High School Band Directors and Drum Corps

[Hook'emCavies]

29 minutes ago, mingusmonk said:

My Indiana band director used to load up kids to take to drum corps shows. His son marched drum corps. We were also ISSMA contenders (different lass than you). We didn't do BOA. People marched Regiment, Cavaliers. Star, Glassmen, Bluecoats, Crossmen. But nobody would have dared march drum corps will *in* his high school program. I marched in high school with 20+ people that marched drum corps AFTER graduating. I once drove with a friend from Indiana, overnight. Friday night into Saturday morning, straight to Baltimore for a spring drum corps camp. We were 17 years old and it was just to 2 of us. He would have given us F's if we missed his band concert. 

 

Then again, his son became a regular ISSMA state championship band director elsewhere. And when I worked for him, he allowed students march drum corps. No problem.

 

 

I think it depends on the director. Come to think of it, a buddy of mine had a teacher that did nothing but talk smack about DCI/marching community. Sadly, this director gave him false information. Shoot, my first private lesson instructor refused to march. She didn't discourage me, but she did tell me she didn't care for marching.

[year1buick]

On 2/13/2023 at 1:07 PM, Hook'emCavies said:

Well, I can say I was discouraged at the college level. Then again the director of bands, at the time, was not the greatest in terms of aiding/shaping young minds. One too many stories about that guy.... so, I would say a reasonable teacher would encourage students to march.

Same here. I was told, flat out, by a college director that he didn’t much care for drum corps marchers. (This was told to me before I went on tour, when I went to his office as a soon-to-be freshman, and asked if it would help if I practiced the Fall show music before I left.) This was back in the early 90’s, in East Texas. (This person is very highly regarded in the Texas music education scene and eventually moved on to teach in Houston. I believe he has since retired.) It was definitely disappointing to hear as, up until that point, I’d held him in very high regard. But it’s ancient history now.

[Hook'emCavies]

1 hour ago, year1buick said:

Same here. I was told, flat out, by a college director that he didn’t much care for drum corps marchers. (This was told to me before I went on tour, when I went to his office as a soon-to-be freshman, and asked if it would help if I practiced the Fall show music before I left.) This was back in the early 90’s, in East Texas. (This person is very highly regarded in the Texas music education scene and eventually moved on to teach in Houston. I believe he has since retired.) It was definitely disappointing to hear as, up until that point, I’d held him in very high regard. But it’s ancient history now.

Huh, I'm from east Texas. Went to Klein Forest. I wouldn't be surprised if I knew this guy.

[Jeff Ream]

12 hours ago, PopcornEater1963 said:

I think this is where I'm at...case by case. Kid by kid. That said...the corps I will be working with is in an area that has an embarrassment of talent available...directed by high school directors that in large part have a zero tolerance policy on highschoolers marching. It's school by school...but most have that policy. One of my initial goals is to approach directors with an honest look at the "risk/reward" of a kid participating. I think most are focusing on the risk...without seriously pondering the reward. I don't want to poo-poo the risk. We've all heard the horror stories of the kid that comes back and ends up being a pain in the ### to everyone ( his classmates, directors, other band leaders, etc.). I just don't think the "other side" gets enough promotion. The kid that comes back and can effectively be a "player coach" in assistance to his director. 

If I were a director ( I'm not...so it's easy to say)...I'd let kids APPLY to march DCI...and upon acceptance sign an agreement with the HS director of what is and is NOT expected of said kid when they return to the high school program. 

i hear what you're saying. my HS band didn't compete until exactly the day after i graduated when a new director came in. previous guy wasn't a fan, but he had staff with drum corps ties. People i actually knew from being around drum corps. Cool thing was they knew me and relied on me to be their helper. I think honestly his dislike actually drove me to want to do it more.

[Bruckner8]

I first saw DCI Finals on Public Television during PBS' fund-raising drive, in fall of 1978. I was a freshman in high school, and I immediately talked to my band director about it at the next opportunity. He listed all of the reasons why drum corps sucks, and I would hate it:

1) Play the same music all summer
2) Sleep on gym floors
3) Ride a bus all summer
4) "The two corps close to us kinda suck" (He didn't really say it that way, but that was the message)

That was the end of it. I made sure to watch the same show in 1979, still in awe. I never gave it another thought.

Then The Universe intervened, and I "somehow" ended up with SCV in 1984 at age 20. (Long story not pertinent to thread.)

What my band director forgot to say was, "yeah, although all of that is true, IT'S A MASSIVE PART OF THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE." He didn't hate drum corps, per se, he was just ignorant. I missed band camp for other reasons anyway (I was on the football team, or went to summer music activities), so that wasn't really a factor. He was ignorant. I bet most fall into this category.

[JimF-LowBari]

Had a local director say playing the corps horns would wreck the players embrouchre. Irony/stupidity was he worked at a city school that barely had a band.

Edited February 15, 2023 by JimF-LowBari

[Orwellian Wiress]

No one had done DCI in my year. Band director showed us Downside Up, which was a pretty life-changing experience. I can't recall him talking about drum corps beyond that. A senior said she wanted to be in BD but we never kept in touch so idk if she  did.

[Lead]

Wow. So many responses from non-band directors when the OP asked for responses from band directors.

Decently long-time Indiana band director here. ISSMA State Finalist. 

I encourage the heck out of kids who want to audition for a drum corps. Have had nothing but positive results of kids coming back and being eager to help and bring everyone up to a higher level around them. When a kid asks if they should audition, i encourage them and tell them to take a car load of friends with them. 

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 12, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[inbetween]

I've encouraged and discouraged kids when it comes to drum corps. A lot depends on the kid, and the corps they are interested in marching. I have absolutely discouraged kids from marching certain corps. But if I have a student that is 100 percent set on marching, I have no problem sitting down with them and finding the corps that will be the right match for them.