what do you do if your line has kids that have a bad attitude towards playing, bad attitude towards the music, and a bad attitude towards each other

You give them a consequence such as getting kicked out

what if you dont have the power to kick them out

Phew that's tough, do you know anything that they have a good attitude towards or like to do? If not then I don't know why they even joined in the first place.

they like to annoy you, not learn their parts, be d***'s about everything. That is the same question i want to now!

attitude comes before ability

I see this question posted all the time here.

For once, I'll offer the solution I provide to my students when someone decides to slack. Everyone else needs to use that as motivation to get better. If everyone around that individual improves and their performance becomes a significant issue, someone has to notice.

I'm not suggesting that you all improve to pick up the slack for a bum in the line, just don't let them hold you back personally.

Those problems works themselves out either by the student realizing they can't hang and bailing, getting the message and improving, or an administrator gives them an alternate "assignment".

It sucks that you usually dont see this as that much of a problem with schools who have lots of kids auditioning for the line. They know that if they continue to be a problem, their gone and someone else takes their spot. But at the school that I teach at, we need all the players we can get. Its sad, but the band had a rough couple of years, and recruiting sometimes isnt easy. So when you have players that dont care and are becoming a problem and cant be kicked out... you cant have no drumline, so instead find out why they are causing a problem, because its usually with something that they dont like. The band teacher, the other students, the music, the way your running the line, being bored, the list goes on and on... So find out what the problem is, either by sitting down with them, or noticing in what situation that problem arrises and then do something about it. Show your credability for being able to teach. I imagine your teaching because you dont suck. So make sure they know your qualified, lol but dont be a conceeded about it. And make drumming fun, new, and a good learnig experience. And one more thing that could really help. Have good communication and a good relationship with the director. It really helps the students get the big picture when they notice that your working as a team and not against eachother. Hope this helps.

My mom has a saying about such situations. Shoot 'em all and atart from scratch.

Don't judge me.....

If you are able to cut the bad attitudes, I say cut them. Many will argue that you need all the players that you can get, but if those bad attitudes are in the drumline, are they helping or just causing problems? You may not win many drumline competitions, but remember that the ultimate goal is to be a part of the band. Once you show others that you don't need and will not put up with their bad attitude, you should start building up quality players.

If you are unable to cut players for whatever reason, I suggest that those players fed up with th attitude get together outside of scheduled practice and do some team building. Just do some wood-shedding and have a good time. Those who have not been invited to your little party may change their attitude to be included. If that doesn't work, try not to let their issues bring down your morale and fun in drumming.

Go to a drum corps show and go through the lot. Hit the big guys at the shows (Cavaliers, Blue Devils, Bluecoats, etc) and just watch them practice and warm up. Or if it is going to be a "home show" for a corps, arrive at the stadium a few hours early and you can probably catch the entire corps practicing the show and it is usually free to get in and watch.

We have this problem with our bass line and one of our snares. Our band has the general rule not to cut someone unless they're doing really, really bad or refuse to come to any practices, but otherwise, no cutting. We found that they would concentrate more when promised pizza after a good show or practice or something similar. It sounds silly that we have to reward them for just doing what they're supposed to, but... if it works.

our band has 41 people in it, and 2 people don't wanna march, play, stand at attention, listen to the BD, section leader, or do anything

if we had auditions, that kind of thing wouldn't happen...but we need all the people we can get so the BD just looks the other way


which i think is stupid because 2 people are stopping us from going to state, looking good, etc.

it's just...crazy
and frustrating

Yeah my band is a little larger than yours but we also need everyone we can get so we can't really cut anyone. It definitely is frustrating when it's a few people who don't care who are ruining it for everyone else who does.

I have like three people that have really bad attitudes and won't listen. They stick together and go aganst anything i say. I don't have the power to kick people out but i just threaten them with laps or if that dosn't work, i go to my band director.

I'm trying to find a way I can help my alma mater rebuild their line (when you change directors every 2 years....) and I've given this some thought.

First, nothing works without the cooperation of the director: they set the tone and are the ultimate judge (and executioner) for the band.

If marching band is a purely extracurricular activity, my solution (other than cutting them) is basically mild humiliation: they have to stand at attention on the sidelines during pregame and the halftime show. If it leaves a hole in the formation, you just live with it. If it leaves a hole in the bass line, the other basses will just have to be pissed -- hopefully they're not happy with the individual, anyway. Parents and other spectators tend to ask them, "Why were you standing on the sidelines while everyone else was playing?" There may be some tense converstations with the parents now and then, but I think most parents will come down on the kids, not the staff.

If marching band is part of "Band, the class" and is graded, you (well, the director) has extra leverage. You have to really be a srew-up to get a bad grade in band. Bad grades in band lead to uncomforatable questions(for the student) when the report cards come out.

Establish a rational basis for grading penalties other than the usual demerits for missing practices and performances without *very* good excuses. Since band is essentially a "grade for participation" class, my idea is to base the grade penalties upon effort and/or improvement: at one end, if you appear to do a reasonable amount of work and just aren't very good you basically still get an "A" for effort; on the other hand, if you aren't putting any effor in at all and don't improve, your grade is going to reflect that general laziness; if you're the most tallented drummer/percussionist in the school but you don't bother to practice and don't memorize your music, etc. you're still going to get a bad grade; etc.

Note that grade penalties can easily be combined with humiliation. >:]

we dont handle bad attitudes nicely. they either run, or do push ups if they start trouble. that a policy that we came up with. Are band director always said that if they dont want to be here they can go home, having one more person isnt worth bring the whole line down. we have never really had that big of a problem, and if we do we resolve it within ourselfs.

My drum line is poisoned with bad attitudes. no one practices except three or four people. and if you say "Bring you taps down" they think you're "making fun of them" or saying you're better than them. it's frustrating.