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.