Questions For Drum Corps Know-It-Alls

[exitmusic]

Is the drama visible on the finals recording?

There is one angle on the DVD where you can see him running either on to or off of the field. I can't remember which, but yes. It was a big deal at the time, and I always heard that the other basses weren't happy about it because they had spent significant rehearsal time learning new parts to cover his part.

[StuStu]

I can concur. Ive seen members removed for drug and alcohol incidents. Dropped off at the bus station or airport, and told good luck.

FWIW, this is a substantial change from 30 years ago. I'm not sure when drum corps cleaned up its act, but in the '80s there was partying all over the place.

[TroopAlum12]

FWIW, this is a substantial change from 30 years ago. I'm not sure when drum corps cleaned up its act, but in the '80s there was partying all over the place.

Oh there's still partying. Most of the busses are left solely to the members with no staff supervision during those long drives. It's usually when the drinking occurs during a free day or after a show in public and someone catches wind of an underaged member who was involved. Drugs are another issue, as most members these days aren't cool with hard drugs and will report those.

Edited August 18, 2016 by TroopAlum12

[C.Holland]

I've seen it happen and almost happen a few times. There was a more minor incident where the director allowed the members involved to continue the season as long as they agreed that any further infractions would result in an immediate termination from the corps. Another time an issue was discovered in the last week of the season and the members were allowed to march championships but then told they would not be welcomed back to the corps the next year.

Once I did see a member kicked out, but it was more for consistent behavioral issues that the member had zero intentions of fixing and led to constant yelling between said member and staff.

its a tough call. because if you're on a school site and the school finds anything... you've just ruined that relationship for your group, and everyone else.

[garfield]

its a tough call. because if you're on a school site and the school finds anything... you've just ruined that relationship for your group, and everyone else.

THANK YOU! This is SO true! As a TEP, I have to pay very close attention to the relationship between the custodians, coaches, and school officials and the corps because, generally, the first two of that group are not tickled about the invasion of band kids on their turf and practice time.

Any hint of bad behavior can easily blow up to include complaints, threats, and even banishment of corps from staying at that school again.

Oh, the stories I could tell...

This year, to my surprise and relief, as I was leaving a school after greeting the arriving corps in the middle of the night, I found three MM's and one staff member standing across from the school having a smoke. It was obvious that the corps admins had reinforced the "not on school property" rule.

[C.Holland]

I think we're seeing a trend in the last many years of schools finding ways to keep their facilities busy so that they can't rent them out. "summer maintenance" But also gone are the days of getting a school for free. If you have a school that gives you facilities for free, send them an edible arrangement every month. or every week. its a rarity.

Some schools will never allow a drum corps or any other outside group use their facilities as someone along the way wrecked a bathroom, or left the gym a mess, or got caught stealing from the vending machines, found a couple doing coupley activities, or yes... found beer cans and paper roaches in their trash cans, or even, someone slept in the gym, left doors unlocked and someone else got in and stole or trashed something. I remember one school who had a "no rolling bags" policy. As rolling bags scuffed up their floors. So we carried everything. (guard people weren't happy about that)

Heck some schools used as show sites years ago will no longer allow shows to be hosted thanks to corps not following directions of putting their trash into the dumpsters at the end of the parking lot, and instead, left it in a large pile in the middle of the lot. Yes, that was unfortunately common practice years ago.

I can't imagine seeing a school bring in dogs and have them sniff bags. I'm not a school admin, but if I smelled something or saw beer cans in the trash... you'd be packing your stuff.

Hence many corps have zero tolerance for the good of themselves, DCI, and summer activities in general.

[xandandl]

I think we're seeing a trend in the last many years of schools finding ways to keep their facilities busy so that they can't rent them out. "summer maintenance" But also gone are the days of getting a school for free. If you have a school that gives you facilities for free, send them an edible arrangement every month. or every week. its a rarity.

Some schools will never allow a drum corps or any other outside group use their facilities as someone along the way wrecked a bathroom, or left the gym a mess, or got caught stealing from the vending machines, found a couple doing coupley activities, or yes... found beer cans and paper roaches in their trash cans, or even, someone slept in the gym, left doors unlocked and someone else got in and stole or trashed something. I remember one school who had a "no rolling bags" policy. As rolling bags scuffed up their floors. So we carried everything. (guard people weren't happy about that)

Heck some schools used as show sites years ago will no longer allow shows to be hosted thanks to corps not following directions of putting their trash into the dumpsters at the end of the parking lot, and instead, left it in a large pile in the middle of the lot. Yes, that was unfortunately common practice years ago.

I can't imagine seeing a school bring in dogs and have them sniff bags. I'm not a school admin, but if I smelled something or saw beer cans in the trash... you'd be packing your stuff.

Hence many corps have zero tolerance for the good of themselves, DCI, and summer activities in general.

I'll admit to having taken major steps in the late '70's to clean up a corps where I had major affiliations for many years by arranging with the local PD for a practice run of their sniffing dogs at the last rehearsal before the corps members boarded the buses to begin tour. The MMs were instructed to leave their bags and things outside the buses and go off to practice. The PD came in and sniffed about. The suspect bags, still unopened, were tagged with a red sticker and the police left.

When the MMs returned to the buses, it was announced that the police had been there and so tagged MMs had twenty minutes to get rid of whatever the bags wrongly held. I and admin. left the student leaders in charge and I drove out of the lot in my own car.

Nothing more was said but I hear that the pile of pornography that was dumped in the trash was sizeable. Also several faculty had red tags which became quite the joke source for a well-enjoyed tour. Only once later was there a problem that season as the State police pulled the corps buses to the side of the road due to members toking joints out the rear windows. One member was sent home for dealing.

I understand that there are still several World Class corps who use similar pre-tour tactics, one even with cell phones.

Edited August 18, 2016 by xandandl

[PamahoNow]

I'll admit to having taken major steps to clean up a corps where I had major affiliations for many years by arranging with the local PD for a practice run of their sniffing dogs at the last rehearsal before the corps members boarded the buses to begin tour. The MMs were instructed to leave their bags and things outside the buses and go off to practice. The PD came in and sniffed about. The suspect bags, still unopened, were tagged with a red sticker and the police left.

When the MMs returned to the buses, it was announced that the police had been there and so tagged MMs had twenty minutes to get rid of whatever the bags wrongly held. I and admin. left the student leaders in charge and I drove out of the lot in my own car.

Nothing more was said but I hear that the pile of pornography that was dumped in the trash was sizeable. Also several faculty had red tags which became quite the joke source for a well-enjoyed tour. Only once later was there a problem that season as the State police pulled the corps buses to the side of the road due to members toking joints out the rear windows. One member was sent home for dealing.

I understand that there are still several World Class corps who use similar pre-tour tactics, one even with cell phones.

They have dogs that can sniff out pornography?

[C.Holland]

wow.

[xandandl]

They have dogs that can sniff out pornography?

Ha, ha.

I guess old Irish guilt has its effect.

Edited August 18, 2016 by xandandl