BRASSO Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Call me a dino. Ok,.... you're a dino, Adam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Ok,.... you're a dino, Adam. I thought I was Mr. Obvious... confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSUMusician Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Just my thoughts... I posted a bit on this issue last summer. I think corp staff members do recruit performers quite often, but my problem lies in the lack of loyalty to a corp. Yes, you only sign a one-year contract to be a member of a corp, but to spend an entire summer with a group of adults who are giving you their all and in the back of your mind you aren't commited to them isn't cool to me. BD this year has two former Bluecoats and one former member from SCV in the battery this year. Why did those members jump corps? A championship ring? A high-drums award? Closer to home? Didn't like staff members of former corp? With performances at the level they are now in the upper echelon of corps you'd think there would be much less jumping from corp to corp. I also get tired of seeing posts calling these performers kids. Let's get real for a second. A large majority of every corp in the top 12 will be college aged students, and most of those will be 20+ year olds. Corps haven't been regional in a long time, but when corps started having camps in different parts of the country is when regionality truly started falling to the wayside. Compound that with the death of DCM, DCA, etc. and there's no longer any regionality to the activity. On top of that, I think the cost of corps has hurt corps from being regional. Back in 2002, it cost roughly $800 to be a member of the Bluecoats. If memory serves me correctly, The Cadets and PR were around the most expensive that year being around $2500 (I could be completely wrong on that, but I'm positive on the Bluecoats). It cost an arm and a leg to run a corp and to be a member of a corp now. Hopefully we'll see more regionality in the activity pop out of Sound Sport. If done correctly, students who get cut from bigger corps and students who can't afford the big named corps will be able be activce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) Just my thoughts... I posted a bit on this issue last summer. I think corp staff members do recruit performers quite often, but my problem lies in the lack of loyalty to a corp. Yes, you only sign a one-year contract to be a member of a corp, but to spend an entire summer with a group of adults who are giving you their all and in the back of your mind you aren't commited to them isn't cool to me. BD this year has two former Bluecoats and one former member from SCV in the battery this year. Why did those members jump corps? A championship ring? A high-drums award? Closer to home? Didn't like staff members of former corp? With performances at the level they are now in the upper echelon of corps you'd think there would be much less jumping from corp to corp. I also get tired of seeing posts calling these performers kids. Let's get real for a second. A large majority of every corp in the top 12 will be college aged students, and most of those will be 20+ year olds. Corps haven't been regional in a long time, but when corps started having camps in different parts of the country is when regionality truly started falling to the wayside. Compound that with the death of DCM, DCA, etc. and there's no longer any regionality to the activity. On top of that, I think the cost of corps has hurt corps from being regional. Back in 2002, it cost roughly $800 to be a member of the Bluecoats. If memory serves me correctly, The Cadets and PR were around the most expensive that year being around $2500 (I could be completely wrong on that, but I'm positive on the Bluecoats). It cost an arm and a leg to run a corp and to be a member of a corp now. Hopefully we'll see more regionality in the activity pop out of Sound Sport. If done correctly, students who get cut from bigger corps and students who can't afford the big named corps will be able be activce. That was also prior to the Bluecoats adopting a full time management model, rebranding campaign, instrumentation conversion/overhaul/replacement was just getting underway, and at least two major uniform redesigns. I would imagine that their fees have increased to reflect this and match others that they contend with. As I said in my earlier post... young people (and I do think that "kids" is appropriate for 18-21... just considering the dependencies that college students have on their families these days) tend to allow ambition to trump loyalty. I wouldn't be so quick to bemoan that. This is a competitive circuit, with age limits. Corps have an obligation to be up to the challenge of inspiring loyalty for their membership. Actually, I think that most corps do a good job at this... but so long as the Devils have been the Devils... they have had large stocks of experienced members that got their feet wet somewhere else. Be aware also that many members come to places like the Bluecoats having marched in other corps prior. I would imagine that some come there from the Cadets, PR, Cavies and other midwest/eastern corps. They move around, for various reasons. The key to the money problem... is providing a good education for members concerning sponsorship tactics. Again, most corps do a great job at this already. Edited June 28, 2014 by cfirwin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I thought I was Mr. Obvious... confusing. But you're probably confused because sometimes its not always THAT obvious, Adam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 But you're probably confused because sometimes its not always THAT obvious, Adam. As I said earlier, you clearly don't know me from Adam. We don't even look alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 When I was working with a corps down south during spring training, the director was running through the roster and I explicitly remember him being very upset because George Hopkins had poached one of his mellophone players. I couldn't believe that would happen and the director then let me in on a long line of atrocities committed by the likes of Hoppy and Gibbs. I never heard Hops side of the story so who knows all the nitty gritty details but some things checkout through cross referencing. Let's just say it changed my opinion on certain people and theres a reason smaller corps have a hard time surviving around larger corps. well remember one thing...it's not like Hop or Gibbs held the kid at gunpoint...and obviously something at the corps he was with wasn't good enough to make them stay. not that I condone it if true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Just my thoughts... I posted a bit on this issue last summer. I think corp staff members do recruit performers quite often, but my problem lies in the lack of loyalty to a corp. Yes, you only sign a one-year contract to be a member of a corp, but to spend an entire summer with a group of adults who are giving you their all and in the back of your mind you aren't commited to them isn't cool to me. BD this year has two former Bluecoats and one former member from SCV in the battery this year. Why did those members jump corps? A championship ring? A high-drums award? Closer to home? Didn't like staff members of former corp? With performances at the level they are now in the upper echelon of corps you'd think there would be much less jumping from corp to corp. I also get tired of seeing posts calling these performers kids. Let's get real for a second. A large majority of every corp in the top 12 will be college aged students, and most of those will be 20+ year olds. Corps haven't been regional in a long time, but when corps started having camps in different parts of the country is when regionality truly started falling to the wayside. Compound that with the death of DCM, DCA, etc. and there's no longer any regionality to the activity. On top of that, I think the cost of corps has hurt corps from being regional. Back in 2002, it cost roughly $800 to be a member of the Bluecoats. If memory serves me correctly, The Cadets and PR were around the most expensive that year being around $2500 (I could be completely wrong on that, but I'm positive on the Bluecoats). It cost an arm and a leg to run a corp and to be a member of a corp now. Hopefully we'll see more regionality in the activity pop out of Sound Sport. If done correctly, students who get cut from bigger corps and students who can't afford the big named corps will be able be activce. uh DCA didn't die Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 When I was working with a corps down south during spring training, the director was running through the roster and I explicitly remember him being very upset because George Hopkins had poached one of his mellophone players. I couldn't believe that would happen and the director then let me in on a long line of atrocities committed by the likes of Hoppy and Gibbs. I never heard Hops side of the story so who knows all the nitty gritty details but some things checkout through cross referencing. Let's just say it changed my opinion on certain people and theres a reason smaller corps have a hard time surviving around larger corps. As you say, you don't know the other side of the story. Did the member audition for the Cadets and almost make it, so that when there was an opening they contacted the person as I would think is standard practice? Did the Cadets know the member was marching elsewhere? The member could have chosen to stay with the corps he belonged to at the time, but as he/she left it seems that the Cadets were the first choice. Maybe the Cadets did do something crappy...there are all sorts of possibilities here ranging from poor to benign behavior on the part of the Cadets in your example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Some people are treating this as if it is the NFL draft. The truth is that well qualified music major types are a dime a dozen. Some shop around... some create relationships with corps administration... some move from group to group... MANY do it once and then move on with their lives. Too much weight is being put on this topic when we can see evidence that corps success is largely driven by show design and rehearsal procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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