madscout96 Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 What about local band directors down south? I think they have to support the southern corps in order for them to climb the ladder. It's hard to get local talent if the local talent's band teachers don't have respect for the local corps. A southern bando will end up missing alot of summer band rehearsals if their in a drum corps. Will their director be OK with it knowing that they'll come back to marching band strong, in shape, thinking musically, more ready to play than almost anyone else? Or will the director have a "top 5 or bust" attitude? (or a top 12 or bust attitude, or a div. 1 or bust attitude, depending). Will he/she be just as supportive of a student who wants to march Magic or Revolution as a student who marches Cavaliers? If not, why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 (edited) What about local band directors down south? I think they have to support the southern corps in order for them to climb the ladder. That would be true of band directors in any region, not just the South. In the East and Midwest, drum corps has a much deeper history than here in the South. Drum corps didn't even get started down here until the 70s, and no corps was nationally prominent until Spirit broke into the top ranks in 1978. Compare that to the histories of the Cadets in the East or Madison in the Midwest. Great musicians tend to go where they will be assured success. Although this is not true of all potential members, I believe that a good number of the top players will cross regional lines when they believe their talents will be utilized to the highest degree in other corps in other places, and with a certain degree of competitive satisfaction to boot. So, instead of staying local to help boost the talent level of their regional corps, they migrate to regions with corps that have a history of competitive success. When Spirit was a top 4 corps, we still had members migrate to other corps, even though we had a top drum line and one of the most talked about brass lines in the country. However, it wasn't that many members that chose to do that. But, later in our history, after a string of 6th and 7th place finishes, when the corps began to slip down the ranks and especially after a couple of years of shows that were not your typical Spirit fare, the average age of the corps took a dive as many older and more experienced members decided to go elsewhere. Once things begin to head in a negative direction, it nearly takes an act of God to reverse it. Thank goodness that even after an inactive season and a few years of tough competition, Spirit has survived and has mended its wounds. We aren't top 6 again yet, and who knows if we ever will be...but I'm just dang proud that the baby blue is still on the field! Edited August 25, 2005 by ssorrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhsalan Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 (edited) There are a multitude of reasons, some too long and detailed to go into here having to do with historical perspectives of the various corps in the South over the years. As for band directors supporting Southern Corps, I would guess that the level of support is about the same as the rest of the nation. Some do, some don't, but the difference is in how it affects the band programs. Obviously some of the nations finest bands are from the South with Metro Atlanta, and several areas in Florida and Texas a hotbed of some of the finest competitive units in the BOA world. At the same time, southern schools are starting back BEFORE DCI FINALS is even over. I personally had to miss the majority of the end of the tour and was in school with children in classes the entire week before DCI Finals. There are multiple schools in our area that start a week or two weeks before we did. One former student of mine at Court of Honor was marching Spirit this summer. He missed two and a half weeks of school in order to finish the summer. Not many parents are willing to allow that, even if the BD's were. The band directors that must put these competitive programs together have to begin rehearsing in June and July in order to be ready to perform in early to mid August when our football seasons begin. In contrast, one of my brass techs this summer at Memphis is currently at band camp with Plymouth Canton this week, while I finish up my third week of school. It's one thing for the directors to have kids miss PART of their summer rehearsal schedule and get back in time to finish the summer and go to camp. It's entirely another to have a large chunk of your leadership students missing the entire summer rehearsal schedule and the first few weeks of school. Now as for college kids marching? That's a choice.... in our "instant gratification society" many of our teenagers have been taught to "get what they can while they can". Rather than going to the "local corps" and being a part of "building it up", many choose to look for their best opportunity to be on "top of the game". Is that the right or wrong choice; I"m not here to pass judgement, merely to offer that as an observation. When Spirit was founded, it was largely based on membership from Jacksonville State Univ (where it is now based) and two of the strongest band programs in the state of Georgia, corps director Freddy Martin's band and his brothers just up the road. With the financial backing of the Television station, the corps was able to attract some of the top instructional staff in the nation in those first years. The combination of money, talent and staff worked well. In 1980, the corps had lost it's sponsor, the staff talent pool began diluting due to various things and the talent pool of college age kids dried up as many aged out and others looked for what they saw as greener pastures with so many staff leaving. In the early 80's a new generation of mainly HS aged kids joined. We were fortunate that at that time, the corps director, Freddy Martin, was able to attract some of the best and brightest in instructional staff that were still at the beginning of their career. The staff that rebuilt the powerhouse corps of the 80's were largely in their 20's and truly worked for peanuts. Many of those names became legendary and some have and will no doubt end up in the Hall of Fame. Sal Salas, Mike Back, Freddy Martin, Brad Caraway, Scott Chandler, Tam Easterwood..... It was a special time and a special corps. The staff stuck around and the younger membership, having never had any other experience, stuck around through some rough times to enjoy the fruits of our labor in coming years. I see similiarities to what happened at Spirit in the eighties and what is happening at Crown now. The management structure at Crown is MUCH better now than how some very dedicated volunteers held the corps together at Spirit so long ago, but a young staff, training a young corps and the membership sticking around to build something special seems to be exactly what is occuring. I know Spirit itself is in discussion amongst their many supporters as to how to do the same thing in coming years. It would be great to see several southern corps solidly back among the top 12 mix with some in the top six annually. We'll see how it all pans out as Spirit and Crown both try to build on their success of 2005. Hope that gives you some insight you might not have had before. Later, AA Edited August 25, 2005 by nhsalan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dckid80 Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Part of the answer is in your original post. Precisely because bands are so strong in the South is one reason why there hasn't been a push to develop a strong independent music program like a drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Part of the answer is in your original post.Precisely because bands are so strong in the South is one reason why there hasn't been a push to develop a strong independent music program like a drum corps. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's totally bogus and quite offensive. What about Crown, Spirit, Memphis, and Magic to name a few? What are they if they are not independent music programs? However, in relation to your answer, it could be possible that kids that march in these highly successful bands do not have the desire to compete or participate in drum corps because they get their egos stroked by being a part of a competitive band. Even when Spirit was in the top 12 regularly and practiced within a few miles of Lassiter HS, who has won BOA at least a couple of times, we rarely ever had any members come from that band. Maybe they didn't need Spirit? Maybe they got all they needed from performing with Lassiter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^Michael^ Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 <snip> Even when Spirit was in the top 12 regularly and practiced within a few miles of Lassiter HS, who has won BOA at least a couple of times, we rarely ever had any members come from that band. Maybe they didn't need Spirit? Maybe they got all they needed from performing with Lassiter? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Alfred Watkins (Lassiter Director of Bands) doesn't allow band members to participate in drum corps. He thinks it interferes with the students scheduled commitments to his band program throughout the year (particularly summer rehearsals). :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 (edited) Alfred Watkins (Lassiter Director of Bands) doesn't allow band members to participate in drum corps. He thinks it interferes with the students scheduled commitments to his band program throughout the year (particularly summer rehearsals). :( <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am aware of that. However, why didn't some of those star players, whom you know had to be in a band of that caliber, come to march AFTER they graduated? That still proves my point. In fact, many of the band directors in Cobb County GA didn't allow their members to march, at least back when I was with Spirit. Edited August 25, 2005 by ssorrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dckid80 Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 I'm sorry if my post offended. Take breath and relax... My intent was to make exactly the point that you did in your second paragraph. As well, I feel the infrastructure that existed in the East and Midwest to support the acitvity has never really developed in the South for the very same reasons. I was only trying to point out how much more difficult it is for corps in the South to thrive given these factors. I have nothing but respect for all of the corps that you named. That's totally bogus and quite offensive. What about Crown, Spirit, Memphis, and Magic to name a few? What are they if they are not independent music programs?However, in relation to your answer, it could be possible that kids that march in these highly successful bands do not have the desire to compete or participate in drum corps because they get their egos stroked by being a part of a competitive band. Even when Spirit was in the top 12 regularly and practiced within a few miles of Lassiter HS, who has won BOA at least a couple of times, we rarely ever had any members come from that band. Maybe they didn't need Spirit? Maybe they got all they needed from performing with Lassiter? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubamann Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 (edited) Part of the answer is in your original post.Precisely because bands are so strong in the South is one reason why there hasn't been a push to develop a strong independent music program like a drum corps. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> don't be so sure.. There are some exceptional bands in the South..ie Cobb County's in GA..Lassiter, Pope, Kennesaw, or Fort Mill and Irmo in SC... BUT.. Beleive me when I say the majority of Bands in the South are quite average. As you get to the more rural areas, this is very true. SOA And CC both have a large portion of their memberships coming form their constituant/ local areas. They both take kids of average to moderate talent and make great things out of them. Edited August 25, 2005 by tubamann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorrell Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 I'm sorry if my post offended. Take breath and relax...I have nothing but respect for all of the corps that you named. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Okay, gotcha. but when you say things like "there hasn't been a push to develop a strong independent music program like a drum corps"...I didn't know how else to take it. No harm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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