Another DCA Rules Congress is in the books and now we can focus on the 2009 season and know exactly what we're working with.
It was an interesting weekend that started with our percussion caption head, Bob Cizmarik, meeting me at my place on Friday evening after work and driving both of us up to Ridgefield Park, NJ where we met up with our director, Jaybo. Jay blew up the engine on his truck pulling our enormous trailer at the open house, so he had a nifty rental...some sort of big Buick thing that had heated seats and lots of room for...nothing, really. Because we're men, we each had one small bag for the weekend and a 12 pack of Miller Lite. :)
We started our trek to the great white north and had lots of great conversation about our corps, other corps, DCI, DCA...and basically anything having to do with the marching arts activity. If there's anything you can say about the three of us it's that we're extremely opinionated and never at a loss for words...so the trip went pretty fast.
Rochester, NY is not close. It was a 5+ hour drive from NJ, and add the hour and a half it took for Bob and I to get up there, and it's just a butt numbing ride with nothing whatsoever to look at.
Rochester, NY is cold. There's plenty of snow on the ground, and it's just a huge, walk in refrigerator. It's cold in Philly, but it's really cold up there. I quickly remembered why I moved out of Upstate NY in 2003. I just couldn't take the weather any more.
We rolled in at 3:30am, had a beer, talked some more, and hit the sheets. We had a 7am wake up call which sucked big time...but we had to be there for roll call, so we made the sacrifice for the good of the DCA. :)
Day 1 started out eventful. We broke into caucuses and began the debate on the language of the sheets, the various captions, combining captions, eliminating captions, etc, etc. We had a great joint caucus with the percussion and things were moving along swimmingly. We ate lunch and everyone was feeling good. Then, after lunch they voted to completely undo everything we had done, and we went back to the drawing board.
An astounded and bewildered brass caucus met again and decided that work still needed to be done on our sheets and a task force was named and I was honored to be picked for it.
I know, I know...I'm being very vague with all this. Details don't matter. These things can always be extremely frustrating, and the rules congress of 08 was no different.
We came back to the super cool museum where we met all day around 6:30 for a reception. Famous Dave's BBQ catered the event, and it was awesome. There was an open bar which was awesome. I got to catch up with my friend Hank Manfra, who I marched with for a bunch of years and is now on the staff of the Buccaneers. That was cool. I also got to hang out with some of my Fusion Core buddies who I have a lot of respect and love for. Good times with good folks.
Later on that night the administrations got back together and voted on some more stuff...mostly rules that don't directly effect the Bushwackers, so I didn't pay too much attention. One rule that did get passed and that we proposed was to do away with the 60 second warm up rule. Now, you have your normal 17 minutes to enter the field, play, and leave the field...same as always. At least 10 minutes of that time must be your judged performance...same as always. Now, you can do whatever you want with the remaining 7 minutes. No more dumb penalties for playing a 62 second warm up. You can enter the field however you want...playing the whole time if you want...setting up your show and getting the crowd ready for whatever it is you're about to deliver. Does this effect our "psychotic circus" show? Absolutely. :)
The next morning was by-laws stuff, so Bob and I didn't bother going into the meeting. For all I know they voted to ban all brass staffers named Chris. I don't think so, though, because I wasn't fired.
There were some interesting side things and some stuff that just makes me laugh and/or shake my head at the absurdity of it all...but I'm not going to write all that now. All I know is that, for the most part, I feel good about where the circuit is and how we're going to be judged this summer. I still firmly believe that we need to combine the ensemble brass and ensemble percussion captions, but whatever. At the end of the day, the corps that's the best should win. I still think our system (when judged correctly) achieves that goal. That's all I can really ask for.
Now it's time to look forward and continue planning our January 3rd and 4th camp. Our location has been determined...the VFW post in Garfield, NJ. It's a nice place...clean...convenient. It doesn't have a ton of space to break into sectionals and that sort of thing, but it doesn't matter. We should have show music at that camp, and there's a ton of other stuff for us to work on. I'm looking forward to it and taking that next step as a drum corps.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Rochester bound...
One of the many fun things that come along with being a DCA caption head is a free trip to Rochester, NY in December. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
It's a rules congress year, so I'm going up along with Bob Ciz and Jaybo to help represent the corps' interests. There are some interesting things on the table this year, so I'm looking forward to being there to check it out.
I'm also very much looking forward to attending Jim Dugan's seminar on show programming in DCA.
I went to one of these before the 2003 season. That was the one where we proposed multi-key brass, got approved, and got slammed for ruining drum corps. It's not the first time we've been accused of that, and it surely won't be the last. We did, afterall, propose pit amplification for this rules congress. :)
One of these years we'll finally roll out those t-shirts I've been wanting forever that say "The Bushwackers - Ruining Drum Corps since 1981"...but that probably won't happen.
So, we'll see how the weekend goes. I love drum corps, so while these meetings aren't "drum corps" in and of themselves, it'll be fun to be around drum corps people, talk drum corps, and take some time with Bob to plot world conquest over a few pints.
Enjoy the following picture of Twisted Sister for no reason whatsoever.
It's a rules congress year, so I'm going up along with Bob Ciz and Jaybo to help represent the corps' interests. There are some interesting things on the table this year, so I'm looking forward to being there to check it out.
I'm also very much looking forward to attending Jim Dugan's seminar on show programming in DCA.
I went to one of these before the 2003 season. That was the one where we proposed multi-key brass, got approved, and got slammed for ruining drum corps. It's not the first time we've been accused of that, and it surely won't be the last. We did, afterall, propose pit amplification for this rules congress. :)
One of these years we'll finally roll out those t-shirts I've been wanting forever that say "The Bushwackers - Ruining Drum Corps since 1981"...but that probably won't happen.
So, we'll see how the weekend goes. I love drum corps, so while these meetings aren't "drum corps" in and of themselves, it'll be fun to be around drum corps people, talk drum corps, and take some time with Bob to plot world conquest over a few pints.
Enjoy the following picture of Twisted Sister for no reason whatsoever.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Open House in the books!
The 2009 season has finally begun! I've been looking forward to this with great anticipation and excitement since I accepted my new job with the Bushwackers back in September. I didn't really know what I was walking into, since I hadn't been around last year at all...but I was hopeful that enough people would return after, what by all accounts was a pretty rough summer and that we could move forward together and bring this corps back to the top of DCA.
Of course, that's a lofty goal! I like to set the bar high for myself and my members and expect them to achieve it (that includes me!). Humans are amazing creatures and are capable of FAR more than we ever give ourselves credit for. Each one of us has greatness inside us, but the trick is being able to discipline yourself and overcome the desire to be lazy or become distracted by things that don't really matter. If you have a good work ethic, a positive attitude, and the desire and hunger to be the best at what you do...there's not a whole lot standing in your way.
That's my philosophy for the Bush Brass in 2009. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. Joe Exley, Dennis Argul, Durand Thomas, and all the other caption heads before me...Bushwackers' brass programs have been built on solid, proven pedagogy for years. How am I going to come in here and throw out everything that Joe did the last few years (that led us to a caption championship in 2006, by the way)? I'm not. That's dumb. What my staff and I bring to the table is structure, a positive approach, tenacity, and high expectations. Build this on top of a proven technique program and a horn line that can think on the fly and deal with adversity, and I think you have a winning combination.
...but with all change, your members have to buy in. I went into the open house with the hope that vets would show up and act like vets....showing the newbies how we roll here at Bush, setting the example, etc. I hoped that they would recognize what I was there to change, and what I was going to leave alone. I hoped that they would see that the staff truly believes in this and is completely dedicated to doing whatever it takes to not only bring a world championship back to the Bushwackers, but also to provide a fun, educational, positive experience to the members...an experience that they won't forget, and the opportunity to truly belong to an elite, world-class organization on a mission.
My hopes were realized on November 30th. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and we took that step in a big way. We couldn't have everyone there that wanted to be, which was disappointing, but at least we know where they were. I had no idea what kind of numbers we were looking at...and now at least we know where our starting point is and where we need to recruit and spent our efforts bringing in members. I was very pleased with the low brass turn out. This was a problem area for the corps last year, and it seems that we have a lot of new faces and a lot of enthusiasm in those sections. The upper brass was solid, but we could use a few more horses. The talent we have is better than I was expecting...we just need a little more of it...and that's fine.
I don't get hung up on numbers. I don't change the way I approach a rehearsal because 10 people showed up instead of 50. The staff doesn't either. We're all on the same page that whoever is in front of us is going to be the best at what they do...and we're going to lead them there. Do I want 60+ brass? Um...YES. Is that going to happen in year one of this new project? I don't know. If you're reading this and not in the horn line yet, perhaps you should come out!
Right now, I'm very pleased with the numbers. I'm very happy with the talent. Most of all (seriously), I am completely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, dedication, and drive of this horn line.
The vets have bought in. I feel that they trust me and the staff to do the right thing. We'll do our job, they'll do theirs, and we'll all be fine. Good stuff. The new folks had a great day, and many of them are sold and in for 2009. That's very exciting. You can't teach that stuff...but the attitude of the corps is one of those "make it or break it" things that you need for a successful year.
Now, we need to keep pushing. The members are fired up. The staff is fired up. The administration is working hard behind the scenes to keep all the gears moving. Everything is shaping up very nicely. I'm very happy to be back.
Our next rehearsal is going to be on January 3rd and 4th. We'll have the location announced really shortly. If you're out there in the blogosphere right now and you're feeling like you might want to pick up the old axe again and have a great summer...seriously, check us out. The show is going to be ridiculous!
Oh...the show! The show is called "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus" and will be all original music by Key Poulan. Most people know key because he writes for tons of bands and is the arranger/composer for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Key is psyched about writing this show, because it's different...strange...weird...dark...aggressive............basically everything that we love about drum corps will be in this show. It's really going to be sick.
I spent all of my time with the brass, obviously...but I want to give the other sections some love here. The drum line is going to be even better than last year. We had a large turn out, especially for the snares, and we're just raising the bar all over the place in 2009. The guard had a good turn out, and they're going after another guard championship this year for sure. It's really going to be an incredible year.
January 3rd and 4th. If you've never marched but think you might want to...if you've marched other places before and would like to get back in the game...if you marched junior corps and think senior corps is a bunch of fat old guys doing easy crap....if you would like to make a junior corps in the future but want to get experience...if you marched other senior corps and hate the Bushwackers...if you were a Bushwacker...whatever.
THIS IS THE YEAR TO BE A BUSHWACKER
Make it happen.
Of course, that's a lofty goal! I like to set the bar high for myself and my members and expect them to achieve it (that includes me!). Humans are amazing creatures and are capable of FAR more than we ever give ourselves credit for. Each one of us has greatness inside us, but the trick is being able to discipline yourself and overcome the desire to be lazy or become distracted by things that don't really matter. If you have a good work ethic, a positive attitude, and the desire and hunger to be the best at what you do...there's not a whole lot standing in your way.
That's my philosophy for the Bush Brass in 2009. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. Joe Exley, Dennis Argul, Durand Thomas, and all the other caption heads before me...Bushwackers' brass programs have been built on solid, proven pedagogy for years. How am I going to come in here and throw out everything that Joe did the last few years (that led us to a caption championship in 2006, by the way)? I'm not. That's dumb. What my staff and I bring to the table is structure, a positive approach, tenacity, and high expectations. Build this on top of a proven technique program and a horn line that can think on the fly and deal with adversity, and I think you have a winning combination.
...but with all change, your members have to buy in. I went into the open house with the hope that vets would show up and act like vets....showing the newbies how we roll here at Bush, setting the example, etc. I hoped that they would recognize what I was there to change, and what I was going to leave alone. I hoped that they would see that the staff truly believes in this and is completely dedicated to doing whatever it takes to not only bring a world championship back to the Bushwackers, but also to provide a fun, educational, positive experience to the members...an experience that they won't forget, and the opportunity to truly belong to an elite, world-class organization on a mission.
My hopes were realized on November 30th. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and we took that step in a big way. We couldn't have everyone there that wanted to be, which was disappointing, but at least we know where they were. I had no idea what kind of numbers we were looking at...and now at least we know where our starting point is and where we need to recruit and spent our efforts bringing in members. I was very pleased with the low brass turn out. This was a problem area for the corps last year, and it seems that we have a lot of new faces and a lot of enthusiasm in those sections. The upper brass was solid, but we could use a few more horses. The talent we have is better than I was expecting...we just need a little more of it...and that's fine.
I don't get hung up on numbers. I don't change the way I approach a rehearsal because 10 people showed up instead of 50. The staff doesn't either. We're all on the same page that whoever is in front of us is going to be the best at what they do...and we're going to lead them there. Do I want 60+ brass? Um...YES. Is that going to happen in year one of this new project? I don't know. If you're reading this and not in the horn line yet, perhaps you should come out!
Right now, I'm very pleased with the numbers. I'm very happy with the talent. Most of all (seriously), I am completely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, dedication, and drive of this horn line.
The vets have bought in. I feel that they trust me and the staff to do the right thing. We'll do our job, they'll do theirs, and we'll all be fine. Good stuff. The new folks had a great day, and many of them are sold and in for 2009. That's very exciting. You can't teach that stuff...but the attitude of the corps is one of those "make it or break it" things that you need for a successful year.
Now, we need to keep pushing. The members are fired up. The staff is fired up. The administration is working hard behind the scenes to keep all the gears moving. Everything is shaping up very nicely. I'm very happy to be back.
Our next rehearsal is going to be on January 3rd and 4th. We'll have the location announced really shortly. If you're out there in the blogosphere right now and you're feeling like you might want to pick up the old axe again and have a great summer...seriously, check us out. The show is going to be ridiculous!
Oh...the show! The show is called "Scenes from a Psychotic Circus" and will be all original music by Key Poulan. Most people know key because he writes for tons of bands and is the arranger/composer for the Santa Clara Vanguard. Key is psyched about writing this show, because it's different...strange...weird...dark...aggressive............basically everything that we love about drum corps will be in this show. It's really going to be sick.
I spent all of my time with the brass, obviously...but I want to give the other sections some love here. The drum line is going to be even better than last year. We had a large turn out, especially for the snares, and we're just raising the bar all over the place in 2009. The guard had a good turn out, and they're going after another guard championship this year for sure. It's really going to be an incredible year.
January 3rd and 4th. If you've never marched but think you might want to...if you've marched other places before and would like to get back in the game...if you marched junior corps and think senior corps is a bunch of fat old guys doing easy crap....if you would like to make a junior corps in the future but want to get experience...if you marched other senior corps and hate the Bushwackers...if you were a Bushwacker...whatever.
THIS IS THE YEAR TO BE A BUSHWACKER
Make it happen.
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