Transcript
Speaker: Hi everyone and welcome back to On A Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on a water break. I'm Whitney and joining me today are Sadie. Hi Sadie. Hi. And Jeremy. Hey everyone, it's great to be back again. i will be, this week I will be running as the associate producer, so I'll be more on the background, running the buttons, getting things going, but I'm excited to be here again. Good to see you both.
Speaker: Adolph The Met and go. Welcome to On A Water Break. The podcast where we talk everything marching arts.
Speaker: Everyone, bring it in. It's time for a water break.
Speaker: We're excited to dive into what's happening and in the Marching Arts this week. If you're new here, don't forget to subscribe and follow us. And if you have a hot take or a story, send it through the link in our bio so you can be featured on the show. All right. So it's just the three of us today and let's just get into it. We don't really have ah another guest. So we're going to talk about the bonus content previews. um Two weeks ago, I believe, we had Stop Skipping the Post-Rehearsal Stretch.
Speaker: ah The marching arts problem of skipping the post rehearsal rehearsal stretch. And then um last week we had WGI housing policy and AI show design debate. WGI just announced that they have a new housing policy for world championships started in 2027. And what are we doing over relying on AI to do our shows and our uniforms?
Speaker: Let's get into the news.
Speaker: So I'll go ahead and start off. Our first news article this week is talking about the January that DCI has every year. Every January, DCI gets together, brings together all of the core directors and higher-ups like Brass Caption Heads and various Caption Heads from the different sections, as well as much of the leadership, whether it just be their drum majors, but or it could also be their...
Speaker: other leadership, whether it be conductors, whether it be section leaders, what have you. And one of the great things that they were able to do is regardless of what class you're in, whether it's all age, world class, open class, everyone, all the drum managers were able to get together, talk about what's going on in the activity, some of the positive things and some of the various things that are more difficult at the moment. We need to work to improve in the activity. And it was really great to see everyone coming together, talking about drum corps again getting ready for this season which i am quite excited to get into this year it's going to be a great season
Speaker: Oh, my roommate um is on the board for ah a drum corps here in Texas. And she went up for the summit, the DCI summit, and she was sick, so she didn't have a great time. But there there was a lot to learn. And she was like, really impressed by everything that she saw and and heard. So it seemed like it was a ah good weekend.
Speaker: Yeah, there's definitely some bug going around. If you can't tell, I'm finishing up my flu, unfortunately. I'm just about near the end of it. But hopefully, even though she was sick, she was able to learn a whole bunch from and all the there there was such a just large talent pool there. So much knowledge to be learned from. Yeah, it's always good to network and just keep keep advancing your your knowledge, your education and your contacts, really. So that's fantastic. I'm glad they had one.
Speaker: Absolutely. Networking is almost half the half the game there. well for Absolutely. Next in the news, we've got Mega Monday tickets to 20 plus of the Drum Corps shows this summer go on sale February 2nd.
Speaker: And pull up the um let's see. So at 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the tickets for more than 20 events on the twenty twenty 6th Drum Corps International Tour schedule will go on sale to the general public, giving Drum Corps fans around the world a jumpstart to their plans for the upcoming season of DCI events.
Speaker: um We, of course, have the DCI i preview in June. That is Friday, June 26th. And then we I guess we jumped I'm not sure there are any, seems like that's the only show in June. And then we jumped July 2nd in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and La Crosse, Wisconsin on July fifth So, I mean, I'm sure it's going to be another fantastic BCI season as it has been. um and feel like we're we're fully back to where we were before COVID now. So that's that's exciting. And we'll see if Boston can catch another again gold medal. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Honestly, we're getting to such a point in drum corps where it's not, oh, this corps going to win every single year. It's every season. It could be anyone. I mean, at the beginning of this season, some people were like, yeah, Boston's going to win. But at the beginning of the season, it could have been anyone. Even i want to say it was Friday night. It was this rankings were flipped almost. It can literally anyone can be champion at this point in such an exciting time in the activity.
Speaker: Yeah, I think there's a movie on any given day. i know it's about football, but it could be about drum corps as well sometimes. And Color Guard, for sure. Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker: Yeah, they're all so good. So, so good. Heidi, what do you have in the news? Well, I have some good news, actually. um There was a marching band honors trombone player that had a performance. ah Trombone player Josh Boyd from the band director's marching band was surprised by a very special performance honoring his great daughter, Emily, and other organ donors.
Speaker: Boyd shared this touching moment with other donor families who were also there for the performance. NBC News, Jose Diaz-Balart has that story. And if you want to find it, it's on the NBC News website.
Speaker: So that was a lovely, a lovely tribute. Where in the country did this happen? That was, let's see. it I don't think it says hu that I can find. I'd have to go deeper into the story here.
Speaker: Just curious. ah Actually, i think it was Florida. Okay. No, no, no, no. That's a different one. Anyway, lot of good stuff happening throughout the country. I can't seem to find where it's from, but for any of our listeners who are listening in right now, if anyone had seen the band directors marching band where we had a whole bunch of different band directors from a country across the country all came together from one giant marching band of unbelievable talent.
Speaker: That was where this incredible act of greatness was able to happen. And that was that in the Rose Bowl Parade? I believe so. I believe. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That's where I had seen.
Speaker: So I don't know. Got it. Okay. Ceremony there before or after the parade, but yeah. and Understood. Okay. Awesome. Great. Awesome. I think we're going to into commercial and then keep going from there.
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Speaker: Have you listened to our podcast on a water break? Weekly episodes and bonus content keep you entertained and informed with what's going on in the marching arts. For over 25 years, Guard Closet has been here to help.
Speaker: Check us out at guardcloset.com or follow us on social media.
Speaker: Okay, everyone, it's time for 60 Second Tech Block. sixty 60 Second Tech Block. 60 Second Tech Block!
Speaker: Awesome. So for today's episode, I'm going to be taking the 60 Second Tech Block. So hopefully one of our other two can pull up a timer. And I'm going to be talking about some of the changes that they had for AllAge this year.
Speaker: from the January week or so ago. You got it? I got it. All right. Ready? And go. All right. So in the past, DCA, well, it used to be DCA, DCA joined DCI All-Age in 2024. As of a couple weeks ago, instead of having three separate All-Age classes where they had world world class up top, open class in the middle, and a class at the bottom, mostly based on course size, numbers, math, money, all that stuff. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: They've decided on a vote as the general directors from all age that they're going to get rid of the three separate classifications and it's just going to be one big all age class. That way they don't have to have separate trophies, separate everything. Just the whole season is going all be together competing consistently. That way they can be compared on a more comparable level from the judges instead of having to say this class versus this class versus this class. It should be a little bit more balanced, although for our smaller cores, it's going little bit more difficult.
Speaker: 10 seconds for a small course. It'll be a little bit more difficult for fundraising. Like the Govanaries, they've won the past two years in their class, but ahs now they're back in their own class. 60 seconds.
Speaker: 60 seconds. Do it again. And I'll talk. Yeah. and no talk yeah So there's there's just one class now. i completely miss this.
Speaker: Yeah, so what it used to be is All Age used to have, as for the past couple of years, three separate categories. They had the world class up top with like three or four cores. They had open class with three or four cores. And then A class for the newer slash smaller cores in All Age. And now they're all going to be competing at the same level, competing on the same scoring sheet and everything. And I believe that most of that was the same before. Now it's just more clear because...
Speaker: Now it's just not more clearly defined. There's only like 10 total. How many total is there? Like 15 at the most? no how ah Yeah, i think we there's about 14 or 15. Because last year there were, I think, 14 cores that competed in all age prelims.
Speaker: And then they took the top 12 for finals. and It was a little weird, a little funky the way they did it, because for prelims, that was the separate classes. And then finals, they put them all together, which I guess is kind of like BOA or like a WGI show.
Speaker: But yeah yeah, even with DCI, like prelims and semis, they're still labeled like world class, open class, what have you. But I think i think now that at for all age, they're all just going to be labeled.
Speaker: All age, no separations. All right. right Okay. okay Well, I hope that goes well. yeah Yeah, it it's one of those things like it we don't know what's going to happen with the changes. It could change everything. It could just be semantics. We'll have to, fingers crossed, we'll see how this summer goes. Yeah, for sure. are Okay, that was a solid 60 second tech block. Hopefully someone out there got some new info about ah DCA or All-AgeCore that you didn't know. But now it's time to switch things up. It's time for everyone's favorite, What Are We Doing?
Speaker: What are we doing?
Speaker: What are we doing? All right. This is the part of the show where we let loose a little bit, or maybe a lot. This is your chance to rant about something in the marching arts that just doesn't make sense. Okay.
Speaker: Sadie, are you ready? I don't know. Since I've been out of this for a little while, I don't have anything really topical, but, um and and maybe it it does occur, but What are we doing for new, new instructors?
Speaker: ah Dalton had talked about um when he goes in to help with another color guard, sometimes instructors will just put on a Zumba tape and, you know, it's just kind of a rote thing. They don't really have specific conditioning techniques. So how are we teaching new instructors to to have to be prepared, I think, is in my mind, um because you can't just come to rehearsal and say, oh, well, you know, we'll do 10 minutes warm up, blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay. are Are we giving new instructors the information that they need to prepare the students for performance?
Speaker: I guess that's my big my big deal. That's all. Anybody else um know anything about that? Do we have a lot of instructor clinics? Do we have, know, like when dance companies come to a, ah have a performance, they'll have a workshop, they'll have a master class.
Speaker: So I don't know, does that happen? Does that occur before? ah not just a regional show, but a local show? Do they have people that are are helping our new new instructors become better instructors and therefore making... I feel like there's a lot of that, or definitely not enough. I feel like they're, especially during the summer, there's always a bunch of Wintergard...
Speaker: Clinics and stuff, but you're so much trained. You're a student, but not not so much towards like how to help teachers teach. Exactly. That's exactly. And you'll definitely see stuff like, oh, every once in a while you'll have like this individual who's done drum corps before and they're offering their person like their own lessons or what have you or clinic clinics or...
Speaker: conventions or different things like that but by and large i don't think there's a huge other than like basic safety training i mean i recently went through dci's training thing to be teching for the summer and for the most part it was mostly just basic safety stuff make sure the members are sleeping away from the staff make sure it's like a just generic stuff to keep the kids safe it's ah It's definitely basic, but I mean, it's all very important stuff. It's just it has room to grow. There's more stuff that can be added to it to make staff more prepared and more ready to work with students. Right. And there's WGI Con, but that only happens every two to three years, you know? Right.
Speaker: Right. And as far as the safety, I'm curious about this because, um, Did they teach things if someone does become ill, CPR, things like that, first aid, that wasn't part of the safety? Yeah, I hate to say it. No, that was not part of the safety. I believe that's going to be DCIO. Every core now has an athletic trainer. They're responsible for any health-related issues. And if they can't handle it, they have to all of the training. One person for 30 kids, though, you know.
Speaker: Yeah, it's not. And granted, my CPR isn't up to date, but I've gone through the CPR class so many times. i yeah Personally, I've done a bit on my own, but I wish DCI required more. I do as well. I taught CPR for 20 years and um only because I didn't want to forget it, you know, because you do forget if you don't do it.
Speaker: So that's why I taught it. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of those things where, oh, you'll have to use it every once every decade or so, but the moment you made it, you need it. People never have to give CPR, you know? Right. Hopefully you're never in that situation. But, like, the time you need, like, if that comes up, God forbid, need to be ready for that. Exactly. Exactly. So it would it would behoove whoever is in charge of whatever organization to have several of their instructors CPR trained.
Speaker: Right. Have an AED on the truck or whatever. Right. Yeah. I mean, it's certainly awesome that core is I think it's required now to have at least someone on staff being athletically trained and all that stuff. but But, you know, now that now that we have one, need more.
Speaker: Right. Exactly. I mean, you know, the color guard park is out in the field down over here. The drum line's over, you know, under the trees over there. So timing is of the essence in CPR, which I have a lot of. course. Obviously.
Speaker: So that's one of my pet peeves. Okay. But you're just talking like general, like how to teach, right? Like, ah ah you know, in the grand scheme of your, your, what are we doing? You're, you want more instruction for the instructors. I do.
Speaker: I absolutely do. Especially. And when I think about like all these middle schools are now having winter guards, who's teaching that, you know, who's teaching those middle school color guards. Yeah. You know, you're going to be novice while you're you're experienced, but no, that's fantastic. But for the most part, when you say it's more that's where new instructors start at the elbow will do a little bit of a lower, younger level.
Speaker: So they need to be educated on everything. There's a Facebook group that um I see posts on often where instructors are like, like new instructors will be like, hi, this is my first time teaching ever. um And I'm not sure how to handle the situation. So there there is, there are like, I would say forums and stuff and places for people online, but that's not the same as like having like an instructor summit. Right.
Speaker: where like you could be like this is how to teach a drop spin this is how to teach a tendu like exactly those things as much as i hate to say it and not to be a little ironic but like facebook isn't the place that teachers should be learning how to like anyone can put anything they'd like on facebook yeah like if dci is not having like oh our staff has to do xyz There are so many more high schools and middle schools that are much less regulated than DCI. Exactly.
Speaker: and And not just like the the first aid type thing. I'm talking about, again, and back to to Dalton, the core strength. I was to teach Pilates, of course. And it's so important for the students to know their bodies,
Speaker: You know how to train their bodies, be strong. The core is just like the key to everything. um You know, and i i I teach seniors, which I am one of, of course. But these these ladies are tough because they've been doing Pilates for with me a couple years. And, you know, we could out plank many a young kid, I think. Lady, you should do a 60 second tech block sometime about just core strength.
Speaker: Okay. And why it's important. I'll put that on my list. I will. I will. Absolutely. Okay. That's all I have to say. Jeremy, do you have, do you have a, what are we doing?
Speaker: ah Yeah, I've got a, what are we doing? Unfortunately, it's a little bit more serious and like not, happy if you will, but it's an unfortunate reality. So, uh, this past weekend we had a camp, uh, like a half an hour away from Minneapolis.
Speaker: Uh, and for anyone who's not following the news, it, it's a rough situation. Ice is doing a lot of not great stuff. And I mean, i am a white male presenting,
Speaker: all All the privileges I could possibly have, I still had my passport with me. just i was going over state lines and I still had my passport as just-in-case.
Speaker: yeah if If you're someone who's, say, working with a group, say with WGI, if you're in Canada and coming down to a show... If every single one of your kids doesn't have all of their paperwork, anything that could possibly need, don't risk it. don't As much as I hate to say it, I would rather them miss a show than them get stuck here and not get to go home.
Speaker: it it's it's It's a really unfortunate reality we're in It's hopefully going to get better, but only time can tell at this point.
Speaker: right Well, after bringing down the mood, Whitney, do you have a different gushing go? i ah Sorry, what are we doing? i do. i have i have a what are we doing? So I just went to um a the first TCGC show of the season yesterday. um it did not get canceled. um So um that was down in like South Houston-ish in the Pearland ISD. But Um, what are we doing? So this, that that's why I'm thinking about this. And I'm about to do this with all my, all my guards. What are we doing? Going to a show and not practicing the flow before we go and compete? Like some, it always, you can always tell like who's practiced pulling out the tarp.
Speaker: and setting a timer and, you know, doing all the things in the exit. Like it's obvious who's practiced and who has who has not. And um i know it takes time out of rehearsal, but like it's important. It's so important to do that. It's important to like walk them through your halls and be like, okay, this is body warmup and do a body warmup like somewhere else. Face the different, face a different wall. only use up half the space, like, you know, that it's not going to be exactly like your space. So take them back out, make them stand in the hall and get cold. Cause that's what we do, you know, make them come in and do, do a equipment warmup, make them go back outside and make them wait. Cause that's what we do. You know, like you have to like, I just think that's so important. And, um, I'm thankful for everybody that taught me and and did that with us, um when I was performing, but like, it's so important to do that. So just make sure you take the time, and whatever, you know, however it takes from like equipment warm up or your body equipment time to performance time. I think it's like half an hour. It, I mean, it really should take about half an hour to do the whole thing. It is worth it. Please do it.
Speaker: And don't forget to practice the exit. So yeah, that, that's, that's my, what are we doing? Yeah, I mean, there's always going to be some little bit of wonkiness at the first show, but t educators need to do everything in their power to enable their students to be the best versions of themselves that they can. And even we spend so much time on basics, and this is a basic, like something of that nature. We need to know the schedule. We need to know the process. We need to know this is warmups. This is getting ready. This is on the starting line. Like there's so many just small things that...
Speaker: like you're saying are so, so important. It's all about the div show kind but details. And, and as you say, practice makes perfect, you know, even if it's, you know, how to put the floor out, you just got to practice it because presentation is everything that kind of sets them, you know, that they're professional No, we know what we're doing. but that da da da We know how to get off. not panicked about the tarp. Yeah, exactly. Because those tarps, things will come up. Problems will occur with tarps. Yes. Yeah, yeah absolutely.
Speaker: Cool. Well, let's move on to Gush and Go. Great job, everyone. Set your equipment down. Gush and Go.
Speaker: All right, we got that off our chest. Let's get into our Gush and Go's. Welcome to Gush and Go. This is your chance to shout out something awesome happening in your life, marching arts related or not. No negativity here, just pure unfiltered hype.
Speaker: ah Jeremy, you're first. So yeah, last weekend I was in Minnesota teaching with teaching a drum corps. I had the opportunity to teach with the Govaneers this summer. They're an all-age group, and i We've only had two camps so far. We had one in December, kind of the introduction camp, and then we had one last weekend. And I'm just so excited to see what they can do this season. It's their 99th year. So 2027 is going to be their 100th anniversary as a drum corps. They're currently drum DCI's oldest drum corps.
Speaker: Wow. And next year is going to be like this year's great. Next year is going to be even cooler. It's going to awesome. Sorry. I'm just really excited about it. That's awesome. Great. I didn't even know about them. And I've been in drum car a long time.
Speaker: So thank you for that. yeah where like There's a lot of, they're from St. Peter, Minnesota. Okay. Okay. Yeah, they're they're 2020, 2024 and 2025 A-class DCI All-Age champions. So in the with the lower grouping, they were the champion for the past two years. And it's not a thing anymore. So they can't this season call themselves the champion. But we're going to do great stuff either way.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: Sadie, do you have a gush and go? I do. It is not drum corps related, but since the Olympics, the Winter Olympics, that is, is upon us, I'm a huge fan. i was a sports person in college and dance, and um so I always follow almost every sport. um But there's an Olympic ice skater. His name is Elia Malilin.
Speaker: hope I pronounced that correctly. did. So good. He's the quad God. Have you heard that? That's it. And he's just so flawless. And he does the other thing called the raspberry twist or something.
Speaker: like i would I tried to think of words to describe it, but you have to just go on YouTube and follow it because it's amazing how what they do with their bodies. And and they're on blades.
Speaker: Right. Also that. Slice you and hard eyes. With no friction. Like both yeah the lack of friction. Exactly. So anyway, if you haven't seen him, check him out.
Speaker: He's fantastic. And I hope he goes for the gold. I'm sure he will. Anyway, yeah he's incredible. yeah I watched it. I saw him. I was something from recently. oh my gosh. They had the U.S. Cup or something. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. grow um Yes. One of my best friends was there watching, but I watched one of his performances and he he did a sea jump. Like, I've never seen a and a figure skater, an ice skater do a sea jump on the ice. I was like...
Speaker: like it was it was crazy he did backflip but you know we've seen um what was scott hamilton used to do backflips all the time yeah yeah so like we've seen that before but i don't think i've ever seen anyone do a sea jump on ice i was like what this guy's crazy he's crazy yeah He turns, he spins in the air so fast. Like I almost can't even count it.
Speaker: I'm like, that was four. I couldn't count that fast. I know. i know. Well, this raspberry one, you know, like a regular kind of a skater flip turn. I don't know what that's called, but then he twists his body while he's doing it.
Speaker: You guys are looking it up now. Raspberry. Raspberry twist. I want to say it's called. Yeah. But it's unbelievable. I had to look at it like three times because it is so fast.
Speaker: Okay. Finding it. Oh, oh, okay. It's like, it looks like a capoeira kind of. Yes, but rotates his whole torso. Yeah. it And he he approaches it kind of like a butterfly jump or like flying yeah squirrel jump. yeah But then like, there's like 540 like...
Speaker: We're back to the core string thing. It's all back the core string. It's all about the core string. and yeah thats um And isn't he from like Virginia or something? um I'm not sure. I mean, his parents are Azerbaijan or um not right. He's from Virginia. He's from Fairfax, Virginia. There you go. jersey they will bla You would look at his name and be like, that's that's not a guy from Virginia. yeah Yeah, he's awesome.
Speaker: Yeah. Cool. when When do the Olympics start? I believe it's February. I don't know. Okay. Yeah. It's close. I see a lot of commercials. So, you know, when you start seeing a lot of commercials coming up.
Speaker: Looks like it starts February 6th. So now that's so soon. Yeah. Literally yes a week from when this episode is being posted. oh okay. Well, that's timely then.
Speaker: That's timely and exciting. And exciting. Excellent. Well, my gush and go. yeah um i'm I'm just going to plug myself a little bit. And i am I'm open for more, if you need choreography, like last minute choreography or hair and makeup help or Even t-shirt designs. I can help with t-shirt designs. If anybody's looking for hair, makeup, choreography, and I can do band and wind percussion body too. anybody needs anything, let me know. i have a little bit of time to do some of those things. So if you need those, let me know. You can find me on Instagram at dancer wit.
Speaker: And that's that's, I mean, besides we start competitions this weekend. Yeah. um that's that's my gush and go i'm next i can't believe it's winter guard season already like yes we're about to this season were about started and it's already almost drum corps season yeah yeah yep great hey it's called gush and go not gushing stay let's go
Speaker: Okay, you have a question or a good topic to talk about, send us your what are we doing, discussion goes or news stories. You might even see yourself featured on a future episode. Check out the link in our bio to submit using our form.
Speaker: Thanks for a great rehearsal this week. Thank you to everyone who was spending time with us today. you guys have any last minute shout outs?
Speaker: Come check me out on Instagram, drumcoretoday. We post all the drumcore news, show announcements, all kinds of stuff about the activity. Absolutely. Just a pleasure to be with you guys, and I'm happy to join the whole team. i Hope I can give some information since I've been around for many, many years. My birthday is coming up this week and I will tell you how old I am. Happy birthday. Thank you. um Yeah. It's just great talking to all this, talking to you guys about all this. So I appreciate it.
Speaker: Thank you. Thanks for being here, both of you. One more thing. Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now. So go and subscribe so you can see us all there. Also, before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review, and share this with a friend. Follow us on social media on ah at a water break. Whoa. Follow us on social media at on a water break, and we'll see you at the next rehearsal on a water break.
Speaker: The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Ream. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com.
Speaker: And until next time, thanks for tuning
