glory Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I've never heard yelling coming my way, so I'm not sure how I'd react. People have their own opinions, and I respect that. It sounds to me [at least the impression I get from reading this, correct me if I'm wrong] is that we're supposed to control our emotions and not be excited about the show. What you posted seems almost one dimensional, like a symphony concert. Again, correct me if I'm wrong. You are wrong. Appropriate is the word. It is appropriate to cheer the corps' performances and their success and to do so passionately if that's what moves you. It is not, however, appropriate to make the performance an extension of rehearsal and to detract from the performance by making public what should be private messages of encouragement. Nor is it appropriate to mistake your ticket of admission as an invitation to share your personal opinions with large numbers of strangers irrespective of the passion you might feel. There are many shows I haven't liked at all through the years. I haven't and wouldn't express that sentiment in a way that disrupted the audience, the performers or the performance. Nor would I let my passions make my excitement the focus of attention in my section during a performance no matter how great the execution I observed. This isn't an infringement on our rights as fans and human beings. We can exercise those rights more completely and appropriately at another time and place. This is an acknowledgement that we fans share this perishable moment. Our appreciation depends in part on the recognition that our individual actions have irrevocable consequences for the group. We adjust our behavior - or we should - accordingly. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contreuph Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) Well put. I agree with running commentary be inappropriate. My big issue is with people saying that they shouldn't yell or get excited at moments where the entire crowd is "supposed" to. Edited July 7, 2011 by OCcontrakid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) And by the way, as a food truck volunteer, I have found staff to be the major negative on tour. Not everyone. Not even most. But a few with crummy attitudes can really make it stink. Much like the behavior in the stands issue, some fail to recognize that they're not alone in this. Taxed volunteers are feeding 200 people four times a day under conditions far from ideal, and some think they deserve special treatment? One example: "Can you find a place in the fridge for my case of Diet Coke?" Or another: "Isn't there some salad you can get for me instead?" I've even seen staffers who chose to stop at the bar after the show and missed the late meal go into the fridge and stick their dirty hands into the food because - quoting - "We're hungry." If I we're king, I'd go Saudi on selfish criminals like that and cut off their hands. But that's me - just a volunteer. Again, most of the staff were wonderful. It's the rotten apples who ruin the recipe. HH Edited July 7, 2011 by glory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contreuph Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I know what you mean by that. As a member of a corps, I don't always see what goes on behind the scenes, but I know those kinds of things exist. I think we have to remember that just because there are some bad apples, we can't burn the whole orchard down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahler444 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 And by the way, as a food truck volunteer, I have found staff to be the major negative on tour. Not everyone. Not even most. But a few with crummy attitudes can really make it stink. Much like the behavior in the stands issue, some fail to recognize that they're not alone in this. Taxed volunteers are feeding 200 people four times a day under conditions far from ideal, and some think they deserve special treatment? One example: "Can you find a place in the fridge for my case of Diet Coke?" Or another: "Isn't there some salad you can get for me instead?" I've even seen staffers who chose to stop at the bar after the show and missed the late meal go into the fridge and stick their dirty hands into the food because - quoting - "We're hungry." If I we're king, I'd go Saudi on selfish criminals like that and cut off their hands. But that's me - just a volunteer. Again, most of the staff were wonderful. It's the rotten apples who ruin the recipe. HH Every single meal I eat, I thank the people that cook it. Remember, a lot of us on staff are volunteers also, getting paid nothing or next to nothing. And this door swings both ways. I have dealt with some pretty crabby volunteers, whether they be drivers, cooks, or uniform people. Since the topic here is staff, I do see your point and staff members like that should be more respectful of the volunteers, but as with every single facet of life, there are always a few who leave a bad taste in your mouth. Let's just try to remember the good tastes if we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple Forte Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 SO, that said, there might be opportunity to inadvertently affect changes. I have to be straight and state that I did not read through all the responses/posts.... My idea to help the staff's from being a nuisance/distraction (in some cases) to the fans in the stands is go back to something that we see on older video tapes and dvd's from older dci championships.....The corps staff must remain at field level and are not allowed in to the seating area. Now before y'all completely dismiss this idea....I would allow one staffer in the seating area so they can take video or notes for things you can't see/hear at ground level. I would also allow a second staffer in the seating area for controlling the sound board as per the new 2011 rule. If not at every at show...at least institute this change for the major events on tour.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I only read through about half this thread and couldnt take it any longer. What in the world has happened to Drum Corps fans??? Drum Corps was an activity where parents and staff encouraged their corps from the stands. There use to be standing ovations in the middle of shows and staff on the side lines going NUTS yes I said NUTS! Audiences today for the most part are LAME! And expecting your staff to sit on their hands and not encourage their corps is just STUPID! This activity needs more excitement and response from the stands both in patrons and Staff! That was and should be Drum Corps. It even use to have an impact on General effect scores.So any suggestion that patrons and staff should act like they're in a concert hall should be thrown out the window! There used to be standing ovations in the middle of shows...because there were impact points in the middle of shows. For you to blame it on the fans...that's pretty funny. When half the shows are more like symphonic band concerts, the fans in the stands will react like the audience at a symphonic band concert. Polite applause at the end of the show. You want screaming fans, then write impact points into your shows! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treadstone Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I don't agree with the "many" part. We definitely try to lead by example. Our kids know what our expectations are (be respectful, represent the organization, etc.) and we try to lead by example. I think the viewpoint on staff behavior is going to vary widely based upon which organization a person has experience with - having had siblings in various corps I find that many inappropriate behaviors are ignored in the name of maintaining staff members willing to work for next to nothing or staff members who attain strong competitive results. This is not the place to sight specifics. If it were, this thread would fill up quickly. An underlying cause for inappropriate staff behaviors is sometimes the lack of ability or action on the part of executive leadership in some corps regarding mentoring instructors to become LEADERS. As I have explained to many young people, it is often the instructor who berates members the soonest who is likely to have the least leadership ability (as opposed to instructional ability). Unfortunately, staff members that are "at a loss" to attain results tend to have the most negative behavior. On the "flip side" there are instructors who get certain results through intimidation, but that is because they are intellectually and artistically at a loss to do so any other way. There are great corps out there who come so close to "medaling" or winning, but the "longest yard" for them is the fact that their instructional staff is misaligned and lacks clear leadership. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOOHOO Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 If we can't talk about the stuff that bugs us, why are we here? You can talk, just shouldn't only talk. That's lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I guess I don't see the difference between the two. Maybe what we need to discuss is the difference between being excited for your corps and acting like a jack### Being excited means not disturbing the people around you who paid to see your corps. Cheering-- fine. Yelling loud a lot, talking non- stop--- bad. I will say sometimes volunteers and superfans get confused as staff. And then there's directors pacing the sidelines during the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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