471 - Is There A Better Way To Grade Band Contests? (Dojo Conversations Episode 141)

Is there a better way to score pipe band competitions?  

This week, Andrew and Jim look at an unlikely comparison for inspiration: gymnastics. From artistic vs. objective elements, to the challenge of ranking large fields fairly, to the ever-present issue of bias, the guys explore what the world of sports can teach us about how pipe bands are judged. What makes a fair system? Should pipe bands stick to ordinal rankings? Would point-based scoring bring more consistency? And how do we balance tradition with the need for innovation?  

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Here’s what we cover this week:

• 00:00 – Andrew’s secret gymnastics passion revealed
• 01:32 – Jim’s school days and flexibility struggles
• 03:00 – Comparing movement and body types
• 04:50 – The basics of gymnastics events and routines
• 06:00 – Artistic vs. objective elements in gymnastics
• 07:15 – How gymnastics is scored: D and E panels explained
• 10:00 – The challenge of making subjective performances objective
• 12:00 – Pipe band scoring vs. gymnastics scoring
• 14:00 – Why not just rank gymnasts? The case for point-based systems
• 16:00 – The problem with ordinal ranking in pipe bands
• 18:00 – Handling ties, large fields, and the importance of standardization
• 20:00 – The “big three” for judging bagpipe performances: sound, technique, musicality
• 23:00 – The complexity of creating a fair, repeatable rubric
• 25:00 – Bias, recency, and the human side of judging
• 28:00 – The need for more judges and the realities of competition logistics
• 31:00 – The importance of strong, sustainable institutions
• 34:00 – Innovation vs. tradition in competition systems
• 36:00 – Final thoughts