Drum Majors, - To play or not to play?

I know this is an old topic but I would like to run it past our members as I will be attending Northern Ireland Branch meetings on behalf of Ballycoan, and might want to raise this very subject.

What can be done about playing for Drum Majors.

It is something that all bands get caught for, and to the best of my knowledge, no musician wants to do, as it always seems to happen just after you have played. And are coming off a very high concentration 'High'
You can be disqualifed if you refuse, as happened Ballycoan in 2001 ( I think) at the worlds, when just after they played, a steward required them to play and he was told, that they were not available, in slightly more cruder terms I may add, they had won the piping and were second overall in G2, but were D/Q.
Iain will certainly get caught more than me, and I still reckon its a real pain, especially as we hardly ever see our DM.
I would like to see a tape or CD type of thing, played so that they can be self sufficient, the cd's could be sold and they could be self financing, and there would be no arguements overs who got a good band and who didn't.
Views of members would be apprecated

Here we have a duty band. All arranged prior to the day, then if a band is 'invited' and can't do it, there is plenty of time to arrange another. Sometimes it's the local band , more often it's not.
I get the impression that over your way, it's usually a higher grade band that plays for DM contest. Is this true?
Why don't they use a lower grade band? Give them more options.

janelle wrote:Here we have a duty band. All arranged prior to the day, then if a band is 'invited' and can't do it, there is plenty of time to arrange another. Sometimes it's the local band , more often it's not.
I get the impression that over your way, it's usually a higher grade band that plays for DM contest. Is this true?
Why don't they use a lower grade band? Give them more options.

That seems fairly sensible, but we have the RSPBA (NIB)
What happens here is that the DM steward just grabs a band coming of the arena, and they MUST play, or will be DQ'd, I believe there is a rule that you only need to do it 3 times in a season, and if you have you can refuse, but I wouldnt like to test it if we had a good run!
Lower grade bands do bear the brunt of it, as often Grade 1 are playing twice, or are centre bands, so the DM contest is often over before the grade ends, so they don't do it.

Its not the point though, as every player I have spoken to hates it, so should it be changed?

cheers

I think the mere fact that you are TOLD you have to do it is out of order, Plus as you say coming off on a high, then having to go out and play for the DMs, would not really enhance your feeling of "giving it your best"
I like Janelle's idea of how they do it? at least you would know in advance and would be ready for it.
I can imagine perhaps the scenario where you had played in a comp, and perhaps someone had dropped a real Boo Boo, you all knew that it had cost you a place and were feeling rather "PPPP" off. to be then told you were playing for the DMs, would I should think be putting the boot in?

Hmmmmmm, bit of a pig 'n a poke this one. Yes no one likes doing it, but as Gordy said it's 3B & 3A that takes the brunt of the DM's MUST PLAY scenario.

MAP.................2/4's ?, get the lower grade bands to play 6/8's. The fact that this MAP thing is supposed to raise the standard and prepare the lower graded bands for the next level is a loada crap. What band doesn't play 6/8's?.........very few if any.

Therefore all grades that are below grade2 IMO should share the work load evenly.

@Gordy, put this forward m8, a predetermined allocation of contests at which A,B.C bands will be required to play on that certain day. There after another 3 bands rotate.

This way no given band will be dicked da do it week in 'n week out. Sure it means some cabbage doing a roster, so what.

Redneck wrote:Hmmmmmm, bit of a pig 'n a poke this one. Yes no one likes doing it, but as Gordy said it's 3B & 3A that takes the brunt of the DM's MUST PLAY scenario.

MAP.................2/4's ?, get the lower grade bands to play 6/8's. The fact that this MAP thing is supposed to raise the standard and prepare the lower graded bands for the next level is a loada crap. What band doesn't play 6/8's?.........very few if any.

.

totally against that , its bad enough beein in g4

keep ya oota the beertent till I arrive

Iain,

I have been told that there is going to be a money allocation based on 'duty bands'

It appears that there will be a payment with regard to playing for DM's and doing centre bands and at the end of the year the bands will get a cheque, obviously the more you do, the more you get.

This might go some way to easing the pain, but it still rankles that someone, who has never played in a band, and wouldnt know what shoulder to put pipes on has the power to make demands, and then disqualify.

Redneck wrote:keep ya oota the beertent till I arrive

christ man your watching the workies putting the bloody thing up !!!!!!

Gordy88 wrote:
This might go some way to easing the pain, but it still rankles that someone, who has never played in a band, and wouldnt know what shoulder to put pipes on has the power to make demands, and then disqualify.

very true Gordy , but it is the RSPBA we are dealing with , and theres hunners oh them, did yeh know that they are going to award them with long service medals !!!!!!!!

££££££££££££'s, well that'd ease the pain a Richard gettin' in the beertent first then

There again, we'd be quids in, we get dicked every week.

@Gordy, ya hear this first hand m8 or is it just a proposal?.

Gordy, anymore word on this payment idea?.

Redneck wrote:Gordy, anymore word on this payment idea?.

Brian and Alfie mentioned before Xmas, back tonight so i will check up and report back

Redneck wrote:Gordy, anymore word on this payment idea?.

Confirmed

Bnads will receive points for various functions, Finales, Drum majors, attendance at various meetings etc, like monthly branch meetings.

Bryan has a copy of it from the NI branch, so I will get it and post, he has a list of receiving bands, and sez an extra £3000.00 is going into the pot for this season, make bands work for it as opposed to putting it into prize money,

Looks like communism in action to me!! I though you enetered contests to win the thing, not like the RSPBa to get it wrong,

update later

Typical m8, thank god am not at those meetings, ad be banned fer life.

I know,

Thats why Bryan Rae is going with me!!

It will be hard to keep my mouth shut at these meetings, actually its hard for me to keep my mouth shut at the best of times as you all know but it will be interesting to see at first hand what sort of crap does get talked about.

The first meeting of the year is the last Saturday in January so I will post and let you know haha