Staff changes

[drumcorpsdrummerman2012]

Answering this question scrictly in the context of "teaching approach" among staff...

Also no corps is going backwards... Or has the "wrong" approach to what they do. How can you even say that with a straight face.

Easy. I believe it. That's how. The Blue Devils staff (both old and current) have always made a practice of taking a respectable approach to the way they teach their kids. Are there moments of breakdowns in that? Of course. The people in that staff are still human. But as a general practice, they simply provide information in a way that the kids can understand and the kids in turn produce the results. Of course, someone will say "but they have the talent for it". An easy excuse to justify, but simply not true. I talked to one staff member at finals who told me that of all years, this year was one of the younger and less experienced. Look what they achieved. The Blue Devils have had many a year where the talent and experience level was not exactly the pick of the tree. They still produced the results with the same approach as always. And as for "remember when they were not winning"? Blah! They are the only corps who has never scored lower than 5th since 1974 and have only placed out of the top 3 seven of the last 33 years. That's a record unparalelled (and never will be paralelled...at least not for another 38 years). Say what you want, but they are the only ones doing 'something' right.

Yes, I believe the staff's approach to how they treat their kids as well as the way they schedule and structure rehearsal time with real life balance is a big part of that "something that's right". I'll even take it a step further. How about how the management treats their staff and how the head staff treats their tech staff. It comes from the top down. Create a plan that has balance and treat your people right, and you will have a consistant product that is always (yes, "always") at or near the top.

Nobody else has figured this out yet. I'm convinced....nobody.

Edited August 29, 2012 by drumcorpsdrummerman2012

[charlie1223]

You have no idea how close I was to a long winded response to your first response to me. Thankfully, others stepped in and clarified what should have already been clear enough (talk about "missing the door" and"looking beyond the obvious").

Next time read the context. No. I said nothing about "design". Not one word.

(sheesh)

Thank god I avoided it. It was a little ambiguous on first read.

[charlie1223]

Answering this question scrictly in the context of "teaching approach" among staff...

Easy. I believe it. That's how. The Blue Devils staff (both old and current) have always made a practice of taking a respectable approach to the way they teach their kids. Are there moments of breakdowns in that? Of course. The people in that staff are still human. But as a general practice, they simply provide information in a way that the kids can understand and the kids in turn produce the results. Of course, someone will say "but they have the talent for it". An easy excuse to justify, but simply not true. I talked to one staff member at finals who told me that of all years, this year was one of the younger and less experienced. Look what they achieved. The Blue Devils have had many a year where the talent and experience level was not exactly the pick of the tree. They still produced the results with the same approach as always. And as for "remember when they were not winning"? Blah! They are the only corps who has never scored lower than 5th since 1974 and have only placed out of the top 3 seven of the last 33 years. That's a record unparalelled (and never will be paralelled...at least not for another 38 years). Say what you want, but they are the only ones doing 'something' right.

Yes, I believe the staff's approach to how they treat their kids as well as the way the schedule and structure rehearsal time with real life balance is a big part of that "something that's right". I'll even take it a step further. How about how the management treats their staff and how the head staff treats their tech staff. It comes from the top down. Create a plan that has balance and treat your people right, and you will have a consistant product that is always (yes, "always") at or near the top.

Nobody else has figured this out yet. I'm convinced....nobody.

I can relate what you said about BD to other corps.. These approaches ate practiced more widely then I think you believe. Cadets won a championship last year and they can't be far off. And they almost a strong a record of being on top as BD rarely placing out of the top 5.

Im just not sure placement is an indicator of the factors you mentioned. I haven't marched or taught in a corps that did not have these approaches very strongly instilled and practiced.

Edited August 29, 2012 by charlie1223

[mingusmonk]

So back on topic, and sticking with the Troopers:

Kevin Welborn's Facebook:

I have officially resigned from my position with the Troopers. The past 6 years have been amazing. The people that I have been able to work with and teach have inspired me more than anyone will know. On to the next chapter.

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Having marched with a corps that got yelled at A LOT, I can tell you that there were two distinct types of yelling. When Frank Williams yelled, you got the point. Quick. He was very intense, but I never felt that he yelled just to yell. He yelled when we sucked, and we KNEW that we sucked. It WAS effective. He would also, very occasionally, give praise. When this happened, we were beside ourselves with joy. I can't speak for everyone who marched Suncoast (or any of the many other corps Frank has worked with) but I know that I wanted to be better to impress him, knowing how hard that would be. Other staff members like Robert Smith, Larry Clark, Karl Lowe, etc. very rarely, if ever, yelled.

On the other hand, we had other staff members who would always yell, and it was decidedly INeffective. Not only would they yell, but they would demean and treat us like children. To the point of calling us things like "stupid" and "babies". Unfortunately, with the youth of the corps the years that I marched, this did not go over well. Those were not fun days.

I personally know of 4 people who went on to march Blue Devils after Suncoast folded in 1989, and to a person they describe the environment there as completely different. I attended BD's last rehearsal before quarterfinals in 2003 and saw first hand the drastically different level of instruction used there. Much more is expected of each marching member, and the members live up to the expectations. Nothing is personal, and it seemed very relaxed. Amazingly, the rehearsal field was pin-drop silent while Wayne was talking, and when tiny things were pointed out to be fixed, they were fixed. In the next, and every following, run. It was impressive.

[acolli17]

So back on topic, and sticking with the Troopers:

Kevin Welborn's Facebook:

Regardless of anyone's opinion of Kevin's teaching styles, he's a great human being, and always had the best of intentions at heart. No one can deny he didn't devote himself entirely to the group while he was with them. From a position of working with him as a member of the organization, he'll always have my respect as a person and instructor.

[drumguy50]

Sounds like there are quite a few changes already surfacing. Here are what i think were weaknesses as an outside observer.

Pioneer - lack of a direction, numbers. Music and drill quality marginal. Guard seem to be listening to different music than was being played.

Colts - A poor level of drill design. At a level of lower level marching band. Lack of direction. Lack of many effects. Music seemed very similar with few highs and lows and similar. Guard seemed OK but seldom in the right place to be seen.

Troopers - Poor program choice. Not seeming written to corps or members strength. Guard seemed to struggle. Drill was adequate but not memorable.

Glassmen- Lack of visual impacts. Music was not memorable. Not because of playing but more so written interest. Drum line seemed way ahead of the rest of the corps.

Blue Stars - Poor visual execution from marchers. Drill seemed way over thier heads. Percussion and guard seem farther advanced than rest of corps

Cavaliers - Poor program choice. Lack of direction. Guard struggled

Bluecoats - Visual was the weakness. Not sure theme was really developed. Brass and percussion were very strong.

Crown - Drill was not to level of the rest of the program as was true of percussion also.

Phantom - Some what lacking in depth. Percussion not near level of horns and guard. Not sure the music arrangements were as strong as past years.

These are my opinions as a fan who has been around a while.

[charlie1223]

Do corps feel that a change in staff will automatically make them better? I imagine it would take atleast a couple years to see a dramatic change in a new staff members section....

[drumcorpsdrummerman2012]

Oh and one more thing. Back to the subject of "staff changes" and "firing/shake ups". When was the last time you hear about BD staff member getting fired? I'm not saying it hasn't happened. But even if it has, lets talk percentages here. 90% of the Blue Devils staff has remained in tact since 1994 with minor changes along the way and even when the made their one big "shake up" in 1994, all the really did was add a new percussion and visual caption head over the top of a percussion and visual staff that by in large was already there. Even now, those that are new were either added (not replacements) or if they did replace. replaced someone who simply moved on with something else. You never see total uproots of an entire caption take place. As I said, even in 94, they were additions.

Meanwhile, here we sit the infamous last week of August where phones start ringing and suddenly the musical chairs game of staff changes has commenced (enter BD 09 joke now). And while other corps are completely turning over entire captions ever 2 or 3 years, the Blue Devils just sit back and laugh....all the way to their next DCI title. Yes, the others are doing it backwards.

[drumcorpsdrummerman2012]

Do corps feel that a change in staff will automatically make them better? I imagine it would take atleast a couple years to see a dramatic change in a new staff members section....

Yep! Most, if not all corps (except BD) do think so. And that's part of what those corps are doing wrong (see my last post). A couple of years? Here's a thought, ask Vanguard how long it takes. They fire their staff every two years. Ask them how that's going for them.