HappyFaceChris

I disagree Erin, I think Wayne and co. are GREAT teachers. He has a way with young people, I think he is really great. I admire and respect him as a teacher. I voted BD, their staff is great.. and they have the brass trophies to prove it, if their staff wasn't doing great teaching, then how do they turn out one of the top brass lines every year? I know BD draws amazing talent, but to have one of the most consistant corps in DCI requires great teaching

Yeah, good call ErinBluEyes.. I totally agree.. marching french horns are a pain to play, ESPECIALLY while marching. And I disagree with what Chris Nalls said earlier about marching horns sounding like french horns in a good players hands.. While this may be true with a great player standing still, what about while marching, you can only play about half the volume of a mello, and while yes, they do have a better tone than a mello, you wouldn't be able to hear its sound in the midst of a drum corps playing forte. The marching french horn is a dirty dirty beast.. And also Chris Nalls also said its good in the hands of a great french horn player.. but most D1 corps don't have many french horn proper players. My corps only has like 3 french horn players (including myself), the other 9 are trumpet converts.

Why is this instrument you speak of being referred to as a "french horn." I mean unless I have missed some mysterious corps, no corps I have seen have marched a french horn proper. Are you guys talking about a "marching french horn?" Why must they continue to refer to it as just a "french horn?" I have played on one of the demon spawn horns and it is NOT a french horn. It is a marching french horn. It doesnt really sound like a true french horn, it just has a mellower sound then a mellophone, and has a smaller bore. Im just wondering on this issue, nothing against anyone, just wondering why people refer to them as "french horns"

My friend who is a tuba player at a corps who uses the huge Dynasty's, but has some extra yamaha convertible tubas had to play on one of the yamahas at camp. He said it was the worst thing he has ever played on, and that it made his neck horribly sore for the next week. He also mentioned that the contorting the arm around to play it was a pain, but mostly it was that he said it really hurt his neck, and said that he would rather go through the heaviness of the dynasty, as to NEVER play on that yamaha again.

It is my opinion that a trumpet mouthpiece should almost NEVER be used for mello. Especially if it is a french horn player that is on mello. Being the french horn player that I am, I marched with a trumpet mouthpiece on mello for a while, it extends the upper range a little bit, and also your endurance. But, it gave me a very rhaspy and bright tone quality. I use the mello 6V mouthpiece, and I have a very good dark tone quality, and although the rim is thinner than a trumpet mp, I still have great endurance because of the french horn (thinnist rim). So to take the typical "mello" edge off of your section, I would suggest the mello 6v.

Hey CONTRACUTIE.... Were you the girl in that picture that was on dci.org awhile ago? Like I THINK it was one of those "picture of the day" deals, and I remember a really small girl holding a gigantic contra standing next to a HUGE guy with a tiny contra.. haha I thought that was a great picture.. So was that you?

Real-ty says: . It never comes off as them trying to show off one prodigy player or something like solos often do, it's integrated very well in the music. But Glassmen the past couple years also comes to mind! Well although I love that soloist from G-men from the past couple years, you just contradicted yourself, because the g-men soloist is their prodigal trumpet/fluegel player. But I do love that player, and those are wonderful solos. But my vote went to BD. Over the past years they have the most integrated and nearly flawless solos (give them a break for 89). And Madison is a VERY close second.