Talent vs. Experience

[fsubone]

This happens everywhere but usually in private and not to staff... and not during auditions.

I've seen it out in public too. There are kids who have complained their way through the entire audition weekend, but every time they played they were amazing, but had such bad attitude that they didn't got a spot. The staff is watching at all times during auditions, whether the members know it or not. And they see how the prospective members and current members deal with each other and interact.

[glory]

... I've even marched with kids who after 4 or 5 years of drum corps, weren't the strongest players or marchers, but every year, came into camp and learned everything the staff told them, and always took direction and changes faster than anyone else. They were always loved by the staff.

Sounds like talent to me! Seriously, there are all kinds of talent. In the drum corps context, not every player need be a soloist. Indeed, there are more positions for members who aren't soloing. Drum corps need performers who can cover their parts and their drill with precision even if they'll never front the ensemble.

One of the lessons I've learned as a manager is there even sometimes is a role for the weakest performer. Years ago I was supervising dozens of people in this one operation and determined to raise the level of performance by shedding the weakest workers. After knocking off a couple of under-performers, one of my managers intervened to save one who clearly was below average. That young man isn't as good as most of our team, that manager said. But he gratefully accepts all the assignments the better performers don't want. If you let him go, all the stars will be griping about taking their share of the less desirable work. So I kept him, and everyone was happy - even me.

There are all kinds of roles for all kinds of people. What matters most is your ability to prove your value to the organization. That potential might be measured in many ways.

HH

Edited August 27, 2012 by glory

[fsubone]

Sounds like talent to me! Seriously, there are all kinds of talent. In the drum corps context, not every player need be a soloist. Indeed, there are more positions for members who aren't soloing. Drum corps need performers who can cover their parts and their drill with precision even if they'll never front the ensemble.

One of the lessons I've learned as a manager is there even sometimes is a role for the weakest performer. Years ago I was supervising dozens of people in this one operation and determined to raise the level of performance by shedding the weakest workers. After knocking off a couple of under-performers, one of my managers intervened to save one who clearly was below average. That young man isn't as good as most of our team, that manager said. But he gratefully accepts all the assignments the better performers don't want. If you let him go, all the stars will be griping about taking their share of the less desirable work. So I kept him, and everyone was happy - even me.

There are all kinds of roles for all kinds of people. What matters most is your ability to prove your value to the organization. That potential might be measured in many ways.

HH

It is talent, and experience. When I have friends or students who come to me and say they want to audition, and what kind of stuff they should do at audition weekend, the first thing I tell them is to get there and absorb everything you can as fast as you can. You don't need to make a thousand friends, and everyone will hate the kid who is always talking, but everyone wants to march with the kid who absorbs and learns everything during the audition process, even if they aren't a stud player or marcher.

Yes, there is a role for every kid. Maybe a player isn't the strongest player, but they have the best technique, and can nail a 4 to 5 every time, so they get the dot at the end of the form. Or they know how to repair instruments on the fly, so they can do that while marching. There is a role for everyone with the drive, attitude, and yes a bit of talent to do drum corps. Sometimes it's not at the Top 5 level, but everyone who wants to march can if they have the drive and desire to do it.

[c mor]

Yes, there is a role for every kid. Maybe a player isn't the strongest player, .... but everyone who wants to march can if they have the drive and desire to do it.

I realize auditions today are vastly different than BITD, but I can only convey my own experience.

I was trying out for a snare line with lots of returning vets, and soloist level players. Back then, you just kept going to rehearsal week after week until they found a spot for you, as they generally kept everyone who tried out. At first, I struggled even with playing the warm ups, as there was no internet, or pre-publishing of the exercises. All I could do was improve each week - whatever i didn't know one week, I made it a priority to know it the next week.

Few players are soloists, they need line players who can blend in. They saw my improvement, and I made the line. And yes, I practiced anywhere from 8 to 16 hours a day for several months during that process. That got me to the level of "adequate".

All that to say, I don't believe focus and intensity ever go out of style, and like fsubone says, drive and desire.

Edited August 28, 2012 by c mor

[Schickmeister]

Experience. I've marched with plenty of people that can't even tie their own shoes yet have a few rings to their name.