KingDubya

Very good advice, indeed. If you have the chance when you go out, take your mouthpiece with you and buzz whenever you can (just don't do it on a bus or something, it tends to annoy people). When watching TV, buzz. When reading, buzz. When studying (unless it bothers you to), buzz. You can never buzz enough. Long tones and minor lip slurs (G -> low C -> G -> low C -> G, F# -> low B -> F# -> low B -> F#, etc) are a good way to start. Start using scales when your comfortable range (what you can play without straining or squeezing the horn to your lips, which you should never do) reaches the top of each scale. When you get more comfortable playing, find small tunes to play. A good way to work on fingerings and finger dexterity (which you will need for corps-level playing) is drilling the chromatic scale over and over. Go from the bottom of your range to the top chromatically, then back down, then back up, then back down, as many times as you feel you need. Air is very important. Make sure you use breathing exercises (in 4, out 4; in 3, out 5; in 2, out 6; in 1, out 7), but don't strain yourself. Try doing such exercises with and without the horn to get a feel for the air resistance (make sure not to breath in through the horn; try keeping all three valves down for even more resistance). If you have the spare cash, get an AirMax Breather. It really does help, when used correctly (just read the instructions). Main point: push yourself every time you pick up the horn, but don't strain yourself. If you push yourself too far, you could end up damaging something, which will only hinder you. Good luck with learning mello.

One of my friends, who marched in the contra line in Boston, used to volunteer at the local lighthouse. He was talking to someone on the phone about marching over the summer and one of the tourists overheard him. After hanging up the phone, the two of them talked for something like a half an hour. Then another guy overheard them and joined the conversation. He also recently found out one of his parents' closest friends marched with some corps back in the 70's (might've been Kingsmen, but I'm not sure). He's on the year's album cover, marching a set of bongos, though most of the show he was doing a kettle drum.

I think the placings are good as they are. To me, both the BD and Cavvies shows were great, but neither of them really affected me as much as Phantom's show. BD was usually cleaner (I didn't get to see it that night), but it never seemed to have as much emotion or seem to grab the audience as much as Phantom's. I will admit, I am a bit of a Phan, but I'm simply stating my opinion based on the shows that I saw of both corps (Atlanta, Allentown, and various small shows).

Thanks everyone that posted. I guess I could've told you why I asked this at first, but I wasn't entirely sure myself why. I'm being hired on as a show designer for my former high school next year, and one of the shows I want to design for them is a Corps-based show, not based on any one specific show or corps (as has been done too often), but on the activity as a whole. The title of the show, at this point, is "No School Like the Old School", and features tunes recognizable to any longtime fans of Drum & Bugle Corps. The list of tunes so far is as follows (and in this order): 1. Battle Hymn of the Republic 2. Conquest (from Captain From Castile) 3. Summertime (from Porgy and Bess) 4. Malaguena Does anyone have any suggestions, such as songs to include instead of others or if they should be in a different order?

I'm talking about drum corps as a whole. Basically, the music that defines the activity, if that makes sense.

I never saw a drum corps show live, but the closest was when I watched '07 quarterfinals in the theatre. My original plan was actually to try and march Phantom (I always loved watching their shows, and I still do), but I've ended up marching Boston and I'm sticking with them 'till the end.

What would you say are "classic" corps songs? Songs, like Malagueña, that have been done so many times by so many corps.

The site actually says "Summer '08" now. EDIT - Turns out I was going to onq.com when the site is actually onq.org

I love how he takes a little bow afterwards (or at least as close to a bow you can get with a sousa on your shoulders).

I can't see DCI being the same without real horns on the field. Maybe synth and electric instruments in the pit area, but the second a corps replaces their horns they will lose my respect.