Incentives for corps experience

[audiodb]

I've lost count how many times I've been accused of milking this simply to bash the Cadets. So let's take the Cadets out of the equation. What other corps offer incentives to auditionees in this manner?

Perhaps once we've identified other corps that do the same thing, the discussion can move forward.

Because that is exactly what you have been doing. If no other corps does the same thing, so what?

By all means, Mike....pile on.

Once again....anyone that knows of other corps that offer similar incentives directed at the auditionees of other corps, please chime in. My concern about this practice would be the same if it was another corps offering incentives to current Cadet auditionees.

Honestly, the hypersensitivity and persecution complexes in this thread have reached new excesses.

[audiodb]

People post about how people cut from a corps normally just go home and don't march at all. The Cadets have made a small gesture to try and attract some of those to their camps...and now they get bashed for that.

If the Cadets want to attract kids cut from other corps, they should offer an incentive to kids cut from other corps....but that's not what they did.

[JimF-LowBari]

Do you really think it would hurt their recruitment? Even if they only bring in one or two more people to auditions, and even if those people only marched at a different Open Class group the year it would be worth the offer.

Think smaller.

Where did I say it would hurt recruitment?

OK what is the cost of this shindig for someone to attend? Man I just keep seeing money spent here, money spent there and still no idea if a person would even be able to march. My background is PA German and we're not known for spending money or effort without good reason. In the back of my mind I'm hearing a voice saying in PA German "What the #### is this good for?"

Edit: What benefits (eduational or otherwise) could a young person get from this? After reading the closed thread about first camp, sounds like some are a real confusion fest. Spending money (less $25) on something like this doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

Edited December 3, 2010 by JimF-LowBari

[perc2100]

Can't believe I continue to read/respond, but I just want to throw this out there and make sure I get what the confusion is:

* we all agree that people who, for whatever reason, don't march their first choice of corps should seek out other corps as options to march: it will give a kid a good experience and will help prepare them for their corps of choice (or maybe they'll fall in love with the other corps and stick around).

* we all agree that corps should do more to either guide members to other corps (if they're cut: for example if a student gets cut from Crown, perhaps it would be awesome for Crown's admin to direct the cut student to a corps in close proximity that would benefit the student), or reach out to members (kind of a "hey, if you got cut/auditioned somewhere else and didn't like it, come check us out instead").

* Cadets have reached out to people who have auditioned elsewhere and are giving a discount for people who have auditioned elsewhere: essentially doing something many around here have been criticizing the activity in general for NOT doing.

* people are reading into this promotion in ways that are either ludicrous (Cadets trying to steal members away from other organizations) or just confusing (Cadets don't explicitly state, "if you were cut somewhere else or didn't like your first corps" even though, really, wouldn't that be a bit rude/presumptuous on Cadets' part to state that in a recruitment promotion?!)

[audiodb]

OK what is the cost of this shindig for someone to attend?

Cadets website says it's $150 registration fee and $100 camp fee....total $250. (Without the discount, of course.)

[JimF-LowBari]

* we all agree that people who, for whatever reason, don't march their first choice of corps should seek out other corps as options to march: it will give a kid a good experience and will help prepare them for their corps of choice (or maybe they'll fall in love with the other corps and stick around).

*GASP* You mean Cadets would NOT be someones FIRST choice????

Dang I'm surprised no one posted that before.

Edit: Thanks Ken.... plus transportation $$$$ of course..... LMAO, my first year of dues was $35 (my fourth or fifth year in the corps).

Edited December 3, 2010 by JimF-LowBari

[audiodb]

* we all agree that corps should do more to either guide members to other corps (if they're cut: for example if a student gets cut from Crown, perhaps it would be awesome for Crown's admin to direct the cut student to a corps in close proximity that would benefit the student), or reach out to members (kind of a "hey, if you got cut/auditioned somewhere else and didn't like it, come check us out instead").

Don't you mean "reach out to non-members"?

[perc2100]

Edit: What benefits (eduational or otherwise) could a young person get from this? After reading the closed thread about first camp, sounds like some are a real confusion fest. Spending money (less $25) on something like this doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

What benefits could a young person get from auditioning with Cadets?

1) the experience of a World Class/perennial Top 5/Nine-Time DCI CHampion audition. Knowing what it necessary to make a corps like Cadets is beneficial for anyone who wants to march any Top 5 caliber corps. Even if you don't really think you'll want to march/make the cut for this season, you can at least go through the process and see what it's like. You'll never know what the experience is like/what is necessary to make a top corps, if you don't go for it first.

2) the instruction. Show design aside, Cadets have a pretty incredible instructional staff and being around them/learning from them for roughly 20 hours of intense instruction is pretty awesome if you're serious about your 'craft' (brass player/percussionist/color guard member). You can learn Cadets technique, exercises, get endurance building tips, etc. that can be inspiring to a young musician/guard member and could be the spark of a long career/passion in that field.

3) playing/spinning with The Cadets. Even at a warm-up camp situation, a student will be playing with The Cadets. If you're trying out for soprano/trumpet, you're probably in a room for a long period of time with other trumpet players, many of whom are vets. At some point you'll also be in large ensemble with the rest of the brass, and maybe even the full corps (though maybe not). Being around all of those musicians who are probably better than you will give you more insight into what it takes to be a great musician. You can be around people who have great tone and technique, and that could inspire you and give you ideas on how you can make yourself better.

4) networking. This one is kind of a stretch maybe, but deserves mention none-the-less. You meet people your age from all over the country at camps: people who share similar interests. You can meet people from your region that you might become friends/co-works with at schools, might build long-term relationships with, etc.

5) you might actually be good enough to make the corps. You never know unless you try.

[Big Adam]

If the Cadets want to attract kids cut from other corps, they should offer an incentive to kids cut from other corps....but that's not what they did.

So basically you wanted to article to read:

"Got cut from your first choice? Come march the Cadets and we'll give you $25 off"

Or how about:

"Rejected? Feeling like a failure? Come suppress those feelings at the Cadets"

Is that what you want?

Because that's what you are saying. Talk about distasteful.

If the Cadets did that there would 45 pages about that and how people can't believe that. The Cadets will always have band kids with no experience marching because they spend a good portion of their tour working with band programs and putting on clinics. So this is their way to target not just other corps auditionees but ANYONE else who may have come to drum corps via a different route.

What people fail to realize because again they have never been part of that corps and can only speculate is that when we signed our member contracts, George used to say "This means you are committing yourself to the Cadets for this season... but I won't hold you hear against your will. If you decide in June that you would like to march somewhere else, I will sign the DCI paperwork to let you march where you want and to ensure your happiness in drum corps."

Now do you think this incentive was about targeting or stealing?

I'm beginning to think you don't really care about this incentive program, you just can't stand losing an argument. Concede already, your grasping at such minor details.

Let the Cadets do what they want and don't try to bring them down.

[Big Adam]

One thing I'd like to comment on in this great post....don't ever put your own satisfaction in the hands of others. It is hard, but ignoring the silly stuff that gets posted about every little thing a corps does is really the best way to handle that stuff. Some of the posters pretend that it's not about the members...it's about the grownups. IMO if they are former marching members they should know better than to think that members can just ignore the attacks being directed at their show...their instruments...their staff...etc....it's all part and parcel of their corps. It is very disingenuous to think members can be so compartmentalized in that manner.

Exactly.

Great post!

Thanks man. I completely agree with you, unfortunately tell that to a 19 year old kid. You know? and the worst part was that we didn't have cell phones with internet and laptops and 3g. So you had to spend your whole summer thinking everything was fine and then you come home and hear how much you were hated. Awful.

And worse than that is when people talk about specific members, like "Oh I didn't like that character".... then right a letter to the corps design team, not here for that kid to read it. No one bags on the bottom 12 or open class this way so just cut the K-dets a little slack.

God I feel like the leave Brittany alone guy.... or girl.... or whatever. haha