Well guys, week one of "The Colors of Russia" is in the history books with several successes as well as disappointments.
Success #1 - We got through the first week with no major meltdowns. Music is being learned along with drill and guard work.
Success #2 - Guard flags and uniforms are being finished, new pit carts are almost finished, and uniform fittings are almost completed. Some of these things are normally not finished until the first contest week.
Success #3 - Some of our rookies are looking like veterans already! Nice job newbies - keep it up!
Success #4 - As I've stated on previous entries, I really enjoy the summer, working with our great staff and getting to work more up close and personal with the greatest kids in Jay County.
Disappointment #1 - The weather. The entire month of June - not a drop of rain. Marching band starts and so does the rain. Goodness knows we need the rain, but hey, there's 24 hours in the day and we just need 4 of them to be dry!!! Is that so much to ask!
Disappointment #2 - QUITTERS!!! I don't know how to say this nicely, but what's up with kids and parents who, by their signature, commit to be with us in the summer and then quit, never show up or come up with some kind of bogus medical excuse for not fulfilling their commitment. As you know, we need these commitments so we can write the drill and make plans for camp and band transportation. I am so sick and tired of all the work and time the staff puts into the show each year just to have parents and kids bail on the program and, yes, I blame the PARENTS as much if not more than the kids! Most of these parents don't even have the guts enough to deal with either their kids or the band staff. The kids either just don't show up or we get a note in our mailbox, a message on an answering machine, or a rumor from some other band kid. I know marching band isn't for everyone. It's hard, hot, frustrating work and some kids are just not up to the challenge. By why would you sign a "commitment to participate" form and then back out on your commitment and worse yet, why would you as a parent allow your kid to quit after you have signed the form also. A signature is a GUARANTEE! Short of major injury, sickness or death, it should be a no brainer!!!!! I don't like to see anyone decide not to be in summer band - I believe in this activity - but I respect a decision to not do summer band when that decision is made within the appropriate time frame. I have no respect for anyone who quits or anyone who allows their kid to quit once commitments have been made. And it's not just band kids. The guard has had a major exodus since try-outs. Out of the 35 girls selected, 27 remain! Incredible! 8 kids and parents with absolutely no respect for their commitment. I guess I should to be used to this - it's been going on for years - but I'm the eternal optimist and I keep hoping that this situation will improve.
That's a lot of time spent on losers, but I had to vent! Thanks! On the positive side, we have 164 kids who have shown up this week ready to work their butts off. I need to concentrate on you guys and let the quitters wallow in their own slough of laziness and morass of ambivalence.
If you have any answers to the "quitter" question, let me know. We need to get this figured out!
Have a great week-end!
Daddy "Frustrated" V
Success #1 - We got through the first week with no major meltdowns. Music is being learned along with drill and guard work.
Success #2 - Guard flags and uniforms are being finished, new pit carts are almost finished, and uniform fittings are almost completed. Some of these things are normally not finished until the first contest week.
Success #3 - Some of our rookies are looking like veterans already! Nice job newbies - keep it up!
Success #4 - As I've stated on previous entries, I really enjoy the summer, working with our great staff and getting to work more up close and personal with the greatest kids in Jay County.
Disappointment #1 - The weather. The entire month of June - not a drop of rain. Marching band starts and so does the rain. Goodness knows we need the rain, but hey, there's 24 hours in the day and we just need 4 of them to be dry!!! Is that so much to ask!
Disappointment #2 - QUITTERS!!! I don't know how to say this nicely, but what's up with kids and parents who, by their signature, commit to be with us in the summer and then quit, never show up or come up with some kind of bogus medical excuse for not fulfilling their commitment. As you know, we need these commitments so we can write the drill and make plans for camp and band transportation. I am so sick and tired of all the work and time the staff puts into the show each year just to have parents and kids bail on the program and, yes, I blame the PARENTS as much if not more than the kids! Most of these parents don't even have the guts enough to deal with either their kids or the band staff. The kids either just don't show up or we get a note in our mailbox, a message on an answering machine, or a rumor from some other band kid. I know marching band isn't for everyone. It's hard, hot, frustrating work and some kids are just not up to the challenge. By why would you sign a "commitment to participate" form and then back out on your commitment and worse yet, why would you as a parent allow your kid to quit after you have signed the form also. A signature is a GUARANTEE! Short of major injury, sickness or death, it should be a no brainer!!!!! I don't like to see anyone decide not to be in summer band - I believe in this activity - but I respect a decision to not do summer band when that decision is made within the appropriate time frame. I have no respect for anyone who quits or anyone who allows their kid to quit once commitments have been made. And it's not just band kids. The guard has had a major exodus since try-outs. Out of the 35 girls selected, 27 remain! Incredible! 8 kids and parents with absolutely no respect for their commitment. I guess I should to be used to this - it's been going on for years - but I'm the eternal optimist and I keep hoping that this situation will improve.
That's a lot of time spent on losers, but I had to vent! Thanks! On the positive side, we have 164 kids who have shown up this week ready to work their butts off. I need to concentrate on you guys and let the quitters wallow in their own slough of laziness and morass of ambivalence.
If you have any answers to the "quitter" question, let me know. We need to get this figured out!
Have a great week-end!
Daddy "Frustrated" V
Really, it's more of a "pick your poison" type deal. Sure, you deal with 5-8 kids quitting every summer. But what would happen if you had 5-8 kids every year that just couldn't quit. Like me and Secretary for instance. Those numbers add up. Just in the years you've been here you'd already have somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 staffers that just couldn't give it up and came back every summer!! I guess the one on one time every kid could get would be great at that point!!
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note, having never had kids (yet) I can't come from a parents view but as a kid who couldn't back out I think I turned out rather well!! I whole heartedly concur with the vent on quitters!!!
If we had 100 staff members of the quality level of our current staff, I would not consider that to be a bad thing! As long as they didn't mind working for $.07 an hour!!!!! Thanks for your input, Melon. Your comments and observations are always welcome as long as you agree with me!
ReplyDeleteI cannot stand people who say they are going to join, help out, and etc. Then they never show up. That really erks me personally. I don't know how u deal with it. If I were you I'd never ask them to do anything with band again. But hey what can I say.
ReplyDeleteI noticed there is a lot of missing band members, too! It's crazy, in the drills, maybe it's just me, but it seems there are quite a few empty spaces... But despite attendance issues, I think everyone is doing great. I'm really excited about the music and drill. It's going to be a great summer!
ReplyDeleteI think the show is just freakin' awesome! If you look at it from a punk-rocker stand point, it isn't very cool. But, if you look at it from a musical stand point, it is a master piece. Think about it... it wouldn't be one of Russia's most famous and prized musical pieces if it stunk. I think it is something that is hard to play - not by a note - rythum view point, but hard with all the swelling and blending. Anybody can play notes, not everybody can play MUSIC. There is a huge difference. Once the show gets past its "90%" chunk and we start working on the final ten percent, the show will be phenomenal. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Remember last year when we got our show and we all went " were gonna finish last with this crap!" Then we got second at State? I don't think it was until band camp that we really started appreciating the show. I agree that it wasn't the coolest, but it certainly had meaning. I hope I speak for everyobdy involved that it was simply amazing. This is Copland all over again - except with Russians. Once we lock on and see every part of the music having an action and reaction and all the drills really start to flow, I really think we can be great. I have seen us do it before. I think a lot of us can't or don't really want to see the final product - we don't have patience and we want to be good right away. I don't think many band kids right now can really comprehend how cool this show can be. We might have to step out of our "I can't be a geek, I have to be cool" mindset and think musically. We will have to stop thinking "what is the minimum I can do and still be a part of this" First place never goes to the person or group that slacks off. Ever. We WILL have to step up and take this bull (or Russian) by the horn(s). We can't sit around at rehearsal thinking of other things we would rather be doing. That is NOT going to get us a championship. Just suck it up for the next five or six weeks and we might have the greatest memory of our adolescent - hood. I know we can be great so lets get to work and stop being lazy!! We can do it Jay County. We ARE the only State Champions this school has got. Step up and act like Champions!!!
ReplyDelete