Growing Pains

"Show me that smile again. (Show me that smile)
Don’t waste another minute on your cryin’.
We're nowhere near the end (nowhere near)
The best is ready to begin.

Oooohhh.

As long as we got each other
We got the world spinnin right in our hands.
Baby you and me, we gotta be
The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin’.

As long as we keep on givin’
we can take anything that comes our way
Baby, rain or shine, all the time
We got each other Sharin’ the laughter and love"

Yes, growing pains. Just call me Dr. Jason Seaver trying to deal with the never ending drama of a family who loves each other and who is full of characters like the mischievous Mike Seaver, the brainy but neurotic Carol Seaver, and the dumb Ben Seaver. Occasionally throw in the wayward teen Luke Bower, and you have yourself a clash of very different personalities.

You find this type of clash in every large group...but it can be especially magnified when it's a group of artists, musicians, or other creative types. We tend to be a fiery sort, and are steadfast in our belief that WE are correct and that YOU are wrong.

Of course, it always leads to bickering, grandstanding, and other ridiculousness...depending on the maturity of the individual.

I know that every group I've ever been in or taught has gone through periods like this...usually right smack in the middle of the season, and sometimes it can be quite scary. These are all growing pains of a large group of creative people who all CARE beyond measure about the product and about the other people. Things are still dirty, so everyone wants to fix it. People say and do stupid things, so others want to lecture them ad nauseum about their indiscretion. It happens all the time, and I truly believe it's simply a byproduct of spending so much time together and caring so much about your group and your season.

Complete togetherness and harmony are not the opposite of discord and occasional acrimony. In fact, they are quite close in the sense that they are all the result of passion. Apathy is the opposite, and that is something we at the Bushwackers rarely ever see from our members.

So, while others are worried that two trumpets aren't getting along (go figure, lol), or that these two passionate long time members over here are arguing...I'm not worried. I've done this long enough to know that they're all striving for the same goal...climbing the same mountain, but taking different routes to get there. In the end, they will meet in their journey and help each other because they love each other for wearing the uniform, they love the corps, and they love their art and what it stands for.

This comes from years of experience, and it's something that any student leader in any high school should take to heart. It may happen in your band...in fact, you can probably count on it. Remember that we're all here because we're passionate about what we do...we love it, and we love our teammates. It's just a long, hard season that you put so much effort into. It's human nature to see the finish line far off and want to start running your guts out. Keep it steady and relaxed, with a sense of urgency and I guarantee you'll get further faster and more efficiently.

Just understand where your members are coming from before you start exploding and declaring your season dead. You can't teach passion...positive or negative...you can just harness it and use it in performance.

So...things are great with the corps! We did not have a great rehearsal on Saturday, and consequently pretty much laid an egg on Saturday night in Lewisburg. There are many reasons why...but all of them are excuses. The fact is we have risen above far greater challenges than what we faced on Saturday. We as a drum corps just didn't get it done...and we darn well know it.

...wait...that doesn't sound like things are great!?!?!

Well, greatness can not be judged on one show in the middle of June alone. Sunday was much better. We cleaned Part 3...one of the most impressive portions of our show. The day was focused, and the corps did what it needed to do on little sleep and a lot of caffeine. The run through was weeks better than the prior night's show...and that was encouraging.

We ARE getting better. Every time we hit the field we get better...and that's the goal, right? The unfortunate thing is that we just didn't perform on Saturday night. Our sound and visual projection hit the imaginary glass pane of on the front side line and slid down like a bird flying into a sliding glass door.

Lesson learned.

This weekend we have another road trip...an early morning bus ride to Central PA (again) to participate in a parade in Harrisburg, PA...then down to Chambersburg, PA to rehearse and perform in the last competition in July (and the last one for 2 weeks!). We simply must perform our butts off...have fun with the show, and execute the way we know that we can. Whatever it takes. I'm confident that we will.

While there is tension in some areas right now, I believe that those folks care and will harness that passion and put it into their rehearsal etiquette and performance this coming weekend and beyond. I also believe that it's moments like these where a corps comes together. We're not that far out of this thing....definitely within striking distance of all of them...and you can NEVER turn your back on the Bushwackers in late July and August.

In 1986 the Bushwackers placed 3rd at prelims and had never won a show in their brief 5 year existence. Later that night they came from nowhere to win their first show...the DCA World Championship.

In 1988 the Bushwackers had horn numbers in the low teens in June and were no where near contending for anything but an early exit at DCA's. They never gave up and tied for the championship later that year.

In 2000 the Bushwackers, after fighting to stay alive for 3 years, were dealt a (seemingly) fatal blow by placing 10th out of 10 at the DCA World Championships in Syracuse, NY. Nearly the entire staff quit afterwards, and the corps...by all accounts...was dead. Not so. A small core of members and staff returned to fight, claw, and scratch their way up to 5th in 2001.

Tenacity + Passion = Meaningful Success

No one said it was easy to be a Bushwacker...but it's a group that I and many others have always felt was worth fighting for. Most things in life worth anything take work. This is definitely worth it to me. I just hope that we can get past these typical and usual "growing pains" and get on to some badass drum corps. This weekend would be nice. :)

...kinda gives the words to that "Growing Pains" song a new, personal meaning to me. Hmmm.