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Staff Merry-Go-Round 2019


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2 hours ago, crownisking said:

Are the new Crown staff additions that meh to have generated virtually no discussion? Or have they just mastered the art of sneaking in an announcement when no one is looking? Because I would love to read some opinions from people more knowledgeable than I.

The new batch at Crown is terrific 

outstanding IMO 

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On ‎10‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 2:21 PM, Ghost said:

Hopefully Horn Teacher will read this thread and add his thoughts since he's been teaching music coming on 25 years.  Even as a brass guy, he's taught and had percussion sections succeed and win awards.

First, it's been 38 years.  But I appreciate the belief on your part that my youthful appearance belies, to a huge degree, my actual Neanderthalistic state of being.  Second, since I have never been involved in Drum and Bugle Corps other than for a couple of years in a street marching organization (the Dunkirk NY Patriots, who WERE a field unit back in the 1970's, I believe), I hardly think it's my place to comment upon staffing of contemporary FIELD D&BC.  ESPECIALLY at the highest levels as it now exists.  But I thank you for your trust in my viewpoint.  I am greatly appreciative of your confidence in me.  As to your assertion regarding the percussion successes...that has everything to do with the quality of kids I've had the honor and privilege to teach, and far less to do with any innate ability which I may have possessed.  In other words, they very well may have been successful in spite of me, rather than due to me (since they were a small-school street unit across several years, and had to endure a stupid trumpet player as their "teacher."  They were small lines...usually 4 snares, 4 basses, 2-3 Tri players, a couple of cymbal players, and at most 2 marching melodic.  As I said...small line.).

Now, having said all that, if you desire my personal point of view on staffing, then I'll try to give you that much.  In general, we often think of "a staff" as a collective.  Many see it as being a situation where whoever has the greatest number of "all-star" staff members will yield the most successful of results.  But I don't agree with this point of view.  I've seen many an "all-star" staff which has ultimately crashed and burned because, among other things, the various staff members (maybe because of inflexibility or ego) haven't been able to function as a cohesive unit.  Alternatively, I have seen groups being led by staffs who were relative unknowns...yet have enjoyed tremendous success due to the fact that they functioned cohesively and uniformly supportive to a very high level.  Maybe a situation of "greater than the sum of its' parts."  What is important is that each staff member knows his and/or her place in the organization, and fully trusts that each of the other staff members trusts all the others to be and act in the same manner.  For the "collective good," I guess (how TERRIBLY COMMUNISTIC of me, I know!!).

Sorry for the mini-lecture.  Just my take on things...

Edited by HornTeacher
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5 hours ago, crownisking said:

Are the new Crown staff additions that meh to have generated virtually no discussion? Or have they just mastered the art of sneaking in an announcement when no one is looking? Because I would love to read some opinions from people more knowledgeable than I.

Visual staff is a LOT younger and have good pedigree.  Should be a good pick up for Crown (who were lagging in the visual component).  Not much on guard staff changes other than the John Escalante taking over the caption.  Presumably this means Joey is out.   

IMHO both captions needed to be addressed so good on Crown making changes in the right spots to get better.  Guard change should definitely push things in the right direction.  Much as everyone loved Joey, the guard was not coming out of ST at their normal level of cleanliness and progress over the season seemed slower as well.  Much as I love what Ron's staff brought to Crown,  several of those guys had already left Crown and (IMHO) Ron was never around enough.  

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12 hours ago, George Dixon said:

The new batch at Crown is terrific 

outstanding IMO 

Now they just need a program that doesn’t suck.

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49 minutes ago, Sideways said:

Now they just need a program that doesn’t suck.

The western show was good until they Disney’d the ending. What a downer

i think they’ll put a great show out in 2019 - that organization usually doesn’t missfire 

Edited by George Dixon
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Relentless was great up to that ending and even parts of 2017 were good but the rest...you know where I’m going.  This year was just silly...BD and Crown were saved this year because of the talent level of their membership and not design.

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7 minutes ago, Sideways said:

Now they just need a program that doesn’t suck.

The last two shows have been on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. "It Is" was too deep and left me very confused, while "Beast" I felt was too one-dimensional and I got tired of the concept quickly. I hope the design team strikes a good balance between the two sides next year.

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5 minutes ago, Sideways said:

Relentless was great up to that ending and even parts of 2017 were good but the rest...you know where I’m going.  This year was just silly...BD and Crown were saved this year because of the talent level of their membership and not design.

I thought BD design was potentially interesting, but fell short of their prior year which had almost the same arc

Crowns show, I agree with your comment. Members deserve all the credit 

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8 minutes ago, Cadevilina Crown said:

The last two shows have been on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. "It Is" was too deep and left me very confused, while "Beast" I felt was too one-dimensional and I got tired of the concept quickly. I hope the design team strikes a good balance between the two sides next year.

That and 1991 Phantom called and wants their fabric back...

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11 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

I thought BD design was potentially interesting, but fell short of their prior year which had almost the same arc

Crowns show, I agree with your comment. Members deserve all the credit 

Natural woman had potential but felt derivative and forced after Everything Must Change.  I understand that every year is supposed to be judged independently but when you have that impression of the ballad and they also play Laura and bring back the mosaic theme from 1930...you get the feeling the design was mailed in.  Loved the Harlem Nocturne section though...but I cannot forgive hearing brass performance issues on finals week...this is freaking BD!!

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