Prohibiting girls on any drumline or other school (so long that it isn't private...there rules may be different because they typically don't get federal funding.. which is arguable under the voucher laws..eeek tangent) affiliated program is against the law. It's discrimination and is a direct violation of Title IX under the Education Amendments of 1972. In other words.. not a good idea to break that law.

Also, we had two females on our tenor line last year and both will probably be returning this year. I think this will be the 3rd season that one of them has been tenor captain. Our bass captain (drum two) is also female. Last year we actually played an exhibition with another Mississippi University that shall remain nameless. During that exhibition our tenor ladies received some rather sexist comments dealing with their ability to play and hold the drums. Safe to say our tenor line smoked them...and it was wonderful.

I'm sexist, if it classifies, only because I try to encourage more girls to audition for the drumlines I teach. I do it for the same reason you'll find more women as bartenders, or club promoters, or cashiers...business.

You'd have to be completely oblivious to think there's not a business in teaching a line. Getting girls to audition and rocking the $hit out of a drum grabs attention, not only from guys, but especially from other girls that thought it wasn't possible. I also like throwing it in the boys faces, and demonstrating to them that being a guy has nothing to do with chops or playing ability.

Needless to say, as a man, I'm pretty much using one of our greatest weaknesses(women) as a form of insentive. But...my auditions are pretty much packed every year

So sexist? Yea. Mainly towards guys though in this sense.

my high school had a big problem with guys and girls joining just because it was cool... in college, there are girls on the drumline and guys that are here to play. so it should never be about sex, but rather motivation.

My line in fact will have 5 girls this year, although if this coutns I have no idea, because out pit and line are sort of merged into one big drumline that doesn't march. we will have 3 senior girls and 2 incoming freshmen. This is only 1/5 of the line, but that's all the girls who wanted to join the drumline.

Well, Old topic, but Oh well. We have a girl on the line, Nobody really wants to play percussion for us, Its mostly the guys. I think this may be because of the fact that we have woodwinds. All the girls (Seriously, There is no guy in the winds, well, one but he is, er) are on woodwind, and the guys fill up percussion. The band I'm in is mostly girls.

I do hate when girls try and pull the sexist card when they audition. I love having girls on the line when they can play it, We have one bass, shes amazing at running the section. But the girls that try and call sexism when they don't get a spot tends to annoy me. Not trying to be a jerk, but if you can't play it, you can't play it. If you can hack it, I would love to have a full female line, Just becuase the attitude. Most of the girls in the band don't show off, are not fast to show off, are well disciplined, can read music well, and are overall a better character I would want on the line.

As the person at the top of the page said it is against the law to prohibit girls from being on the line unless it is privately owned.

Easy, killer.

It appears that you have misread Inversion's intent with his section staffing practices.

The involvement and encouragement of female participation in the percussion section is a great motivator for both their male and female teammates who may feel discouraged about their ability or even those that may require some extra weight on the challenge of improving their skills.

I've been doing this activity longer than you've been breathing and will tell you that every year I do everything I can to get students involved, especially girls, for the exact reasons listed above with great success. And no, it certainly does not hurt our cause if the girls are attractive.

Telling teenage boys with raging hormones they have to stand next to a girl they dig for 20+hrs of rehearsal a week is one heck of an incentive. At the drum corps level, that same scenario is jacked up ten fold.

We provide a great opportunity for both sexes to participate in an activity were gender knows no bounds and further, having girls in your program balances out the male ego much better.

For the record, my HS program currently has 6s, 3q, 5b, 4c and 10 pit.

One snare, one quad, two bass, two cymbals and seven pit are girls. ALL my section leaders except the snares are girls.

I've been teaching since the late 80's and some of my most talented drummers have been female. The reality is that society hasn't changed much in terms of the "roles" that the gender's choose to participate in. Generally speaking girls try out for flute, clarinet, sax, etc. and boys play trumpet, drums, etc. That's not how we as instructors set it up, but that is what kids choose. "All of my friends play flute, so I will too" is the attitude we see most often. We had a snare section leader who was female two season ago and she went on to play in college and is on a music scholarship, etc. Not only can she flam-it-up, she is an outstanding marimbist, steel drummer (lead) and also plays bass guitar like a pro.

Girls can cheese it up with the best of them...

Our line is open to all. Currently we have 2 girls on bass. One marched snare last year, but i beat her out this year.