My father was the director of the local drum corp, and as a result all his sons and my mom were heavily involved in the activity. Take upwards of 100 or so kids, and try to teach them musical instruments (percussion and brass) as well as color guard / dance routines. Then, throw them all on a bus for most of the summer, and tour around the country competing on football fields with other drum corps for weeks at a time. For a young kid growing up, it was great fun. And, I learned some invaluable skills that I’ve used all my life. While I’m not a professional musician, music continues to play a role in my life. I taught kids of all different ages, and learned what it means to instill a sense of discipline, and respect towards young people and from young people doing something we all enjoyed.

Believe it or not, the local drum corp was not always seen as the coolest activity for a kid to do where I grew up. As a result, we did seem to get quite a range of children involved in the activity. Some form very affluent homes who had a genuine love for the activity. And then there were others, whose parents seemed to view it as a way to unload their kids (and their problems) for long periods of time. My dad the director never turned any kid away, but at times seemed to be running a foster care business. He was a well respected teacher as a career, and other adults and teachers marveled (with some confusion) as to why he would want to spend even more time with kids after hours. I think, he just genuinely loved kids, and the activity of drum corp. That’s what kids really need. A role model that treats them with respect, demands respect from them, and shows them how to be passionate about something in life.