Yeah, let's do nothing at all. Let's deflect and argue and shutdown all discussions. After all, we can't have state marching every year due to cost, scheduling, facilities...oh wait! We're going to every year now. And we can't split region bands any more into ATSSB or a separate 5A band...oh wait! We've done that, too! Nothing personal against you. I'm just FED UP with people shutting down discussions of how to make anything better for ALL bands and kids in music. Too many band directors like to gaslight and deflect to "shut up" anyone who wants an equal voice for their students and programs. If we discuss solutions or options and they turn out not to be practical or viable, fine. We'll try something else or leave it alone.

I'm also tired of the dismissive attitudes of, "well did your kids grow" or "it's about the journey" or the best one of all, "It may not be perfect but we have the best designed way of doing this" or other dismissive and deflective statements. All of these statements that I've heard from directors over the decades is toxicity at it's highest.

Okay, now it's time for some folks to attack me and make ASSumptions about my teaching, students, wife, dog, bank account, eye color or any other thing to deflect from having an honest and open discussion about marching band and contest. That's how these threads seem to go here. It's exactly the reasons why it took this long to return to and every year at state contest. Because too many people want to spend their time slapping down anyone else who has a different opinion or idea.