is the Memphis Sound Season Schedule going to come out?!!!

Go Devils,

Gregg

[CSGreen]

For the record: We were informally evaluated as a new corps this year. Schedule has been released to us and will be released on DCI.org Soon. The DCI team has been tremendously supportive in helping us ensure the corps survives and thrives.

If we wanted to start a new corps, it would have been much easier to just start a new one. We were brought on board by MYPAA to save the drum corps and organization. We will always have a presence in Memphis, but the Memphis area is not where the corps itself will be from as the home base. It truly hasn't been the last several years. Housing is 2 hours outside of Memphis at a minimum. For one day rehearsals, we can use a church, but no overnight housing is available in the city of Memphis or the suburbs. Membership from Memphis has dropped to well below the numbers from both MS and TX well before the move happened. I could go on and on as to why MYPAA decided to make this move, and to why I was hired to helm the cause, but I fear that it still won't be enough for some. All you have to do is look at the posting history of some folks to see where their allegiance stands. My email is always available, and there is a number to leave a voice mail for the corps. I return phone calls as promptly as my schedule allows and am willing to speak to anyone who wants to know more.

I want to thank the countless alumni who are showing support. We have been overwhelmed with emails and IMs thanking us for keeping the corps alive, and our stance to make sure the traditions of the corps stay in tact even though the name of the corps will change and the base of operations is moving. I know some will hate this and some will decide not to support the new project. I am hoping after they see the corps finish the season in the black with a strong competitive standing, they will change their minds. Change happens... I believe the adage is that the only 'Constant IS change'.

So this thread was to welcome certain admin team members to the fold, celebrate the first real Board of Directors the corps has had in a few years, and a full administrative team for the day-to-day operations of the corps.

[rockinbrass]

Your intentions were to move the corps to Texas from the beginning...because I can FOR CERTAIN say this,

If you really wanted to make it work in TN, you could find a high school to house at. You sure as hell did NOT try hard to find one. I know some tiny schools that would be more than happy to host camps and such. And as far as members having to travel from Texas, well... How do the big boys ever get members to fly or travel to their location? With the constant turnover in staff until now, why would a member travel so far???? But if consistency was achieved, why wouldn't member travel far?

You talk of reaching out to alumni... I can think of MANY that had no clue any of this was happening until our mass 3 email pre-press releases....and the dozens of angry facebook status updates about how OUR corps is gone...

Elvis has left the building... thanks

Memphis.....just another victim of staff coming in with their own agenda...

Happened in

06, 07 and now

[Nex]

If you really wanted to make it work in TN, you could find a high school to house at. You sure as hell did NOT try hard to find one. I know some tiny schools that would be more than happy to host camps and such.

Didn't try hard to find one? You obviously weren't there to see what went on. However, if you'd known of such locations when Mempho was begging for information for the past three years, it would have been nice for you to speak up then instead pulling an "I told you so" now.

And as far as members having to travel from Texas, well... How do the big boys ever get members to fly or travel to their location? With the constant turnover in staff until now, why would a member travel so far???? But if consistency was achieved, why wouldn't member travel far?

You ask valid questions. However, the simple fact remains that the Texas membership, even with staff turnover, was greater than the Memphis area, so the why is kind of a moot point.

You talk of reaching out to alumni... I can think of MANY that had no clue any of this was happening until our mass 3 email pre-press releases....and the dozens of angry facebook status updates about how OUR corps is gone...

And I can think of just as "MANY" who are happy that OUR corps will not go the way of the dodo. And a Facebook status is like a kneejerk reaction. Wait until they calm down and encourage them to call Chris and ask questions. See how many change their minds then.

Memphis' organization has always had its own strange situations and problems, but the majority of members never knew about it because they were there to do a job, not run the business of a corps. I'm sure if they learn about the circumstances surrounding this decision without blinders on, they'll at least understand, even if they still disagree.