From "See" to Shining "See"

I've had the chance to see two shows now, mostly with the same corps. In Arlington on June 26 I got to see from "up high" (which really wasn't too terribly high, unfortunately) the Bluecoats, Phantom Regiment, Boston Crusaders, Crossmen, Spirit, and Jersey Surf.

Last night (July 7) I had the honor of announcing from the field level the "hot" show in Chambersburg, where Carolina Crown replaced the Bluecoats in the line up and the Raiders joined the event.

It is quite interesting how when the calendar page turns, something else turns in the drum corps. The spring training kinks are gone, the feedback from the judges is more incorporated, and the program development that staff has planned continues to grow.

I was very much impressed with the sound from the Bluecoats, and seeing the scores tonight from Ohio see that they are in a cat-and-mouse game with Carolina Crown, which remains undefeated. When I first heard Carolina Crown's show (by cell phone) I was a bit lost; of course, that happened the first time I saw the 2009 production as well. Last night it started coming together a bit; I really loved the tango section, and the Elgar piece brought back memories of the show that really solidified their place in the Top 12, "Chess ... and the Art of Strategy".

I sense this is the Bluecoats year to challenge for the top spots, and so Carolina Crown is in the unenviable position of being the chaser and the chased. (Sorry, Troopers, they may be more "Wanted" this year!)

Phantom Regiment is stronger than last year, it seems, although the show doesn't quite click with me. Maybe I'll appreciate it more as the season progresses? The same seems to apply to the Crusaders, Crossmen, and Spirit. These shows are more literal to their musical approach, but maybe they are just working the bugs out, too. The audience seemed kind of flat both nights; maybe it was the heat. I think the Crusaders are making a run for the Top 6 again, but they have to sell the serious parts as much as the not-so-serious parts.

I think it's kind of sad when a corps draws you to think about their past when they did the music or concept before, especially if it was much stronger then. It's a dangerous game; about as dangerous as seeming to break entirely with your past, as Spirit seems to be doing.

Jersey Surf has returned to a more enjoyable show, and something the kids seem to be able to sell better. The American show worked well with the Salutes America title of the Arlington show and the American Tradition title of the Chambersburg show. It was, for the new fan, probably the most accessible show of the night. The Raiders showed effort as well with a smaller corps than the others. Perhaps we announcers should be more clarifying about the difference in World and Open Class, although there are some World Class corps that should stay closer to Open.

But, I think that is a topic for the next post.

G7 (part 1) - background and qualifications

This post is "inside ball." If you follow drum corps intently in the off-season, you don't need more in the headline. If you don't, well, some very recent and public "differences of opinion."

On one side, you have the G7 (aka Blue Devils, Bluecoats, Cadets, Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment and Santa Clara Vanguard) position, which you can read at any of their websites; here's a link to one. The position of DCI you can read here; I know the non-G7 have positions that may or may not be official or public.

And ... I guess I have one as well. And ... it is mine alone. But I first need to get out some background and caveats.

I have a deep personal tie to 2 of the G7. I was there in 1990 right at the start of Carolina Crown (though not the original organization, the Charlotte Drum Corps Association). I served in a number of volunteer capacities both in working (occasional driver, show announcer, NightBEAT committee) and in board leadership (Treasurer, VP, President) positions. I have not been deeply involved for about 10 years or so, however; health, family and relocation took my focus. Officially, I am on the advisory board, which is - of course - a very unofficial role.

This corps is close to my heart. I remember early struggles to get into shows, to raise money, to be judicious in our spending, but most of all to judge success on two planes: (1) Did the kids have a good experience?, and (2) Can we - and what can we do to - offer the same or better experience next year? I had the honor of putting the feelings of the leadership into the mission statement. You see it everywhere in the organization. It, and the two items above, are the secret sauce to its success over the years.

The other corps is the Cadets. During the YEA! corps years I served as the Carolina Crown representative to the board. I have kept my relationship with them through the USSBA, where I have volunteered and served as an announcer. I was an early believer in the YEA! corps concept, and believe that it could have been successful if we had been able to maintain our board's focus on non-instructional/creative areas.

For a brief time I also served on the Marketing Committee of DCI, and have long maintained an interest in innovations designed to improve the educational and performance value for the kids, and bring people into the stands. Some may say the evolution of the former has led to the decline of the latter ... I'll get to that.

Now, outside of the G7, I have a son who has a place in a fast rising corps, the Blue Stars. I would never let one of my kids go to any corps that I did not believe had a strong program and infrastructure. In fact, I encouraged him to take a position with that corps over another, even if it is an alternate position right now.

In summary, as background, I believe in Carolina Crown, in the Cadets and their scholastic band program USSBA, and I believe in the Blue Stars. I believe that marching music has an impact on people's lives.

In one of the next posts (probably closer to when everyone meets in the board room and on the competitive field in Minneapolis), I'll give some thoughts.

A tale of three cities

MP is in a drum corps this summer. He went to camps with three world class, top 12 corps, before finding a home with one of them (although, as an alternate, he has work to do to get a spot on the field this summer).

If you know us, then you know two of the organizations, both with clearly articulated missions about building young people. Those camps were interesting ... and intense for a young man. Yet while the educational value was high, I found interesting the comments he made about one or the other.

"I like it here," he noted on one of them. "The people are friendlier." Interesting, because you don't always associate friendliness with the corps. Both corps are intense, and fairly focused on winning, although there was one in particular that was giving some skills in goal setting and planning that many adults need to hear.

But the corps where he settled he found friendliness, intensity, a desire to win and improve, and a place where the feedback on making him a better player and marcher was delivered effectively. And I found not a mission - although they have one - but a motto that is an even better shorthand for what he can carry all his life.

And so, this summer, he will end the year in the city above. Which is, coincidentally, where he will start the summer. In between, I hope it is an experience he'll learn from.

Welcome to the Blue Stars. And remember FCO, son. FCO.

Band of Brothers. And Sisters.

As this posts tonight, the final band concert of the year, and the final high school band concert for MP, begins.

Band has been good for him. From the moment he started band camp, when he did not know a soul having transferred in days before, until he walks off (and then across) the stage, I hope he values what he learned.

Band is a where the kids can - within the comfort and safety of an extended family - find brothers, and sisters, friends (and sometimes future mates) for life, survive through conflicts and resolutions, and deal with the tears and smiles of life.

Band is not just music. Band is people ... people who come together for a common love and common purpose. It is where kids with no siblings or kids with more siblings than they care to count, kids with only older siblings or only younger siblings, kids with only sisters or only brothers, all can expand - or sometimes find - their family. And family is - or should be - love.

Cherish the memories and friendships, MP. Brothers by blood are important. And brothers - and sisters - by band are, too.

We don't need no (music) education

While walking a beach one time, I overheard two locals commenting on the vacation crowd. "If it's tourist season, can we shoot them?" Well, lately it's budget season, and right in the target is music education.

Like it always seems to be.

I recalled (with the help of IMDB) a few lines from the film "Mr. Holland's Opus", starting with this exchange in the office:

Vice Principal Wolters: "I care about these kids just as much as you do. And if I'm forced to choose between Mozart and reading and writing and long division, I choose long division.

Mr. Holland: "Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about."

... which lead to this testimony before the school board ...

Mr. Holland: "The day they cut the football budget in this state, that will be the end of Western Civilization as we know it!"

Now, here is a not so secret observation about the movie: It is 15 years old, the same age as our freshman class! And so, I got to thinking, especially in this time of real budget shortfalls, are we in a position to make the case once again about saving music education, or will this be seen as yet another round of crying wolf?

While I firmly believe in the academic value of music, if "we" are going to preserve scholastic music education, we have to start at the bottom - cultivating the kids from elementary school on up - and we have to be prepared to do it outside of the school budgets, and especially support the kids who can't afford it otherwise.

In other words, we are going to have to find a way of doing things differently. This means new ideas, and change ... and the realization that this is going to be very, very hard, and perhaps painful, too.

Funny, though. It is exactly how athletic programs do it. They cultivate the kids in programs where the coaches volunteer, watch, support, and advise.

My Dad was a coach ... who dabbled in the Baritone, once, I recall (my Mom was the multi-talented musician ... voice, violin, piano, classical tastes!), yet even during his time as a school principal and as a district athletic director he understood the value of music education right up there with the value of athletics. But we can't count on this type of broadmindedness, and so maybe instead of envy at their position, participation, and - yes - budgets, it's time we started learning something from them.

Otherwise, we are going to hit "The Wall".

(A quick side note : While I wrote most of this, the TV was on Cinimax. Will some band out there do "Far and Away"? Such good music ... I still remember Southwind doing it in 1993!)

Vertical - and local - magnets

Recently our superintendent was given an arts education award for his efforts in creating a middle school arts magnet, as well as his leadership in a fine arts education advisory group. I'm torn about this, especially as someone highly involved in the booster program of a highly successful middle school program.

One the one hand, arts magnets give clearly talented kids (like my sister!) a chance to thrive in an arts focused environment. On the other, could this lead to a weakening of school-based arts programs, where they are most needed to engage "ordinary" kids (like I was)?

(Parenthetically, I've only heard of one arts magnet with a marching band, by the way - the Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Delaware. Tarpon Springs HS in Florida also is a music magnet of sorts, but they take a different approach ... one I admire greatly.)

Arts programs in fair economies are often 'target rich environments' when it comes to school budgets; in weak economies even more so. (Education budgets are, in my opinion, an economic "lagging indicator.") Couple this with the fact that far too many arts organizations and other non-profits depend on government grants and allocations rather than their own fundraising initiatives, and I fear too many communities and advocates are going to be exhibiting that deer-in-the-headlights look.

And when it comes to dollars/kid ... marching band programs are in the bulls-eye.

I believe arts magnets serve a purpose, but I believe marching bands do, too. They are the greatest and most visible opportunity to learn through music. But to survive, local music programs need to have a vertical horizon/mission.

Athletic organizations realized this a long time ago. How many high school coaches reach down to the younger students with clinics? How many add to their staff alumni or middle school coaches? From Little League and Pop Warner to MLB and the NFL, growth comes from the bottom up, and so to some degree high levels of support and vertical integration are key.

Music programs - from the connections of college/university clinics and drum corps (and the help they can give in instrument selection and acquisition) down to the elementary school - should take note. This may be a secret sauce in long term success.

Mission Creep: Evolution or Back to the Future?

In my profession of anesthesia services management, we caution physician groups and hospitals alike to beware of "scope creep". This occurs when the demands of a facility and its surgical staff slowly begin to outstrip the staffing or clinical capabilities of the practice. I see a that occurring in many of today's drum corps - their scopes of services are expanding. The question is, do they see the "mission creep" as well?

Back in the days fondly remembered by many of today's oldest fans, corps were run to "keep kids off the streets." They were community based, perhaps church or VFW sponsored, much like this drum corps near where I live. Shows were local, on weekends, and there were national events but not so much a national tour.

Around the time DCI got started, corps became more sophisticated. Sticking somewhat to the original mission, they began to focus on kids who had some music background. As I often said during my time on the board of a fast growing corps entering the Top 12, "We give ordinary kids a chance to do something extraordinary." As missions go, we were teaching life skills to kids who may or may not make music and teaching music their life calling.

Now, even that is changing. DCI reports that nearly 60% of today's college-age corps members (who are 70% of all corps members) study music performance and/or education! In fact, with the tag 'Marching Music's Major League', and a new partnership with MENC, the corps are accelerating in the direction of being marching education supplements via exhibition of excellence, clinics, and training of tomorrow's music educators.

In essence, many DCI corps has clearly moved from "the streets" (basic training, where some corps still focus) to "the kids" (life skills through music, where most corps are now) to "music education enhancement" (where many top tier corps reside). These top corps are certainly exceptional labs to develop tomorrow educators, who we hope in turn will develop more leaders. This is good, seen in the high degree of talent (vs. attitude) based selectivity of the members. But this is also bad, as it makes fundraising hard ... and membership by some who aspire to success in a field other than music difficult as well.

Now, entering a time when school budgets are under extreme scrutiny and the arts and music are again a potential target for cuts, what are drum corps to do? Continue on the same path, which some see as a natural evolution and others as a departure from the "true" purpose of drum corps? Go back to what they once were, or something in between? Is there room in "the activity", or even the competitive arena, for three tiers of drum corps (four if you count the "recreational' corps such as those who are in DCA)?

Theory or fact, evolution implies getting better, stronger, faster, smarter. Regardless if whether the changes to come are better, stronger, faster, or smarter, the changes will continue to come (and come fast).

And the changes are going to be interesting indeed.

Olympic Reflections, Part 2 - Go Figure

The figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics often brings out comparisons to drum corps. I enjoy the music and visual artistry of the events.

After the Olympics were over, I ran across this tongue-firmly-in-cheek column on the DCI website called "Marching on Thin Ice", by Michael Boo. Turns out he is not only a drum corps expert, he's a figure staking one, too!

If you are taking the time to read my musings, take the time to read his! (By the way, is there a reason the photo was that of the Cadets?!)

Olympic Reflections, Part 1 - Dreams of the Father, Dreams of the Son

Today MP was officially made an Eagle Scout ... a lifetime achievement, and I am confident many more will follow. Now that he is an Eagle, this Dad (like many others) start to push the little bird out of the nest to fly. (Mom's of course, make sure there is a nest!)

This of course, may seem like a bit of a turn from my usual post. In reality, band isn't the ONLY place to learn leadership skills, or to apply them. I learned a lot from my experiences in band, of course, but also in Key Club and many other activities (although I was not in Scouting).

That being said, this summer MP will be on the road toward another achievement - a field position with a world class drum and bugle corps. There were three auditions total (more on that later), and he still has work to do. And that is what I told him today in front of friends and family.

Once asked my dreams, I told a friend that at some point, the dreams of the father become the dreams of the sons. She took that to mean that I "imposed" my (un-achieved?) dreams on my boys, so I had to explain that it is really the opposite - the father's dreams are set aside, the son's (sons!) dreams become their own.

A few dozen degrees ago (but "merely" 2 months) winter I watched a segment on speedskater Anton Apolo Ohno and his father, Yuki. You see, at one point, there was a lot of conflict on whether or not Anton wanted to continue his pursuit of Olympic level skating.

Chris Collinsworth said, "The friction between Apolo and Yuki Ohno resided the in the space between a father's expectations and a son's willingness to meet them."

MP and I are connected in a lot of ways, but music is the main area, and maybe the main area of conflict. I have to take deep breaths, and make sure the dreams are his.

After a time of deep reflection, Apolo came to say, "Dad, I'm ready. I made my decision. I want to skate. This is what I want to do."

MP, whatever your decision, however it relates or doesn't relate to what I see as a shared passion for music and marching music, I am here to support it.

You are an Eagle. Time to fly.

True judging philosophy isn't always found on the sheets

Last night was guard championships. TP and his crew did an fantastic job, but you wouldn't know it. Why?

Beats me.

Performing for an audience of fans and parents is one thing. They "see" things in a way that judges don't. Judges are expected to be discerning. To know the nuances and bring neutrality to the process of looking at 14 units - or more - then ranking and rating. (I've blogged on that before.)

But inexplicably you get to championships, and the judges see that your work is 8 points worse (10%!) than last week? And not much better than the first show out?

I have always had trouble "judging" indoor. Most of the time I can peg a drum corps, get ideas about where bands should be, and understand some of the equipment and precision aspects of indoor. But ...

Major League or not, we are working with kids, who may not understand the adjudication system, but who make the commitment of time and effort to improve. Even a football team that goes 0-10 will improve.

Please don't confuse this with a "trophy for everyone" or "every kid is a winner." There are winners. There are losers. This is competition. The ultimate goal is to compete against yourself and improve yourself.

But when you can't get consistent feedback that you can rely on to be helpful, it is beyond disappointing, it is frustrating. Ultimately, judges (parents and bosses), this is what you hold in your hands.

To the guard - use this experience as the "SPark" to future success. In the long run, it will make you a winner.

On, Guard!

I know, I know ... ideas aren't posts. I have several I've been tossing around for my world wide audience (of less than, oh, a half-dozen), but they are pending.

In the meantime, TP is now also a flag in the winter guard (one of a handful of males and the ONLY freshman, male or female!). After some delays in getting on the competition floor (due to, umm, winter - about 4 1/2" of it) they got out there. Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm.

Actually, the name of the piece is "Mmm..." (3 Ms) performed by Laura Izabor; you can listen (once) on Lala.com. The guard is portraying a tribute to family loved and lost. The art of winter guard can get over my head sometime, but this year I'm along for the ride.

Along for the ride as long as they let me near the floor again. Seems someone (insert sheepish grin here) lost his iPhone while racing to pick up the floor after a show, and it got folded in to the (several) hundred pound near gym floor size tarp. So we had to unfold. And refold. In the dark. And cold.

This past weekend they overcame that handicap - I was nearly completely across the country - and did a double header, and pretty much swept the floor. The first show was a 1st in class, 1st overall (of 10) and fan favorite; the second was 2nd in class and 2nd overall (of 23). Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! - Tasty!

Seems the season just started, but they only have two shows left to go before championships. So, onward, guard!