Bluecoats 2023 Diversity & Socioeconomic Impact Report

[cixelsyd]

18 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

I don't think the changes were done in some mean-spirited kind of way to exclude kids, minorities, and those who were less fortunate.

Agreed. 

I would go further.  I am surprised no one (especially Bluecoats themselves) have not raised this observation.  Compare the data they have gathered on their auditionees (1126 in-person, plus 217 virtual) with the 165 selected for membership.  There are no demographic differences in who makes the cut.  None.  Not even socioeconomic status.

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For many who do not have good local band programs -- or none at all, and who live in communities where these opportunities are limited or do not exist -- why would they bother auditioning for a corps that is looking for talented college kids? Consider that many of these shows are complicated and filled with music that requires the sensibilities and desire to learn complicated repertoire of this nature (Classical, Romantic, Contemporary, Jazz, New Age and on and on) that one gets from a good music education. 

This raises another thought.

From reading this thread, it appears that we are all in consensus regarding inclusivity.  We want to know that everyone is welcome to participate, and if we could, we would make sure everyone had the opportunity.  But "inclusivity" (opportunities) is different from "inclusion" (outcomes).  And the outcomes, as you point out, could reflect who are interested (or disinterested) in participating in the first place.  

Use of the term "inclusion" instead of "inclusivity", along with the use of terms like "underrepresented" and "underserved", create the implication that demographics of your organization should match those of the general population.  Inherent in that is a grand uninvestigated presumption that people of all races, ethnicities, genders, identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and so on, have equal innate interest in doing what DCI drum corps do now.  I would not make that assumption.

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It's nice to know that many of these organizations are taking a serious look at what their purpose should be. It's going to take money, but more local involvement in the community and more inclusion and diversity can only be seen as a positive for music/visual arts education and for drum corps. 

Those last four words, though, might not pan out.  It seems that modern drum corps non-profits interested in serving less affluent youth are doing that by developing separate program offerings that are not drum corps (and therefore, are not as inaccessibly expensive).

[Mello Dude]

58 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Those last four words, though, might not pan out.  It seems that modern drum corps non-profits interested in serving less affluent youth are doing that by developing separate program offerings that are not drum corps (and therefore, are not as inaccessibly expensive).

So separate and not equal?  Seems kind of a backwards step.  Anyhow, I just hope Bloo gets a better costume/uniform designer this year.

[Terri Schehr]

1 hour ago, Mello Dude said:

So separate and not equal?  Seems kind of a backwards step.  

Distressing but probably realistic. 

[JimF-LowBari]

3 hours ago, Terri Schehr said:

I marched with people who couldn’t read a note of music as currently as 2003.  When we’d get a change, the mellophones would gather around me and I’d play it for them three or four times.  They were quick learners, though. I’m a slave to the page of music but they weren’t.   I did teach one of my fellow members how to read though because I got tired of seeing fingerings all over the  page.  He could read after the season and proudly showed me his practically pristine music in 2004. 

Interesting thanks. I was a trombone player who could read music but…. What’s a fingering? 🤔 My first year was a rush job as we reformed and started late. So I still had fingerings marked my second year. Of course the markings were 0, 1, 2 and X (both). 😆

[KVG_DC]

Heh. My dad was recruited to an AL corps the summer of 56  while in high school precisely because he was the only one in the battery that could read the sheet music. 

[scheherazadesghost]

I've never been seduced by the notion of ubermensches filling the ranks for drum corps to aid in higher competitive rankings. By this I mean, only accepting the "best of the best" (again, who defines "best" and is the group that defines "the best" diverse? does it include women? does it include gender diverse peoples? people of the global majority? No? then I fundamentally can't agree to their definition of "best.") That's because I believe "best" stems from the hard emotional and intellectual labor of collaboration across difference and the unique kind of growth that comes with it.

The turn away from this being an educational activity to an almost wholly-competitive one is lamentable. The very educational process that Terri described earlier has been so incredibly valuable and influential for so many people. It was for me.

The two years I marched wouldn't have been possible if only ubermensches, or young people who require little-to-no training or education, had been allowed in SCV. I find the notion blah. Boring. Who cares? I was never that anyway. I was fallible but eager to learn, and I picked up the most difficult piece equipment in colorguard my second year, that I'd never spun before, and made it sing. If, as a former VMAPA CEO put it, this activity truly is "not for the faint of heart" also, then what's the point? Where is the learning? Where is the growth? And not just for those who are lesser-skilled... but those who stand to learn that working with those lesser-skilled folks is potentially more valuable than a "perfectly trained" set of recruits. Is the activity truly only for those who soared through high school band experiences as big fish in their tiny ponds? To oversimplify a bit, doesn't Cool Runnings ring a bell? LOL

Ubermensches don't lead to growth in the activity... they exacerbate its already incestuous nature.

[Terri Schehr]

50 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Interesting thanks. I was a trombone player who could read music but…. What’s a fingering? 🤔 My first year was a rush job as we reformed and started late. So I still had fingerings marked my second year. Of course the markings were 0, 1, 2 and X (both). 😆

I just figured out valve one/rotor two.  There was no three for me until 2000.

I played French horn in band.  He wasn’t a trombone player. 

Edited March 21 by Terri Schehr

[keystone3ply]

5 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Interesting thanks. I was a trombone player who could read music but…. What’s a fingering? 🤔 My first year was a rush job as we reformed and started late. So I still had fingerings marked my second year. Of course the markings were 0, 1, 2 and X (both). 😆

 

4 hours ago, Terri Schehr said:

I just figured out valve one/rotor two.  There was no three for me until 2000.

I played French horn in band.  He wasn’t a trombone player. 

Speaking of valves & fingerings, we had a HS director of a HBCU style band in our district that one of his tuba students asked about fingering a certain note.  He told them, "don't worry about those valves; those are for the college kids. Just lip it".

Not sure how true, but it made for a great story at our district meeting. 😂

Sidenote @Terri Schehr - Illinois will have their hands full with Moorehead State. We had a former student play there a few years back. Should be a 'barn-burner'.   

Edit: the Moorehead train derailed with about 5 minutes left. 😁

   

Edited March 21 by keystone3ply
cx

[HockeyDad]

3 hours ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I've never been seduced by the notion of ubermensches filling the ranks for drum corps to aid in higher competitive rankings. By this I mean, only accepting the "best of the best" (again, who defines "best" and is the group that defines "the best" diverse? does it include women? does it include gender diverse peoples? people of the global majority? No? then I fundamentally can't agree to their definition of "best.") That's because I believe "best" stems from the hard emotional and intellectual labor of collaboration across difference and the unique kind of growth that comes with it.

The turn away from this being an educational activity to an almost wholly-competitive one is lamentable. The very educational process that Terri described earlier has been so incredibly valuable and influential for so many people. It was for me.

The two years I marched wouldn't have been possible if only ubermensches, or young people who require little-to-no training or education, had been allowed in SCV. I find the notion blah. Boring. Who cares? I was never that anyway. I was fallible but eager to learn, and I picked up the most difficult piece equipment in colorguard my second year, that I'd never spun before, and made it sing. If, as a former VMAPA CEO put it, this activity truly is "not for the faint of heart" also, then what's the point? Where is the learning? Where is the growth? And not just for those who are lesser-skilled... but those who stand to learn that working with those lesser-skilled folks is potentially more valuable than a "perfectly trained" set of recruits. Is the activity truly only for those who soared through high school band experiences as big fish in their tiny ponds? To oversimplify a bit, doesn't Cool Runnings ring a bell? LOL

Ubermensches don't lead to growth in the activity... they exacerbate its already incestuous nature.

You always make me think. Like, how do you know all these big words?  🙂.  Ok, my actual point is that your words - ‘what’s the point’ - really ring true to me.   I’m not sure the leaders in this activity really know what the point is. Is it to get the highest score come heck or high water so find the kids who can hit the high notes?  Is it developing and educating?  Is it pure love of the art?  What is the point?  Do whatever it takes to pay the bills for one more year and worry about next year later?  Work together as a group of corps to drive costs down to ensure long term survival?  Haha just kidding on that last one, that’s obviously not the point. But without a clearly articulated idea among these leaders about what they are trying to accomplish, something with more depth than “marching music’s major league” (cute but useless), I am pretty skeptical about the long term prospects of this little activity. 

[scheherazadesghost]

1 hour ago, HockeyDad said:

You always make me think. Like, how do you know all these big words?  🙂.

lul, sometimes I like books, reports, studies and articles more than people, admittedly. 🤓

1 hour ago, HockeyDad said:

Ok, my actual point is that your words - ‘what’s the point’ - really ring true to me.   I’m not sure the leaders in this activity really know what the point is. Is it to get the highest score come heck or high water so find the kids who can hit the high notes?  Is it developing and educating?  Is it pure love of the art?  What is the point?  Do whatever it takes to pay the bills for one more year and worry about next year later?  Work together as a group of corps to drive costs down to ensure long term survival?  Haha just kidding on that last one, that’s obviously not the point. But without a clearly articulated idea among these leaders about what they are trying to accomplish, something with more depth than “marching music’s major league” (cute but useless), I am pretty skeptical about the long term prospects of this little activity. 

So, there's DCI's strategic plan. And it states the mothership's goals pretty clearly. However, it's from 2017-2018 (and therefore, pre-pandemic) so it's out of date. But hey, coolio, there are timelines attached to their goals. that's crucial. Also, a yearly report made public would be helpful in describing how they think they did in meeting their goals. Perhaps that's out there somewhere but I couldn't easily find it. Is that what they do at Jannuals? That stuff should be more public if so.

An example of a crucial goal would be the Mission Statement: "To bring the life-changing benefits and enjoyment of marching music performing arts to more people worldwide. We do this by creating a stage for participating organizations to engage in education, competition, entertainment and the promotion of individual growth."

Education is listed as the first dang method for achieving their mission. That's probably intentional. Are their member participants aware of that? I'm not so sure anymore, given the adjustments to many of their own missions to eliminate education altogether. Concerning.

Anyway, the strategic plan, mission, vision, and values statements are all present and accounted for. But there are key concerns there for me. Specifically, how are they holding themselves accountable for these statements and goals? It's like trying to follow a map but never looking up to see if you found water... or simply telling your traveling party you found water when you haven't... or having found it but not sharing it. It's shallow. If there are annual reports I'm missing, then by all means, I'll give them a read and respond.

If this is the case with the mothership, that they aren't holding themselves accountable for goals, then all the little member boats will follow suit.

Now we could dive into their "In Step" DEI programming, but that seems a bit embryonic as well, so I'm reluctant to go full hog on dissecting it. I want it to succeed, and have criticisms, but that's for a later time. It looks to me like my concerns are rooted further down in the clarity of their mission/vision/values.