tylercrawford Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 (edited) Why are we not just having marching band be a student club, and let them run it. I am pretty sure my drumline would be a lot better if I asked the 2nd bass player how things are going, and whether a passage was clean, the form and intervals were correct, and if the snare stick heights on the second diddle in the passage were uniform as well. Sounds like Stanford's marching band. High schoolers need instruction. How many classes/rehearsals/sectionals have you been in and had the sections split up to work on parts and only to hear it not get any better after 20 minutes? Clubs get things done just not at the level current band programs do. Edited December 11, 2013 by tylercrawford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Let's make sure we give the students zero credit for understanding how band should operate. Ever think the students might have a clue? And perhaps you understand that they can't help how the article was written. “I’m sure she would be a good director for a band that doesn’t want to be that good, but that’s not the case at Lassiter,” she said. This student (who is a drum major) doesn't have a clue, and unless the writer misquoted her, she definitely impacted how the article was written. To be fair, the article was completely one-sided crap. But the parents/students involved shouldn't known better: airing dirty laundry to a community paper isn't good PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I'm seeing this as problems with change due to new leader. Chruch I used to go to had two previos ministers that had been around total of almost 50 years and they had the same low keyed style. New guy comes in and not afraid to open his mouth on things. Everything he did that was "different" was seen as wrong in lot of peoples eyes. Mainly people who had been arond forever and had gotten used to the "old way of doing things". Current church had a long time minister retire and new guy is.... kind... of ... young.. (DUH!)... and it's just so hard for people to change their perceptions on things. I can just hear "That's not how Mr... would do it. What's wrong with her?". Had the same issue at our church. They went through 3 ministers in about a 6 year period till they found one they could control. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Guys, not trying to puff myself up here or anything but I DO know all of the parties involved. The old director at Lassiter was a mentor to me when I was a young director. Great man, great teacher, great results. The new director was my feeder for a couple of years back when she was a middle school director. She is very talented with a great future in front of her. I know nothing about the process of how the hiring process took place, nor does it effect my thoughts. The bottom line is that anybody, and I mean ANYBODY that came in after Alfred Watkins would be seen as a step down, weather they were or not. That's what happens when replacing a local and national legend. If she can weather the storm I personally have no doubts that she will do a great job. This kind of media crap is for the birds and is not worth the paper it is printed on, in my very humble opinion. Dan Good to hear we have a man on the ground in all of this. My sons High School band went through a transition with a legendary director leaving and the transition went smooth. Now my daughter is having to face the same thing and so far its going smooth. Sad these parents cant cope with the change and see that its going to take a while to adjust. The part of the article that really tears me a new one is the that the one 1st place and the parents do not think that reflects on her. BS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 “I’m sure she would be a good director for a band that doesn’t want to be that good, but that’s not the case at Lassiter,” she said. To imply that other groups don't "want to be good" is disrespectful and stunningly devoid of situational awareness. This girl won the figurative lottery by virtue of where her parents live. A little respect for the rest of us would be cool. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 To imply that other groups don't "want to be good" is disrespectful and stunningly devoid of situational awareness. This girl won the figurative lottery by virtue of where her parents live. A little respect for the rest of us would be cool. LOL - sounds like some Penn State and Pitt students talking about PA state schools.... "Well... if going there if good enough for you". Always fun when they start in the work force and find how little that matters. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 ...This girl won the figurative lottery by virtue of where her parents live... This is one reason why I am for Charter Schools, Vouchers, and School Choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 FYI -- I live in Jeff's old school district, and every election a group runs on the platform of "Cut the Waste". They can never say where the waste is, just "Look at the budget; there has to be waste somewhere with all that money". It sounds like George Hopkins talking about DCI's budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 (edited) so then should I as a parent have a say who in who gets hied to teach kindergarten? Where does the line end? While I know parents want the best for the kids...are they always qualified to know what's best? popular doesnt equate being good. I've worked with some directors the kids loved....but the band sucked. This times 1,000. The current band director at my old high school is loved by the majority of his kids and booster parents. You'll find plenty of current students saying "Mr. XXXXX changed my life" (without really going into why). But he's notorious among the other directors (middle school and under) for cutting corners and non-existent communication. He's a competent administrator and is able to keep the marching band competitive by delegating to devoted instructors, but the band program as a whole continues to nose dive. I wish people didn't expect teachers to be cuddly cheerleaders that only shout encouragement. Edited December 11, 2013 by ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Aren't high school football coaches occasionally subject to this kind of community and parental pressure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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