Advice On How To Get On Staff With A Corps

[PitTech]

Hello! Everyone

I'm Elizabeth Ortiz. I have a big question for all you DCI Instructors and Caption Heads. I'm currently a Undergraduate Double Major in Music Education & Percussion with a Minor in Composition. And was starting to look into for a opportunity to start teaching a corps! I would like some advice or suggestion on how to search that that job and etc.

B) :)

[arno0940]

Well for me, I taught with the corps that I marched with. However since you have some band experience, I would try to contact anyone you know who is affliated with a drum corps. I would consider Div 2/3 if I was you to. I know the Blue Stars hire staff interns each summer who shadow current staff and get to know a bit about the operations of the corps. Try visiting their website and contacting their director Greg Struve.

[arno0940]

As for Divison 1. Most techs for any section have either some Division 1 marching experience or a few years with a top corps in Division 2/3. Many Caption heads and writters in Div 1, have been in the activity for years and often work in faculty's of music at the university/college level. This is just my thoughts....anyone have any other insight?

[MikeBob]

Hello! Everyone

I'm Elizabeth Ortiz. I have a big question for all you DCI Instructors and Caption Heads. I'm currently a Undergraduate Double Major in Music Education & Percussion with a Minor in Composition. And was starting to look into for a opportunity to start teaching a corps! I would like some advice or suggestion on how to search that that job and etc.

B)    :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ask.

Seriously, just contact some corps and ask. That's what I did-- and look at me now! I'm the arranger for a defunct corps!

[Strutters '72]

Hello! Everyone

I'm Elizabeth Ortiz. I have a big question for all you DCI Instructors and Caption Heads. I'm currently a Undergraduate Double Major in Music Education & Percussion with a Minor in Composition. And was starting to look into for a opportunity to start teaching a corps! I would like some advice or suggestion on how to search that that job and etc.

B)    :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know a lot about how other corps operate, but as far as I know, the OC staff and caption heads are all volunteers. As a matter of fact, some even throw in their own money to buy drum heads, sticks, mallots, amps (why bother), and an ATV (thanks Brian).

This is less like a job and more like an obsession! :lolhit:

[PitTech]

Thanks for all of the information and advice you guys are giving me and etc. Please keep posting more!

P.S.

I also forget to say that I have 1 season with Senior Corps Experence in my resume too. I just cant post it because the signature limit is over it.

B) :)

[MikeBob]

I don't know a lot about how other corps operate, but as far as I know, the OC staff and caption heads are all volunteers. As a matter of fact, some even throw in their own money to buy drum heads, sticks, mallots, amps (why bother), and an ATV (thanks Brian).

This is less like a job and more like an obsession!  :lolhit:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, we were all volunteer at Alliance, too. This method of doing things has its pros and cons-- namely, we were all pros living like a bunch of cons.

Thanks, folks! You're a great crowd! Try the veal!

[arrangerx]

Hello! Everyone

I'm Elizabeth Ortiz. I have a big question for all you DCI Instructors and Caption Heads. I'm currently a Undergraduate Double Major in Music Education & Percussion with a Minor in Composition. And was starting to look into for a opportunity to start teaching a corps! I would like some advice or suggestion on how to search that that job and etc.

B)    :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Elizabeth,

First, good luck on your search. Being a member of a drum corps staff will be one of the greatest challenges and potentially one of the greatest rewards a teacher can have.

Consider: What are you really good at? Will you do anything? Do you have things you WON'T do? What is your summer schedule? Do you expect to be paid? If so, what is your bottom line? Can you make 1 weekend per month during winter and spring? Do you take criticism well? Do you work well with others? Why do you want to be a staff member of a drum corps?

It's interesting. . . in my experience. . . that people treat drum corps just like a college major sometimes. . . they look at what they like in a style (music) and try to teach that. . . which is not the same as teaching kids. . . it's teaching a style.

Much like college freshmen who all want to be Psych majors. . . because they're really trying to understand themselves.

LOL. . .

Anyway. . . consider the questions above. . . what is it you want from teaching? And what do you have to offer now?

Then, get a resume together. . . not a "padded" one with the list of everyone's famous cousin who ever gave you a lesson, or someone in a music department you once met. . . those resumes are useless.

Real experience. Real goals. Real passion.

State up front what you want, and then ask "how can I be part of your organization?"

The asking part: Don't do it by email. . . don't leave messages on phone machines. . . don't ask on DCP, RAMD, or any other board.

Mail a resume to the director, signed in your own hand, and then, about a week after you know it's there, make a personal phone call to the director. If it's a machine, leave you name and number, and return the phone call again the next day. Be pleasantly aggressive. . . and realize that you won't be the first agenda item on any director's post-season "to do list".

Then, make sure when you finally do contact the director in person on the phone, you can answer any question they could ask you. Best answers to questions you don't know are "I don't know the answer to that question, but I'll do my best to find out quickly".

Good luck to you -- stay passionate -- stay focussed -- stay on target.

B)

[Matthew]

Everything he said is so true! However, a lot of directors want you to send them things by e-mail, so they can read it right then and there. People are so busy these days, that e-mail seems to be the fastest way to go. I always e-mail my cover letter, asking if their are any available positions, or anything coming up, and for them to respond back to me if they are interested. I first would send a cover letter, letting them know of my interest, a little history about myself, and letting them know I can send my resume if they are interested as well. Do both, e-mail, and real mail... Often times, if you send things in the mail, it wont get looked at. E-mail you can correspond faster, and make personal phone calls if needed too!

Hi Elizabeth,

First, good luck on your search.  Being a member of a drum corps staff will be one of the greatest challenges and potentially one of the greatest rewards a teacher can have.

Consider:  What are you really good at?  Will you do anything?  Do you have things you WON'T do?  What is your summer schedule?  Do you expect to be paid?  If so, what is your bottom line?  Can you make 1 weekend per month during winter and spring?  Do you take criticism well?  Do you work well with others?  Why do you want to be a staff member of a drum corps? 

It's interesting. . . in my experience. . . that people treat drum corps just like a college major sometimes. . . they look at what they like in a style (music) and try to teach that. . . which is not the same as teaching kids. . . it's teaching a style.

Much like college freshmen who all want to be Psych majors. . . because they're really trying to understand themselves.

LOL. . .

Anyway. . . consider the questions above. . . what is it you want from teaching?  And what do you have to offer now? 

Then, get a resume together. . . not a "padded" one with the list of everyone's famous cousin who ever gave you a lesson, or someone in a music department you once met. . . those resumes are useless.

Real experience.  Real goals.  Real passion.

State up front what you want, and then ask "how can I be part of your organization?"

The asking part:  Don't do it by email. . . don't leave messages on phone machines. . . don't ask on DCP, RAMD, or any other board.

Mail a resume to the director, signed in your own hand, and then, about a week after you know it's there, make a personal phone call to the director.  If it's a machine, leave you name and number, and return the phone call again the next day.  Be pleasantly aggressive. . . and realize that you won't be the first agenda item on any director's post-season "to do list".

Then, make sure when you finally do contact the director in person on the phone, you can answer any question they could ask you.  Best answers to questions you don't know are "I don't know the answer to that question, but I'll do my best to find out quickly".

Good luck to you -- stay passionate -- stay focussed -- stay on target.

B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[OMH]

Yeah, we were all volunteer at Alliance, too.  This method of doing things has its pros and cons-- namely, we were all pros living like a bunch of cons.

I pretty sure ALL of the staff of Surf are unpaid volunteers as well. Sometimes it's hard to imagine the kind of person that puts in that level of dedication and commitment for no monetary compensation. But the world is a better place because of people like that.

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it!