RSchwerdle

Hi my name is Rudi Schwerdle and I am currently a junior at Ball State University. I am studying instrumental music education there with my primary instrument being trombone. Prior to Ball State, I attended Plainfield North High School from 2009-2013 and the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL. I have experience with low brass, but I am confident in my pedagogy skills to help benefit all brass if needed. I was a member of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra from Fall 2013-Fall 2015, principal trombone and section leader of the marching band at my high school for 3 years and a member of the BOA Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses in 2013. In my short time at Ball State, I was principal trombone of Concert Band, a member of a very successful Brass Quintet, an early music ensemble and trombone choir. As of right now, I am currently available up until the end of the second week of August for possible band camps and rehearsals. I am situated in Plainfield right now and am able to travel around the Chicagoland area easily although further travel is up in the air. I have provided links to my website with my resume. Feel free to explore, but I cannot make promises that my picture on the home page is the best. There are some blank pages as well that will be filled in the future. My email is reschwerdle@bsu.edu for any inquires Thank You ​Rudi Schwerdle http://reschwerdle.weebly.com/professional-resume.html http://reschwerdle.weebly.com/musical-resume.html

As a heads up to all the moderators.

1. Knowing me I will somehow make it off topic. Like probably right now. 2. I will say this. I don't trust the audience with subjectivity and unfortunately that was proven through students (not parents from at least where I sat) who sat in the stands at ISU after their performances. It was a real bummer and a bit of a nuisance to have students say this group was bad or that show sucks either during or immediately after a group’s performance or make obnoxious noises during. Which then makes me look at the band directors and how they explain what all the students are achieving at these events. I'm not one to be very forgiving in that area, because I have seen (and had) too many teachers in the state in all areas that don't know how to work with students and understand the amount of work that is put in to be a guide for these frankly clueless young people. That isn't a knock on students of Illinois, but the reality of the age group since at 14-18, there is probably 1% of them that know their path and where it is going and have some tools that will get them there. It makes me very sad when I see students that don't understand that whatever level another set of kids is at, it doesn't mean then are doing something lesser or more than what you are accomplishing. Every group accomplishes something special when they sit down in those chairs or get on that field. Bothers me immensely when students don't recognize it. You get bad eggs sure, but as a director I would think the executive decision should be made earlier on if all their students can handle sitting with the people who paid. Call me a skeptic, but I already know I am. 3. You are right about GE. It is near impossible to get that to be 100% objective on what is going on. I will clarify that this should be the only section that gets that slight leeway though. I think a better outlook is appreciating what is front of you. You don't have to love it, but you really don't have any reason to dislike it.​ 4. As with numbers, I'm really not trustworthy of anyone to handle them correctly besides the band director. It is up to them to convey their significance or insignificance. For me its like having an accountant handling my banking instead of a construction worker. However, naturally for the uneducated, to get a 90 one week and then 70 the next can be an issue. It can be perceived like this: You got an A on a test, but you really were at a C. You take that same exact test a week later (maybe slightly tweaked) and you get that C. To the people that don't get scores and who only get to see the scores (which is everyone besides the band director and maybe students), they can have mixed thoughts about what happened. The educated person will say whatever work you can give is the best work you gave. The uneducated person could say say you didn't try hard enough or I'm disappointed. I don't see enough of it within this medium, but I do see it in academics way too much. However, I don't see many of those parents or teachers at any of these events anyway. If we had scores that were generally within the margin of error from competition to competition, I wouldn't have a headache and I think it would eliminate this potential problem. I think of course band directors pick the best performance venues and panels for their group, but I also wish that we got the luxury of having consistency with the numbers as well. 5. I would agree that I am finding more groups then before that are surprising me with their level of preparation and skill. I have hope for a bounce back and increase in the number of groups who bring something very special to the field in addition to the concert hall. P.S. Prospect please come back to Grand Nationals.

Dan could we maybe move this to a new thread? I know people say out right that a panel is not up to snuff, but I can tell you that was not my implication. Really everything at DGS was spot on in my book besides one thing and I honestly don't think shows because of ineptitude or lack of skill from the judges. Obviously the scores are inflated across the board (not because they wanted a group to win over another). That is the expectation of Illinois competitions and not really across the country. Some outlier shows across the country, but in general a band does not score a 90 week 2 or jump 20 points from one competition to the next. This is because standards are set in place by either a universal adjudacation book or that they judges are 100% familar with what is presented to them. Especially with the judges that keep jumping around from state to state from competition to competition, it can really mess with their mind when something is not similar or familiar. Here is an example of simple variation of competition rules. We have 3 shows that have finals in Illinois: DGS, ISU and Lake Park. DGS is the only competition that adds the prelims and finals score for the Grand Champion. Why don't ISU and Lake Park do that? Lake Park has top 10 of the day and ISU and DGS have class champions and then top 3 and top 5. Why are they allowed to do that? Mainly because there is nothing that says you can't which I find is problematic. There is no rule that says competitions have to have world class advice from world class adjudicators, but since there is nothing in Illinois that mandates that or monitors it, schools don't get the help or recognition they may need to pay for such a panel. As for subjectivity, of course it is okay. Problem being is that most people in our state are not educated to appreciate that or use it correctly. However, that is for an audience (if they are talking about style not if they are bad and not during the competition) and not really the judges. A great judge will be completely objective and judge on execution of what is presented in front of them, not whether they like a the style of something. I remember in high school that did occur once and my band director just threw out or deleted a commentary that was basically just that. No group deserves that. They can appreciate some identifying qualities that give an edge over another group, but they should be refraining from that anyway. I would like to reiterate that I was not at DGS so I don't know what went on. I didn't not see any performances or hear about any performance from anyone there. I was highly intrigued over one single outcome and nothing else, because of being at ISU.

So I have been watching some videos of the power groups outside of Illinois and I have been impressed with what I have seen. Though calling them bands would probably be stretching it. I saw Tarpon Springs and thought wow is this amazing (probably would win Grand Nationals again this year if they went). However, I would say they have kind of gone past being a band and are now a drum corps with runs in the woodwinds. I sure it is a sustainable model for where the activity will go, but I'm not digging it. I'm really hard pressed to find many groups out there that aren't going in this direction. Marcus is the only group that screams at me, but they have even moved towards that direction too. I think Lockport is a the only group that I think is going in the opposite direction, which is a helpful change of pace, but I don't know if I would want many groups sounding like Lockport anyway. Ruins the surprise and cleansing that they provide from just loud brass, loud brass, percussion, woodwind run, loud brass pattern. Some other groups I looked into were Leander, TX, Broken Arrow, Avon, Ronald Reagan, Claudia Taylor Johnson, and Keller, TX Any hidden gems from anyone?

I didn't watch DGS and I know the scores the past 4 years have been ridiculously high, but 20 point jumps in a week are in my opinion impossible and unless a group does so poorly after making finals at ISU the past week to not make finals the following week at a competition whose panel was not as prestigious the previous week, I find it an intriguing show. That is why I am intrigued. I was not there so I don't know what the field was like. I can't possibly see what the judges were seeing either. Timing of a group is a legitimate factor to how much it can help or be a hinderance to a group. It quite easily changes the perception of the judges and fans in reference to groups before and after them. Indianapolis this weekend I believe is a good example where that occurs. Especially in power blocks, it becomes very difficult to distinguish who is better than another when everyone around you is doing so well. Getting that less than point edge over another group to make the night show is really difficult when you can't have 20 finalists. Opposite occurs when you're not in a strong block and you are achieving at a much difference level then the groups around you. However, super qualified judges with good synergy and a standardized and well understood adjudication book, will not make the scores higher the later in the day the group is just because they get bigger or simply because oh the better groups go later too. Even if that is the case, the placements of the groups end up being spot on (slight deviations in fan thoughts) even if panels switch from the day to night show.

Checking out the Ordinals for Prelims and got a quick tidbit before Dan puts up his crazy list. Order of Illinois Bands: Marian Catholic O'Fallon Township Prospect Lockport Township (Last Division I) Limestone Community Victor J Andrew Mahomet-Seymour Plainfield North Bloomington Lincoln Way East Rock Island Lemont Naperville Central Illinois Valley Central Naperville North Monticello Herscher

I think your right. The only caption since then was 2009 with the Visual Tie with Avon at Grand Nationals (Obviously tons of class captions since then though).

WAHOOOOOOOO!!! They were so awesome!!

Only one non descript word describes those results: Intriguing

Despite any groups not making finals, a massive round of appaulase should be given for all the groups of the past two days and a great showing from the schools from Illinois. It was a remarkable showing.

Finals Schedule: 7:15 PM - Lake Central H.S., IN 7:30 PM - Lawrence Township H.S., IN 7:45 PM - Blue Springs H.S., MO 8:00 PM - Carmel H.S., IN 8:15 PM - Columbus North H.S., IN 8:30 PM - Ben Davis H.S., IN 8:45 PM - Carroll H.S., IN 9:00 PM - O' Fallon Township H.S., IL 9:15 PM - Marian Catholic H.S., IL 9:30 PM - Homestead H.S., IN 9:45 PM - Franklin H.S., TN 10:00 PM - Avon H.S., IN 10:15 PM - Castle H.S., IN 10:30 PM - Center Grove H.S., IN 10:45 PM - CLASS EXHIBITION: Forest Park H.S., IN

BOA Indianapolis, IN Super Regional 2015: Prelims Awards: Class A 1st - Forest Park H.S., IN 2nd - Western H.S., IN 3rd - Bellbrook H.S., OH Outstanding Music Performance - Forest Park H.S., IN Outstanding Visual Performance - Forest Park H.S., IN Outstanding General Effect - Forest Park, H.S., IN Class AA 1st - Marian Catholic H.S., IL 2nd - Greenwood Community H.S., IN 3rd - Limestone Community H.S., IL Outstanding Music Performance - Marian Catholic H.S., IL Outstanding Visual Performance - Marian Catholic H.S., IL Outstanding General Effect - Marian Catholic H.S., IL Class AAA 1st - Castle H.S., IN 2nd - Franklin H.S., TN 3rd - Columbus North H.S., IN Outstanding Music Performance - Franklin H.S., TN Outstanding Visual Performance - Castle H.S., IN Outstanding General Effect - Castle H.S., IN Class AAAA 1st - Avon H.S., IN 2nd - Carmel H.S., IN 3rd - Blue Springs H.S., MO Outstanding Music Performance - Avon H.S., IN Outstanding Visual Performance - Avon H.S., IN Outstanding General Effect - Avon H.S., IN

So where the heck did Mahomet Seymour H.S. come from? Just watched them and holy heck did they have the sound. What a massive surprise.

Post them when you got them.