Are we hurting ourselves

[DCImonkey]

Showers? Potty waiting lines? Oh well, that's drumcorps.

Edited April 14, 2010 by DCImonkey

[CitBos]

Take your happy pill.

They make pills for that now?

[BOBSMYTH]

There are many stories over the years of corps and schools having issues - sometimes corps' fault, sometimes school's fault and sometimes just circumstances.

Beyond all that - the single biggest issue, IMO, hasn't come up yet: school schedules.

With some schools start their year early (sometimes as early as late July or early August) while other schools in other parts of the country staying open later (into mid to late June) and then some schools going year-round, it is a wonder that there are any schools available when and where we need them.

All of this has got to drastically reduce the supply of available options.

[Cache_Money]

I'm feeling claustrophobic just looking at that.

[skeptic]

yes.

[Penn State]

While I agree that most corps work hard to respect the fact that they're guests in a school and generally leave things in good shape, I doubt that's the end of the story.

I was present at one school last summer where the football coach was peeved when the service contracted to cut the grass couldn't cut all the fields because a corps was rehearsing. Football coach and band director apparently, and understandably, didn't think to coordinate on that small detail. The corps didn't want to give up the field for an hour or more (a small lawn service). And the coach didn't want to pay for the service to return another day (it had a schedule to keep).

No doubt when this story is retold at that school, the version that will prevail is this hard-headed marching band couldn't even take a break so we could cut the grass, which costs us $XX.

I suspect these are the sorts of issues that close doors. Not cherry bombs in the toilets. Simple misunderstandings that get blown out of proportion.

HH

IMO, when a guest at a facility, one should not get in a pissing match with a facility employee, in this case the head football coach. The corps director should have allowed said field to be mowed and should have worked on some other aspect of the show (i.e. music). If the director felt strongly, he/she should have communicated the grivence with thier host (i.e. hs band director) and let them hadle the issue at hand.

In short, when you are a guest at a facility, be flexible with the 'native' inhabitants of that space, as they may see you as an intruder, not a guest in their territory.

-contra chris

[Penn State]

The future of touring: The Chinese Sleeper Bus

very cool

-contra chris

[JF154283]

We always let corps sleep in 1 of 4 of our High Schools' Gyms and use our facilities here from what I understand from my director

it's a big deal here with my band director being a huge corps fan and both of his sons being former phantom regiment members (one being the other director at our school and the other our drill righter and visual head)

the amount of respect here is really amazing and cool in many ways, it influenced me to audition for corps (along with a close friend of mine who is a recent member of a world class corps)

Edited April 15, 2010 by JF154283

[The Other Mike]

I always find it amazing that some people feel the school should be honored to host a corps.

I've hosted for over 30 years and the list of corps I will even consider allowing on our grounds has shrunk almost as low as actual corps in DCI has.

Some corps are never a problem.

Many corps are nothing but problems.

Some corps staffs and directors are very easy to get along with

Some corps staffs and directors think you should be kissing their ### .

Everything comes from the management of the corps. I've NEVER had a problem with Madison or Cavies or Pioneer. All are happy to have a place to go and have always treated the school with respect. Recently I housed Teal, only because an ex student of mine was on staff so I knew things would be "proper". These groups will always have a place to stay along with a "few" others. While I have never housed Cadets, I'm willing to bet that there is never a problem because of the attitude of the management just as with Phantom. But it really gets tough on the good guys when a staff can't manage their kids behavior. Luckly, most of the corps I've had problems with are no longer around

Usually I only get called when there is no place else for corps to go. I explain both our positives and not so positive points about our fields/buildings/grounds/showers so they know exactly what to expect before they get there.

Many years ago there was a last minute housing problem and I was asked by DCI ( Whitley- who later had 12 "gold seat " tickets for finals in B'ham for me for finals ) to do what I could. I ended up with 5 corps on campus. It was explained that we were in the middle of summer school and that the 2 corps given a place in the halls to sleep must be out of the buildings by 8 am and that summer school started at 8:30 am. Having my principal and the rest of the staff calling and yelling at me because kids were still sleeping in the halls at 9 am was not worth EVER helping THAT corps again.

Yea, I "used" to help corps any way I could. Back in that same year my account was charged over $200 for long distance calls made on the office line because I opened the office for the corps director to make a few calls and THAT moron left the door open for the kids to use the phone. Wasn't that so nice of him ? Yes, 30 years later and I'm still ###### and even though that corps management has completly changed, I'll never trust them again.

When I look around at shows and notice what I consider to be a lack of leadership from some staffs BECAUSE of the way their kids act, I know I will never house them no matter what the crisis. I believe you can judge the character of a corps and it's staff by the way the kids act in public, not to mention how they act at retreat.

Sorry for the rant but it struck a nerve.

[Steve Knob]

Yellow or Green bottle?

Yes!

I am a HS band director and for the corps I am a staff member of, I house at my school for all our winter rehearsals. While it is a scheduling challenge at times, we make it work, and our school administration is thrilled that they are here. The school is always cleaner after a camp than at ay other time. Not because we have a poor custodial staff (they are great), but because all of our kids work their butts off cleaning up because they understand how important it is. Thanks to the kids, and to Randy and the rest of the admin. staff!

Teal Sound! - Nothing else matters!

Edited April 15, 2010 by Steve Knob