Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[JimF-LowBari]

7 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Fair question.  To ask it in more detail:

Is a 21-year-old MM with three years of college music ed training not an "adult" in that context?  Would that same 21-year-old be an "adult" if they were hired staff instead of a MM?  Could any "adult" present satisfy the liability concerns, and permit the section leader to run the sectional?

Thinking of the difference between anti abuse training a member gets and what an instructor gets. Person may be considered a member but if they are over seeing other members that leads into possible control issues over those members. Hope paid instructors are getting trained in dealing with this but doubt if members would be.

Edited December 17, 2022 by JimF-LowBari

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost
typo

[GUARDLING]

7 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

We're talking power differentials among immature, young adults here. Human bodies don't compete physical growth until approx 25 years, later for some, especially male bodied folks. Minimally the brain and the fusion of bones in the pelvis are incomplete for all MMs. They are immature in other ways too that affect their ability to lead without guidance. There are exceptions, and I don't want to limit the younger generations, but I don't trust the toxicity of the broader guard culture with leadership responsibilities.

I don't think the "adult" members that took on leadership roles when I marched were in any way competent to do so. They perpetuated and enabled harm just as much as staff. And never forget that guard members don't have the luxury of training in pedagogy for our form. All of our training is up to people who rarely, if ever, left drum corps. Many teach in k12 public education of season, but that's apples and oranges. Having your teaching methods challenged and dissected? That doesn't happen at any point in guard training. Results are what matter... if you get results you must be a good teacher.

I hope Gen z is better than we were.

I have hired and FIRED many staff over the years , young and old. I don't like to say one is better than the other. Results are important for sure BUT the way to results are just as important. For me I watch carefully how someone teaches, why they take the approach they do, and does it fit in with the culture desired, do they command respect, as well as give it, do they project and follow through with reassuring a member through style of teaching that they are on the students side no matter how hard they are on them. This isn't easy for young or old BUT the younger staff member also has the challenge of being close in age and easily can blur the lines of student and teacher. I can't even tell you the countless times I have had to come down hard on some very talented staff to STOP playing with the members and that  I hired a staff person to do a job I didn't hire another member. Of course I would get a response like" I can do what I want on my time" and that is true BUT then my response is well I can hire who I want and can do what I want on my time. Make a choice!🙂

Is the fair? maybe , maybe not BUT many of the issues we see today and those fine lines not to cross

In my experience, even in the multi forms of abuse you have expressed in the past I found over the years it comes up more often than any other scenario with leadership roles , member to member ( all of age ) young staff to member. 

I believe it takes a strong leader to watch just not in results which is very important BUT how results were achieved. 

[MarimbaManiac]

4 hours ago, Mello Dude said:

Go pull up the written or transcribed score.  If you are capable of reading music you should glean some comprehension of reality.  You do realize that you simply saying something doesn't make it right correct?  Mr. Ream do you even understand that the guy you are referencing even says they are playing unisons?  Do you know what that means?

These instruments are AMPLIFIED.  WHY would we keep the numbers from before and even add to it when it's completely un-needed for the complete ensemble as it pertains to the total music being played.  This flies in the face of music reality.  If this were the case then wouldn't it make sense for every musical ensemble in the world would need 6 marimbas?  It's a holdover from a by-gone era.  Dino's and people with fiscal and noted interest refuse to move on even when it makes complete monetary sense to start trimming.

**FWIW a typical 4 1/3 octave marimba is about 6 feet long and roughly 3 feet wide and like 36" tall and weighs what 150-200lbs or so.  That's a LOT of space. and weight.  This is approximate values not including bigger casters etc or if they use 5 octave ones.

You are 100% wrong, as MANY people with more direct knowledge than you do have been telling you. These five marimbas are clearly playing either completely separate lines, or harmonies within themselves. They are voiced completely differently, creating depth and texture to the parts. This isn't some conspiracy, it's what you can actually see, hear, and experience is happening. All of which is happening with orchestral appropriate technique that isn't killing the players or the instruments. 

The writing for the front ensemble is IN NO WAY SIMILAR to what it was before amplification. They took the same instrument numbers and gave them far more complex and individualistic parts that create a completely different experience. This isn't an opinion, it's objective fact, no matter how you choose to feel about it. 

4 hours ago, Mello Dude said:

**FWIW a typical 4 1/3 octave marimba is about 6 feet long and roughly 3 feet wide and like 36" tall and weighs what 150-200lbs or so.  That's a LOT of space. and weight.  This is approximate values not including bigger casters etc or if they use 5 octave ones.

...and yet, they all still fit on a semi with the rest of the brass and colorguard equipment. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by MarimbaManiac

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[Weaklefthand4ever]

4 minutes ago, MarimbaManiac said:

You are 100% wrong, as MANY people with more direct knowledge than you do have been telling you. These five marimbas are clearly playing either completely separate lines, or harmonies within themselves. They are voiced completely differently, creating depth and texture to the parts. This isn't some conspiracy, it's what you can actually see, hear, and experience is happening. All of which is happening with orchestral appropriate technique that isn't killing the players or the instruments. 

The writing for the front ensemble is IN NO WAY SIMILAR to what it was before amplification. They took the same instrument numbers and gave them far more complex and individualistic parts that create a completely different experience. This isn't an opinion, it's objective fact, no matter how you choose to feel about it. 

I have been absolutely STUNNED at the complexity of front ensemble work within drum corps. Coming from the mid/late 80's, it's amazing what is being played now by members. 

[MikeZ]

2 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Concerning the number of staff - once upon a time, each section of the corps had a member designated "section leader", who would take charge of rehearsal during sectionals or other times when there were not enough hired staff to cover every rehearsal block.  Now that so many marchers are music education majors, it seems surprising that we are not letting them apply their training in that same role.

Your dues are 5000.00, oh and make sure you run sectionals as well.

 

Z

[cixelsyd]

7 minutes ago, MikeZ said:

Your dues are 5000.00, oh and make sure you run sectionals as well.

Compared to loading the equipment truck (sorry, trucks), or field lining crew, is that really asking too much for an aspiring music educator?  They could actually get a tiny slice of relevant experience at the craft.

[MikeZ]

8 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Compared to loading the equipment truck (sorry, trucks), or field lining crew, is that really asking too much for an aspiring music educator?  They could actually get a tiny slice of relevant experience at the craft.

Your dues are 5000.00, oh and we are going to let the person standing next to you in the arc run sectionals.

 

Z

Edited December 17, 2022 by MikeZ

[scheherazadesghost]

9 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Compared to loading the equipment truck (sorry, trucks), or field lining crew, is that really asking too much for an aspiring music educator?  They could actually get a tiny slice of relevant experience at the craft.

Given the environment of abuse we've been eluding to, the industry is not equipped for this currently.

Maybe as a reward when they can get reports down to zero.