CrownLeadSop Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Not sure where I said otherwise. But the universal solvent can make things slide oh so much easier, You're deflecting (coincidental, if you're fully aware of the situation) - you mentioned that it's a study in "can your drum corps buy you success" and I think the choices had a lot less to do with the money. Those other factors will have a much bigger impact on BAC's success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabMaster Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 This makes me think the Boston Crusader organization is still not happy with the G7 idea and wants to show that they plan on improving without the click.I wasn't referring to G7. Just what I have sensed and seen over many many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabMaster Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 And the BD were to repay the charges over the course of the season.And wasn't Jet Blue a sponsor for the whole BD coming out to participate in the Gillettecshow and Pops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabMaster Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 I beg to differ with this notion. The Blue Devils initially got a number of their instructors from the Santa Clara Vanguard, including Wayne Downey. They picked up Todd Ryan after Star of Indiana left the activity (a huge piece in their modern success). Santa Clara grabbed some of Bluecoats brass staff, Phantom's drum staff, and Phantom's music arranger not that long ago. Star of Indiana grabbed George Zingali, Thom Hannum, Jim Prime, Jr from Garfield. Garfield Cadets grabbed Zingali from 27th Lancers. Every corps out there has offered contracts, or at least showed interest, in staff that were with other corps. It's not poaching, as someone else wrote, when those instructors might be in the last year of their contracts. If the executive director isn't able to shore up a new contract with said instructor/designer before the Sunday after Finals, then that person is a free agent. Simple. At that point they can talk to who they wish and sign with who offers the best deal for them. These instructors and designers are not on multi-year revolving contracts. At some point they come to an end. It's not easy to keep a great teacher or designer locked into a long-term deal. Eventually they will let their contract expire to see what negotiations bring, or to see what else is out there. The designer and caption head life on the road and in the process of developing a show is not an easy life. It's filled with a lot of travel, a ton of work, trial and error, plenty of arguments and opinions, and often times paychecks that are not nearly as big as some think. It's only natural that after so many years with one group that a designer/instructor might feel exhausted from the process and the long work hours. We can say things like "our staff is homegrown," but that is misleading. The Blue Devils can do it more than others because they have more full-time positions and can bring people into the fold and work with them until they are ready. For most drum corps out there the staff, designers, and teachers on their payroll have likely worked with many other units. Some work with multiple units on any given year. Klesch and Bocook have often written brass books for multiple corps. I think this idea that people have been poached, stolen, or that some sort of evil process has taken place needs to stop. Simply put, this was likely a year where a number of highly-touted staff came to the end of their run with some great corps. Perhaps they all spoke with each other over the course of the tour (I'm sure they all know each other) and decided it was time for a new challenge. Who knows. Good for Boston! I am elated for them. They did nothing wrong. They hired some fabulous designers and teachers who had become free agents. That's what you're supposed to do if you have the cash. Just to tag on briefly; Jay Murphy came to BD from Boston. As did Tony Smith and TJ Doucette. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 (edited) Looks like I stepped on somebody's toe. If you did,' didn't notice & no big deal... I won't step on Superman's cape. Edited August 20, 2016 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 I beg to differ with this notion. The Blue Devils initially got a number of their instructors from the Santa Clara Vanguard, including Wayne Downey. They picked up Todd Ryan after Star of Indiana left the activity (a huge piece in their modern success). Santa Clara grabbed some of Bluecoats brass staff, Phantom's drum staff, and Phantom's music arranger not that long ago. Star of Indiana grabbed George Zingali, Thom Hannum, Jim Prime, Jr from Garfield. Garfield Cadets grabbed Zingali from 27th Lancers. Every corps out there has offered contracts, or at least showed interest, in staff that were with other corps. It's not poaching, as someone else wrote, when those instructors might be in the last year of their contracts. If the executive director isn't able to shore up a new contract with said instructor/designer before the Sunday after Finals, then that person is a free agent. Simple. At that point they can talk to who they wish and sign with who offers the best deal for them. These instructors and designers are not on multi-year revolving contracts. At some point they come to an end. It's not easy to keep a great teacher or designer locked into a long-term deal. Eventually they will let their contract expire to see what negotiations bring, or to see what else is out there. The designer and caption head life on the road and in the process of developing a show is not an easy life. It's filled with a lot of travel, a ton of work, trial and error, plenty of arguments and opinions, and often times paychecks that are not nearly as big as some think. It's only natural that after so many years with one group that a designer/instructor might feel exhausted from the process and the long work hours. We can say things like "our staff is homegrown," but that is misleading. The Blue Devils can do it more than others because they have more full-time positions and can bring people into the fold and work with them until they are ready. For most drum corps out there the staff, designers, and teachers on their payroll have likely worked with many other units. Some work with multiple units on any given year. Klesch and Bocook have often written brass books for multiple corps. I think this idea that people have been poached, stolen, or that some sort of evil process has taken place needs to stop. Simply put, this was likely a year where a number of highly-touted staff came to the end of their run with some great corps. Perhaps they all spoke with each other over the course of the tour (I'm sure they all know each other) and decided it was time for a new challenge. Who knows. Good for Boston! I am elated for them. They did nothing wrong. They hired some fabulous designers and teachers who had become free agents. That's what you're supposed to do if you have the cash. Amen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigwam Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 And wasn't Jet Blue a sponsor for the whole BD coming out to participate in the Gillettecshow and Pops? The BD chartered a Jetblue plane, but Jetblue did not sponsor them in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craiga Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 People who have been around the activity for a long time, like jwillis35 (and me..lol) know full well that staff leaving to go elsewhere is nothing new. I think that what makes this staff change so high profile is not just the stature of the folks involved, but the corps they are coming from and the corps they are going to. There has been lots of talk about the $$. I am not privvy to the financial arrangements, but I would be willing to bet the farm that while $$ is a part of the equation, there just might have been some prospect for personal or individual challenge which these folks liked the idea of. Once you get a ring with a corps, the best you can ever do is to repeat that. If, however, you are part of a team which takes a corps to a whole new level, there might well be great satisfaction in that for some people. My prediction for 2017: Boston will place somewhere in the top 12 for the 19th consecutive year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 (edited) Just posted on the Crusaders' Facebook page....... We're ecstatic to bring together and welcome: Michael Townsend (Production & Color Guard Designer), Keith Potter (Artistic Director), Leon May (Visual Design & Drill Writing), Gino Cipriani (Director of Music & Brass), Colin McNutt (Director of Percussion, Music Design), Ryan George (Composer, Arranger, Music Design) and they annexed the city of Concord, California too!!! (Actually, Justin, now CEO of BD, took a year or two in Boston's front office between stints at Cadets. There must be something in the water there.) Edited August 20, 2016 by xandandl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candl Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 (edited) Only took Blue Devils three years to go from 24th to first in a crowded era. Just sayin'... It was extremely unusual for a kid to corps hop back then. That created the parity required for big swings in placement. Not now. E.g., How quickly will, say, The Academy rise when its championship-caliber mms always leave to shipwreck styrofoam coolers? A: at a crawl. Edited August 20, 2016 by candl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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