[stevedb1975]

contrajedi8, on 19 February 2012 - 06:05 PM, said:

To the OP:

Go march Spirit. Knowing several of their brass staff personally, I can guarantee you will get a wonderful experience there.

Besides, at 16, you're not going to make Crown or Cavaliers anyway.

Ok, now this is way to generalized and overstated. Again, as I said in my previous post. It's not unheard of to have kids at that age in corps like Crown and Cavies. Rare? Yes. But it does happen (I really hope someone can come in hear and confirm my fairly certain info that Crown marched a 14 year old recently). For you to say point blank that someone "won't make it" is hyperbolic and unfounded.

[stevedb1975]

contrajedi8, on 19 February 2012 - 06:15 PM, said:

True, but highly unlikely.

Again, you don't know how good this kid is. If he is a child prodigy, they WOULD and probably WILL take him (if he tried out). Don't make unfounded hyperbolic overstatements. Corps at that level DO take kids at this age. Though like I said...only seriously mature prodigies...and for all you know, this kid might be. So stop making such statements.

[NewTuba2011]

stevedb1975, on 19 February 2012 - 06:34 PM, said:

Again, you don't know how good this kid is. If he is a child prodigy, they WOULD and probably WILL take him (if he tried out). Don't make unfounded hyperbolic overstatements. Corps at that level DO take kids at this age. Though like I said...only seriously mature prodigies...and for all you know, this kid might be. So stop making such statements.

But you could count the prodigies on your hands. Be realistic. I'm not putting anybody down. It's like a 16 year old tuba player starting at the coats. It's not impossible, just improbable.

[chaos001]

stevedb1975, on 19 February 2012 - 06:34 PM, said:

Again, you don't know how good this kid is. If he is a child prodigy, they WOULD and probably WILL take him (if he tried out). Don't make unfounded hyperbolic overstatements. Corps at that level DO take kids at this age. Though like I said...only seriously mature prodigies...and for all you know, this kid might be. So stop making such statements.

One of our students in the band program (he's 15) auditioned for the Cavaliers for this upcoming year and was ranked in the top of his section musically. However, he did not have previous experience marching corps and was told to come back when he did.

Best to have a marching experience closer to home and then move on to other corps.

Just my two cents...

This post has been edited by chaos001: 19 February 2012 - 06:55 PM

[stevedb1975]

NewTuba2011, on 19 February 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

But you could count the prodigies on your hands. Be realistic. I'm not putting anybody down. It's like a 16 year old tuba player starting at the coats. It's not impossible, just improbable.

I am being realistic and not in disagreement with you at all. I agree that you can count the prodigies on your hands. My point is (that you and the user I previously responded to are obviously missing)....how do you know that this kid isn't one of them? Leading me to the question, why would the previous user I was replying to make a blanket statement that the kid "WON'T make it"? We have no idea how good this kid is. So it's foolish and unfounded to make such a blanket statement

LOOK.....is it "unlikely" that a 15 or 16 year old is going to make Crown? YES!!!!! I'm sure we ALL agree on that.

HOWEVER....is it "IMPOSSIBLE"? NO!!!!! BUT....contrajedi (I think that was the alias of previous user I responded to) says it IS impossible. THAT is what I am refuting.

This post has been edited by stevedb1975: 19 February 2012 - 06:58 PM

[stevedb1975]

chaos001, on 19 February 2012 - 06:53 PM, said:

One of our students in the band program (he's 15) auditioned for the Cavaliers for this upcoming year and was ranked in the top of his section musically. However, he did not have previous experience marching corps and was told to come back when he did.

Best to have a marching experience closer to home and then move on to other corps.

Just my two cents...

Sure! And the reality is....some kids DO get that experience BEFORE 15 (there ARE 14 year olds in corps below 15th place...giving kids that very experience). AND...sometimes...it's just an exception to the rule.

FURTHERMORE...on the subject of THAT 15 year old kid who auditioned for Cavies. Notice what you said..."ranked in the top of his section musically". BET ME that it was a call of the visual staff (thus...the need for more experience). However, that does NOT mean that such young kids are not out there with just as strong visual abilities. When I say prodigy...I mean in all areas of ability required within drum corps. Not JUST a great player.


PLEEEEASE! WIll SOMEONE from Crown please come on here and confirm my fairly certain belief that there was a 14 year old in Crown recently and put this subject to rest once and for all.

This post has been edited by stevedb1975: 19 February 2012 - 07:04 PM

[njthundrrd]

Mrfunkyoyo, on 19 February 2012 - 02:04 AM, said:

I agree. I'm pretty sure crown is very expensive and they are pretty close to being bankrupt. I know some kids in Spirit and they seem to love it.

Well, I can tell you pretty firmly... We are not going bankrupt.

Pat61 - If I can give you any information to make an informed decision, please contact me.

[chaos001]

stevedb1975, on 19 February 2012 - 07:00 PM, said:

Sure! And the reality is....some kids DO get that experience BEFORE 15 (there ARE 14 year olds in corps below 15th place...giving kids that very experience). AND...sometimes...it's just an exception to the rule.

FURTHERMORE...on the subject of THAT 15 year old kid who auditioned for Cavies. Notice what you said..."ranked in the top of his section musically". BET ME that it was a call of the visual staff (thus...the need for more experience). However, that does NOT mean that such young kids are not out there with just as strong visual abilities. When I say prodigy...I mean in all areas of ability required within drum corps. Not JUST a great player.


PLEEEEASE! WIll SOMEONE from Crown please come on here and confirm my fairly certain belief that there was a 14 year old in Crown recently and put this subject to rest once and for all.

I agree. He's coming from a band program that's been through four directors in the last decade after one who had a well-established program for nearly 30 years. We're in the middle of re-establishing the program with some new, talented instructors. So, it's to no surprise that his visual background isn't to the level required for a corps such as the Cavaliers that does highly demanding visual work. Luckily he has the musical chops (not only brass but also cello and several other instruments) to take him far. He's marching somewhere local this summer and will hopefully continue.

I'd love to steer him towards Regiment after the 2013 season when my sponsoree ages-out.

[chaos001]

njthundrrd, on 19 February 2012 - 07:21 PM, said:

Well, I can tell you pretty firmly... We are not going bankrupt.

Pat61 - If I can give you any information to make an informed decision, please contact me.

Otherwise someone on here would've been searching for a new job! ;p

Stupid rumors!

[stevedb1975]

chaos001, on 19 February 2012 - 07:23 PM, said:

I agree. He's coming from a band program that's been through four directors in the last decade after one who had a well-established program for nearly 30 years. We're in the middle of re-establishing the program with some new, talented instructors. So, it's to no surprise that his visual background isn't to the level required for a corps such as the Cavaliers that does highly demanding visual work. Luckily he has the musical chops (not only brass but also cello and several other instruments) to take him far. He's marching somewhere local this summer and will hopefully continue.

I'd love to steer him towards Regiment after the 2013 season when my sponsoree ages-out.

COOL!

And to clarify even further....I'm sure it's only ONE hand you can count on (per decade probably) the amount of prodigies who have both the visual AND musical abilities to make a top caliber corps. But they DO exist...and therefore to my original point.....we have no idea how good the OP is in this thread. He might be among those prodigies we can count on one hand. So for contrajedi to tell this kid he absolutely "won't make Crown or Cavies" is to speak out of presumptuous lack of personal knowledge of the kid and WAY out of turn.

This post has been edited by stevedb1975: 19 February 2012 - 07:31 PM