A Drum Corps Blind Spot

[Tom Brace]

I have an alternate solution...

Why is the staff even on the field? Number one pet peeve...why does a staff member have to warm up the corps on the field? Or listen to 8 on a hand for the zillionth time?

Once the corps is at the gate, the staff's job is done for the day. Meet the corps outside the stadium. If you have a sound guy, I would say...at minimum...a polo shirt (hopefully something that would make him/her identifiable as part of the corps) shorts (or long pants/jeans if it's cooler) and footwear.

So we are talking about one person's wardrobe. I see no reason why this is so debatable.

As more to my point. I hate it when staff take the field with the corps...the show is NOT about YOU. Your work is done for now. And why do 15 people need to invade the stands when the corps takes the field? Do they have 15 on the scaffolding at rehearsal? If you are on the scaffolding during rehearsal, a performance read will do you some good. Everyone else should be making plans for tomorrow.

[BRASSO]

I have an alternate solution...

Why is the staff even on the field? Number one pet peeve...why does a staff member have to warm up the corps on the field? Or listen to 8 on a hand for the zillionth time?

Once the corps is at the gate, the staff's job is done for the day. Meet the corps outside the stadium. If you have a sound guy, I would say...at minimum...a polo shirt (hopefully something that would make him/her identifiable as part of the corps) shorts (or long pants/jeans if it's cooler) and footwear.

So we are talking about one person's wardrobe. I see no reason why this is so debatable.

As more to my point. I hate it when staff take the field with the corps...the show is NOT about YOU. Your work is done for now. And why do 15 people need to invade the stands when the corps takes the field? Do they have 15 on the scaffolding at rehearsal? If you are on the scaffolding during rehearsal, a performance read will do you some good. Everyone else should be making plans for tomorrow.

" staff should meet the Corps outside the stadium " ? Not be allowed in AT ALL ? And here I am thinking that the best way to evaluate your Corps development is in a real live show performance. This way when you listen to the judge in the post show critique you won't have to tell them that you were at( say ) a restaruant eating a burger in the 3rd movement where the visual block according to the judge had the trumpet section reaching the quandrant too early. I'm not so sure how it benefits a Corps development through the course of the season when the only way the staff would see their corps is at practice or maybe watching it in the off season when the tapes come out to the public. I don't know... maybe it's just me.... but not having the staff see their corps in live performance at any point in the season seems like such a bad idea.

Edited May 10, 2010 by BRASSO

[Jeff Ream]

I'm

I'm still waiting for a name of a Corps that has recently had on it's staff a Staff member that ( as you said ) " looked like they spent the night in a dumpster "..... or as another poster said on this thread above ( quote ) " were in their underwear beside empty beer bottles beside the food truck "..... rather than " hiding behind a faux " criticisms of current DCI Corps staff. Unless we can name names of specific Corps ( never stopped us on here before ), then we are just tip toeing around the issue and not providing examples of recent Corps staff apparently being drunks and slobs.

Granny's thread is about eliminating medocrity and pursuing excellence on and of the field. This is a noble and worthy goal. She has used as her example... and followed it up once again today.... with the need for " polo shirts " to be worn by DCI staff. It is HER example that she has used. More than once. And used it as her example once again this morning. Had she not brought up DCI Corps staff " attire " in her example, no doubt noone here would have replied to the " attire " criticisms of DCI Corps at all. I've not seen a major change in the attire worn by DCI Staff since DCI was formed in 1972. The " attire " and the overall decorum of the staff has pretty much remained constant for over 35 years now... and with nary a criticism from anyone than perhaps an isolated incident here or there that is bound to happen from time to time with so many corps and so many staffs that have come and gone. However, From a reading of this thread, the natural and reasonable impression one would get is that these are not isolated incidents of late anymore, but rather a more systemic problem now with DCI Corps... that there are drunks and slobs running amok with these DCI Corps.... and has prompted multiple posters here on DCP to come to the fore with their criticisms of DCI staff " looking like they slept in a dumpster ", and other examples of slovenly attire and decorum.

Who are the DCI Corps with such problems of slovenly dress and decorum on the part of their staff ?

I'm still waiting for you to admit you may be wrong about a conversation you weren't a part of.

and many posts back, I mentioned that most of the top 8 have been singled out the last few years

[Kamarag]

As more to my point. I hate it when staff take the field with the corps...the show is NOT about YOU. Your work is done for now. And why do 15 people need to invade the stands when the corps takes the field? Do they have 15 on the scaffolding at rehearsal? If you are on the scaffolding during rehearsal, a performance read will do you some good. Everyone else should be making plans for tomorrow.

Well, I don't know how it is where you've taught, but as a member of a corps staff, my work is far from finished when the corps arrives at the gate.

[Jeff Ream]

Well, I don't know how it is where you've taught, but as a member of a corps staff, my work is far from finished when the corps arrives at the gate.

yeah staff often helps with placement of equipment, and if a corps is still doing an on field warmup these days its often best if a staff member runs it

[Tom Brace]

" staff should meet the Corps outside the stadium " ? Not be allowed in AT ALL ? And here I am thinking that the best way to evaluate your Corps development is in a real live show performance. This way when you listen to the judge in the post show critique you won't have to tell them that you were at( say ) a restaruant eating a burger in the 3rd movement where the visual block according to the judge had the trumpet section reaching the quandrant too early. I'm not so sure how it benefits a Corps development through the course of the season when the only way the staff would see their corps is at practice or maybe watching it in the off season when the tapes come out to the public. I don't know... maybe it's just me.... but not having the staff see their corps in live performance at any point in the season seems like such a bad idea.

just the folks from the rehearsal scaffolding...that's it. 3-4 people.

[Tom Brace]

Well, I don't know how it is where you've taught, but as a member of a corps staff, my work is far from finished when the corps arrives at the gate.

what else is there for you to do? the corps can't go in the gate without you? It's a PERFORMANCE. As a paying ticket holder, I don't come to see STAFF. I come to see the music PERFORMERS.

Staff's job is done when the corps is at the gate. Again, I think a maximum of 5 people each evening in the stands...that allows for visual staff (from the scaffold during rehearsal) and a member from each section. The sound person is in many cases a pit person so that covers that.

Get it through your heads staff folks...the show is not about you. It's about the marching members.

If those five people can't communicate to you where your weaknesses are, then they don't belong in their jobs.

Any business is run this way. High level meetings...not everybody...just leadership team. Then that information is agreed to and passed down.

It's hard for me to ever determine after viewing a performance anything definitive. You practice something all day and it's still a crap shoot as to whether it works in performance. My job as a staff member is to know what we are going to work on today.

Think of a Broadway show. Is the director at the show every night? Guess what, mistakes happen when the director is not there. When you go to a play, if you see a crew member, a backstage person, a director, anyone other than the performers, THAT'S THE MISTAKE.

Staff's job ends when the corps gets to the gate. Again, other than the sound guy and I am allowing 4-5 others to go to the stands.

[Scoutnout]

I'm

I'm still waiting for you to admit you may be wrong about a conversation you weren't a part of.

and many posts back, I mentioned that most of the top 8 have been singled out the last few years

Didnt he reply that singled out or not money is money to these companies , if thats what you are referring to. As to staff , I dont think 42 people have to prace across the field but need to observe a performance at the best possible vantage to properly evaluate.

[Tom Brace]

yeah staff often helps with placement of equipment, and if a corps is still doing an on field warmup these days its often best if a staff member runs it

no need for an on the field warmup.

and many corps do not have staff setting up equipment. Members don't need roadies. Now, if you have tons of tables, sewing machines, backdrops...then you do have work to do before the "curtain rises on the production." Granted.

So, in that case, if you have to have 15 staff people accompany the corps on the field, I agree with Granny. All should be in matching polos and at minimum cargo shorts.

Footwear I care less about. Flip flops are fine with me.

Also, if a corps director is present on the field, he/she should dress one step above the rest of the staff. Maybe same polo, but dress slacks, and tennis shoes...no flip flops.

Sport coat is a nice touch too, by the way.

[Kamarag]

what else is there for you to do? the corps can't go in the gate without you? It's a PERFORMANCE. As a paying ticket holder, I don't come to see STAFF. I come to see the music PERFORMERS.

Ok, here's what I (and my fellow brass staffers do).

1. Help with equipment if needed (rare, but it does happen).

2. Find a place in the stands to listen, watch and take notes about the performance. Record if needed. We put different staffers in different stadium locations to get different reads on the performance. We don't run up to the top, sit in the aisle and "cheer".

3. Help with equipment (if needed) after the performance.

4. Compare reads, notes, and discuss the performance while the corps exits the venue.

5. Talk with the corps about the performance, hand out homework assignments (yes, our kids get homework, or "buswork"), and define section goals for the next day.

6. Listen to tapes, prepare for critique (this step will change some in 2010).

7. Get on the bus after all this is over, and participate in nightly staff meeting, which usually includes a discussion of that evening's performance.

Pro-tip: It's really hard to discuss the performance with anyone if you didn't actually witness it yourself. Especially in critiques.

Additional note: No one I know, at my corps or any other, thinks the staff is "the show". In my case, when the corps is at the gate, I identify where the gate from the field to the stands is, and I walk there. Generally in a straight line (shortest distance between two points, you know), unless there is a better way to do it. This gets me into the stands quickly, efficiently, and quietly. With DCI's tight timing rules, there's no time to loiter.

There is a lot that goes on with teaching a DCI corps that casual fans like Tom don't know about. And frankly, why should they? Just enjoy the show put on by the corps. In the meantime, I'll continue to do my job, which is to teach music to kids and help them put on the best performance they can, night after night. If you don't like my band shirt and Rays cap, and can't respect the fact that I'm working, not goofing off, I don't know what else to say.