Ok my high-school band has been show-style all 3 years it has had a band. All three years, we've gotten Excellent at Contest(and that was pretty lucky this year). A new teacher just arrived at the school who was supposedly in DCI for a few years (suncoast sound-aren't they gone now?) and he wants to introduce all the DCI stuff into our band. 5/6ths of the band are kids who don't really give a crap and mess around most of the time- but they can play. After a week of trying to incorporate DCI and being constantly ridiculed by students, the new teacher gave up hope. Hes starting fresh this summer, and I don't know If I want to be there for the nasty fight, but how is this going to work? The band has always danced and the director says we still will against our rival school, but what kind of stuff would you reccomend him trying to do? (I'm his part time assistant person, so I have to do all the work and stuff )

well,
this is what I was alluding to in my post about teaching a show style band...(thank you for helping proove that no matter how much "drumming is drumming" there are "fundemental and philosophical differences out there)

Now to the matter at hand...
anytime, ANYTIME, EVERYTIME there is a director change there is going to be a clash...your situation is going to be worse than most because of the philosophical differences.

What you need to do most is help tow the line for the new guy without cutting his knees out from under him...when the kids complain, you need to defend him. It's not always easy but you need to help them understand "New Sheriff=New Rules" You can't let the kids think you think the new guy is bunk. And, it sounds like you could be his best tool for helping change the kids opinion.

Chances are you'll loose some kids, maybe a lot of kids...but that can be good for the program if they're not playing the directors game.

Another good thing to do is get a hold of the newbies (freshman etc.) and instill good habits in them before the vets can "poison" them against the new director.

Also, and I'm sure the director knows this, but he'll need to instill chage gradually.

You also need to find out which 16.66 percent (the 1/6th) that does give a crap and talk to them about helping instill the changes.


PS I have a friend that teaches science in Brandon at one of the Hillsboro County middle schools
Which highschool do you go to?