Staff merrigoround

[Jeff Ream]

In the 1970's, DCI had judges doing Finals that were in their 20's and 30's.

BITD, Marchers thought these judges were a bit " old ". We can just imagine how today's 19 year older that was born in 1995 thinks about a 70 year older judging Finals that was born around the time MacArthur took the Surrender of Japan aboard ship at sea.

if the person is qualified, who gives a #### how old they are?

[old skool drmmr]

If you polled the people auditioning, I doubt most of them would know what WGI group their instructors teach... but I might be wrong.

I'd honestly say pretty close to 100% of the people auditioning for the Carolina Crown percussion section know exactly what high school WGI program Tom Aungst teaches.

Almost anyone else in the WGI world, you'd probably be correct. But there's like 3 or 4 dudes where almost everyone would know.

Edited September 9, 2014 by old skool drmmr

[CrownBariDad]

relative to names, history, and attractability to auditions, we AARP posters (to borrow from Brasso's image) must remember that to the MM today, the '90s isn't just an old past decade, it's a whole other century!!!

And millennium.

[BRASSO]

if the person is qualified, who gives a #### how old they are?

Me. ( but from your angriness and profanity, not you )

DCI is with me as well in thinking that their current judging community is way long in the tooth now, despite their qualifications. Despite years of neglect in this area, DCI now appears to be making a new found attempt at least to bring in judges that are both qualified to be DCI judges while simultaneously NOT qualified to be dues paying members of the AARP. Are any of the new Judges in training retirees ? Guess again, if you think they are. So " age " might not matter to you, but it undeniably matters to DCI ( and me ) these days from the looks of it.

Edited September 9, 2014 by BRASSO

[84BDsop]

My last year teaching band, we discussed DCI( and DCA) a lot. When I got to rehearsal one night, one of the kids asked me who this Hannum guy was replacing Beddis. So i gave a brief synopsis of what I could remember from Thom's bio off the top of my head, even starting with UMASS, who the kids had seen the year before. Even told them how he taught Thurston in Crossmen. Kids reaction? " ####, he's old".

Hell, I was 42 then and they thought I was old!

Should've told them about Float and Ralphie, too!

[DrumManTx]

He was caption head for Blue Stars, and wasn't present for many of the rehearsals I witnessed. I remember thinking bringing that team to Blue Stars was going to be what they needed to push them up from 8th. Not even close.

I really enjoyed the lines when he was caption head at Blue Stars, thought he did a really good job, especially in 2010 and 2011. 2012 was good too. They scored very well, beat Crown in 2011 once or twice and everyone else from 6th down. If there were any downfalls that led to 2012, it wasn't percussion, in 2011 and 2012 they were the corps main asset. I say that with full confidence.

That said, the Mapes Grom and crew team they have now is just as good or better

Edited September 9, 2014 by DrumManTx

[777hornman]

Hiring an old instructor that is capable is simply saavy good politics.... especially if he is well known and respected by all the AARP qualified DCI Judging community. Old time friends and colleagues tend to take care of one another. It happens in most employments. This is not news to anyone either, if they're honest with themselves, or they've been around the block once or twice.

Hiring an old instructor only makes sense if he knows what he is doing . In most cases . They do.

old or new makes no difference. The only difference is how they treat the kids and how well they teach. PLd instructors make sense because you know what you are getting.

[BRASSO]

Hiring an old instructor only makes sense if he knows what he is doing . In most cases . They do.

old or new makes no difference.

Given a choice of hiring an instructor that is 35, relatively inexperienced, but expertly qualified, or an instructor that is 55, experienced, and similarly expertly qualified, all else being equal, I'd go with the latter. If the judges are 55 and over, go with an instructor that is 55 and older. If my hire doesn't need a name tag pinned to his shirt when all the judges, staffers get together for off season convention smooze over brie and wine, this is a GOOD thing in my view. But if a few others here on DCP think its not all that important for the judges to know you all that well if they run into you on the hotel elevators one might share from floor to floor, then thats fine too.

Sometimes it seems to me that a few posters here on DCP forget however ( or were not aware ) that when George Zingalli was revolutionizing DCI Corps drill design in the 80's, he was only in his late 20's, early 30's... and that the DCI Visual and Guard judges that were evaluating his new and progressive designs in the 80's, in DCI competitions were in several cases, close to his age ( 30's ) as well. Zingalli absolutely benefitted back then that some of the judges were his age and receptive to his new designs. Had DCI utilized Visual and Guard judges in the 70's, 80's that were over 55 and in some cases 70 years old ( as they do now ), there is little doubt in my mind that a Visual and Guard judge born around 1900- 1910, 1920, back then would not have taken all that well by contrast to Zingalli's Visuals and use of Guard in DCI Corps in the late 70's to the mid 80's. Zingalli's age was simpatico with the Visual and Guard judges back then at the time however... they swam in the same young waters as he. They knew him.. and he them. Was this important ? You can bet your life, it was.. Thats what I know anyway.

Edited September 9, 2014 by BRASSO

[xandandl]

which is part of why I respect what the young team at Bluecoats did this year with their creative re-packaging that gave us Tilt.

[Jeff Ream]

Me. ( but from your angriness and profanity, not you )

DCI is with me as well in thinking that their current judging community is way long in the tooth now, despite their qualifications. Despite years of neglect in this area, DCI now appears to be making a new found attempt at least to bring in judges that are both qualified to be DCI judges while simultaneously NOT qualified to be dues paying members of the AARP. Are any of the new Judges in training retirees ? Guess again, if you think they are. So " age " might not matter to you, but it undeniably matters to DCI ( and me ) these days from the looks of it.

not angry at all. Any association should always be on the lookout for new talent. But you don't just pitch people out the door because they hit a certain number of calendar turns.