School Sponsored Programs

[PCOP_trumpet04]

We've talked about the affect that school schedules is having on DCI and how it may become a problem in the coming years. We all know that MANY schools have world class competing units in WGI and that their popularity only seems to be growing. Do you think that school sponsored corps are a viable means of saving our activity (for those that think it needs to be saved)? With the recent addition of Hawthorne Gold to the drum corps world, do you think this could be a good sign of things to come...? For those that don't know, Hawthorne Gold is a Div.III corps that just completed it's first season out on the West Coast. They are fully supported and run by the local school district as a summer music program.

I think the idea has merit and hope it catches on. What say you?

[ACustom19]

They have world class competing units in the Scholastic class in WGI, but it's not like they go up against the independents in WGI like they would in DCI...

But I guess it's a good idea.

[SCVdrums]

I think it's an awesome idea.....you just have to have the right district to do it in. And even then, in your largest districts, you corps-type kids already march. But I would think it would work as long as you kept a level head from both a divisional and competitive approach. Questions will arise such as...do we let someone from outside the district march? And if so, does that person take a spot away from one our local kids? MESSY! But I think you could really have a fine regional corps with controlled expenses full of local kids that would have a blast.

[MikeD]

We've talked about the affect that school schedules is having on DCI and how it may become a problem in the coming years.  We all know that MANY schools have world class competing units in WGI and that their popularity only seems to be growing.  Do you think that school sponsored corps are a viable means of saving our activity (for those that think it needs to be saved)?  With the recent addition of Hawthorne Gold to the drum corps world, do you think this could be a good sign of things to come...?  For those that don't know, Hawthorne Gold is a Div.III corps that just completed it's first season out on the West Coast.  They are fully supported and run by the local school district as a summer music program.

I think the idea has merit and hope it catches on. What say you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good idea, as long as they allow the WW....maybe a DCI scholastic division? Or as part of the "Anything Goes" division I like to promote?

Mike

[84BDsop]

I think it's an awesome idea.....you just have to have the right district to do it in.  And even then, in your largest districts, you corps-type kids already march.  But I would think it would work as long as you kept a level head from both a divisional and competitive approach.  Questions will arise such as...do we let someone from outside the district march?  And if so, does that person take a spot away from one our local kids?  MESSY!  But I think you could really have a fine regional corps with controlled expenses full of local kids that would have a blast.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think Hawthorne Gold allows anyone to march...the corps is supported by the school district, but is not member-restricted.

They appear to be doing things right, as is JSU with Spirit....the trick is to not let school politics get in the way and just let the corps do it's thing.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I don;t think allowing WWs would be required. There are scholastic and independant WGI drumlines and guards, but there are no equipment differences between the 2 divisions. I see nothing wrong with scholastic corps competeing against other scholastic corps. Most schools already have marching bands, they don't need 2. As for the kids who want to compete but play WWs, learna new instrument. A fairly large portion of kids in scholastic lines do in fact play other instruments in band and marching band. In my line alone I have 2 bass drummers, 3 cymbals, and 5 pit players that all play non percussion instruments in band. I know it is similar in other lines from talking to other techs and members. I still maintain that there is nothing wrong with having different activities with different rules. And that if you want to be in one of those activites, you need to fit in the rules, not try to change them.

As for the topic itself, this might work. But keep in mind the expenses of even the smallest of Div III corps. Would most schools be able to handle that. Even with district funding, many indoor lines have to have to have their kids pay 200-300+ in dues just to break even. Staff, floors, copyrights, janitor time for after hours rehearsals, circuit fees, ect all cost money. And that is miniscule compared to a touring drum corps. I think that even if supported by a school, the cost would be a prohibitive factor for most kids and their schools.

[jwillis35]

OK, not a bad idea and I have heard this before, but let us examine a few things:

1. Public school education MUST be comprehensive. Woodwinds, brasses, strings, percussion, and vocal must be included in the curriculum. If you want you local band program to be a drum corps, then you must understand that there is only so much time in an academic school year. Something has to give, something will lose importance. Now, you could simply march woodwinds in the fall for football band, and then march all brass, drums and guard in the summer. But the summer portion of your program will have to be optional, not mandatory. Depending on the size of your district this could be difficult as many students get burned out with marching band after the fall. And competitive drum and bugle corps is not for everyone. It is for high achieving, extremely energetic students. Most kids do marching band for different reasons.

2. Funding can be a big problem. Public school music programs are funded by local property tax dollars and by other means of local, state, and booster help. To add another element to an already expensive program, and to put more strain and time committment on an already busy band director would be things to think about. Where do you find those extra travel costs?

3. Finally, it is not the job of public school music education to save the drum and bugle corps. The American drum and bugle corps can and will save itself. Drum and bugle corps will be much better off by not combining with schools but by developing strategies to stay independent, important, and successful at finding their niche in the music world. We just can't throw everything into one pot and stir it up under the heading of Public School Music Education, or even College Music Education. The public schools already have a specific task at hand, as do the colleges. Drum and bugle corps can work with schools on all kinds of things, but ultimately they must be independent in order to effectively chart their success in the music world, to continue their independence which will help them keep their identity, and to continue the established criteria of excellence in music and marching. To blur these lines with the high schools could mean sacrificing on all kinds of musical and logistical expectations.

4. The one place this might really work, however, is in the city schools. In many cases, these kids have nothing. You could take 2 or 3 schools with no band, or just really bad bands, and combine them into a drum and bugle corps. These kids were not receiving a well-rounded, comprehensive music education in the first place, so here I have no problem with enhancing their musical skills by means of the drum and bugle corps. It gives them something different and unique compared to all the suburban schools, and they can compete in the fall and summer. And many of these kids need something to believe in, and competition can truly give them that.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

1. Public school education MUST be comprehensive. Woodwinds, brasses, strings, percussion, and vocal must be included in the curriculum. If you want you local band program to be a drum corps, then you must understand that there is only so much time in an academic school year. Something has to give, something will lose importance. Now, you could simply march woodwinds in the fall for football band, and then march all brass, drums and guard in the summer. But the summer portion of your program will have to be optional, not mandatory. Depending on the size of your district this could be difficult as many students get burned out with marching band after the fall. And competitive drum and bugle corps is not for everyone. It is for high achieving, extremely energetic students. Most kids do marching band for different reasons.

It doesnt have to be comprehensive. Thousands of schools have indoor lines and guards, and they are fine playing by WGIs restrictions. No one is saying that this would have to replace a marching band program. And that is where WWs can stay. And since when is marching band or even band in general required? I have never seen a band program that was not an elective course. It's prepostorous to even consider this would be required in the first place. Again, I don't know of any marching bands, concert bands or indoor lines that are required.

And for this to work it would have to be the combination of more than one school. School sizes vary tremendously. And because of that, you are going to have differnt amounts of people who are interested from each one. Centerville is big enough to have 2 scholastic winter lines, PSO and PSW. But most school barely have enough kids who are interested to field 1 PSA line. I cannot see any 1 school being able to get even 50 kids who are willing to do a summer drum corps.

[guardmom32]

They have world class competing units in the Scholastic class in WGI, but it's not like they go up against the independents in WGI like they would in DCI...

But I guess it's a good idea.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe that if you talk to most people in WGI they would agree that James_Logan High School could beat any independent world class corp almost anyday. There are many more in the schoolastic divisions that could beat there counterparts in the independent divisions. But, inturn, on a drum corp level I don't know it would work as well. Winterguards in general have a decreased practice schedule compared to drum corp. I don't know that a schoolastic level drum corp could attain the practice time that an independent drum corp has.

[ACustom19]

I was talking about percussion. I'm not really familiar with the guard side...