GUARDLING Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Over the years there have been groups that have added BIG NAME STAFFS who barely walked in the door or even just consulted with a video. Big names usually work for their home base corps. So many smaller corps hire the big names only to get dissaponted..They also hire peoplem who marched big named places almost always to find out that just because you marched somewhere doesnt mean you can teach. In some cases a not so big name can get you places also. And cheaper..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruckner8 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Non-BD Corps Rep: "Why did you come here?" Auditionee: "Cuz your corps has the best [horn/drum/guard] book, IMO." BD Corps Rep: "Why did you come here?" Auditionee: "For the best chance to to win." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) I think it carries more weight with percussionists and color guard than hornline members... a lot of drummers might go to SCV just because of Paul Rennick. Quite true. This was the case even back when Delucia went from the Bridgemen over to Start of Indiana. And in today's world, with the technology of Youtube and the Web, fourteen year old drummers today know who Rennick, Beddis, Aungst, et al are, along with what corps they are currently instructing; and many of these young drummers want to march for those instructors more than for a particular corps. The only exception might be the Blue Devils (see Brucker8 posting above) because I agree that the reason many audition for BD is that they feel BD has the best chance to win (and BD sure does teach that second place is the first looser which has propeled them to the most rings, but that is a philosophical debate for another thread). How little is little? I kind of consider the percussion staff at Blue Stars pretty big for a non-Championship contender. Madison certainly has a pretty big name staff/design team that very quickly turned the corps around from non-finalist to solid finalist. Aungst and Larrivee going to Blue Stars (a top twelve corps that has been around for years); Robert Smith going to Scouts (a DCI Champion corps, also top twelve corps been around for years); even going back to Delucia et al moving from Bridgemen to Star of Indiana (a corps that arguably put together the finest big-name staff for a first-year corps in the history of DCI). The thing is that these people devoted most, if not all, of their creative efforts to these corps and were not merely name-dropped consultants. As for lower division or start-up corps, the danger big names have in attempting to help those corps "full-time" is that they run the risk of being labeled a has-been. Over the years there have been groups that have added BIG NAME STAFFS who barely walked in the door or even just consulted with a video. Big names usually work for their home base corps. So many smaller corps hire the big names only to get dissaponted... Look at any corps who has hired a big name merely as a "consultant" and you will see absolutely no gain whatsoever for that corps. The corps that does this is viewed as just a name-dropper corps, which looks rather foolish. Edited August 31, 2011 by Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bari Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 To the average student, I'm talking high school age or so, do "Big Name" staff additions mean much? I have read a few people put on the Pioneer posts that if Pio were to get the big name staffers, that it would attract students. I don't know if I believe that. Are there names out there that some people might know? Sure. But, personally, I can think of more corps directors names than actually staff members names. When I marched, I didn't think of who my instructors were, but more of the experience to come. The opportunity to be able to march in a beautiful setting that I was enamored with. Something that I had wanted to do since I was about 11 years old when I first saw Phantom Regiment in a parade in Harvard, IL. Then I saw Cavaliers, Star of Indiana, Vanguard, Velvet Knights and some others. This place where the marching bands that I knew couldn't even carry the water bottles of those who were marching in Drum Corps. I could be wrong, as I am at times, but I think that unless you have a well-educated person who is really a Drum Corps nut, the average marcher is not going to a corps based on being able play in (insert name here)'s section. But rather the interest that they have in that corps. That emotional connection when they saw them for the first time. The imagery that they render in their heads of being able to wear the corps uniform. I'm sure that there are people that go to certain corps to follow around there favorite staffer. But, if they are jumping around that much, they might have bigger issues, IMO. There are a few staffers that it would be great to learn from, to be able to pick their brains, to be mentored by, if you will, but I would think that it has to be a small percentage of marchers that have joined because they knew that a staff person was on hand. What do you think? I think you are missing the point of the posts over on the Pioneer Thread. I believe that if Pioneer were to hire an ALL big name staff, that the cultural changes at the organization would eventually create a situation where people of greater talent would want to attend. Not just because of the staff... But because of what that staff does! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 yes So, what you are saying with a generalized "yes" is that, for example, it really helped the Colts to secure Bret Khun as Program Coordinator in 2010? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noname Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I think it all depends on how much experience you have. Before you really learn how much the big names make a difference, people just go off of the corps' recent shows, and by distance from where they live. Often those two are more important than the big names I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 There are a variety of individuals who audition for a drum corps. High school students who idolize DCI tend to gravitate towards the corps they like. More avid high school students may know of staff members and base their decisions on that factor as well. College students seem more likely to gravitate towards instructors and when you're dealing with music majors, education or otherwise, the decision seems to be motivated by staff more than corps. Drummers seem to follow staff more closely than brass and color guard but it's likely due to the fact that there are just fewer drummers in DCI than there are hornline members or guard members. I really respect individuals who make the conscious choice to move to a corps based on the instruction they'd prefer to have. To me, it's one of the few justifiable reasons to move away from a corps to whom you have previous loyalties. The student who wants to age out with Carolina Crown because of their excellent staff is different than the kid who wants to age out with Carolina Crown because they want to march Finals. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Bari Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I really respect individuals who make the conscious choice to move to a corps based on the instruction they'd prefer to have. To me, it's one of the few justifiable reasons to move away from a corps to whom you have previous loyalties. The student who wants to age out with Carolina Crown because of their excellent staff is different than the kid who wants to age out with Carolina Crown because they want to march Finals. I see it differently, If I were interviewing someone who marched DCI for a position I probably would ask some questions about where they marched and why. I would also dig a bit into why they moved if they had done so... If the reason was because of a chance at achievement and some sort of "UPWARDLY MOBILE" thinking... I would be far more inclined to hire that person rather than the one who wanted a good expereince and great teachers, Of course I would have to assume that if they were heading to a Corps that gave them a better shot at achievement, there would be quality instruction there. So although I agree that the two kids are different, I find the one who wants more achievement out of life to be superior! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I see it differently, If I were interviewing someone who marched DCI for a position I probably would ask some questions about where they marched and why. I would also dig a bit into why they moved if they had done so... If the reason was because of a chance at achievement and some sort of "UPWARDLY MOBILE" thinking... I would be far more inclined to hire that person rather than the one who wanted a good expereince and great teachers, Of course I would have to assume that if they were heading to a Corps that gave them a better shot at achievement, there would be quality instruction there. So although I agree that the two kids are different, I find the one who wants more achievement out of life to be superior! Well, it's a good thing you're not in any sector of education nor running the selection for a World Class corps then! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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