Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Remembering Eileen Cunningham, Portland Band Protests & Marching After 50
13 Plays16 minutes ago
This week on On A Water Break, we honor the extraordinary life and legacy of WGI Hall of Fame member Eileen Cunningham — the powerhouse behind St. Anne’s Neponset and a beloved mentor across the New England color guard community. Jeremy Denzer (@jeremydenzer) joins us to share personal stories about Eileen’s unmatched impact, from leading St. Anne’s to five world championships to shaping generations of performers and instructors.
Plus, we dive into trending news, including:
- Portland, Oregon’s band directors refusing to perform at games in protest
- Viral videos of older adults making their return to college marching band
- Support for underfunded and overworked music educators across the country
🎺 60-Second Tech Block: Jeremy Denzer (@jeremydenzer) reminds us that true band culture means showing up for every section — from sideline percussion to clarinets to colorguard. Because respect isn't just for the front ensemble or brass line — it’s for everyone who sweats on that field with you.
🎙️ Hosted by Jose A. Montes III (@marchingbymontes), Whitney Stone (@dancerwhit), and special guest Jeremy Denzer (@jeremydenzer).
Sponsors:
📣 Guard Closet – One stop for consignment, costumes, design services & more: https://guardcloset.com
📣 Peak Group Travel – Plan your next band trip with the experts: https://peakgrouptravel.com
Follow @guardcloset and @peak.group.travel for updates!
Subscribe & Listen:
📲 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnAWaterBreak
🍎 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-a-water-break/id1674241312
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HF3xHVnH2j2YCnugwtoKS
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Host Returns
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone, and welcome back to a On a Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about on a water break. See how we did that?
00:00:10
Speaker
This week we're going to be remembering the legend Eileen Cunningham. We'll also find out what made Jeremy say. First group to ever have a finalist in all three classes at the same time. um Also the first group to have two independent world-class finalists in the same year at the same time. What what made Whitney say?
00:00:27
Speaker
There's almond and latte, which is your standard. There's chocolate and mocha. And one of them's a little more on the purple side. All this and more on this week's episode of On a Water Break.
00:00:40
Speaker
Adolph the Met and go. Welcome to On a Water Break. The podcast where we talk everything marching arts.
00:00:52
Speaker
Everyone, bring it in. It's time for a water break. Hey everyone, it's Joey. I have been AWOL for a little bit. I'm so excited to be back with On A Water Break.
00:01:03
Speaker
hope some of you are enjoying the start of football season because it means it's the beginning of marching band season. ah real um We've got some exciting episodes coming up this fall, and we will give you a sneak peek on those in an upcoming episode. But first, before we see who's on the sidelines this week, go and subscribe on your favorite listening app, write us a review, and share with a friend or a foe. Got a question or a good topic to talk about? Email us on ottawaterbreakpodcast at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
00:01:35
Speaker
We even have a form now that you can fill out if you want to be a guest. Check it out in our link in the bio. Who's on the sideline
Hosts' Personal Experiences
00:01:42
Speaker
this week? Let's find out. Whitney, how are you today? I'm good. How are you? I'm living life. it's we're past the It's time to write all the drill, and now it's time to let's clean all the things and learn the show. so it's i'm I'm having fun. This is the fun part.
00:01:59
Speaker
What about you? just Just doing the things. Yeah? Just doing the things. I don't know how much you've gotten to talk about it on the podcast. Are we allowed to talk about how things have been going at Bridgeland?
00:02:10
Speaker
So it's been really good. um It's been a ah smooth transition. Everybody's really nice. And my coworkers are really friendly. And I really like my kids, all 64 of them. And it's just been...
Managing a Large Color Guard
00:02:24
Speaker
That's good. That's awesome. I've always wondered, and and maybe this is like an off the podcast thing, but how do you clean 64 kids? I have a struggle cleaning 12. So how does the queen do it?
00:02:35
Speaker
It's hard. um so So for a large part of the show, there's a rifle line, then the main flags become dancers, and then there's a flag line, and then there's another flag line. So I basically have like four 12-person color guards. like it.
00:02:53
Speaker
happening at all times. And like, I literally today we're, I was in the tower, like we were focusing on cleaning our drill today. So I was in the tower and I was like, okay, rifles, I'm watching you this time.
00:03:03
Speaker
Okay. Dancers, I'm watching you. Cause like they're all over the field and I just can't like, my goodness so, but I, I spend most of my time with the flags cause there's usually there's 48 flags, um, happening at all times.
00:03:15
Speaker
Plus the, the like four alternates we have. So it's, It's a lot. Yeah. It's a lot. Well, kudos to you and good for you for taking on that challenge. like I can only imagine the the range of skill level with 64 members as well.
00:03:31
Speaker
it It's pretty big because you got like brand new freshmen and then you have freshmen that have done the cadet guard. And then we have like, we only have like one kid. that is was already in high school and joined.
00:03:43
Speaker
So I feel like that that seems to happen a lot where like a junior is like, oh, I discovered Color Guard. And I'm like, where have you been? But there's really not a lot of that. So most the, for ah the most of those parts, like the sophomores are the sophomore level. and But even like, I have like 25 sophomores. So the range of sophomores is like, it's it's pretty big. Wow.
00:04:04
Speaker
Crazy. Good on
Judging Season and Personal Updates
00:04:05
Speaker
you. I'm glad it's going well. That's exciting. Thank you. ah We have another guest on our sideline. Jeremy Denzer. How are you today? I'm great. How are you? living I'm living, man. What's life like today?
00:04:17
Speaker
These days? I'm getting ready to start the judging season in and a week or two here. um my first gig off in um Omaha, Nebraska. Oh, yeah. Which school? Which school? um I'm doing the Bellevue, Bellevue band invitation. That's my first show. so That's awesome. I love the, the homies there at ah Bellevue, Marcus Atkoff. Shout out to Jeremy as well. They're, they're great people. That's a great place to be. And Adam Killam, I think is around there too. They're great people.
00:04:41
Speaker
What are you, are you very excited? Are you going anywhere new this year? is it like a first time judging anywhere new? um i'm I'm not doing a lot this fall. I actually, I just recently moved like six months ago. So I'm kind of settling into my new place on you.
00:04:53
Speaker
um But I'm scheduling for the winter and doing a lot of, New places. that I'm going to Oklahoma for the first time. It should be interesting. couple trips to Texas. Love it. That's so that's awesome. stuff happening this winter so yeah That's awesome. Do you do you teach at all at any schools? Are you mostly an adjudicator? um I started judging about eight years ago and left teaching. The dream. I consult with a few groups here and there and do some mentorships with some teams, but yeah no full-time teaching anymore. That's awesome. That's so cool.
00:05:25
Speaker
Well, friends. Are you ready? Can we do the thing? Are we going to make this happen? Okay. Well, okay. Well, the, before we do any of this stuff that we'd like to preview some amazing episodes and bonus content we have going on.
Podcast Updates and Tributes
00:05:38
Speaker
One of the ones we've got is the DCI correspondence update. Very exciting to hear and see about that. um In another episode, Nicole and some, and some of our just amazing guests pay tribute to Bruno Zucala.
00:05:52
Speaker
Um, that's very touching hosts, uh, live episodes featuring author Jace people and Jade road, mom of the youngest Ohio state fan. And don't miss Ricardo's quick sit with Bart Woodley at the WGI circuit symposium.
00:06:08
Speaker
Um, you know, you know, Ricardo can always get the inside scoop, all of that and more. But before we do that, we're going to take a little commercial break and we'll be right back.
00:06:24
Speaker
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Guard Closet was founded as a consignment shop in 2000. Since then, it has grown to become your one-stop shop for the marching arts. Do you need consignment uniforms and flags for your color guard, marching band, or drum line?
00:06:39
Speaker
We have thousands of sets of consignments in stock and ready to ship. Do you need show design and custom choreography? Our designers have years of experience in the marching arts. Do you need to sell your items and clear out your storage areas?
00:06:53
Speaker
We take in more than 600 sets of consignments each year and return hundreds of thousands of dollars to our consignors for their sales. Do you need to have your students order shoes, gloves, and other equipment?
00:07:06
Speaker
We can set up a microsite for easy student ordering of a wide variety of items. you need custom costumes or flags? We can help get you great designs from our team through top vendors like Show Day Designs.
00:07:17
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.
00:07:30
Speaker
Check us out at guardcloset.com or follow us on social media.
00:07:44
Speaker
Okay, let's get to the news.
00:08:04
Speaker
Joining us today is former New England resident and old friend of the show, Jeremy Denzer. We're so glad Jeremy joined us today to talk, um to share his memories of Eileen Cunningham.
Honoring Eileen Cunningham
00:08:15
Speaker
There are very few people in the Wintergård community unfamiliar with the New England legend Eileen Cunningham. As director of St. Anne's Deposet, she brought countless young women, and sometimes men, to the highest honors in NSBA, as well as WGI.
00:08:31
Speaker
St. Anne's won five world championships, 12 medals, and appeared in 24 WGI world championship finals. Absolutely just legends in the game. As the article on WGI.org stated, she was the heart and soul of St. Anne's.
00:08:46
Speaker
Jeremy, can we talk a little bit about Eileen? Sure. I mean, it's really sad. We lost WGI Hall of Fame member Eileen Cunningham this past week. um As you kind of mentioned, yeah Eileen walked into a St. Ann's rehearsal in 1965 six years later it never left. Yeah.
00:09:01
Speaker
Um, she, when I first moved to Massachusetts in 2000, and at that point St. Ann's had six color guards with 30 members in each one of them. Um, from starting at the age of three all the way through world-class, you like, um, so, you know, the organization that she performed with and then directed and then built into WGI powerhouse, you is, I don't think there's anybody that's ever matched it, know.
00:09:26
Speaker
Um, yeah Like you said, 24 appearances in finals, 12 medals, five gold medals, six silver, one bronze. St. Anne's the first group to ever have a finalist in all three classes at the same time. yeah um Also the first group to have two independent world-class finalists in the same year at the same time.
00:09:42
Speaker
so you major accomplishments from a competitive standpoint. But for me, i i've I've known Eileen since I was a performer. And my the group I performed with competed against St. Anne's. And yeah i always remember her as an instructor being like, just, it's so intense, like almost scary. Like, but in in ah in a good way, like she, she knew how to bring excellence out of these kids.
00:10:08
Speaker
And then from there, I became a fan of Eileen's where you as a spectator, just watching, like, again, the excellence and technique that were brought out of these kids by, by her and her staff. Yep.
00:10:21
Speaker
But then when I moved to new New England, I took over a high school program there. um She became a peer of mine. um And I really looked at her as a mentor. Yeah. Somebody who I looked up to as ah as a, as a director in the circuit that I competed in, that my kids competed in.
00:10:36
Speaker
And she was a fan of every color garden. yeah You see her as with this like intensity, then when you get to know her, she was yeah the kindest, most gentle person you could ever imagine. And she was truly a fan of this activity. um Yeah.
00:10:51
Speaker
she would cheer on every team. She would sit, she would watch the other groups. She was always giving positive feedback when she saw the kids in the hallways, you and she also became a really good friend of mine over the years here.
00:11:03
Speaker
Um, just like learning from her, but then also just, you ah hanging out with her at shows and seeing her at WGI. cheesy She's, she's one of the most kind and gentle people you could ever meet in your life. Yeah.
00:11:15
Speaker
And truly somebody who created a family with St. Andy. If you think, I actually asked her at one point, yeah is there ah girl in the Ponset that you have not taught? And she's like, nope, taught them all.
00:11:28
Speaker
Like, yeah, that's the impact she had on her community in terms of the that organization. And that they they still exist to this day, really, in part yeah due to Eileen's dedication to that team. yeah Yeah, I mean...
00:11:44
Speaker
i think I think when you have somebody that has that much, ah the power is not the right word, but impact, like ability to impact, um and they they use that in such a positive way, like it'd be so easy i feel like it's so easy to have all this knowledge, all this knowledge,
00:12:01
Speaker
ah background, all this experience, all all these accolades, and then just be really snooty about it. But like know the reason why all those exist are because I feel like she stayed humble and she stayed in the growth mindset throughout that entire career. And that's why something like that happens is that you're just constantly...
00:12:19
Speaker
is this person okay? Like everybody gets that attention, individual attention. Everybody grows from, you know, the tree. Like it's it's, it's incredible to see something like that. And we lose something like that.
00:12:30
Speaker
I, I always wonder like, what, what did she know that now somebody else has to go find and figure out, you know? And if it's, you know, like you're saying, if she talked to every single person, that all of that information lives somewhere in our activities still. And it's really exciting to know that it's,
00:12:47
Speaker
and still It's really interesting seeing the St. Anne's organization brought close and knowing that yeah there's girls that march in St. Anne's now that are daughters, some of them granddaughters ah former of members that I mean also taught. yeah So they're generation upon generation and a lot of them are now instructors of the St. Anne's organization that were former performers and that. So it just it's passed on through that community and it still continues to thrive there.
00:13:13
Speaker
It's beautiful. Yeah. Whitney, did you have any experience with Eileen? I did not. Again, just like Bruto, like I have a lot of people that in my life that were taught by her with her.
00:13:26
Speaker
But Duffy was saying the other day um that she was just and such a good supporter of Color Guard. And he said that like a group could literally go out and like poop all over the floor and she would still find like redeeming qualities about their performance and you know, like he, he just was like, ah she was just such a good, good person and such a good educator. And the things that she did for so many people is just like remarkable. So no, I sadly did not know her though.
00:13:58
Speaker
Wow. And it's interesting. Cause I, like I said, I think she was a very, um she was known as being a very tough instructor in some ways. And I once asked a friend of mine who worked with her, with their cadet team, which is like age three to like six years old. yeah was like, what is she like when she teaches those kids? And he's like, she is,
00:14:13
Speaker
the most intense and tough instructor that you could ever imagine. But at the end of the day, they all leave and they're like, i love you, Eileen. See you next week. but Like she's their mom. yeah Yeah. At the same time. But she's also, she expects greatness from them. Yeah.
00:14:28
Speaker
I don't feel like those are like I think you can be to the state, like hold your students to the standard and they can still leave wanting to give you a hug and excited to come, you know, tomorrow, you know, they're ready to do it again.
00:14:43
Speaker
i don't think those are two separate people. And like Eileen is proof of that, that you can hold people to a standard and still keep it a safe familial vibe. And I think when we have powerful people like that in our, in our space, it just makes the activity so much more.
00:14:56
Speaker
And I'm hoping that, go ahead. was going to say, another interesting thing I remember with Eileen is that um I'm also the director director of the New England Pride Color Guard. And one year, i think it was like our second season, we we wanted to bring in some outside instructors to help us clean for one of our big parades. And I asked Eileen to come and teach our rifles. And it was the funniest thing you've I've
Diversity in College Marching Bands
00:15:16
Speaker
ever seen, seeing her come in. every People were like, oh, my God, but I'm so afraid Eileen Cunningham is going to be teaching our rifles.
00:15:23
Speaker
But she was so good with them. And these these are other adults. Yeah. and And she was she was still, she was so great with them, and she was so detail-oriented, but fun at the same time. and it was It was just a really unique experience to see her teach outside of her element, which is St. Hansen.
00:15:39
Speaker
yeah that's cool it's cool that like it's not exclusive to st. Anne's it's just who she is you know I think that's that's powerful and I think I think listeners and viewers could could take some um take something away from that like you know you don't have to be this person or that person I think Eileen was herself you know and they her Jewish form of herself and I think when you're when you're true to yourself and your students can tell, you know, if you're being real, if you're being, you know, if you're putting on a facade, you know, for whatever, you know? And so I think our listeners can take something away from, from Eileen and it's just, you know, teach how you are, you know, be, be detail oriented, but it's gotta stay as a family and it's gotta, you know, take your kids, your kids, they have to want to come back or you're going to be in the building stage every single year. You know, that's beautiful.
00:16:30
Speaker
you have any other Do you have any other stories you'd love to share? This is a great opportunity to do this. i Actually, it's funny. i i've bit but Through social media, I've been learning very interesting facts that you would never have known. um One thing that stuck out this week, I saw a post from King Sabers saying that St. Anne's was the first group to ever spin King Sabers and that Eileen was critical in the development of the King Saber. I was like, I had no idea. but and her legacy gets to live on, too. That's awesome. Yeah.
00:16:59
Speaker
That's awesome. Well, well ill Eileen, we're going to miss you, but it doesn't sound like you're gone. it just sounds like pieces of you are you forever woven in the activity. So true we we thank you.
00:17:11
Speaker
Um, I'm going try to lighten it up a little bit. It's always tough to talk about people we've, we've passed, but it's important to honor them. And it's, it's cool to learn from their lives. Um, do you guys keep up with any, with like college marching band stuff at all?
00:17:23
Speaker
Um, if you do, you already know this, but some, some teams have kind of changed their uniforms. Um, another thing that, that I'm seeing that's kind of a trend is, um, people with more years are more, I'm going to say more candles on their birthday cake, um are, are in a college marching bands. There's a, there's a gentleman at the LSU band. He kind of went viral, um, this past weekend and, uh, his name is Ken Broussard.
00:17:49
Speaker
ah he's at LSU. There is another, um, person. Her name is Lois Rogge. I'm reading this off my phone. His son, her son is texting me, uh, during this. I just, I wanted to get some information out about her.
00:18:00
Speaker
She is 57 years old and she's in the NC State marching band. This is her second year. Yeah, she has two kids that have marched in the band previous.
00:18:11
Speaker
Incredible. um The last time she was in band was in 1987. And now she's a loan specialist. She went back for her master's last year. i getting a master's in accounting and she's, this is going to be her second year in marching band.
00:18:26
Speaker
And it's, it's really neat to see, you know, like it's, it's never too late and there's always another opportunity um to to do band. And it's great to see these, these folks getting to, to, to do their, you know, victory lap is what I'm kind of calling it. Like, you know, what do you have to lose? You know, I just saw the video of that Ken Broussard right before we came on this podcast tonight. And I, it was, it was hilarious. He said that he,
00:18:50
Speaker
as a kid, he always dreamed of being in the LSU band and he hadn't played his tuba in like 40 years. And a year ago he started like athletic training and taking tuba lessons. And he was like preparing for this and he's retired and he's like went back to college just to just be, to be in the band. That's beautiful. I think, I think that's so cool. And,
00:19:10
Speaker
And I wonder what the, I want to hear from them and I want to hear about the journey it took. Um, and, um, I want to hear, I want to hear about how the membership kind of treat him. Cause like,
00:19:22
Speaker
I think some of us kind of know what happens in some college marching band and you know, there's a lot of fun that happens. And I wonder what happens when you've got, you know, um a grandfather and a grandmother out here, you know, um kind of looking over your shoulder, being like, should you be at this football game right now with those state of, you know, those eyes right now, you know, like, I just, I just, I got one, I want to know what rehearsals are like too. Cause like, what does a water break look like, uh, for somebody in his sixties?
00:19:47
Speaker
So that's dope. I like that. Um, Whitney, do you have a story for us? I do. It is about the bands in Portland.
00:19:58
Speaker
um They are not going to be playing at like the games and stuff this year. So um at high school football games throughout Portland, Portland Interscholastic League this fall, the band will not play on band directors for almost all of the city's high schools are not going to oversee performances at games this fall or basketball games in the winter.
00:20:22
Speaker
after years of this back and forth with their pay schedule for outside of class duties between the school district and the Portland association of teachers.
00:20:33
Speaker
So that seems to be dramatic, but it's good. I think that the, the band directors are putting their foot down. They're like, Nope, if you're not, you know, it seems like if you're not going to pay us appropriately, you know, it doesn't say that explicitly that that's about like the amount that they're being paid or whatever, but like,
00:20:52
Speaker
If you're not being paid for what you're doing, then you got to put your foot down and don't, yeah for lack of a better term, don't be a slave. You know, don't be a slave to the the man and the system
Labor Disputes in Marching Arts
00:21:02
Speaker
and whatever. So, yeah, I mean, it sucks for the kids, but I get it i don't I don't know what the rules are like in Portland or in the state, but I wonder i wonder what it's what what it costs the band to go and do these things.
00:21:16
Speaker
And I wonder how much of that they're expecting to come out of the budget that the kids are paying. And I wonder if the kids that do the football stuff have to pay that as well. And I wonder about like just like the equality of those things.
00:21:27
Speaker
I deal a lot with, we we deal a lot with ADs and trying to make it ah possible for all the things and i I just worry sometimes when A, the band's not at a football game, it just seems like a tradition worth keeping and a way to keep school spirit and keep all the kids you know on the same literally the same team and when you lose something like this, I hope the admin sees or understands what message they're so giving off because this this took to me feels unfair and feels and I don't know, silly. i don't i like
00:21:58
Speaker
Why does the football team but not the band and vice versa? I also feel like it's you know somebody who taught a high school band not in place like Texas where you actually get paid an extra salary but like I figured out at one point for the number of hours that I was putting in as a director of a color guard I was probably getting paid like $3 an hour for for my time yeah yeah when you take in football games and competitions and all the work outside of rehearsal that goes into preparing me I was like yeah
00:22:31
Speaker
I'm not doing this to make money because I'm not even getting paid minimum wage. like so Yeah. to this chapman So it's important that people put their, sometimes to take a stand and say, yeah, the bank's not going to perform because,
00:22:44
Speaker
yeah Yeah, i think i think it's it's great. i i I'll say it on the podcast and hopefully the podcast, you know, all of our hosts are on the same page. Like I stand with them. that's That's incredible. And if there's anything that we can do to to kind of, you know, be ammo for those fights, like, look, they're talking about us on the national stage because of how ridiculous this is.
00:23:06
Speaker
you should change something, you know? Like, I hope this i hope the this exposure or likes or, you know, the algorithm and all that jazz, I hope this gets back to Portland and I hope ah they see that there are people that that stand with them. This is this is good.
00:23:19
Speaker
um Thank you, Whitney, for that. We're going to toss to another commercial. We'll be back with more on a water break. Hi everyone, it's time for your travel tip of the week with me. I'm Beth with Peak Group Travel.
00:23:30
Speaker
Are you traveling with delicate or oversized instruments? Be sure to check with your bus company or your airline for any extra fees that you may incur or any climate specific needs you have for your instruments.
00:23:43
Speaker
A little extra legwork before you leave could help you avoid costly repairs when you arrive. Don't forget to like and follow Peak Group Travel on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
00:23:54
Speaker
And be sure to email info at peakgrouptravel.com when you're ready to start planning your next performance tour. I'm Beth with Peak Group Travel and your travel tip of the week.
00:24:17
Speaker
Ready to elevate your travel game? Welcome to Peak Group Travel, the ultimate adventure creators. Whether you're planning an unforgettable class trip, a once in a lifetime parade experience for your marching band, or a choir tour full of memorable performance venues, Peak Group Travel handles it all so you can focus on making memories.
00:24:35
Speaker
From breathtaking international destinations to amazing adventures right here at home, Peak Group Travel customizes every journey to your vision. We're not just planners, we're your partners for the trip you want for your students.
00:24:48
Speaker
Our online registration portal makes managing your pre-trip experience smooth and convenient. We even collect your payments if you'd like. Picture it. Effortless planning, unmatched experiences, and smiles that last long after the journey ends.
00:25:01
Speaker
That's the Peak Group travel difference. And if you choose to partner with Peak on your next tour, and you mentioned that you heard about us on the On a Water Break podcast, you'll earn $100 trip credit. Discover white groups everywhere. Trust Pete Group Travel.
00:25:14
Speaker
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And be sure to visit PeteGroupTravel.com today. You pick the date and we'll make it great.
00:25:33
Speaker
Okay, everyone, we are back. It is time for the 60 second tech blog. This my favorite. This is my favorite thing. Oh my gosh.
00:25:48
Speaker
Ricardo. Those are the soothing sounds, ladies and gentlemen of our one and only Ricardo. So if you need, if you're looking for like a wedding singer,
00:25:59
Speaker
Hit them up. This segment is where one of our is put on the spot to deliver a nonstop 60 second session on a topic that needs some serious attention after the last run.
00:26:20
Speaker
Our special tech this week has come prepared with three topics. They can think to talk about for a full 60 seconds straight. No hesitation, no pauses, just pure technical gold.
00:26:33
Speaker
This week, let's see, Whitney or Jeremy? whitney's Whitney's shaking her head. We're going to go with Jeremy because, Jeremy, we haven't had you on in a bit. So let's let's do it Do you have three topics that we could possibly pick from today? um I kind of came with my list from from the adjudication standpoint of things that I think would be good to talk about.
00:26:53
Speaker
um One is preparing yourself for a productive critique. um The other one I would thought is would be interesting would be using the commentary you get from a judge for education purposes. How do you present that to your students yeah and and get them to learn from it And then also, um how do you work what's the best way to work with a clinician or a mentor that you has been brought in for your program? Wow.
00:27:19
Speaker
ah I, is there a way you do all three and 60 seconds? I think, I think we would all love that. I mean, I do feel like some of the things that they all kind of kind of lend to each other. So yeah.
00:27:33
Speaker
Otherwise I'll just, I'll just email you. All right. We'll get all the information. I'll keep it to myself. Um, Whitney, do you have, uh, do you have any ideas or preference on one, two or three? Number one, the critique one.
00:27:45
Speaker
oh yeah. Cause I, I hate going to critique. Yeah. i I always feel like i don't do a good job. And i'm like I leave critique and I go, what do with what just happened? So i i I was on one the entire time. That number two was great, talking to the students.
00:28:01
Speaker
But I think there's a way that if we start it and maybe hold it back a little bit, maybe it's 62 seconds. I think I can get all three. Um, Whitney, can you pull up your phone and, and, uh, set up a time? Oh, she's ready. All right. ready Here we go. Jeremy, are you ready? 60 seconds on the clock. Let's go. Three, two, one, go.
00:28:20
Speaker
So I think the most important thing and when we talk about critique is that critique is not the place to come in and argue about the number you just got. In fact, it's almost more productive if you come into critique and you don't even know what the number is.
00:28:31
Speaker
Um, And always the first thing is make sure you listen to your commentary. yeah if if If you're on at the end of the show, you ask to go on later and critique so you have time to listen to your commentary because without listening to your commentary, the critique is not going to be productive.
00:28:45
Speaker
yeah Listen to your commentary, come in with with questions, come in with yeah areas that you want clarification. ye It's okay to ask for advice. yeah I judge downstairs captions a lot.
00:28:55
Speaker
And I love it when somebody comes in and says, you talked a lot on your tape about you know, release points or rotations. How do I fix that? Yeah. What, what is your advice? And I, that, that was the type of things you'd come into critique and you, especially a downstairs judge is going to be able to give you exercises or ways that you can focus on that. So come in with questions i and to have a dialogue and don't, don't come in to argue. It's, it's your place to learn from each other. Yeah.
00:29:21
Speaker
Ah,
00:29:24
Speaker
The legend himself. Way to go, Jeremy. ah Whitney, how do you think he did? i was that was good. I need to go back and listen like once the podcast comes out because I was so focused on the timer. Yeah.
00:29:36
Speaker
But yes, yes. it's not ah It's not a place to argue about the number. i do think like going in and not knowing your your numbers would be ideal, but most of the time that's not the case, I think.
00:29:48
Speaker
Mm-hmm. it's you know because i I work with a lot of different circuits, and i find critiques are the most productive, and the ones where they don't release the recap before critiquing. Oh, interesting. i i I do some like judge coordination, and there's some that give out like your individual number, but they don't give out the recap to the end. Do you find any benefit at all to knowing that number?
00:30:11
Speaker
Or do you feel like it it's just best that we just come in and talk about the performance today? The number i feel really doesn't matter. It's not really... place to talk about the number. yeah Critique, ah the goal of critique is to is to have a dialogue, to get clarification, to ask questions, yeah yeah to ask you ask advice. ask is there yeah is you yeah Like I said, you talked about this.
00:30:34
Speaker
I noticed you focused on this a lot. what How do you suggest that I work on that? or how do you Things like that. Those are the type of things you you can get out of a critique versus you gave me a 6.0 and I think i think I'm better than that yeah we got a different number last week yeah and it's like that was last week that could have been a totally different performance a but b we the judges that are they here this week are coming with a totally different expertise as well like those numbers should be kind of close but at the end of the day it also depends on the contest dynamics who went on for you you know like where everything sat for the day and numbers management's a big thing I tell my kids all the time like
00:31:11
Speaker
the number doesn't really mean anything until you hear the comments, you know, and maybe this judge caught up on things that were missed last week. And now we're, now we're getting the actual information that we missed last week, you know? And um yeah, I, I love, I love the part about not ah coming in and asking questions. I feel like, so I judge a little bit um and I feel like they come in and just want to tell you what the show is about.
00:31:37
Speaker
like they didn't have an opportunity to do that, you know, early in the day, you know, during their 12 minutes, whatever. And so I go, well, do you have any questions? Cause for me, um, it didn't feel like what you're saying right now. So if you want it to be that you need to communicate that more efficiently, it felt like this to me today, you know?
00:31:55
Speaker
And so you're saying that you love questions and, and do you feel like that's just a normal thing that they, that people should just come in and, and ask clarifying questions from the tape? A hundred percent. Yeah. yeah, the the worst type of a critique is when somebody comes in and just says, yeah, what did you think? I'm like, well, I talked for seven minutes about what I what i thought. like,
00:32:15
Speaker
yeah Critique is so interesting. I hope this 60 seconds help. And and if ah if anybody has any other questions, like come drop a comment. let's let's Let's get to the nitty gritty of this.
00:32:28
Speaker
Okay, that was awesome. um if If somebody out there got some advice from this, then I'm hoping that it was well needed. But now it's time to switch up things. It's time for everyone's favorite. What are we doing? what are we doing
00:32:46
Speaker
thank what are we doing Okay, this is the part of the show where we let loose a little bit, maybe a lot. This is your chance to rant about something in the marching arts that just doesn't make sense.
00:32:59
Speaker
Maybe it's a tradition that needs to go. Maybe it's that habit the performers can't seem to break. Maybe it's something that makes you think, what are, why are we even doing this? Why haven't we started doing this yet? Where are all these things? Whatever it is, this is your moment to call it out. So who's got something they need to get off their chest?
00:33:16
Speaker
Whitney, let's go. Hi. o um What are we doing not matching our skin tone to our gloves and
Representation in Color Guard Uniforms
00:33:26
Speaker
possibly our shoes also?
00:33:28
Speaker
Like there are colors now. there's There's almond and latte, which is your standard. There's chocolate and mocha. And one of them's a little more on the purple side, but like we got we got a we got colors.
00:33:42
Speaker
Now that we can match to our kids' skin tones. And it's important. It's important that they they are visible. You know, that they they and know that we know that they're not just a white kid.
00:33:53
Speaker
You know, like, you're we're not all the same color. And that's awesome. And it's great that we have more diversity in color guard, I think, than we used to, for sure. you know, like, I teach a lot of a lot of kids of color.
00:34:05
Speaker
and And in Texas for sure. But like, can we just, can we just do that? It's not hard. You just hold up the picture and you're like, I think you're close to, yeah, you look pretty close to mocha.
00:34:16
Speaker
Are you going darker in the sun? Like we're just, you know, we're just out here in a 10 UV index every day. So like, you think this is a good, good range for you? is Are you comfortable with this?
00:34:27
Speaker
Cool. Yeah. and And it doesn't cost anything extra. So I've done a couple of orders through the guard closet and I had a band director like literally go, yeah, but it's going to cost more, right?
00:34:37
Speaker
Cause they have to match it. And I go, no, it's, it's a, it's a, if it did, you should do it anyways. Why is this a conversation point? Why is this a conversation? If it was a dollar more.
00:34:49
Speaker
pay it, dude. Yeah. Charge everyone $35 instead of 34. There's so many options. Like, you know, 20 years ago, via the options were nude or, black yeah when you went to order gloves now there's you have all the options there's no excuse not to do it anymore there just isn't yeah and and it's and it's pretty much every brand now so even if you are i am a you know um what's what's the big one i'm blanking mccormick yeah yeah if if i if i'm a dsi girly i can still be a dsi girly but now it's gonna match my skin tone like
00:35:23
Speaker
Just do it. I think and it's that it's body tights, you know, it's the it's all it's all these things that we've just kind of like you it's like the same thing in the dance world in the ballet world. Like right when when we got point shoes now that match their skin tone and yeah a full range of leotards that match their skin tones. It's not just nude.
00:35:42
Speaker
Yeah, there are more than one shade of nude. I feel like we live in a different world and it's time, it's time to get in there. If we're not going to do, you know, 2025 type shows, we can at least live in 2025 with the things we're putting on our kids. So absolutely that. And like the other thing that bothers me right now is that I have color guard directors and mostly band directors that don't think about a hairstyle for um my kids of like, you know, I think background texture. Yeah. Yeah. And so like, that is a reality now, you know, from the beginning of band camp,
00:36:15
Speaker
what this, this child has, like, let's make a plan and let's do a plan together. Like it doesn't have to be you dictated. Collaborate. Right. Yeah. It's not that hard to go, Hey, we want this look. Is there anything you can do with your hair? Or, you know, if you've got a, I work here in North Carolina, uh, and some of these schools have a lot of middle Eastern descent. And so they have special rules and things. And there's, there's, there's always an option. They don't use like alcohol in their hairspray. Like they're,
00:36:44
Speaker
right Yes. Yeah, for sure. but There's options. So like, why not, why not do that? and Jeremy, do you have a, what are what are we doing? Sure.
Preserving Marching Arts History
00:36:52
Speaker
um What are we doing? Not finding a way to preserve the history of our activity.
00:36:57
Speaker
It's been over 10 years now since we've basically stopped having any physical media for, which is we've lost, or we've lost 10 years of history. It's yeah. Yeah. Oh, I see what you're saying. yeah I understand there's copyright issues. I understand. But how do we figure out how to solve that? Yeah.
00:37:14
Speaker
feel like it's been a long time and we're, we're truly losing it. I know as a young designer and a yeah and a young yeah performer, I like studied those DVDs.
00:37:25
Speaker
Like yeah they were, you know, the Holy grail. And I learned so much and I feel like you can't get that off of YouTube. You just, you can't. And so what are we doing?
00:37:36
Speaker
feel like we should have found a solution but now for either a streaming service or, or something to, to get the back that history. Yeah. I, I, this is very interesting because I, I feel like on the color guard side, there isn't something that's like constantly pushing out media. And maybe I'm just not in the world enough, but like, let's talk about the percussion side really quick, the marching vlogs people. And like, um, they're like Ben's that doesn't look like a bass drum, um,
00:38:04
Speaker
Instagram, they are constantly posting about, you know, watch this group do this. Here's, here's a, here's a lot run of this. Here's a lot run of, uh, of so-and-so doing this. And what I think, uh, what I heard March marching blogs was doing is they were, they were going in and taking videos of the shows and like getting to share it with the ensemble.
00:38:24
Speaker
So at least the ensemble has it. Um, and you know, I feel like that exists in the percussion space because there's just always cameras and that lot, uh, culture that the percussion has, like there's so much, even like InfiniBass is a big one.
00:38:39
Speaker
Um, and like, it's cool to see all that. I don't see that in the color guard space. And then I don't see full range shows. And I, and I wish there was um some kind of content creator that would, you know, spend some time, you know, just,
00:38:52
Speaker
reviewing some of these and it it'd be great to to have like a podcast of that. And I just think, I just think somebody hasn't realized that it's possible to do. And I obviously it takes time, but um um I'm with you too. Like we've done the flow marching thing and flow marching doesn't even let you do audio on the, on the, you know, the reset or whatever, whatever that, that issue is.
00:39:11
Speaker
Um, like, can we figure something out? Cause I, I loved the videos. Like I have a, I don't know. Oh, you know what? It's on the, it's fine. I'm I have an entire like hard drive of shows that I pulled from YouTube back when it was around and like,
00:39:26
Speaker
ah I've learned so much from just watching, you know, years and years. i I agree with you. It's hard when you have to go and scope it out and then it's not even good quality. And sometimes the audio has even changed. So are you even listening to the audio that the choreographers choreographed to, or was it something they had to overlay so that it didn't impose copyright rules and stuff? Like I'm with you. I think we're losing...
00:39:49
Speaker
and We're losing the young generation. It's already becoming harder to do this at the, at the young age. Like this takes so much time. And so they're not even getting the free learning right now with something like this. So I'm, I'm with you.
00:40:03
Speaker
Um, and I have a, what are we doing? And it mostly just has to do with like, I've gotten to deal with a lot of people in band and outside of band um lately. And my big thing is I, I feel like um there's like tension in places sometimes um when we don't all realize that we're all a, we're all human.
00:40:23
Speaker
um But be like, there's a human element to all of this. Like we should, we should always assume that somebody is trying their best. And then work from there when you assume that, oh, they're doing this because they're, they're ego tripped or they're, but like that, I don't know ah my, what are we doing is what are we doing? Not treating people like humans.
00:40:42
Speaker
Um, because I'm just seeing a lot of, like in design meetings and in like in interpersonal relationships with, with instructors and directors, like, Oh, so-and-so does this. And, you know, I don't like this. I'm like, well, you should, you should kindly find a way to talk about it.
00:40:57
Speaker
Cause you, you coming to me and, and, and complaining about it is not going to fix the issue. You know, like clear communication, non-emotional, like you can cry, you can be upset, you can do all those things, but it won't fix the problem. What will is that crucial conversation. They're not hard conversations, not bad conversations.
00:41:15
Speaker
They're crucial for the growth of the team. We've got to act like a team. So that's my what are we doing is what are we doing not treating people like human? Y'all ready for the next one? This is my, this, the gush and goes is the fun one.
00:41:27
Speaker
All right. We've got that. um Great job, everyone. Set your equipment down. Gush and go.
00:41:34
Speaker
We've got that off our chest. Let's get into the gush and go. So welcome. um This is your chance to shout out something awesome happening in your life, marching arts related or not. Maybe we're excited about a performance, a student success, a big life event, or just something cool.
00:41:48
Speaker
We want to brag about it. No negativity here, just pure unfiltered hype. So who's got something to gush and go about? Jeremy? Sure. um i've got I can gush and go about, so this past Saturday, the group I founded and am still kind of pseudo-director of the New England Pride Collar Guard finished our eighth season. It's our sixth parade. We kind of had a bunch of stuff in June, and then we have a parade in September, which is interesting. but So we finished our season six parades, had like 80 performers this year. It's just like ah ah great great season, and I'm really proud of everything we've done, and that's what I would gush about.
00:42:25
Speaker
Love. That's awesome. Whitney, do you have one? um We got our show silks today for Bridgeland. So that's what I'll be doing after this is washing some silks.
00:42:36
Speaker
Definitely not all of them, but some silks I will be washing. But um yeah, also make sure you wash yourself. that that so danny Danny agrees.
00:42:47
Speaker
Wash your silks. Can you explain this? Okay, so this I was about to just stop your gushing go and and add what what talk to me about the washing thing. Well, usually they have like that chemical on them, um whatever they set it with. Right. I don't really know how digital flags are made, but somebody could tell me.
00:43:03
Speaker
um But I just like to wash them because it softens them up and it doesn't like rip through the air so much. And it's not so like loud. Like interest they're just stiff. Like when you get them pretty much any, any company I've had, they're just really stiff when you get them.
00:43:17
Speaker
And I like to make them smell good. You know, like I got the beads in there and make them smell really good. And Yeah, but don't but don't dry them with heat. Never dry flags with heat.
00:43:28
Speaker
some Cold water. Please tell me you neck you don't have to tape all these flags. Oh, I will not be doing that. 64 flags. That's crazy. Especially you have a double swing flag. 64 kids.
00:43:40
Speaker
No, we't we ain't do it we ain't doing no double swing flag. We got but got some like big thing, but no no double si swing flag. I love that. yeah I love that. um music big My Gus and Go, i um i don't I don't really have a part in it. I auditioned for it in June.
00:43:57
Speaker
I did not get it, but I'm really excited. ah The Jabwalk, he's just announced their new show, Frequency, at the MGM in Las Vegas. They did it on a live stream with Kai Sinat, who's kind of this... ah you know, a young person's streamer does a lot of crazy stuff has had tons of celebrities on and they did like a live mafia thon three, um, unveil. And then they talked about the new show. And so my question goes, is just how excited I am about, um, dance being in in a place like, like Vegas and take in, um, take into heights like that. Like, uh, I was always told as a young hip hop dancer that like,
00:44:33
Speaker
I'd be, I'd be on cardboard on the side of the street busking. And that's like what I could, you know, the highest esteem I can do. And to see these, um, these 12, uh, members create something. So life, like just, just limitless is the, is the last show, but just how, how much it's grown and how many people are now part of that organization.
00:44:53
Speaker
Um, I think it's incredible to see where hip hop dance can take you. And the fact that they're all boys and they like when I was younger and doing ballet, um, there was always like you know there was always a caveat, not a caveat, but there was always words that were, oh, he's a dancer and he's da-da-da.
00:45:09
Speaker
Okay, so he must be blank, he must be this. and you know there it it wasn't It wasn't fun being a dancer and learning ballet, being younger, because there was just so so much words around it.
00:45:21
Speaker
And it's cool to see like a male-centered hip-hop group expand. Now there's females in the ensemble, um A, but B, it's cool that like... It's cool that it's just so openly appreciated and, you know, like seeing all the reposts of the live stuff.
00:45:38
Speaker
um It's just cool to see how much, how many people were excited about it. So that's what I'm guessing. There are females in the ensemble now. Yeah, so the last cast had some, but now I... now i like the The thing about the Jabberwockies is they don't share when you're a member.
00:45:54
Speaker
um it's all it's a Because the mask, like it makes it so that it can be anybody. There's still people that believe that the original members are are performing, and they are more you know on the... It's really cool. They're more on the like the logistics side. They were all around the audition, but they haven't probably worn the mask in a...
00:46:09
Speaker
in five to eight years. They got all the new blood doing it. And now this younger generation, there were 11-year-olds at the audition that made it to the second round. It was incredible. I mean, see yeah. And so a lot of the people that are there now that are 25 or 26 started when were 17 18. So like,
00:46:25
Speaker
started when they were seventeen or eighteen so like It's insane. ah The, the quality doesn't change. They pick the right people. They're always looking for that. That's just like that Jabba walkie way to move and all that. Like it's, it's great. And it's cool to see that there are females in the ensemble. And I mean, that's, you can't tell you can't like, it's just, it's the Jabba walkies and yeah, I'm just so, so hyped about dance and that it's on a big stage.
00:46:51
Speaker
There we are. Hey, it's called gush and go, not gush and stay. Let's go. that's also one of my That's also one of my favorite sound bites is the discussion going on gush and stay. I love that.
00:47:06
Speaker
Thanks for a great rehearsal this week. Thanks for everybody that for spending time with us. Whitney, you got any clothes and stuff? No, go clean. Make sure your kids are counting.
00:47:17
Speaker
Yeah. it's like a big This is the way Jeremy. guys I would say the same thing. Go clean those cares, go teach them to count so that I can give them good feedback. Beautiful. if you If you've got a question or a good topic to talk about, ah email us on onawaterbreakpodcast at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
00:47:38
Speaker
We even have a form that you can fill out if you want to be a guest. We love having people on the podcast. So check out the link in our bio on our social media, or you could just take your phone, make a video and send it to us. And maybe we'll see yourself on, maybe you'll see yourself on the next podcast.
00:47:53
Speaker
You can all tell us where you, well I'll tell you where you can find us. One more thing. Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now. So go and subscribe and see what we got going on there. Also, before you close out of your podcast list podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review and share this with a friend or a foe. I mean, like share it with everybody, the haters, they deserve all this information as well.
00:48:17
Speaker
Follow us on social media on a water break and we'll see you at the next rehearsal. On a Water Break.
00:48:27
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.
00:48:38
Speaker
And until next time, thanks for tuning in.
00:48:45
Speaker
she
00:48:49
Speaker
it