BozzlyB Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I think this is worth discussing only because at least once a year a concerned parent brings this up as a topic of discussion. As a parent of 3 I think this is a valid concern for parents of marching members who didn't march themselves. The degree of "abuse" that marching members are willing to put themselves through vs. your average summer vacation, is important to recognize. More important IMO is to help people new to the activity (especially parents) understand that what a marching member experiences throughout the summer is intense, demanding, defeating, and exponentially rewarding, which is why so many members finish a season exhausted, yet lamenting the end of their summer, and looking forward to their next audition. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JKT90 Posted July 23, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) Personally, I never saw anything like that. Marching corps is HARD, hardest, most demanding, physically draining, mentally draining, emotionally draining thing I have EVER done. Not even boot camp half way compared to marching corps, in fact I remember thinking boot was almost a joke. You constantly chase perfection, so yes, you get yelled at, called out, singled out, do push ups, run, do track work, etc...but, it is to break you down, to get to the core, raw self of who you are, and then you are built back up into an intense monster performer who wants more. I don't know how the simple act of marching wouldn't be looked at to an outsider as abuse. We did track work in Virginia, and when we finished, the pit arrived and when a girl in the pit saw the look on our faces, the intensity, she literally starting crying. You're gonna get yelled at, and if you are sticking out, you're gonna get yelled at more, if you're bringing up the rear, yep, getting scalded, constantly make the same mistake, more trouble. But it's not abuse, it's what is required to achieve the amazing results we see on the field...again, my personal experience. It's not abuse, it's being forged into steel. And I'll add this...yes it was hard. But it was the single most rewarding thing I have ever done. I KNEW if I could get through that there is not a thing in this world I can't do, and I carry that with me today, at 43, I still have those lessons. And anything that is a life changer shouldn't be easy to attain. I am forever grateful and what I did and what I learned. Last thing I'll say on this...it's also why your kid isn't paying attention to what a third party judge thinks of the show or where they are ranked. It's not about that. It's about being the best you can be, and learning what it takes to be perfect, understanding that the only thing that matters is those who are right there with you day in and day out, busting their arse in the ultimate pursuit of perfection...I see so many parents/fans complaining about why they aren't scoring higher. Marching corps is a personal journey, it is NOT about some dude in a green shirt running around the field talking into a recorder. Yes, that matters, but don't march a drum corps if you want outside gratification. You will absolutely hate it if that is your motivation. Edited July 23, 2013 by JKT90 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I wonder if the concern of abuse starts with the MM or the parent? I'm sure many parents would perceive the work ethic their kid is put through in corps as being abuse all by itself. Maybe even while their kid is bucking up and willing to take it. I don't recall, in that other post, where Guardmomandfan said that there were complaints from her daughter. I think kids are a lot tougher than most parents give them credit for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Personally, I never saw anything like that. Marching corps is HARD, hardest, most demanding, physically draining, mentally draining, emotionally draining thing I have EVER done. Not even boot camp half way compared to marching corps. You constantly chase perfection, so yes, you get yelled at, called out, singled out, do push ups, run, do track work, etc...but, it is to break you down, to get to the core, raw self of who you are, and then you are built back up into an intense monster performer who wants more. I don't know how the simple act of marching wouldn't be looked at to an outsider as abuse. We did track work in Virginia, and when we finished, the pit arrived and when a girl in the pit saw the look on our faces, the intensity, she literally starting crying. You're gonna get yelled at, and if you are sticking out, you're gonna get yelled out more, if you're bringing up the rear, yep, getting scalded, constantly make the same mistake, more trouble. But it's not abuse, it's what required to achieve the amazing results we see on the field...again, my personal experience. It's not abuse, it's being forged into steel. In other words, success in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKT90 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) 1374619423[/url]' post='3292604']In other words, success in life. Da#n straight. Edited July 23, 2013 by JKT90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post luv4corps Posted July 23, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) I might be politically incorrect for saying this but as an educator and parent, I think we coddle our kids way too much these days and I'm thankful that there are institutions like drum corps that teach kids that they didn't all hang the moon. Life is tough and we can't save our kids from that fact. Drum corps does a nice job of introducing a kid to handling that toughness. If a staff person sometimes gets cross, that too is life. I am not condoning physical abuse or expletive name-calling kind of stuff, but to be called out and told to do better... that is striving for excellence... and character building. Edited July 24, 2013 by luv4corps 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 1970 VFW prelims on the turf mid afternoon in black WOOL uniforms was considered par for the course. Today it would be abuse 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 1970 VFW prelims on the turf mid afternoon in black WOOL uniforms was considered par for the course. Today it would be abuse :doh:/> No, it wouldn't. Plenty of corps with dark colored uni's perform every summer in ridiculously hot conditions. It's 11 minutes of sweating, not a big deal, and no where near what is being discussed here. I agree with luv4corps, and think that he's more politically correct than incorrect. The pendulum has begun to swing back, and there's nothing wrong with expecting more out of our kids than they ever thought possible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcikon2 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I agree that marching drum corps is difficult and requires a lot of commitment. As a teacher, I have witnessed certain situations that I haven't agreed with. I must mention that these instances mainly involved a tech, not a caption head or director. I believe we all need to be aware of our choice of words when working with students (members). Personally, I get offended with the use of foul language. I do think the majority of the staff working with corps are good people and have nothing but the best intentions. On the other hand, there are probably times when someone has gone a little too far with their choice of words towards members. Perhaps the daily life in a drum corps could be a great introduction for parents. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) No, it wouldn't. Plenty of corps with dark colored uni's perform every summer in ridiculously hot conditions. It's 11 minutes of sweating, not a big deal, and no where near what is being discussed here. I agree with luv4corps, and think that he's more politically correct than incorrect. The pendulum has begun to swing back, and there's nothing wrong with expecting more out of our kids than they ever thought possible. What part of "wool" didn't you understand... Couldn't resist as I started in a late 60s style wool top that had a throat clip to make sure heat couldn't escape that way. LOT better when we bought the Blue Devils blouses in 1976.... Youngest people in our Sr corps were High School and once in a while a parent or outside adult would remark about certain staff members screaming and swearing at the "kids". They usually calmed down when told: 1) That's the way those instructors are with everyone regardless of age 2) They don't mind when the kids yell back as long as the reason is to make the show better. "What the ####!!! You're screwing that up!!!" "How the #### am I supposed to be doing it?" "You're supposed to......" "OH #####!!! I misunderstood". "OK... now you understand... don't #### it up" "OK..." Irony is in a way the yelling helped the self confidence of some of the younger people (like me, fer instance). Thing was we were told "You get judged as hard as the older members so you get treated the same way". Remember one day catching Hell from the DI for a practice screw up. As the DI is walking away he looked at a 30ish sop (who happened to be a corps BoD member) and said "And you did the same #### thing... YOU should know better". Made ME feel better anyway knowing I was being "treated" the same. Edited July 24, 2013 by JimF-LowBari 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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