This episode, Corey takes you on a walkthrough behind-the-scenes of a drum corps on tour. How do DCI drum majors help make it happen? We talk in detail about the travel and housing site logistics that drum majors and leaders are responsible for -- from shower temperature testing, housing site cartography, and of course, taking out the trash!

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ Find Corey at coreycastillo.com

Welcome to the first installment of our new monthly series, The 8 to 5 Leadership Library! Every month, we share our favorite leadership books, videos, and podcasts — and you share your favorites with us. For the month of April, we’re talking about Conscious Leadership and “Why good leaders make us feel safe.” Let us know what you think about our April picks by sending us a message on our social media, and send us your picks for us to share on the podcast next month!

Corey’s Pick: https://conscious.is/15-commitments

Jared’s Pick: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe?language=en

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ Find Corey at coreycastillo.com

Today’s episode of the 8 to 5 Club Podcast tackles time management and band/life balance. As people who had to work around difficult school and job situations in order to march drum corps, Jared and I give our practical advice for balancing individual practice, score study, and team meeting time with our off-season obligations. Finally, we discuss what to do when “real-life” responsibilities pop up on the road and ways prepare yourself for going back to school or work after the season ends. Long story short... plan ahead!

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ Find Corey at coreycastillo.com

This episode, the 8 to 5 Club welcomes Matthew Iida from Drum Corps Link to talk all about packing for drum corps. We share our veteran tips about commonly-forgotten items, sleeping gear, toiletries, bus bungee setups, rehearsal bag essentials, & more to help with your pursuit of EPL efficiency on the road. We also list additional things that are helpful for section leaders and drum majors to carry with them. Rate and follow the 8 to 5 Club or may your summer be cursed with broken suitcases, moldy towels, and empty sunscreen bottles…

→ Check out Drum Corps Link! drumcorpslink.com

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

DM Score Study 101!! Corey welcomes Blue Stars drum major Mattie Kleespies to the podcast to demystify the two words that strike fear into the hearts of some and delights others. We go step-by-step through our own process from start to finish, how we like to annotate scores and organize our count sheets, our strategies for memorization, and much more.

→ Follow Mattie @mattie.kleespies (IG)

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

Reporting live from the annual Silent Command staff retreat, Jared and Corey sit down *roundtable-style* with Dajia Simmons, Tyler Autin, Dina Bratanovic, Wes Booker, Jaden Overbeck, Sharbel Skaff, and Matthew Iida. With this diverse group of leaders, drum majors, DCI staff, and band directors, we each weigh in on the ongoing conversation about servant leadership. We highlight a more flexible, situation-based approach to "playing our leadership cards." We hear from Dina and Dajia about how sexism in the activity further complicates the experience of Women leaders.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ https://www.drumcorpslink.com/

For our season finale, we welcome back Boston Crusaders drum major and 8 to 5 Club veteran Wes Booker! Corey and Wes talk about some pros and cons of different drum major team structures. Inspired by Wes' experience in a healthy co-head DM team, we look closer into a people-first approach to delegation and leadership. Finally, we analyze how physically splitting up the front podiums has changed our approach to tempo and expressive conducting.

→ Visit silentcommand.org⁠ for lessons with Wes!

→ Find Corey at coreycastillo.com

In this day and age, the servant leader ideology that has been spread across the activity is proving to be toxic to student leaders and organizational culture. Alongside music educator and former Troopers drum major Dajia Simmons, Jared reflects on leadership horror stories that exposed how "servant leaders" are taken advantage of. We present alternative leadership approaches and preach the importance of setting healthy boundaries between student leaders and staff. From her experience as a high school and college basketball captain, Dajia shares what the marching arts can learn from sports leadership.

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ Dajia Simmons: @dajiaimani (IG)

All you've wanted to know about being a rehearsal assistant! This role is much, much more than just a met runner, and our guests Tyler Autin (Blue Devils '22) and Marelyn Castro (Boston Crusaders '22, '23) make that clear. They share their journeys from the initial last-minute calls to join their corps, to staying organized and efficient with count sheets and DB-90 presets, and their process for surviving dangerous "rehearsal assistant drill."

→ Marelyn Castro: @_.marelyn_.dc_ (IG)

→ Tyler Autin: @tylerautin (IG)

→ The 8 to 5 Club podcast is made possible by Silent Command. Visit silentcommand.org for lessons, clinics, and videos.

→ Find Corey at coreycastillo.com