Granny Smith Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Full Troopers staff is gone! I hope they get some people in there that create an EXCITING production and finally get that drumline and pit playing some real music!! Very interesting on Troopers website: http://troopersdrumcorps.org/page/aboutus/educational-team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutasaurus Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 No disagreement here. The organization is a monster. And of course, some of what you wrote is the "not as simple" part of it and that is an element that is pretty difficult for anyone to match. However, I do also think that those elements are only part of it. SCV has a very similar organization and business model and they have been having some major struggles with staff fluctuation. Put two and two together, and I think you see a big reason why they have not won since 1999. Again, there are some things BD does that are so simple such as scheduling enough down and off time, treating their members right and treating their staff right that if more corps would follow their example, I believe with everything in me that they would have better results. Here, let me draw you a picture using smilies...... This is all corps besides BD: (beating themselves into a bloody mess trying to get through a wall when there is a door not far away) This is BD on the other side of that wall: The Blue Devil organization is successful....this isn't news by any means. Emoticons not needed. They are financially sound which allows them the LUXURY of all this extra down time and the additional practice time. Their tour is based not on the need for dollars earned by prize money as many corps rely on to get down the road. Maybe their rehearsals are much more laid back because it isn't always a case of " beat the clock" to get from one show site to the next and oh, by the way, get in as close to a full days rehearsal while you're at it. You seem to minimize the physical and emotional toll that sort of tour takes.Try and look at this situation without the benefit of blue tinted glasses. Please. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsdrummerman2012 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I guess I entered the Blue Devils for president site. I agree they are consistent and successful. They have the money to attract the best and the brightest and treat them well even to how they are transported. Let's be realistic with other groups. Oh believe me. I'm being very realistic. The statistical comparisons speak for themselves. Change is not always good but it is not always bad. Since Troopers are the 2nd biggest topic on this section, they started well and then left the path they were heading. (speaking about the last 5 or so years) I have been told some of the people responsible for the initial re-birth were forced out by some of the people that are now apparently leaving. Sometimes you need to change and keep changing until you get it right. 5 to 6 years is certainly a fair amount of times to try someone. I don't disagree with this. But I'm actually not talking about Troopers. I agree, 5 years is enough to make a noticable difference. I'm not talking about that kind of example. I'm talking about examples like Santa Clara who change their staff every two years (or less) if they don't win. And many other corps who you hear less about but do the exact same thing. The people not in the top 3 area are always going to have to try ways to tweak things. I believe it is more approach than specific people. You need to consider that doing the same thing and expecting different results is a indication of insantity! It applies in both a good and bad way Actually, it's the "definition of insanity" . And I agree with you. But I would challenge you to look at that philosophy from a different angle. Back to the Santa Clara example. For YEARS now, Santa Clara has been doing.........the same thing over and over again and expecting different results..........by changing their staff over and over and over again. They (along with 80% of the rest of the drum corps activity) absolutely SHOULD.............take a different approach.........and try KEEPING the same staff for at least 5 years and see what happens. If you uproot a plant before it has a chance to grow and keep trying to re-plant and re-plant, you are never going to see any greenery (insert Crown 09 joke here). That IS....doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You have to give that plant time to grow and I'm telling you, 1-2 and even 3 years is not long enough for the right chemestry to develop. You have to keep watering, keep trimming (NOT tilling...trimming) until you see growth. 90% of the drum corps in this activity don't do that. They have an off year or they go through some growning pains and they panic, so they fire the staff and hire new over and over and over again.....and never see different results. What people need to do is start taking a closer look at what BD does and copy it. No, not the show style or the "color" yadda yadda. Copy the approach and the method for growth. It's tried, it's proven and it works. Furthermore, if you are tired of seeing BD win, figure out what they have figured out, try it and get some wins yourself. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsdrummerman2012 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Try and look at this situation without the benefit of blue tinted glasses. Please. Why would I want to do that? They are the ones who win the most and have the best statistical track record. If I want directions on how to get to Chicago, I'm going to ask someone who's been there. Not someone who has tried several times and keeps ending up in St. Louis. I'll take the blue tinted glasses, please. Thank you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troopers1 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Very interesting on Troopers website: http://troopersdrumcorps.org/page/aboutus/educational-team Holy crud, Granny! Now I am going to have to sit up all night refreshing that page.....What could it be???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Smith Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Holy crud, Granny! Now I am going to have to sit up all night refreshing that page.....What could it be???? The scuttlebutt is that Fred Morris is going to write both the drill and head up the color guard and that Mike Ottoes (the executive director) is going to be the percussion head. I'm not sure who is going to be the brass caption head, but I've heard that the man who drives the souvenir truck has volunteered--but I personally hope that one of the board members steps up and gives it a shot. I can feel the winds of change a blowin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutasaurus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Why would I want to do that? They are the ones who win the most and have the best statistical track record. If I want directions on how to get to Chicago, I'm going to ask someone who's been there. Not someone who has tried several times and keeps ending up in St. Louis. I'll take the blue tinted glasses, please. Thank you. You totally miss what this activity is all about. May I ask if you are a product of the Blue Devils monster organization? If so, you speak poorly for them blue glasses and all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Well, to be fair, SCV brought in Paul Rennick, and went from 11th to 4th in percussion.... so.... and when they let Andre Feagin take over, the brass line went from 9th to 3rd.... So maybe the only corps to make every Finals knows what they're doing to. Yes, BD's staff is consistent, and yes, they have a system, but maybe every corps doesn't have that luxury? Maybe they can't afford to keep staff members for twenty years, so they aren't as successful, so staff leaves because they aren't successful. It's all a vicious cycle of DCI. BD is a corps with such a financial system in place that they don't need to do as many shows or rehearsals as everyone else, because they don't need the performance fees. In theory, they could just show up to San Antonio, compete for the rest of tour, and still come out financially better than many other corps. It's because they have such a strong system back home in California. And because of this strong financial base, they can afford to keep on a staff forever, and get the best stuff to put them in the best position to win. DCI isn't always about talent and design, a lot of it comes down to who has the deepest pockets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Why would I want to do that? They are the ones who win the most and have the best statistical track record. If I want directions on how to get to Chicago, I'm going to ask someone who's been there. Not someone who has tried several times and keeps ending up in St. Louis. I'll take the blue tinted glasses, please. Thank you. So DCI is only about winning? Got it.... Guess I wasted my time then showing up in St. Louis those years my corps didn't win, even though we were a crowd favorite. Oh, darn. Good thing I didn't waste my time this year since we didn't win. Maybe time for you to re-evaluate your priorities about drum corps and the music world, if you think it's all about just ending up on top. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutasaurus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 So DCI is only about winning? Got it.... Guess I wasted my time then showing up in St. Louis those years my corps didn't win, even though we were a crowd favorite. Oh, darn. Good thing I didn't waste my time this year since we didn't win. Maybe time for you to re-evaluate your priorities about drum corps and the music world, if you think it's all about just ending up on top. So That's the drift I got fsubone. I couldn't agree with you more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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