This saddens me greatly

[MikeRapp]

https://www.reddit.com/r/drumcorps/comments/4wgkvi/toxic_attitudes_in_drum_corps/

[jonwoody]

It is very sad. I guess that when things go well everyone is happy. When things go bad they go bad. I hope it does not discourage anyone not to be a part of something you will remember the rest of your life.

[MikeRapp]

It takes a real leader to take responsibility for bad attitudes, especially when you don't share them. This sounds more common than I would expect in drum corps, and I would hope that the heads of these organizations are proactive about seeking out leaders in their respective corps to get ahead of this, it is where true leaders are made.

If you are a marcher and you are reading this, and can relate to these sentiments, may I be so bold as to encourage you to be your own leader, and help your group see the good...or just be the good. It can be hard to understand how you can make a difference as a teenager in a drum corps with over 200 other sad sacks, but ultimately only you are responsible for you.

Choose to make the next week a powerful experience for yourself and a few around you...If you do, I promise you it will be a week you will remember for the rest of your life.

[JimF-LowBari]

Would be more interested to know what was causing the bad attitudes. If score/placement related how is staff and members handling it. If something else is staff aware and what are they trying to do about it. And anyone else notice the gripe in the comments halfway down?

[FTNK]

People (and DCI) are always talking about how amazing drum corps is and how it's a family and everyone is best friends. The reality is that drum corps is hard and annoying, and these things happen

[RedJazz1900]

If you put a microscope over every organization-- drum corps, academic organizations, NFL/professional sports, churches, government (ha!) you'll find inequalities and things that needs improving.

[2gatorsons1bacson]

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Edited August 8, 2016 by 2gatorsons1bacson

[JoeDz]

One bad apple CAN ruin the core.....and the corps......or at the core of one corps.......... the corpse.

[drumcorpsfever]

Sure, there are going to be times during the season when you feel like chucking it. A good environment will have folks there to help each other through those times. However, if it pervasive throughout the corps, it could be a reflection on the leadership. That's not a good sign. Evaluate your experience at season's end. Network with friends from other corps and get a feel for the culture of their corps. Could be a matter of the corps you're with, but keep in mind that environments can be pretty dynamic from year to year. But again, it's leadership. It starts at the top of the organization. A good group with have mechanisms in place to mitigate against this sort of thing. If you feel the organization doesn't do a good job of fostering a positive envirornment, get the heck out of it. It doesn't matter how great the corps is, if it's a crappy environment, leave.

[mcjordansc]

speaking for my son, he's having the time of his life! Loving every minute of it. His rookie year, he was homesick, but still love it (hence doing this activity three additional years). Have heard that some corps are pretty hard-core (corps--no pun intended) so this doesn't surprise me. It really sucks for this mm to have had such a bad experience.

I think it can be more difficult for some corps to not meet expectations than others. Executive leadership has a lot of influence over how kids respond when things get difficult on tour. I also take something written on an Internet message board with a grain of salt. It very possible this poster is having a bad year because the experience is not what he or she expected. Attitude will determine how other members treat you. Your son probably has a great attitude, plus he is marching with a corps that is at the top of their game. Put those two things together and yes, time of his life.