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i could see it benefiting the director to not have some dci kids in band the first week or so. the dci kids will be bored and probably cause trouble and distract the people who really need that extra time to work on technique, music, etc

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My son doesn't march high school band anymore, but he did miss all but the the last three half-days of his University marching band camp. His director had no problem, his marching mates had no problem and after those three half-days, he was up to speed and on the same sheet of music, so to speak.

He probably deserves to be mello section lead, but he understands that, since he wasn't there for all of band camp, he shouldn't get it. He still does everything he can to improve his section, though.

My son still has connections with his old high school. He volunteers one afternoon a week as a brass tech. Kind of a way to pay his director back for everything he learned.

Bottom line for me is: A high school director who would deny a Drum Corp member from marching band is only hurting himself.

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I know it would be very easy for a band director to have a few kids in corps who came back, were bored with how easy everything was, had bad attitudes (maybe quit), and just put the kabbash on the whole 'drum corps' issue. I understand; but I honestly feel this is a case of a few rotten apples spoiling the bunch.

However, I also know that a lot of corps people- particularly here on DCP, where we are more anonymous than the real life, have shown disdain for high school bands. If we think those kids aren't on here reading, we are insane; I personally know some high schoolers who have seen this attitude and decided not to march because they didn't want to be around the people who hated them.

Not calling out anyone here- just food for the collective thought.

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Both my kids march Drum Corps and like the OP, had their high school start usually a week or 2 before DCI Finals week. And they, of course, missed summer-time band camps.

That said, both the school administration and band directors have been VERY accommodating to my kids' desires to do Drum Corps. We're allowed a 5-day max Educational Leave since both plan to teach music after college (and where else to get this caliber of musical instruction?). Any other days are counted as absences, but all the teachers have allowed us to make up missed assignments and tests. Yes, they have to hit the ground running when they get back (always the Monday after a long drive back from Indy), but they always seem to catch up. And they continue to get good grades.

We have a very successful Band program at our school. There's about 200 in High School Band and about the same number in Middle School. Our Band Directors are very much into Drum Corps--one had a son who marched Phantom and there are other connections to the Atlanta CorpsVets and Memphis/Forte. They know what to expect from someone returning after Tour and are pleased with how the Drum Corps experience can help all their band members continually improve.

But for this to all work, we had to have the support of school administrators and band directors, and our kids had to be willing to work hard after Tour to make up their school work. I do think it's worth the effort.

[Luckily, next season I'll have 2 in college where the schedules don't conflict as much. :thumbup:]

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I live in northern VA, and high school kids around me do not march DCI. Part of the problem is there is not much exposure... one DCI show about an hour away that doesn't get much advertisement. Another part of the problem is that the bands in this area are very big on the concert side. There are some very good concert bands in this area (example: the school I teach at has gone to BOA concert festival twice in the last 5-ish years), but the marching side of the programs lag behind. The bands here are lucky if they can pull 1 staff member with DCI experience. The best marching bands in my area are at the low end of the BOA scale (probably finish 30+ at grand nationals and do well at the smallest / weakest BOA regionals aka the ones in PA and MD).

The last problem is that school doesn't get out until late June (like 18th-22nd) so they would miss all of spring training.

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Band directors that get ###### that kids miss their summer rehearsals/band camp because they are marching drum corps need to park their egos and get over themselves.

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Red neg me all you want here, but... All most people look at is the technical facility of the youth who marches corps then can just step in after missing weeks of band camp and learn music/drill in a blazing few days (or hours) and how this can benefit the band program. Not many look at what I consider to be way more important which are the ethical aspects of this issue. Just curious: a) How does this special allowance create real respect for the kids who chose to spend all that time devoted to their band, to their school, to their peers?... and b) Why should we teach the kids who chose corps over their school camps that they can always do what they want when they want at 'their' convenience? To me, it is far better to teach a child, "Life if full of conflicts and choices; and in this situation you must make a choice of one or the other". Why? Because while it might benefit the band program, missing weeks of something others have worked hard at then trotting in with the attitude that band is so easy I can do in a day what you all did in two weeks is very disrespectful to the band, the band director, and especially to the other band members who chose to devote time to their band and not to a corps.

PS: I noticed that nobody suggests that the kid come off the road for a few weeks to attend band camp and miss corps, but yet always support the kid staying on the road and miss band camp. Ergo, the conflict in devotion; and ergo why a choice needs to be made of one or the other.

Edited by Stu
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Red neg me all you want here, but... All most people look at is the technical facility of the youth who marches corps then can just step in after missing weeks of band camp and learn music/drill in a blazing few days (or hours) and how this can benefit the band program. Not many look at what I consider to be way more important which are the ethical aspects of this issue. Just curious: a) How does this special allowance create real respect for the kids who chose to spend all that time devoted to their band, to their school, to their peers?... and b) Why should we teach the kids who chose corps over their school camps that they can always do what they want when they want at 'their' convenience? To me, it is far better to teach a child, "Life if full of conflicts and choices; and in this situation you must make a choice of one or the other". Why? Because while it might benefit the band program, missing weeks of something others have worked hard at then trotting in with the attitude that band is so easy I can do in a day what you all did in two weeks is very disrespectful to the other band members who chose to devote time to their band and not to a corps.

I only missed precamp at my school and some small practices for parade. When i showed up to camp i memorized my music before people that worked on it all summer. The director was glad to have some to be an example for the rest of the section. Also the rest of the brass players werent the best and he needed a strong player to balance it out. My mom just made me promise that i wouldnt be an ### when i came back from corpstongue.gif

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PS: I noticed that nobody suggests that the kid come off the road for a few weeks to attend band camp and miss corps, but yet always support the kid staying on the road and miss band camp. Ergo, the conflict in devotion; and ergo why a choice needs to be made of one or the other.

It's rare but it happens. I remember one year when the Cavies were missing a tenor player before finals. The kid had to go to his college band camp so he wouldn't lose his scholarship. He returned finals week and competed to end the season.

Also, you are SO wrong. A choice doesn't have to be made. Both can be done with a little effort, and for the most part a kid coming off corps is a benifit to the band.

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