00:00:00
00:00:01
The One Recapping WGI Advisory Board and Stephen's New Music
148 Plays4 months ago
Join our hosting panel as they talk about what happened at the WGI Advisory Board Meeting this year AND we get to sample some of Stephen’s New Music with his collaborator N.W. Eazy. Our hosts bring you their stories, plus news, guests, and so much more!
Special Guests
N.W. Eazy - @n.w_eazy
Meet our Hosts
Jackie Brown - @spintronixguard
Stephen McCarrick - @stephenmccarick
Cindy Barry - @leandermomma
Nicole Younger - @o2bnpjs & @thecookoutcg
Trevor Bailey - @t_pain151
Trish O’Shea - @trishdish1002
Beth Beccone - @bether7189
Chris Rutt - @wildhornbrass1
Cynthia Bernard - @cynthiabern
Ashlee Amos - @famousamossss_
Theo Harrison - @harrisontheo07
Stephanie Click - @stephanieclick
Whitney Stone - @dancerwhit
Justin Surface - @J_dex07
Ashley Tran - @itsashleytran
Jack Goudreau - @goudreau_
Bill Woodward - @remoking100
Emily Nee - @tch.makes.art
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall - @ricardorrobinson
Callie Quire - @cnquire
Austin Hall - @Austin_hall10
Jose Montes - @joeymontes57
Music provided by leydamusic.com Follow him @josh.leyda
Avatars provided by @tch.makes.art
Featuring
Lexi Duda - Host for On A Water Break In Rhinestones - The Stories of the Twirlers @lexi_duda
Thank you also to @guardcloset
#marchingband #colorguard #dci #podcast #onawaterbreak #wgi #drumline
Recommended
Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
Hey everyone, we are back for another week of exciting rehearsals. This week we are talking all things music and the WGI advisory board meeting that just wrapped up recently here. ah But before we get going, we'll find out what made Ricardo say. Anyone in the activity understands and knows that for a group to come from outside of the United States who compete in WGI, it is a huge feat because the challenges for international groups are way different than there are here in the United States of America. And why Cynthia said, moment that I walked into that door, I really felt like steering committee people and the people that kind of have a light, a loud voice by who they are, really use it. All this and more, so get out on the field and we will see you back on the sidelines for this week's episode of On A Water Break. Eight off the Met and go. Welcome to On A Water Break. The podcast where we talk to everything, marching arts,
00:01:06
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of season two of 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 Steve McCarrick and we are in for an exciting rehearsal this week. ah But before we get to all that, let's see who we got on the sidelines. We've got Cynthia. Hi. Hello. I feel like I haven't talked to you. It's been months. It is. I really don't know when it was, but it's been so long. Good to see you. I'm so excited because you were out ah just at the advisory board meeting, weren't you? I was, I, yeah, I was, it was amazing. I cannot wait to talk to you guys about it. I know like nothing about what's happened yet, so I need to hear the the full scoop, which is great. That's why we've also got Joey on the call. Joey, I think you were there too, right?
00:01:52
Speaker
Yep. I was, ah I was involved in the wind side ah of the advisory board meetings. Awesome. Yeah. Super excited to hear all about that when we get back to it. And we've also got Ricardo here on the sidelines with us all the way from the DCI tour bus. Bonjour. I'm actually on a short break from tour to come home to teach my kids at home this week. So just a few days off for my drum corps babies to teach my home babies. And then I'll be back on the road in a few days. Man, that's busy, busy, busy. I can't wait to hear about ah kind of both of that and how it's going for you. And we've also got, producing the show for us, we've got Trish with us as well. How are you doing, Trish? Hello, hello. All right, cool. So let's just get right into this here. I really want to hear about this advisory board meeting and and kind of what's new this year, what what what people have been talking talking about. Cynthia, do you want to get into this for us and maybe
00:02:49
Speaker
I'm having um'm having some... tab two and guy everything's fine. All right.
00:02:58
Speaker
You saw my little sassy side, I guess. So what you're saying, the advisory board, it was completely amazing. It was my first time ever. Uh, I don't know where to begin. So, so people that don't know at all, like usually, I don't know the wins. You'll be able to go in wins and jumps, but it's top 15 of world class and classic and independent, and then the top five of eight class and open class for us. So. You can imagine that the A class and open class kind of rotate often. It's not fairly often that are the same group. So so you have those little babies, I was one of them, those little shy, dear babies going here and there in front of those like big humans that you never touch and see and talk to.
00:03:47
Speaker
and And yeah, and there they kind of do a review of the season by each division. Ron, which is a CEO, gave gave us a little bit of ah a speech, but I don't remember nothing. I was waiting. But it was interesting when but I don't remember anything of this. it It's just, it's long, it's fun. And then you have proposals for change rules that we can go into this and advisory board people and board people that get voted. So it's a pack load weekend. So how does that all work? Like ah maybe for someone who hasn't heard of this meeting before, doesn't really know what goes on behind closed doors, do the ensembles submit feedback on how they felt like the season went? Do they submit rule changes? What kind of happens there?
00:04:35
Speaker
Yeah, so the rule changes, you have a date to do a proposal and which we talked about like a couple of episodes ago, but you go to your rule book and you propose a rule change and you give a rationale. So for College Guide this year, there was only five, which is not a lot. Propose rules and it can come from an individual, it can come from a group, it can come for the steering committee, the board of directions, it can come from anywhere that is involved. within the activity and and but What was the other question? Oh my god, I'm so loopy tonight Well, I'm just trying to think like what does the actual weekend look like out there? So once a group submits a proposal then are these proposals kind of brought up and ah in a big public space and and everyone discusses them
00:05:23
Speaker
Yeah, so the schedule goes ah fairly easy. On Friday afternoon, there's a caucus for the A group and the open group with A class and open class, which I thought was very, very nice just to get everyone in a smaller group and not in front of that intimidating, very nice people, but still intimidating people to go over some of the reviews of, for us, it's Dale and Carlo and Curtis usually, but he wasn't there this year. So Dale being the director of the colleague, Carlo being the representative of the educators and Curtis being the representative of the adjudicators. And they also went through every proposal one after the other so we could give our opinions and open up the discussions within the a and open class caucus. So when it's brought back the day after on Saturday and it's really discussed and voted, if the open class people don't talk,
00:06:18
Speaker
Dale or Carl would be saying like, this is some points that were brought up and blah, blah, blah. And there's also people from the steering committee that just were there to talk to us and be there to also listen to what we're saying. And and so I don't know for you, Jose, but from the moment that I walked into that door, I really felt like steering committee people and the people that kind of have a light, a loud voice by who they are, really use it in a very, they're not shy to talk for a name of another group or talk their name, but not just like to represent the community. And yeah, and then so after that,
00:06:56
Speaker
We just go into the big groups, big meeting, and they give the proposal. It needs to be second. If it's second, it's going to be talked about and voted on Saturday. Same thing for the, how do you say the, the apply in the candidate, the candidates, candidates. Yeah. So it goes, they go name by name on Friday night. If they get second, they go through and, and then Saturday we have a full day of talking, voting much. Is there any ah like proposals that kind of stood out to you or maybe were like a big talking point throughout the weekend?
00:07:32
Speaker
this For people that were there and are listening to me, I've been under this thought the entire week, not the entire weekend, but everything. Okay, so Full of polygons just go there. I will I will and and yeah, so there was 5 proposals. of That I may not remember from the top of my head, but good proposals and most of them were. either proposed through the steering committee. So it was like bringing more than 50 member, being allowed to have more than 50 member on the TARP and have an unlimited number to align with all the other divisions. and There was something about giving invitation to high schools because for I didn't know that for some district, if you're not invited by the organizations, you're not allowed to go outside of your state with your high school and things like that. And then there was proposal number five.
00:08:28
Speaker
where someone proposed that the age out um of a class would go up a year because it used to be, it is still 22, proposed it to be 23, and that would be applicable for all international groups. So as of right now, the there is a rule after all the age out rules that says that international people, not groups, not organization, but international, it goes with your passport, can be over age in all category in all categories. Yeah, that's the right word. And that international groups are now allowed to compete in Scholastic. So that's kind of a way of like counter act to not have universities in Scholastic. And, and to be fair, it's discussed or questioned every year to me or to like, I always have that one person that comes up to me at originally and be like,
00:09:18
Speaker
There's overage in your group, right? Like thinking we're going around some sort of rule and I'm like, yeah, there is. So that was not like a big surprise or anything. It was a rationale. That was a little targeted, ah let's be fair, to basically said like, huh? Cynthia, can I jump in and be real messy real quick, okay? Yeah, because it's not your job. Yeah, go ahead. I'm gonna be messy, okay. Just so all of our listeners out there in the world know what what how it all went down, Cynthia's group is from Canada. Cynthia's group had five or six performers. Six. Six performers. The minimum number of performers for WGI i is five performers. Cynthia's group had six performers.
00:10:02
Speaker
and they meddled because they were fantastic. And the the controversy over proposal number five is is that because Cynthia's group is an international group, they have members that were older than 22 years old. Anyone in the activity understands and knows that for a group to come from outside of the United States to compete in WGI, it is a huge feat because the challenges for international groups are way different than there are here in the United States of America. So I'm going to put myself out there and say that all of us who are friends of Cynthia and know the mission of Cynthia's organization, we all know that it you know it is about fostering performance. And there was a proposal that was put out there that kind of specifically really kind of targeted Cynthia's group this year. So I'm going to say it.
00:10:54
Speaker
I know you don't want to. I will put it out there in the world. Y'all can come from me in the comments if you want to. It's fine. You know what? We're not and we're not saying anything wrong. it was yeah The rationale was written and to be read publicly. So you make your dis you make your opinion in around the rationale that was written there. My job as a representative was lee of Lazy Clips was just to give a point of view, open up the field for people to ask questions. It was mostly that and the director of Lazy Clips, the now director of Lazy Clips just asked me to kind of strain out the blatant lies that we did have six performers. We had one over age. He was 23.
00:11:35
Speaker
And after that, for the six performers or average age is always around 1718. So it's not like, but on the other hand, if I say that, then it's like, why do you need an overage class? And that's where I went more into it with everyone saying like, I cannot represent the entire world. I can represent Montreal. Right now, our average age is around 17 and 18 and might go up when I go down. There's so many people that come to me and be like, Hey, so you can have more members in metal. I'm like, there's none. There's no other more members to have. Like it's not an each thing.
00:12:08
Speaker
and unless I go steal in other organizations where I teach everywhere so I won't do that. But there is a group from Japan that right now is an A and they had 50 year old people and and one year they had a 50 year old and a four year old on the same floor competing in egg class. But and and the one thing I will say one thing that was really that happened that made things really funny is that as soon as they, so Carl Lowe on the caucus read the proposal, he read the proposal, he read the rationale, and through the entire time he was looking at me being like, hey, you're good to talk, you're good to talk, and I was like, don't have to, and in the end he's like, all right, so go ahead, and I said exactly that, I said, and then go a little bit more on why we need that, we'll open them, but then Carl Lowe stopped me and he's like, I don't think they're talking about you, and I was like, well,
00:12:54
Speaker
We're the only internationals at metal, right? And then everyone started laughing and be like, all right. So like, so it was, so it was what it was. But in the end, like I was a little stressed out, not that it would pass. Well, you, we have a chat. I was stressed out when it came out. I was like, Oh my God, I don't want to fight with anyone. But i I really felt the support from the entire community being like, this is not going to go through. oh This is not even a discussion. It was every time we talked, it was more about like, but how is it like curiosity of how is it at home? Why is it like that? That we don't have music programs. We don't have marching bands. We don't have high school. Like all of that, it opened up a lot of discussions and and I was feeling every time we would talk about it, I would feel more and more support court for the international
00:13:38
Speaker
I mean, not just, i mean like I said, I cannot represent the world, but but i do in the end it was like a really good thing because it opened up nice discussions. Yeah. Sydney, it's so funny. You should just say, you just brought that up because the whole time I was thinking, you know, there might be people listening that don't really know, you know, what the challenges are for you to even do a regional, I mean, my kids do My kids do the Bethlehem Regional. We did it the last two years. I mean, we're in New Jersey. The regional's in Pennsylvania. It's about an hour and change away. The school bus takes us. And the school bus takes us back. But that may not be as easy for you guys. So why don in a veryt like in a very brief way, why don't you maybe spend a bit of telling the listeners who like or thinking,
00:14:26
Speaker
Well, what's the big deal? They went to the Bethlehem Regional, but how much of a struggle was it for you to get from Canada to the Bethlehem Regional? um Well, before that, I think the other thing that is really interesting about Canada is that, and then I talked to a lot of people, people don't see us as international as when you come from Japan or Holland, which I completely understand, but there is a lot of big differences. And in what in Canada, in the whole Canada, there's, depending on your years, between 10 to 15 organizations, you have 15 finalists.
00:15:00
Speaker
We have i organizations from one side to the other, of the country, right? But yeah, for us, first of all, there's the the exchange rate that can bring us down a whole lot. A dollar right now for us, your dollar is $1.40 average, and cost of life is not lower. So it's a lot of money to go down. Just for Bethlehem we have to rent a bus that is usually for the weekend about it went so so high after COVID but maybe 5,000 to 7,000 depending just for the bus.
00:15:39
Speaker
Then the Tunis Hotel, then the ride the drive. So for us, it's eight hours. The closest regional is Salem, which is six hours of driving and the borders. So everyone needs a passport, everyone needs international insurance and all this. And the other thing that is really interesting that came out this weekend and I never realized, the regionals for us are the only time that we have WGI educators giving us comments. Because think about your local circuit. like Even if you don't go, you will have one or two or 10 WGI credit educators. We don't have that. We have no WGI educators at all. And locally, we have the same five educators that are trying their best. But we are. And the other thing is that it's all of that. And Quebec Group's
00:16:29
Speaker
and Canadians, because but I will include Pacific Airs, although I don't know much of their situation. We're on the top of the wave, like we've did show excellence and really good programs. So people don't know or think, and I didn't even know that we had that much differences, but yeah. Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Like when you really lay it out that way, people listen to the rule and they think like, oh, these international groups are able to like get a leg up against me for, you know, having this little discrepancy in the rule, but it's, it's neglecting the, and the huge leg up that any group in America has for just being where people do color guard, like.
00:17:09
Speaker
I think the best way to put it is, you know, with here in the United States, we have scholastic programs, like students in our schools are doing color guard. There are hundreds and thousands of these programs across the country in Canada that doesn't exist. So, you know, it's it's different. It's just different. I think it was great what Ron said at the opening meeting on Friday that you know when he was talking to all three divisions, guard, percussion, and wins, ah you know he said, when you're voting or when you're talking, you have to ask yourself, is this because something happened to you or are you voting yes because this is what's best for the activity? And you know i i i think I think this proposal was one of those ones.
00:17:52
Speaker
that he was kind of shutting some light on because I think from the beginning it was it was a preposterous what they were asking of of people outside of the norm yeah yeah but it didn't go through
00:18:05
Speaker
Didn't go through yeah and and i truly I truly believe it got second because of misunderstanding and that's another thing like when you're in open class you don't know that a rule doesn't have to be second like a proposal doesn't have to be second it was too long about silence and so like no no feelings negative about anyone and the four organizations that voted and I don't want to talk for them because maybe they're going to try they're trying to do something about it right now But it didn't go through an unanimously, is that the word? you unanimous But the next morning I got messages from two representatives of those four four organizations saying like, we did a mistake.
00:18:50
Speaker
Like, non-mistake as on, like, we think we thought about it. Like, the legit thought they were voting against it. Like, it's just the discussion went so left and right. And then the way it was written, it's legit. And they're big names. Like, it's Avon Carmel. Like, they're big, big, big, big names, people. And in the end, I was like, well, I'm glad. you you reached out to me now i'm facebook friend with you so i can talk during the year like it's just i'm like i'm cool with the bridge and they're trying to amend it but like it just made them so human for me i'm like okay like it's it's so yeah it's all good so no one no one be man at those four beautiful winning organizations they all came back being like oopsie and i kind of like that like yeah
00:19:37
Speaker
Well, I'm glad to hear that it's water under the bridge there. And thank goodness that rule did not go through. That would have sucked, but let's move on to the news. so
00:19:58
Speaker
All right. Let's get into it here. Do we got any volunteers for who wants to go first this week? I don't mind. I was just going to volunteer. Isn't that funny? What do you got? for So shout out to my Syracuse friends. I have a lot of people. Cynthia and I both have a lot of friends. We both marched in Syracuse that have kids that march that march marching band right now. Well, if you're one of those people, uh, you could be potentially be in a movie because um There's a movie filming in Syracuse called Summer of 69 and they have put out a casting call. um They're looking for an entire marching band.
00:20:38
Speaker
Want to be in a movie? American High is holding a casting call for background actors to be in their next project in central New York. They'll get to fill hundreds of roles, including an entire marching band, a soccer team, a competitive cheer team, and they also need extras. So if you're, there's info um on the web. You must apply online at and and the casting dot.us s dot.epcastingportal dot.com slash apply. If you're 18 or older, there's also a link if you're under 17, but what a great opportunity to be in a movie. You know, if you, if there's, you know, one of our friend band directors out there,
00:21:21
Speaker
Or if there's a group from outside the Syracuse area that wants to bring their own whole its entire group up to Syracuse, if you'd like to give you some ideas of what to do in downtown Syracuse. And yeah, and you could be in a movie. So I'm sure everybody out there can't wait to see this movie and see who actually made the cut. But it's the thing if you, you know, if you can do it, it's cool. cool that that's happening in upstate New York too, because like, yes I've heard of but of some friends doing movie gigs in California and they marched on Blue Devils, but but yeah yeah some good, good hometown, like ah East coast people. We can get some East coast people into the movies with this one. That's right.
00:22:03
Speaker
Nice. Yeah, definitely got to go check that out. Let's like take a look at this next story here. I'll go next. We've got a Metallica doing another competition, their second annual competition now to put Metallica songs in big marching band shows. So they are bringing back the prizes bigger, bolder and brassier is what they've described it as on a Metallica marching band dot com. But units can compete. ah There are different divisions. So whether you're like a small school or you're a very large university marching band, everybody gets to submit something. ah Your ensemble playing a Metallica song and you could win all sorts of funds and instruments and all sorts of good things that your ensemble needs to succeed.
00:22:50
Speaker
So this was a super cool competition we followed last year. Lots of awesome performances came out of it. And if you're having a little bit of FOMO from last year, you're in luck because you can do it this year. So check it out. Maybe listen to some Metallica albums. Get a little inspired and and write your next show. Let's take a look. I think it would be fun, man, especially as a drummer. Like I would love to actually write like Just a death metal show. It's a perfect excuse. Like I'm doing it for the good of the ensemble. We need to win the money. This isn't my, my nineties passion coming out here or anything like that. But Ricardo, why don't you, uh, what do you, uh, got for us this week?
00:23:38
Speaker
Well, I am excited to tell you about the U.S. Band's Educational DCI Event Day Clinics because they are expanding for the 2024 DCI i Tour. So this means that everyday people, high school band students get the opportunity to learn and play alongside a drum corps in residence at one of the five shows, the DCI Event Day Clinics, that is powered by U.S. Band's and Drum Corps International. these advance These educational events are part of an annual DCI summer season since 2022, and it's to provide students and marching music educators with the opportunity to learn from some of the top DCI ensembles and instructors in the marching music industry. So across the 90 stops on the DCI tour, five will include one of these US band clinics during the afternoon hours prior to the start,
00:24:36
Speaker
of the corresponding DCI tour event. So it's oh that's all category and right i now it's open to all categories of marching music performers and educators. and participants of the DCI day clinics will work alongside their core residences. And part of their experience, they can witness the ins and outs of drum corps rehearsal processes. And they will also get the opportunity to learn a portion of the featured drum corps 2024 field production. Yeah. It's amazing. Right, right.
00:25:07
Speaker
So educators, here's a bit of a boost for you. So for every 10 students that you get to go in your group, one educator gets free tuition. And the registration does include a ticket to the DCI event. So they're half-day clinics. They're about five hours long that take place at the venue before the DCI event. There are various sessions for wins, percussion, color guards, and educators. Side-by-side learning experience with members of the Drum Corps in residence. sessions with the Drum Corps staff to learn excerpts of their current show, educated specific sessions with the U.S. bands team and Drum Corps staff, and you also get a t-shirt because who does not love a t-shirt?
00:25:50
Speaker
Well, I wasn't in until I heard I get a t-shirt. I mean, listen, and we do a lot of things for a t-shirt. But some of the the places that these are going to exist is Waco, Texas on July 18th with the Cavaliers as the feature core. And July 22nd at Mesquite, Texas, also with the Cavaliers. And then July 23rd in McKinley, Texas, and the feature core is the Mandarins. And for all of you Blue Devils fans, you get two dates to pick from Friday, July 26th in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Newark, Delaware on July 30th, where the Blue Devils will be the court in residence. So but I in Newark. Are you going to go to the clinic? I learned from the. Yeah, I'm going to go to the B.D. clinic. That's awesome. I hope it's not on a work day.
00:26:39
Speaker
I might not be in Newark if it's not on the work day. That's so cool. steve yeah I'm going to need a ah little doctor's note, but that's ah I think that's such a good idea. I was just talking to someone the other day about how like seeing drum corps in real life when you're like young, is like that's the that's what gives you the bug and then you end up going and doing it. and Especially if you pair that like with the education, you pair it with like seeing people that are not that much older than you. Oh, that's the biggest thing being able to stand side by side with these people that you think are superheroes and then you find out that they literally are the same age or just a little bit older and they got their start the same way that they did. It's great.
00:27:24
Speaker
Yeah, it can just set a whole entire generation of marchers up. So that's that's really cool. I didn't even know they do that. that's That's a cool thing. Joey, what do you got for us? a Mine's really quick and it's it's kind of it's centered around some maybe maybe if you're not ah able to go out and and do these clinics, which I think I just want to say if you have an opportunity to do that. 100% find a way to do it. I think think that it's the it it's the only it's the only reason that I'm here is a clinic like that, but I'm lazy now and I don't feel like I could go to a clinic, so I'd want to stream it instead. Amazon's actually picked up a pilot for a marching band show, so we or it looks like we're going to get a series.
00:28:02
Speaker
Yeah, ah really, really neat. It's a it's a fiction. It looks like it follows a group of teens. ah Beautiful. It looks like it follows a group of teens as they as they navigate adolescence while finding a sense of belonging in their school's marching band. And I think I think it's going to speak to how a lot of us kind of entered into the band room and and found a home. And so I like that this is, you know, creating a light in how we see marching band and not some, you know, like, why do you like what did you like band camp, you know, type things. I think this is a cool way to get an actual view of what it what a lot of us, I think, found in the pageantry arts or marching arts as like a sense of belonging. So.
00:28:42
Speaker
I mean, it seems really neat. Looks like it's from the people from that have made pitch perfect and a league of their own and a a man in full. um So I feel like we've got the right team to make something yeah really cool that represents as well. I will be sending that trailer when it comes out to the people I work with. oh because the other teachers where I work, they'll be like, they call it, you know, we don't call it work because we love the activity so much, but no like by she was my co-teacher, but she's across the hall now. We'll say to me every every night when I'm leaving, are you working tonight? Meeting Do I have rehearsal tonight? Are you working tonight? And I'll be like, yeah, she'll be like, I don't know how you do it. I don't know how you do it. She's getting the trailer right away because she needs to see what this is all about. And um she'll find out how I do it. yeah
00:29:30
Speaker
I really hope they can do a good job of painting like a good picture of why people ah fall in love with the activity and the way we do feel like ah maybe our last run in wasn't too great when we had the rock. Hopefully the pitch perfect. People know a thing more about music than the rock did for his little series that we had. Do any of you even remember that series? It was like a like a drama for a reality show or something. yeah yeah But I do remember the one that was on FX. It was like the cadets and the Blue Devils. That's the one. I think it's the same one. It was okay. one That's the one that the rock was on. Victor was like the featured cadet and then he was going home and coming back and all that went on. And Brandon Olander was on snare on the top of that weird mountain for some reason. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:30:22
Speaker
yeah That's crazy. I forgot most of that. So I'm going to go and review some of the tapes because that's something that I need to see, but we'll be right back after this quick break.
00:30:44
Speaker
Hey, this is Christine Reem and Chris Green. Guard Closet was founded as a consignment business in 2000. Since then, it has grown to include Winter Guard, band, percussion, and other genres. We can help you with custom flag and costuming designs. Our consignment inventory has plenty of great looks for your color guard, drum line, and marching band. Pay it forward. When you purchase consignment, you help other programs. Last year, we sold over 400 sets of consignments and returned over $125,000 in payments to our consigners for their skills.
00:31:16
Speaker
Additionally, Guard Closet offers custom and pre-designed costumes, flags, floors, and formal wear, full or partial showwriting, educational programming, and other services. Max out your rehearsal time and set up a microsite for easy student ordering for shoes, gloves, and other equipment. The Guard Closet team is here to help you get everything you want and need for your season. Check us out at guardcloset.com and follow us on social media.
00:31:56
Speaker
All right, everyone, we are back and I am excited to hear all about the wins advisory board meeting. Joey, do you want to like get us started with how the weekend went for the wins, folks? Yeah, absolutely. So I it went great. It went fantastic. The the vibes are always really, really chill in the room. um You know, and I think we've had a couple of conversations, Stephen, you and I, about, you know, the differences we see between the, ah you know, the other two. um divisions and then wins and and how you know we get to create in a different way. And the purpose of us or what we're ah trying to achieve right now is different than maybe the other two idioms. And I think the same the same vibe kind of entered the advisory board. and So ah similar to how it is in the other two divisions, ah you know you you make a certain placement in at World Championships and you're invited to the advisory board.
00:32:52
Speaker
um And we had ah we had a ah lot of proposals, we had 10 proposals and seven of them got passed. um one of them wow okay yeah um One of them just was, ah one of them got joined together with, ah um with ah so Prop 9 and Prop 10 got joined together. And then two of them just ah weren't where we are right now as ah as an activity. and And so that'll be a proposal for another day. um Only one of them didn't get second. And I want to talk about ah first, so The vibes are cool. We all, you know, had donuts and we vibe together. You know, there was laughing like sitting next to some of the the industry's elite designers. You know, there's Matt Harloff there. Wes Pendergrass is sitting in the in the corner just, you know, having a diet coke. And and, you know, that you got all these different groups, you know, like people that you you you value their opinion and they're just sitting there chill. And they're saying, you know, you know, this is why I feel like
00:33:48
Speaker
What we're doing is sound music education and to hear it from them is so cool. But ah the the first prop ah that came up that kind of caught some people off off guard was across expanding a class competition at went at championships to a three-day format. And so right now they're we've proposed that um a class prelim starts on friday at a high school a local high school and then all groups go into semi-finals to have a second run on saturday at true list and then the the top six groups top five groups make it to uh finals and so that's cutting a lot of a class groups from finals but you've already ensured that they have two runs and so to do this it saves time on sunday because we're very limited uh i i don't know what the other two y'all other twos um
00:34:37
Speaker
award ceremony looks like but as soon as that confetti comes down and they say congratulations to the last group there's already workers on the floor sweeping up but like we're we're kind of rushed out um and so it it allows for more groups on sunday Um, to, to perform and it gives it, it gives everybody the chance to have two runs. There's been so many groups that have shown up and just had one run and gone home. And I could, I mean, like when we talked to, we talked about how much it costs to have groups go. This was a great proposition to have groups have multiple runs in Dayton. Um, and then there was, uh, there was another proposition to get, um,
00:35:15
Speaker
to waive registration fee for your first WGI event if you haven't um you haven't you haven't participated since 2022 to draw more groups in. and We want to make it as accessible as possible. And so you know I think everything that we voted on was to make this more accessible and easier than ever to be a part of. And you know those are the two props I was really, really excited for. We changed the analysis sheets for music and vis to be weighted more on achievement, kind of similar to what the guard regional A and A class have ah to, again, ensure that we're like people are in the right class A, but B, that we're we're being safe and we're we have sound teaching to get us from A, open and world. And so, you know, those three props were amazing. And then the last one that I want to talk about is we we we changed the minimum performance time to B in line with percussion to three, three and a half, and four A, open world, respectively.
00:36:08
Speaker
So again, making making wins more achievable and and more accessible. that was the That was the whole point to the entire weekend for us. you know um Friday night, we you know we we had the big caucus. we We were dismissed to our rooms, and then um we were done in like 20 minutes. Really? We read all the proposals. We read who was wanting to be on the steering committee. We said, what's everybody's plans? OK, we'll see you on the strip. And then we were done. You know, I was waiting for some people in the percussion room.
00:36:41
Speaker
And the guard room, like saying, oh, when you guys are done, we're going to go do something. And I, you know, I don't know when the guard got out. We ended up just dipping. But percussion took until 1030 because I mean, like, I don't know how much I'm supposed to share, but the the meeting was cut short on Friday because people were were being a little spicy, ah you know, like, and you know, hearing how it on the percussion. So she gets dramatic. You know, people get mad. i think the I think the cool thing that passed on the percussion side though is, ah you know, finally it's been it's been brought up for years and years and years, but finally ah concert class, the artistry page is getting revamped. So they're taking artistry out of the and a concert percussion. They're going to come up with a new sheet.
00:37:21
Speaker
um and so yeah I think it's important to say that all the decisions that were made this weekend, whether it's guard percussion or wins, this was something I was asked ah to say but ah when I was talking about some of this stuff, but all these proposals were passed by the um advisory boards and the student committees and now goes to the governance board. And so nothing is set in stone yet. um So if people really want to get a lazy eclipse, there's still a chance. Get to your governance board and give your piece. know Call your senator. It's a good point though because ah especially when it's about it's money things like you're saying you're waiving the first-year tuition like I really hope for you guys it goes through and I yeah i think it's important like right now the the board of directors are trying to make sure that all divisions are as similar as possible within its rules
00:38:12
Speaker
Which I do appreciate but there is some differences that we need to keep and that's probably why I mean The the proposal of the number of performers on the field for color guard was very tight So in the in the votes it didn't go through but for us the thing is you can have I don't know like Stephen may say something but you can't have 25 performers in the pit and and 20 on the floor where 50 is is a lot so yeah I hope they're gonna waive the fee for one year for growth in your division makes sense Yeah, no, i mean we're we're almost there. and And as soon as I asked people, i you know I was texting people as soon as this prop went out. was you know I'm from North Carolina, and we had we had one of the but the top five highest, ah the most people at the at the regional. you know We had 10 performing groups.
00:39:00
Speaker
You know, the ah the other two had 13 performing groups and then it wasn't even close. It was like three or five or one, you know, and so I asked a lot of my my my groups and my my friends here in North Carolina that have wins groups, you know, if we raise the waive the registration fee, if we made this more accessible, would you come to Dayton? And I mean, it was a resounding yes. And so I think with these rules, if they get passed by the governance board, I think I think this is this is that step this is this next level that wins has been looking for um because we've been shooting for the 65 groups at Dayton as a as a pinnacle mark and I think this is this is the year it's finally going to happen because everybody was on the same page everybody sees
00:39:44
Speaker
um the benefit of winds, not just as a marching trainer for the fall, but ah it also helps with the jazz band and the concert band. and Kids are just on their horns more often, like, why wouldn't you want that? And this is a great way to see that see that happen now. So we're really excited. It's so cool to see that. I don't know, Trish, how do you feel about that? And I'm going to sound like i'm I'm older than I am, but I said it this weekend. I'm i'm born in 86, and I've been in the activity since then. So i'm not I wasn't performing, but I saw a lot of changes and a lot of growth. And even then, in 86, WJ was something. But it's so fun to see the three level of ah of age, like you have you that are toddlers, and then the teenagers that are fighting on Friday night, and then the
00:40:30
Speaker
the oldies that are in the the but it comes with so much creativity and so much openness to change things because I mean we have little peaking windows of like if we thought of maybe sometimes one day think about maybe changing a word in a sheet and people are like in the color guide so for you guys to be like super malleable with what you're doing just thinking about the future is really refreshing and I thank you so cool Yeah, no, the wind space is something that I'm absolutely in love with. You know, I've gotten to be in the percussion room and the guard room before, and it's just, it's not the same vibes. And that's something a lot of us talk about in that room, is that, you know, it's it's kind of, it's kind of a huggy, you know you know, teddy bears and and rainbows over there. it is It is just fun. Like, I'm telling you, we shared donuts. We had lunches together, you know. we We're finding those things. We need to meet everyone. and make all the three like divisions because we were in the same room, but we didn't, we listened to Ron, which he did have interesting things all the way, but, um, yeah, we shouldn't mix and match up together because it.
00:41:38
Speaker
And and in the I don't know, like we cannot talk about progression, but maybe parenthesis, anyone can go to Vegas. You don't have to be, you just have to be a voting, those finalists are voting, but you can be, anyone can come. So we should find like one more representative of on a water break in every room so we can have like the the general side of it. but Absolutely. Next year. On a water break retreat. Yeah. Yeah. I'll take the honor on a water break Vegas trip. That sounds like just the fact that, you know, those of us have who have been around umj for so long are, you know, that these classes and these
00:42:19
Speaker
you know and these all all other programs are even happening I mean just even at my high school now I mean it took me so many years to get a winter guard then it took me so many years to actually go to a regional and now fingers crossed the winter guard's going to go to WGI next year we've done regionals but I think we're going to go to Dayton next year But we also finally have an indoor percussion. And when you what triggered me to so bring that up was when you talked to Jose about um thea the proposal about concert percussion. um We have a concert percussion ah group now and at our high school. It's like, oh, I got to tell them that. you know Five years ago, that wasn't a thing.
00:43:02
Speaker
10 years ago that wasn't a thing so like the fact that you know that this is all happening and that you know there's advisory board meetings about this now and you guys are all putting your heads together to make this expand even more it's just it's incredible it really is yeah um And the last thing I want to say about my experience with the weekend and the last the last thing I want to say about, you know, or what I have to say, I don't want to say I'll talk about this all day. But the last thing I have to say about the advisory board and what I learned about WGI this year, it is I believe it is objectively the most transparent ah marching arts organization um that exists right now.
00:43:40
Speaker
Um, because anything that Ron wants to do has to pass the governance board and, and everything that he wants to say has there, there's, there's conversations that happen and he, there's, there's some things that came, came up on the wind side of things that I'm not sure I'm allowed to speak on yet, but he brought it to us and we talked about our response to it. Um, and. And I don't think other organizations have that, because there were other people that were in that room that are from those other organizations that had ah no idea that this beef was happening. And and really, it's about um philosophies and and and things of that sort. But um it was it's a really cool that Ron and what what
00:44:18
Speaker
WGI has built and and how it's structured with steering committees and advisory boards and governance boards and the accountability. Our new head of of um well ah performer yeah performer protection is you know that I think just speaks to how much WGI cares about its members and and us as an organization. it is it is I learned it it is incredibly transparent and I appreciate it. Big transparent is the absolute best word you could use right now because I was so impressed by the fact that I don't even think the weekend was over yet. And Dale Powers made a video like, hi, everybody, this is Dale Powers and a color guard, blah, blah, blah. Here are the proposals and here's how they were voted on.
00:45:03
Speaker
i mean just left it all out there completely transparent. You know, this is what was voted and and it passed X amount to X amount, you know, so like we knew everything and I saw that the other groups did it as well, which is that's great. That's phenomenal. And I don't know if anyone knows Will, but he would be an amazing guest to have. I don't know if he talked in your room because he did a speech. He's there for performer security. And he did a speech after Ron and everyone was like, can you run for president, please? like
00:45:36
Speaker
I cannot vote, but I would vote for you. like it's He was ah completely amazing and unbelievable. But he also joined at some point in the color guard. And we were talking about security, concussions, the like recording of it. And all like it it went on in very interesting ways. But he brought us back really quick. He's like, it's all cool. You're trying to do everything, but you're not allowed to have underage ah ah health ah log and but blah, blah, blah. He's really, really, like I'm very excited for his new position. Yes. And and ah like, again, I think I think the transparency and the we know that this is a problem. So now we have somebody that, and oh, my gosh, his speech when he came up and talked to all of us divisions. I mean, that's a hard thing to come up and say, hey.
00:46:21
Speaker
I'm I'm the new sheriff in town and I will find you is kind of how that could have gone, you know, but really he was like, I'm here because I want you to be helpful. I want to be helpful. I want to make what you do easier. And it's about getting those people that the sour apples in the bunch that don't know their place or don't know when enough's enough. You know, his job is to find those people. And I'm sure he's not going to be as happy as he was with us on that stage. But ah it was the best way to be introduced to him. And and I think I think it I think it's ah a shining Uh, just the evidence of a shining light that, uh, what WGI is is like, I, I can't say like, yeah, we're a part of something really cool. And, and that, and that's, that's what I've got. Yeah. Well, let's pop over to what are we doing here? Cause I've, I've got one immediately that I want to bring on. what are we doing
00:47:21
Speaker
what are we doing What are we doing in percussion? Why are we so mad all the time? Why? I feel like, ah I mean, it's a legit question to maybe chat, Joey, you kind of have been in that room a little bit, too. ah The percussion community, I think, is like so bitter, like everyone's so mad that they didn't win. Everyone, every year. Like, even if you just won last year or something, you know, like. But then it feels like it's just a very degenerative conversation. My impression over like a couple years of paying attention is that not a lot of rules tend to like get adjusted significantly because we can't agree on anything anyway. well What's going on over there? What's your take on it?
00:48:07
Speaker
i I think that, I don't know, I think that there's a different mindset when you play drums. I think, you know, I we i used to, I drum, I march drum corps and so to watch the snares sit there after eight hours of of drumming their drums, they'll have a quick snack and they'll do this. And they'll go to bed. I think there're it's a different beast. And you know I think and the other thing that to kind of think about is there's there's a lot of, I mean, I think to be clean in that sense, there's a lot of, you know I think the people that teach to get there are like this a lot. and i think that's
00:48:39
Speaker
but's It's just kind of in the culture of being a drummer. you know I think I'm not supposed to say drummer anymore. It's percussionist now. I think i think we're going see is i think we're going to see a shift in the way that that we we talk to each other in that space. but um i don't i i have i hear yeah I almost want to upend my whole what are we doing on that one too, though? Because you've touched on something that I as a as a drumline guy kind of don't like about the trend that the activity is going percussively. which is like it's almost minimizing a classic culture of drumline by acting like everything needs to be percussion and everything needs to be, ah you know, taking the same values for what is good and what is like highly academic in a percussion studio and applying that to drumline, which you can do. I'm not saying it's not impressive and it's not, it doesn't sound good and it's not artistic.
00:49:36
Speaker
But like I feel like there is a minimization and like almost an erasure. And that's a melodramatic way to put it, of just being a drumline guy, just playing snare drum or just playing quads or bass. It's like now everything has to be this complex orchestral product. And we need to call each other percussionists. It's like, dude, I'm in the battery. And I've always been. I don't play marimba. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe I'm just on the wrong side of history there. But that's like I feel like it's a just ah ah the flow of the river that you can't escape nowadays. You know, I think I think people are looking to get be so respected in this. And, you know, kind of like we were talking about a little bit, you know, a lot of us drumline instructors, you know, battery instructors aren't quite done with college yet. Or we if we are done with college, it's not in music education. You know, we've got a lot of marketing and, you know,
00:50:32
Speaker
i think I think we're looking just like in any space I think we're looking for respect but I don't know that calling yourself something and trying to be something you're not isn't the way to be respect I think to your point I think if you're a drumline person then have a clean as hell drumline you know have a good drumline and that's enough you don't I tell a lot of my my you know mentees and and people I work with, they like but you don't need a degree to be to be stellar at something. You don't need a degree to be a great person. You don't need ah you definitely don't need a degree to be yourself. And and I think i think when when we talk about like, am I this or am I that?
00:51:08
Speaker
ah I think you're just, you have to ask yourself if you're yourself. And i I think in that room, there's a lot of ah insecurity and there's a lot of, you know, am I good enough to be in the room or I'm good enough to be in the room now. You you better hear me rather than, you know, how do we get more people in this room? um That's how I feel. No, I think you're right. I think there definitely is. I mean, it's also probably a bit of the nature of like once the activity has gone on for a longer period of time, like wins is in a very nice sweet spot right now where it can be so productive because everyone's goal is growth. Really like you're competing, but everybody has got the same ambition of growing the whole activity, which is not really the same shared goal in the drum room.
00:51:55
Speaker
like in the drum room I'm here to win and to advocate for what I think the activity should be you know um so I think like I think you're right it would be a It would be good if we would have a little bit more focus on what the whole activity would benefit from. And to play devil's advocate to myself a little bit, a lot of the people in the room that are looking to be recognized more as percussionists are are wanting that because for years it's been about the battery. and
00:52:29
Speaker
the The pit is something, the front ensemble is something that's like had to come to this position of prominence in the activity in the first place as far as percussion goes. so I agree. I don't know. Maybe that that just imbalance in the first place is why it's also a little bit not productive. It's like you've got some guys there that represent this world of battery people that are on the field marching. And that's one way of life. And you've got other people in the room that like represent front ensemble and orchestral percussion. And that's 50 percent of the WGI percussion activity. And that's it got its own set of what
00:53:11
Speaker
you know, we should be adjudicated on and what's valuable and figuring out like what's compatible between the two just proves not to be easy, I guess. I think you're I think you hit it right on the head. Has anybody else got a, ah oh, Ricardo, you look like you might have a gushing ghost suddenly. Okay, all right, so here it goes. I'm just gonna put this out there. um What are we doing about teaching teenagers and performers about wearing deodorant?
00:53:44
Speaker
okay I know, I know. I taught middle school for a little bit. I get the hormones. I teach high school now. I get it. I was in the gym with the Academy Color Guard the other day and I had to have a conversation with them about guys, listen, guys and girls. We need to make sure we are reapplying our deodorant. Like putting it on one time a day is not enough because y'all outside in 108 degree heat and basically y'all gonna stink. So I, what are we doing? Are we, can we get a Lumi sponsorship for the marching arts? Can we get secret, degree, dub, something, somebody to sponsor? Yeah. And give classes and just talk about making sure that you're giving a little squirt, squirt underneath those underarms. Thank you so much. Swipe, swipe, or whatever it is you need to do, because don't allow the need to be smelling all of that.
00:54:44
Speaker
What are we doing? You're so right. You're so right. Reapply is not to sunscreen. And it's not reapply. Oh, I'll make a t-shirt. That's what it's going to say. Reapply does not just mean for sunscreen. Yes. Yeah. Well, you actually, I don't know if you knew this, but this podcast brought to you by Arm and Hammer this one.
00:55:08
Speaker
We'll have to talk to Jeremy about that. Maybe he can line us up.
00:55:13
Speaker
I agree. Wear deodorant if you're listening to this and you're on tour for the love of whatever you believe in. Wear deodorant. Your section will appreciate you. You might be horn sergeant next year. yeah You definitely could be a fall guard captain if you smell fresh. OK, speaking of the whole drum corps scene, what are we doing still not announcing our show? Okay, so yesterday, Carolina Crown, one of my favorites, as you all know, put out their Crown logo, their little iconic crown, for about half a day, which left everybody going, well okay, what is it? what are it Okay, what are they what are we what are we doing? What are we doing, Crown? And I commented back on Instagram, just tell us.
00:56:04
Speaker
Just tell us. But don't you realize, don't they realize that like, I get it, it's the whole secret thing and all the mystery behind it and whatever. But like, um don't you know that like, you an announced you and when you announce the show, we all run to DCI dot.org to see where you're gonna be, to like plan out our summer. So like, You know, it's like, oh I can't wait. You know, the crowd could play Happy Birthday as a show and I would run to see it. But I mean, um you know, I mean, yeah I saw that crowd and everybody was commenting, it's this, it's that. I wrote, just tell us. Don't give us that. You know, just tell us. So.
00:56:45
Speaker
I, it always makes me crazy when it's like, what's this one doing? What's that one doing? What's that one? Like, do, do we think we're going to steal it? Like, I mean, it's getting a bit ridiculous anyway. I mean, back when I marched in the 19 hundreds, you only found out somebody showed. like by picking up Drunk Core Planet or Drunk Core World, whatever it was. That's how you've done it on people's shows. And now these productions of show announcements are just like ridiculous. But did you see the video that Crowd put out today on social media? Oh, and it was zoomed in on the kids during the uniform reveal. So it was like, here's Carolina Crowd's uniform reveal. And it was the kids going, oh.
00:57:35
Speaker
Can we say it? I mean, it was like, so I mean, I just don't get, I just don't get what the whole mystery is. I mean, whatever. I think you're right though, Ricardo, and like we used to only know the the show on the first show, like Winterwise and stuff like that. And people were worried of like, stealing an idea of some sort. Right. As soon as I started designing, as soon as I have an idea, it can be like a week before the WGI of the year prior, I'll be like, I'm doing this. and i can I will say say to and so no one you takes my idea like I and I'm part of the troopers is that I think told their concept like what in December, I'm sorry. And I'm like, in the end. Yeah, I agree. I think people
00:58:22
Speaker
Let those lower 12 cores like the troopers and Madison Scouts I think people are excited to see who what they're gonna do and that's the that's the core they're gonna end up trying to audition for well I think I think I think we're I think we're doing the the activity a disservice or some of these kids a disservice because remember when Madison Scouts did their um There was like a risque show they did. It it was um a musical or something. jesus has christy so oh Yes. we though I had a kid that was a rook out and he was playing trumpet and he was a Jehovah's Witness.
00:59:00
Speaker
And so when they found out what the show was called, it was already too late. They had ah they had announced it in a March. She wasn't going to get on another drum corps. And so his workout was was done. I feel like, you know, like sharing kind of what the show was about, you know, what ah especially with something like something special like that. Like um I wish that there was more just ah do we talk about we talked about transparency earlier, a little bit transparency of what we're doing, because it's not like, you know, Beatty said that they're doing the romantics. It's not like bluecoats are now going. and oh like we're gonna we're gonna find something Shakespearean like know I think everybody shows it at this point or on this level are so different the design teams pick such different avenues like everybody has their own identity I don't think it matters what the show titles are the the source material it's all about what the kids are doing you know that's gonna it's gonna make the summer so the words don't matter I I'm right with you like let's let's let's announce things sooner I'm hyped about them the ones that are announced
01:00:01
Speaker
I've just been sticking my head in the sand and not paying attention to anything because I don't want to deal with the waiting. I'm just going to show up at a competition or or on. I hope they still do the movie theater night. Do you know if they still do movie theater night? I think they are doing it this year. I hope they are. The first one like that. Yeah, that they would do a premiere. Yeah, that premiere. I don't know if they're doing that this year. That was so good. That was such an easy way, because like I don't want to come up to like the Northeast like until near the end of the summer. It's a little while before we get it. But all right. Let's ah let's pop over. Let's hit this gush and go for this week. Great job, everyone. Set your equipment down. Go.
01:00:47
Speaker
All right, let's work there our ways around to my gush and go last because my gush and go is a little bit different than normal. um But, uh, Joey, do you want to get us started with something to gush and go on about? Um, uh, just remind me, I'm so sorry on the gush and go stuff. Do I, what am I talking about? I've got, this is like anything you want. Actually, it's like um like a minute, your platform to just like gush and go on about something from your life that maybe does or does not relate to the marching arts that you would want to share with us.
01:01:17
Speaker
Oh, gotcha. Well then, my gush and go is i'm I'm about to finish my last high school spring training. I've been doing spring training since. I had like three days after WGI finals and I've been doing spring training since. So umm i'm I'm done with my last high school for about three weeks. I'm gonna jump on tour with Genesis in about a week and then I'll be home to do six straight band camp weeks. um I'm super excited to do those. I'm excited to be in the hot sun all the time. You can tell by the tone of my voice. um And then I'm excited ah to to go to DCI Finals for my first time and in a while as ah as a staff member. And and yeah, i'm ah just ah the my last free day is tomorrow. And then you know i'm i'm um I'm on the road. I'm super excited about it. Yes. Busy, busy, busy.
01:02:12
Speaker
That's awesome though. Keeping busy with the best things that you want to do. I'm a little jealous. I mostly stay busy behind my ah cubicle in the bank back office, much less satisfying. oh I think the Matrix is real in one day. We're going to realize it was about your life, so it's okay.
01:02:31
Speaker
I'll break out one day and you'll just see me just like marching eight to fives through the hallway or something. But all right. ah Trish, what do you got this week? Um, so, um, I know I've talked about this a few times. I finally started a little color guard club. at my little elementary so Catholic elementary school in New Jersey. And tomorrow, all of the clubs that took place during the year are having the little club expo. And we're going to do a little performance. A little tribute to Taylor Swift. Who doesn't love Taylor Swift? So we're excited about that. but but um the other So my classes are done. My kindergarten graduated last Wednesday. All went well there.
01:03:18
Speaker
um So it's been really easy for me to pull the kids out to rehearse. So they wanted to rehearse, I think it was Friday. And I was like, I'm hot and I'm tired. You know what we're gonna do? I've been meaning to do this the whole year with the clubs. Let's watch some videos. So we watched the WGI videos and I said this when I first started the club and I'm going to reiterate it now. Those of you who actually, I'm i'm sure Ricardo can relate, those of you who actually teach at the school where you're doing color guard, it's another level. Like when you see kids that you had in
01:03:53
Speaker
you know, right after lunch computer class, you know, doing drop spins. It's like, whoa, like, what's happening here? But to go watch WGI videos with them and hear them talk about what they liked, I'm sure you can imagine. Their favorite show was Amps Joker Show, I'm sure you can imagine. It really was. So I texted Lewis and told him that. But, you know, they, you know, experience it with kids that you teach other subjects is it's next level. I'm so excited for tomorrow. Yeah, it's awesome. I never really thought about it like that, that like when you're really bringing it from kids that don't do it already and you just know these kids for being kids at school. Yeah, it's like really cool to see them start to pick up your hobby. Like, you know, that was you.
01:04:42
Speaker
I love it when kids that I have in my and either my theater classes or my dance classes, they decide to come in and audition for Color Guard and then they bite the bug and they just get ate up with it. Most of my leadership are kids that came from my class and I was just like, hey, you should try this Color Guard thing and they fall in love with it and they just grind on it and it's great. I love it. Yeah, that grind on it is definitely like I can remember being the student in high school where it's like we got introduced by our teacher to the WGI shows. And then I was like, where the next this like MCM that like that is how you get the bug and you become a band person like this. It's awesome, Trish. Good luck with the ah the Taylor Swift performance. Thank you so much. ah Cynthia, what do you want to gu and go on about?
01:05:37
Speaker
Well, it's a small question go and maybe an open mic for you guys to help me, but I'm um So long story short, I only marched DCA. I never marched DCI. I taught at least in St. Paul, which is an open class here in Montreal. So it's so different. Now I'm in my first experience with world class. I'm going, joining troopers. I'm leaving Friday for four or five days in Casper, Wyoming um to be with them. Yep. Nice. And then they're back in Casper, Wyoming. And apparently it's a big thing for the town because
01:06:10
Speaker
Apparently there's no one there. and And then I will be meeting them um right after San Antonio Regional. So my gush and go is, I have a bad back. I'm old. or We talked about this. We having a sleeping bus. So it's like beds instead of of um their beds. The staff bus are beds. That make sense? Instead of chairs. And I'm super happy, because I'm not going to have to sit in my back, because I'm going to be fine. But I don't know how to settle in a bed in a bus, because usually you have that little shower thing that you put in the window, and you put your glasses there. Like, did you ever had a sleep bus? No. I wish. We have one this year at Academy. But I chose to give up my seat on the sleep bus, because I wanted to be with the rest of the Color Guard staff. Wow.
01:07:03
Speaker
honorable. so Now you sound way more woke than I am. it's a fun. I mean like I went back into teaching drum corps and stuff because I and I built my staff because it's all people that I love and I didn't want to be separated from them you know. I wanted to I wanted the same summer experience as an instructor that I got as a performer and I remember the last times I was teaching DCI drum corps I had the most fun being on the staff bus just hanging out with my friends and having fun on the bus going from show to show so
01:07:36
Speaker
I don't want to give that up and I know that I have meetings and stuff and I probably will jump on this on the sleeper bus for the meeting on the first leg of the drive but then I'm gonna jump back on this on the staff bus and ride with my friends. Well, then I'll take pictures and I'll show you guys what I did with my my sleeping bus. And my other little gush and go is yet again, I keep on saying like how good the troopers have been with me, but um I am a mom. I don't want to be with without my daughter for three weeks. And it's been a little weird to think about joining like having a six year old and those sleeping buses and all that. so
01:08:09
Speaker
first of all everyone if you doubt about having kids it takes a village color guard and drum corps and the pageantry is the best village on earth i will be on tour my parents will bring my daughter my boyfriend will bring my car and we will go from low urns as far as we can so fingers crossed Sara will be okay with driving all the way to Indianapolis and then i have friends that are like yeah just let me know i cancel my flight and i'll drive with you if you're there so like uh So yeah, so for everyone that are doing this, we're being flexible and it's amazing. I it didn't even start and I'm amazed already.
01:08:45
Speaker
That's awesome. I love your family dynamics since everyone's banned people. You guys have like a whole road trip plan to like support your tour. It's awesome. so Yeah, we did. We had a Sunday night meeting with everyone being like, we're going to take that car and then that car. And then so I was going to go this way. And, and I like sound my boyfriend is going to go back home on a plane because he brought my car. So he, he won't walk all the way to Montreal. Like it, yeah, it's so cool. Awesome. Well, you got to let us know how it goes. I don't know if we can get you in here when you're on the road. Maybe we could through the Zencast or mobile app. But yeah otherwise, I'm excited to hear about it when you get back. um That's super exciting, Cynthia. ah Ricardo, what do you want to gush and go on about?
01:09:27
Speaker
Oh well I am on a short little break from my drum corps tent right now and I am home with my babies doing our color guard camp and it is just it's awesome like I I'm having a fun summer doing the drum corps thing I'm having a fun trip home seeing my husband and my puppy dogs and teaching my kids here at home I'm excited about going back on the road um with the drum corps. It's just, I don't know, I am getting to live my best color guard life this summer and I am here for it. It was what I needed.
01:10:03
Speaker
And I didn't know I needed it. That's so cool. That's awesome. I'm glad it's been going well for you. I totally know what you mean, like missing kind of that experience of when you were like having that being the member on the on tour and so stuff like that and getting to actually like relive that with the staff that you put together sounds like it would be just such a blast. So i it's a blast, man. It is it is fun already a week, two weeks in and I'm like loving it. Well, I can't wait to hear more about it. I can't wait to definitely come make sure I find you guys when you ah make your way up to the Philadelphia area. It seems like there is a lot of different ah drum cores that I'm going to need to find the on a water break. Diaspora is is really getting out there now, I feel like. Yes. Awesome. Why don't we actually pop to a quick commercial break and we'll come back and ah I'll get you guys with ah my gushing go and we'll wrap.
01:11:12
Speaker
Hey everyone, it's Jeremy, and here are your announcements coming from the box. Don't miss all of our bonus content, including On a Water Break in Rhinestones with your host, Lexi Duda, exploring the world of the Twirlers. Don't miss parades and drum majors at Step Off with your host, Jack Goudreau, and Get Lost in Translation with your host, Cynthia Bernard, exploring all the words that confuse all of us in the marching arts all across the world. and go behind the lens with marching arts photographers all across the country with your host, Chris Marr. Plenty more bonus content from On A Water Break, so listen anywhere you get your podcasts. If you wanna be on On A Water Break as a guest, or you know somebody that would make a great guest for On A Water Break, email us at onawaterbreakpodcastatgmail.com, or find us on social media. Okay, field staff, take it away. Let's reset.
01:12:10
Speaker
are
01:12:24
Speaker
All right. And we are back and I have a very special guest joins the show here, actually a very close friend of mine who I've been producing music for for four years. um I am so excited to introduce the podcast to my good friend and WEC.
01:12:44
Speaker
It's funny. You got the applause. You you didn't even know we got the sound effects on it. Yeah.
01:12:53
Speaker
You know, we do. Oh, we're doing a long one for you. OK. OK. But e let's ah let's get into this real quick um and you can do your 32 count life story. Bring our audience up to speed on who you are. And, ah you know, your background as an artist. Gotcha. Let's get it popping.
01:13:16
Speaker
All right, so my name is NW Easy and I immigrated to the United States in 2004 when I was about five years old. You know, I got here with my green card and eventually became a citizen and I fell in love with making music. And now me and Steven might take over the world. Yeah. Nice. That was about 16 counts, but I think that you gave us all the points that we need. We go and let the music, I think, talk for ourselves because I've talked a little bit on previous podcasts about how like we've had a bit of ah a journey making music. and And now we kind of feel ready to release it to the world. So this will be the first single that we are putting out, I believe, on Juneteenth. Yes, sir.
01:14:02
Speaker
Yes, sir. Be free. I mean, it's been a process. It's been a lot of fun to make this project. And honestly, I really look forward to the drop. I don't think they've really heard something like this refreshing in a long time. I think like people are looking for something like this. I agree. Let's ah let's play it. We'll chat about it. For sure.
01:14:24
Speaker
Even Ain't got no booze for me, Noosa my garage Keep tellin' me it's not for me The revolution is alive, it's news to show you variety The system really raises, everybody play the victim's seat I just wanna live inside the world where I'm young, black and free Drop so many keys, they leave me, real good to cease Mom and child pass away, another victim of the streets It be hard to get a plate when everybody gotta eat We been hungry for a minute, we see Who that we gon' feed, now we starving
01:15:07
Speaker
Moving hard, it's even in darkness Still see a snake watching you move, backstab your heart quick Never took my back on my butters, been through some hardships Knocking bullets running from chase, we did it all now Popping bottles, we hit the clutch to move it cost To fight the demons with the sign I spent it all with This money bring a new set of problems, no way to solve it Get some more racks in your back, it kinda moves small So that's that. That's the first song that ah me and Ebb will ever drop together. We eight more queued up to drop later that week, about two days after. um But yeah, what do you guys think of it? That's a bop. Song of the summer right there.
01:15:55
Speaker
Thank you. Okay, okay, yeah, yeah. That is definitely gonna be on my on my tour bus listing playlist for this summer. love you yeah we you We should all figure out a way to have like some sort of warm up on this. We're about to see troopers and academies spin to this. That's definitely probably gonna be one of our little spin warm ups I'm here for. Oh God, I would love that. That would be so cool. super flat that's the ah That's what we to do. That's me leveraging my own community a little bit. um yeah Ebb, since we got you on a podcast basically, and we can ask a couple quick interview questions, like what does that song mean to you as the guy that wrote the ah lyrics for it? I mean,
01:16:42
Speaker
I feel like this is like, honestly, I wrote this song to really like, I mean, voice so so many of my opinions are just about like, you know, the social justice movement. And, ah you know, we talk about police or we talk about people who are, you know, feeling as if their governments aren't doing something for them or they feel something like a sense of revolution. I really wrote this song to be, you know, ah a calling. to like people who who can feel like you know the things they see around them, they want to change, but you know you feel powerless. But this desire to be free has to be acted upon. you know This is kind of my way of acting upon it. This is my sense of freedom. And I honestly want this song to really connect people and really just, you know like let's let's get back to this desire of freedom that we possess. And why do we possess this? Because we're currently not free.
01:17:34
Speaker
you know like i want i really It really means a lot to me because you know so so much of the music I make, I feel like it talks about you know a deeper side of myself or just a deeper side of people in general. And this one this one touches like a whole different base in your mind and your soul. like so So this song, is i I feel the power to possess it. I really want to use it for something you know intentional. yeah
01:18:02
Speaker
It's awesome. I'm glad that it it means something like that to you. ah i made but We've been working on this song more or less for four years. um I made this beat ah back in 2020 before my lease ended at Penn State, and I ah graduated and left. ah The beat's since been remade, I think, once or twice over. It's been released once on SoundCloud, where it got hundreds of views. um a meager hundreds of views. But we've been ah we always kind of knew with this song that we felt like there was something there that should be captured better and that should be that should come to light in a real professional way. So I also see because man, he made it like
01:18:51
Speaker
you I don't know if you heard it in the end of the track, but literally I'm just like, well, that's beautiful. like ah He caught that little moment after like we finished recording it. I feel that way every time. Sometimes like when the song comes on in my little cue, I won't even play it if I'm like not in the mindset to really enjoy what I'm saying. Because like I got said, I feel like it's powerful. um'm ah I'm happy everybody enjoyed it. I appreciate that. bro I definitely think it's powerful. Those lyrics definitely you know resound with me and it's it's it's saying something and it's saying something in the right way. It's cool, man. I appreciate that.
01:19:28
Speaker
Yeah. And like just at a technical level, man, even though like I work with you all the time, I don't think I compliment you enough on like some of the internal rhyming that happens and stuff like the noose in my garage keep telling me it's not for me or the like um talking about the boots as well. Yeah. um Yeah. It's like there's just a lot of actual pretty intricate little rhymes nestled into you actually saying things that are meaningful to you. It's a I like it. I'm very proud of the song. I'm very ah excited to release it with you. same Juneteenth. That one comes out Juneteenth. And then I believe ah June 21st, the rest of the album, right? what What streaming platforms are you guys going on? yeah readid What are you dropping on?
01:20:16
Speaker
ah All streaming platforms. I mean, I think Spotify and Apple Music are the primary ones. yeah We'll be on Pandora, Tidal, AudioMac, all that good stuff. Awesome. yeah As someone not in that world, and like you know our our producer, our our backing track designer for Eva is a hip-hop producer, and so he does kind of what what you guys just displayed for us. How do you drop an album on these on these platforms? How does that work? So i use ah we use a distribution service called Toon Court. There's other independent distribution services you could use like United Masters, Distro Kids. I really like Toon Court just because of the customer service quality and honestly the interface is a lot easier to use. They've never like, you know, without my music or done anything like shady in terms of revenue splits.
01:21:09
Speaker
I like the consistency of the product as well as ah like I said the customer service aspect is really big for me because they respond rather fast and a lot of these stuff they can't call anybody they don't have any call center you can call so they email, you know, communication is usually really slow, but they do a pretty good job of getting back too fast. Okay, shout out to Corr. Shout out to Corr. Yeah, as as someone that's just getting into it, like Ebb's really stuff a little bit more than me. um
01:21:42
Speaker
It's a lot easier than I anticipated it. Like for people that listen to this show that are maybe musicians in their own right, but don't like make and release music, I think like you should look into it. Some of these distribution services are free or, you know, they might have limited offerings to what you can do, limited capabilities. But like having your music on Spotify and Apple Music is not something that that's difficult to get done. It just takes a little bit of effort. Yeah, for sure. Just a little bit of time. And the entry level stuff is is usually free. So if you want to just get your feet in the pool and just start to drop something like you got no reasons for we live in the in a crazy time. Yeah, don't be like me and Ebb and sit around for four years with all your songs in a Google Drive instead of that. I actually dropped some.
01:22:38
Speaker
Our upper finally dropping it ah producer friend says, I can't win a Grammy for something in my files. And so he'll just, he'll, he'll just continue to throw beats out. Yeah. yeah as that's That's the flip to that. We need that type of energy. so yeah That's what we got to be on we hunt this summer. though We flooded. Heck yeah. Heck yeah. Yeah, so let's let's ah just recap that real quick. We'll ah be dropping two singles on Spotify and Apple Music at NWEZ, E-A-Z-Y. um And SMC is ah kind of my producer page where I'm dropping all the instrumentals as well as its own like accompanying album.
01:23:19
Speaker
to our like mixed project. ah So singles are dropping on June 19th. Two singles, one of them you just heard, one of them you'll have to wait and listen to on the 19th. And then the rest of the album comes June 21st. Yeah, definitely gonna be listening. Hey, appreciate that. Thank you for having me. Absolutely, dude. Thank you for popping on here. um Thank you, everyone, for listening. Thank you for a great rehearsal this week. ah Thank you to our hosts, Trish, Ricardo, Cynthia, and Joey. ah ah Ebb, where can they find you on social media before you ah bounce? I'm on everything, really, as n.w underscore easy. I think my TikTok is n dot.w dot easy.
01:24:01
Speaker
But you can find me on Instagram, n.w underscore easy. You can find me on a YouTube, n.w score easy, um underscore easy. ah Also file the new wave podcast. We're going to start doing a lot of different stuff this year. We're going to do some, you know, sit down podcast and do some music reactions. We're going to do some like live jam sessions. We got a lot of stories here, so look forward to it. Yeah, definitely go check it out. Find a follow up. You can follow me. I just made a page for anything that I'm going to do ever as a producer. It's at a mastered by SMC because I also would love to offer my services as a mastering engineer now that I've, you know, break some ground in learning how to do that. So ah follow me at mastered by SMC. ah
01:24:51
Speaker
Check out the show. Follow us at on a water break. If you haven't already, frankly, if you listen this far into the show and you don't follow us, that's insane. ah And before you close out your podcast listening app, ah write us a review, share it with a friend. We will see you at the next rehearsal on a water break. Go back to.
01:25:11
Speaker
The On A Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Reem. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lyda. To learn more, visit LydaMusic.com. And until next time, thanks for tuning in.