Jump to content

Staff changes


Recommended Posts

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.

Oh for Pete's sake! Don't be so overly dramatic! :rolleyes: Nothing I said was offensive or derogatory. Just sharing opinions...that represent only my own.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So DCI is only about winning? Got it.... :thumbdown: 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.

I never said "drum corps is all about winning". That never came out of my mouth (or off my keypad). Not once. I was simply siting example of how the corps that has one the most world championships appears to be doing things very differently than the rest of the activity...and if in fact people want to see more corps win more often, maybe OTHER corps should try doing some things the way they do it. That's it. Nowhere have I said that this activity is only about winning. Don't make my posts into something they are not and as I said in my last post, "don't be so overly dramatic". It's just drum corps. Here, watch this video for some perspective...

Now, relax and try not to take this activity so seriously. :rolleyes:

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know this was a while ago, but it was a great question, so I feel I should answer it.

I knew what I needed to know. What I didn't realize was that, emotionally, I wasn't invested in what i was doing- the specific event I remembered right away was during my first year- I was really an idiot, and not just mostly one.

Simply telling me "I feel like you're not giving me your all" would have been ineffective;

That's a shame. So, what you are telling me then is that you did not trust your staff enough to believe what they say at face value? You had to have it beat into you (emotionally speaking). That's just sad.

Except you completely missed the point of my post: winning isn't everything,

Once again, I never said it was.

and just because something works for one person does not mean it will work for anyone else.

The Blue Devils, as an organization, function because of their circumstances; a feeder system that builds a single approach. A mindset of most of the people who march there (and yeah, I've known enough to make that statement). They have a specific style of show that they do (think broader than theme).

For most, if not all, other corps, a feeder system like they have is not an option. That rules out the 'single approach for years and years'. Blue Devils don't have to worry about teaching a technique; their people, for the most part, already know what's up. Hence, they can afford to do other things differently than other corps.

Are you suggesting that less rehearsal would help all open class corps get higher scores? Or even most of the rest of World Class? Ridiculous.

Really? How about Blue Devils B? They are part of the same organization and take the same approach. Wait, no...actually...they DO rehearse less. Less than everyone in World Class because they have a shorter summer to begin with? That's HOW "Open Class" does it. LOL! How's that for a backfire?

Furthermore, it's not so much about "less rehearsal" as it is about being smart with your time and energy. It's not like the Blue Devils don't work hard. They work extremely hard. The difference is, they also work smart. They don't generally jump off a 4 hour bus ride, give their kids two hours on the floor and then crank the lights on and rush everyone out to the field for 14 hours. It's called balance. They work hard....and they rest well. The work hard...and they eat well. They travel well....and then they rest well. They work hard some more....and then they play well (i.e., by playing I mean time off....anyone see the postings of Todd Ryan sending them to the hot tub at one point during finals week). Lets face it, it's unhealthy to approach this activity the way most people approach it. It's not normal in the real world to work 2 months straight without a day off. Granted, some people do (and unfortunately that's due to how screwed up things in this economy and society in general have gotten...but that's for another thread in another forum). Still, it's not normal and not healthy. The human body needs at least one day off per week to re-gain strength. Frankly (get ready to red minus me with this one), I think a huge number of corps in this activity (like, probably a majority) are completely stupid, insane and abusive for having ONE....maybe TWO days off (if that) per tour. It's absolutely sick and abusive. Our bodies can't handle it.

And you all thought I was talking about "winning"? No, not at all. All I was doing was pointing out the very interesting coincidence (or is it) that the corps that wins more than any other is the one corps who (and it's obviously common knowledge) has the most balanced blend of work time and down time of any other corps. If you want to make it about "winning", that is of your own accord. I'm just laying the facts out there.

Edited by drumcorpsdrummerman2012
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see. The Blue Devils are successful because they have retained their staff long term. Therefore, other corps can be just as successful if they retain the Blue Devils staff long term?

LOL! NO! Talk about misquoting me and taking me out of context. How about reataining their OWN already existing staff long term?

Clearly, it is not as simple as just staff retention. If it was, Pacific Crest and Mandarins would have been giving BD a run for their money - oops, let me rephrase - would have given BD some competition by now.

That's not my point either. My point was the luncacy of certain corps (SCV for one) giving their staff no longer than 2 years to make a difference and then uprooting the entire team for a brand new one. Let's not make this something it's not.

Hard to believe you were the same poster who reminded us that not all staff departures are firings. Sometimes, staff leave on their own accord. Their real jobs move them across the country. They start families, and cannot be on tour as much. They go back to school to pursue an advanced degree. Or they discover that a position with some other corps is a better opportunity than where they are currently.

Absolutely! I still hold to that first post I made and additionally agree with everything you just said. You are absolutely right. Many staff changes are what you have just described. I'm not talking about those. Not at all. I'm talking about when "firings" really DO happen. But not just isolated terminations. Patterns of terminations every other year and sometimes the very next year where seeds have been planted and the plant us uprooted before it even has a chance to be watered. That's what I mean.

[so how does a corps achieve the kind of staff retention Blue Devils have enjoyed? Pick only single people whose work will never cause them to relocate? Pay them more than they earn at their day job? Or just "treat them well", and hope for the incredible luck that they will all stay for 20 years or more? (My guess - incredible luck.)

One or two of those might be on the right track. "Treating people well" is in fact a proven method within the corporate structure that has been officially documented in many cases. I don't know about having to be "single". But again, it's not really about "retaining" staff (as in making them want to return) as it is just not being so quick with the "firing trigger" as many corps are.

Edited by drumcorpsdrummerman2012
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha!

Love that the DVD method is ever increasing! thumbup.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh for Pete's sake! Don't be so overly dramatic! :rolleyes: Nothing I said was offensive or derogatory. Just sharing opinions...that represent only my own.

You seem to be losing credibility with your attitude.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard to believe you were the same poster who reminded us that not all staff departures are firings. Sometimes, staff leave on their own accord. Their real jobs move them across the country. They start families, and cannot be on tour as much. They go back to school to pursue an advanced degree. Or they discover that a position with some other corps is a better opportunity than where they are currently.

My Response:

Absolutely! I still hold to that first post I made and additionally agree with everything you just said. You are absolutely right. Many staff changes are what you have just described. I'm not talking about those. Not at all. I'm talking about when "firings" really DO happen. But not just isolated terminations. Patterns of terminations every other year and sometimes the very next year where seeds have been planted and the plant us uprooted before it even has a chance to be watered. That's what I mean.

You know what? I want to try and make my point a little clearer here so that you can better see how my first post actually ties hand in hand with what I've been ranting about with "staff firings".

I'm sick and tired of seeing great instructors (some of which are friends of mine) who just began to establish something great for their corps get fired....and then to ad insult to injury get their name and reputation run through the mud because a certain corps "let them go" due to stupid jealous idiots gossiping about it. Additionally, I'm also sick and tired of seeing great instructors (some of which are friends of mine) who HAVE "left a corps on their own accord" get their names and reputations run through the mud because "RUMOR HAS IT"......(MAN I hate that phrase) that they were in fact fired and didn't leave on their own accord (even if they really did). And furthermore......THIS place is often the biggest offender in the damaging gossip as such!

(and people think I am the one with the twisted perspective on this activity)

Edited by drumcorpsdrummerman2012
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Furthermore, it's not so much about "less rehearsal" as it is about being smart with your time and energy. It's not like the Blue Devils don't work hard. They work extremely hard. The difference is, they also work smart. They don't generally jump off a 4 hour bus ride, give their kids two hours on the floor and then crank the lights on and rush everyone out to the field for 14 hours. It's called balance. They work hard....and they rest well. The work hard...and they eat well. They travel well....and then they rest well. They work hard some more....and then they play well (i.e., by playing I mean time off....anyone see the postings of Todd Ryan sending them to the hot tub at one point during finals week). Lets face it, it's unhealthy to approach this activity the way most people approach it. It's not normal in the real world to work 2 months straight without a day off. Granted, some people do (and unfortunately that's due to how screwed up things in this economy and society in general have gotten...but that's for another thread in another forum). Still, it's not normal and not healthy. The human body needs at least one day off per week to re-gain strength. Frankly (get ready to red minus me with this one), I think a huge number of corps in this activity (like, probably a majority) are completely stupid, insane and abusive for having ONE....maybe TWO days off (if that) per tour. It's absolutely sick and abusive. Our bodies can't handle it.

I also want to make this point a little more clear. I am in no way insinuating that The Blue Devils do not work hard. So many BD haters think this to be the case and it's completely false. The Blie Devils work their ##### off!!! No question about it, the majority of that corps time is spent on the rehearsal field getting better. The DIFFERENCE.............is that they balance their hard work with enough rest and personal time....to flippen have the ENERGY to CONTINUE working hard. I KNOW! Because I've WATCHED and talked to enough people who would know. And to the person who asked if I was a product of the Blue Devils, go back and read the post where I talked about a "light bulb" that just recently lit up in my head as a result of some things I've "recently" (key word) learned about that organization? Sound like an affiliate of the corps? I'll leave you to decide that.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...