Music of Andrew F. Poor

This is Part 2 of a blog reflecting on my experiences from this past summer teaching the Spirit of Atlanta brass.  7. Approaching show warm-ups like it is an extension of rehearsal We began to approach show preparation like it was an extension of the rehearsal day, i.e., essentially another rehearsal block. The idea came from a blog by Daniel Coyle, author of a great book entitled, The Talent Code. The blog,  http://thetalentcode.com/2016/10/06/stop-warming-up-start-learning-up/ ,  The blog talks about myths about preparing to perform and uses NBA great, Steph Curr,y as the subject. We took the ideas from this thought-provoking concept and applied it to our show preparation. Our show prep was tightly scripted and was consistent in structure but varied in application. The variables are what engages the brain, and challenging the mind and are what prepares us to perform. The structure helped with efficiency and the variables were essential to improving mental a...

A reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 2017 Spirit Brass Staff at DCI World Championships 1. I really do not like doing drum corps in Louisiana, but we found a way to get better anyway I think one of the things drum corps teaches us is how to push through barriers or walls. During the summer, you are constantly challenged to push yourself mentally and physically harder than most people have pushed themselves in their regular lives. Lousiana presents many challenges that test the strength of your will, including, extreme heat, high humidity, terrible facilities, and fields which resemble mud pits or fire ant city. These were some of the toughest days of the summer, but the drum corps got better and was an important turning point for the corps during the summer. The Nacy SEALs have 40% rule: you are only at your 40% physical capacity when your mind wants to give up. You have more strength and capacity then you realize and drum corps help remind us of t...