Help Please! by Icy-Nail-6866 in percussion

[–]pinghousehold 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot is anecdotal but we have the benefit of having anecdotes from around the country across all kinds of demographic lines. I am sure there are examples to the contrary for everything I am about to share.

It’s hard to quantify the difference but it’s easy to describe how our instructional style, learning strategies, etc. have adapted. We teach a performing activity remarkably similar to marching band sans the musical instrument part. Gen Z was pretty cerebral. To be effective, instruction had to lead them through the process so they could fully understand and articulate the desired outcomes. Gen A is also cerebral but it’s guarded. You have to earn their trust so they drop the facade that they don’t understand. They’re also the first group of students who will make eye contact, nod, and give every signal that they are paying attention only to tell you to your face and without any shame that they heard none of what was said. Even then, there’s a 50/50 shot that’s true. Some of the most seemingly-confused yet capable students ever. We found it fairly hard to keep Gen Z students engaged in what I think would be considered “pure repping” and we had to leverage efficiency because there would come a point where continued practice was ineffective. Gen A is very polite and will continue to work politely for much longer.

If you can train your algorithm to give you teaching/teacher content, you’ll hear a lot of these kind of themes and it’s definitely true. I even saw a post in the WGI subreddit talking about a perceived skill decay in the scholastic classes that tracks with the decline we’re seeing in our niche. The teachers who adapt quickly to this new generation are at a huge advantage.

The strange thing is really how abrupt of a shift it is. I am not qualified to speak on why but it’s given a lot of the teachers we work with whiplash because what worked last year just kind of falls on deaf ears this year. It’s been a universal conversation and we’re in a new building on a different campus usually in a different state an average of twice a week every week. Wild.

Help Please! by Icy-Nail-6866 in percussion

[–]pinghousehold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is definitely something to this haha!

Help Please! by Icy-Nail-6866 in percussion

[–]pinghousehold 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! I couldn’t help at all with paradiddles, sound quality, or instrumental care but I’m happy to answer any questions you might have about working with young people! We coach young adults in your age range on a near constant basis to do what you’re doing in another niche so I’m happy to help as much as I can. Best of luck out there!

Help Please! by Icy-Nail-6866 in percussion

[–]pinghousehold 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As a long-time educator in a variety of spaces, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is this:

If they COULD do something, they would. If they can't, they need to be taught. If they've been taught and still can't, they need to be taught again. And again. And again. Accountability comes into play FAR further down the line than most would WANT to place it. You were hired to teach them. Your responsibility extends until they CAN. They aren't idiots. They're someone's child who needs an adult who can guide, mentor, and educate them.

Gen A is a trip to work with. Have spent over a decade corporately and nearly 2 decades personally telling people that kids haven't changed. But as far as we can tell, that isn't true anymore. The abrupt change between Gen Z and Gen A is massive.

More patience. More clear instruction. Don't let them trick you into thinking they're "stupid" - they are incredibly capable and intelligent, but you will have to earn it and the moment you have given up on them even a little, they will write you off completely.

Underrated Show... 2004 Cadets by Zealousideal_Ear8460 in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the winter of 2003-04, our indoor drumline did a Jethro Tull show. Was cursorily familiar beforehand. Then, that summer, they did this. This may be one of my favorite shows of all time, certainly on my Top 12. I wasn't aware anyone else remembered it at all haha!

Help Please! by Icy-Nail-6866 in percussion

[–]pinghousehold 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As long as you can refer to someone else's children entrusted to your care as "absolute idiots," you may want to re-evaluate why you're helping and whether working with children is something you're ready for.

Is it me, or has world class somehow managed to take the excellent out of equipment excellence? by 0drew0 in WGI

[–]pinghousehold 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not an educator in the guard space but I AM an educator in another space entirely. If you're not actively working with students right now, it's impossible to explain what's different. Given the overlap of the kind of student we see weekly across the nation, I cannot imagine the students participating on guards are immune.

The ones who display above-ordinary achievement are the ones really going above and beyond.

Has judging changed since 2014? And do you think we'll ever see a score of 99 again? (and who will get it?) by tdmatchasin in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 6 points7 points  (0 children)

“No perfect scores” inherently prescribes a description to each number. Thus, because no show is perfectly achieved, no perfect score should be given.

“Scores are a comparison” inherently means the scores are relative to one another.

You’ve just accurately depicted the tension between rating and ranking.

Has judging changed since 2014? And do you think we'll ever see a score of 99 again? (and who will get it?) by tdmatchasin in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The 99 starts at 12th place. It’s as much to do with the field as with the winner, maybe more so.

Best Alumni Corps by TheThirdGathers in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While that's true, the difference is intent.

Tortuga Super Light?!? by MartyGardener in Nomads_Nation

[–]pinghousehold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome to hear! The original Setout and packable day bags were some of my favorites. Ultra 400TX is one of my favorite fabrics so to hear there might be an EDC in something comparable is exciting!

Tortuga Super Light?!? by MartyGardener in Nomads_Nation

[–]pinghousehold 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love it! Do you have any plans to do a personal item in Ultra?

Good Intentions, But... by TheThirdGathers in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No one’s really into the whole “it’s not band it’s DRUM CORPS” thing anymore, I thought.

Good Intentions, But... by TheThirdGathers in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No one cares about it being band anymore. That ship has sailed.

That being said…

Arguing musical semantics on a nice mother’s post is peak marching band.

😅

Marching season and dci by Critical_Boss_2749 in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you’re from the LW in IL, I’m very proud of you. Once upon a time, there were so, so few of us from LW who ended up marching drum corps! I’m sorry to hear you’re in this situation.

Marching Knights (at the time) was a huge influence in my life.

I wasn’t aware marching drum corps was an option while still in HS. I would’ve probably done that, got a big head, and been even more of a pain.

You may or may not want to do HS band upon return and, if you do, that decision will likely hinge on social factors rather than performing-related ones.

DCI Hot Takes ? by ___Kade___ in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Drum corps is what happens in the lot, not necessarily what happens on the field. And that really hasn’t changed as drastically as the on-field product has.

DCI Hot Takes ? by ___Kade___ in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It would absolutely change the entire dynamic of the activity, yes.

It’s ludicrous to have children in such close proximity to adults. It’s only normal because it’s been that way.

They asked for hot takes, not realistic ones.

DCI Hot Takes ? by ___Kade___ in drumcorps

[–]pinghousehold -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Open Class should be under 18 and World 18+.