Major problems with later schedule

[dapperpoet]

You're mad at DCI for not arranging their schedule around a few members who have band camp issues? Seriously?

Seriously? I'm not mad at anything. I'm just saying that it's something to take into consideration, and if this affects my kid, it undoubtedly affects others. Just as seriously, it doesn't really matter what dci "used to do". For at least the last four years it's been the 1st week in August, now it's the second. That's the issue. Seriously. Really. Totally. Completely.

[BlooContraGuy]

Seriously? I'm not mad at anything. I'm just saying that it's something to take into consideration, and if this affects my kid, it undoubtedly affects others. Just as seriously, it doesn't really matter what dci "used to do". For at least the last four years it's been the 1st week in August, now it's the second. That's the issue. Seriously. Really. Totally. Completely.

They were the 11th, 9th and 8th for 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively.

[dapperpoet]

BTW, maybe you should look into whether your kid's band director gets paid more for extending their season.

Right. I'm sure the band director at a major SEC school whose band does virtually every road trip the team makes, does men's and women's basketball bands, as well as the occasional baseball, soccer and swimming meet, is lengthening the season to get paid more. You've nailed it. Gotten to the bottom of the plot.

[audiodb]

My son (and several others who march various corps here) were threatened with the loss of their band-based scholarships because they will miss all of the university's band camp. He gets back on Sunday and classes start immediately, and he's certainly not the only one. I'm glad that the DCI gods can wave a major wand and do whatever they want, but there are (from what I have been told by the director) several university band directors who are extremely upset and who are saying if it continues they will make members choose between the two activities. I'm not sure who the extra late week benefits, but it certainly can't be a majority of the kids. Can anyone explain this to me?

Don't you mean the extra early week for the university? Perhaps the complaint should be lodged with them.

[BillH]

I am curious which collegiate band programs would take exception to this situation. Certainly not a Riverside, UNT, West Chester or UMass type program, with their close ties to the DC world. I could maybe see Ohio State, especially with the competition to get a spot. Anyone else, I would hope would be appreciative of the talent, expertise and self-discipline brought in by the "late" member.

It would seem a sit-down discussion with the director about ways to be prepared/helpful upon arrival would be sufficient, but not all directors are reasonable.

Heck, my son was DM at his HS band this year and missed a few weeks of "optional" rehearsals and leadership workshops, because he was a scholorship student at Interlochen. His band director worked it out without any problem.

Best of luck to your child.

[Jeff Ream]

Seriously? I'm not mad at anything. I'm just saying that it's something to take into consideration, and if this affects my kid, it undoubtedly affects others. Just as seriously, it doesn't really matter what dci "used to do". For at least the last four years it's been the 1st week in August, now it's the second. That's the issue. Seriously. Really. Totally. Completely.

it is an issue. many music majors are required to do the marching band thing, and band directors are all about their program, they could care less about anything else ( not a bad thing). So yeah, I could see directors threatening scholarships, because all they care about is their program

[jjeffeory]

My son (and several others who march various corps here) were threatened with the loss of their band-based scholarships because they will miss all of the university's band camp. He gets back on Sunday and classes start immediately, and he's certainly not the only one. I'm glad that the DCI gods can wave a major wand and do whatever they want, but there are (from what I have been told by the director) several university band directors who are extremely upset and who are saying if it continues they will make members choose between the two activities. I'm not sure who the extra late week benefits, but it certainly can't be a majority of the kids. Can anyone explain this to me?

This sort of thing has been happening for a long time. The organisations don't get together and work together on time tables. It is basically up to the student to decide what they would like to do more. Sorry, but it's something I had to choose between as well.

[corpsreps]

Seriously? I'm not mad at anything. I'm just saying that it's something to take into consideration, and if this affects my kid, it undoubtedly affects others. Just as seriously, it doesn't really matter what dci "used to do". For at least the last four years it's been the 1st week in August, now it's the second. That's the issue. Seriously. Really. Totally. Completely.

DCI has been the second Saturday of August for quite a while. The 14th is the latest is could be. Last year finals on the 8th was the earliest it could be. So while it feels like an extra week, it isn't. The other factor in making it feel longer is that July has 5 Saturdays this year. But finals are when they have been for years.

A threat to DCI is the school calendar. Colleges and High Schools do not follow the same schedule and can really differ by region. Our high school doesn't get out until the third week of June. It was a problem when my son was in high school because he had to miss the last three weeks of school, come back to take finals, and then go back to drum corps camp. With the snow days we are having this year, it could go even later.

Getting a high school to allow a student to miss the last three weeks of school isn't easy, especially when it is to attend "band camp". At the other end of the summer, you have schools back in session in mid-August or earlier, not to mention places with year round school. I'd think it would be easier to convince the band director to allow a student to miss some or all of band camp than a principal to allow a student to miss the end of the school year.

If you wanted to design a DCI schedule which did not interfere with anyone's school schedule, you would have to have two weeks of camp from the last week in June to the first week in July and then have a three week competitive season with finals the last weekend in July. Even then, I'm sure there'd be conflicts.

Good luck to your son. I hope he gets to march this year with no adverse effects with school.

[MikeD]

Having marched 5 years of drum corps prior to joining my college band, and assuming my college band experience was average (a large Big East school) for most kids in DCI, I can confidently say that band camp was a waste of time. Regardless of its necessity, it is overall a small percentage of what he will do for the marching band, and he would be missing to do something essentially the same (only much more difficult). There are at least 2.5 - 3 more months of the season, possibly more with bowl games. Also, the alumni, fans, and administration that provide the money and determine its recipients couldn't give two ##### about band camp. They want to see the band play at pre-game, halftime, and after their school scores a touch down; so really, they just want to hear the band play loud crap all the time.

I had to miss 3-4 days of band camp and everyone in the band treated it like the end of the world, but fortunately, nobody had their panties in such a twist that my scholarship was threatened. I've also found that if you even start to make a stink about it, they'll drop the issue almost immediately. Colleges don't like to look bad. Talk to the band director or the person in charge of dispersing the money to its recipients.

I would hope the same would apply here as well, but where $$ are involved, sometimes there is more rigidity in what they can and will do. Again, I hope the same applies with this person as your situation ended up, but it might not, esp in days of hard economic times...schools in general are being careful who they give money to these days.

[kstein]

I was a Resident Assistant at my school which paid for my room and board. My first year in that role there were no conflicts. In 1985, my ageout year, they (Villanova University staff) told me I needed to report to school the Friday of Finals week. I explained to them my situation: age out in an activity I had been in for 8 years, drum major of a corps that had the potential to make Finals its first year in existence, and other aspects that were important to me and me alone. They didn't budge. ROTC folks could come late; the rest of us were SOL.

No way I was missing Finals, and no way I was giving up my position and room and board.

I called my Residence Life Director on Friday and told her I had been in an accident. I showed up on Sunday with a pretty convincing limp and a splint on my arm (thanks Becky!)...after marching in Finals with Star. And I looked her in the eye and dared her to call me on it. She didn't.

I don't advocate lying, nor do I think I was particularly good at it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And I think your son has got to make some tough decisions for himself.

Good luck,

Karen