soccerguy315 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I play saxophone. I didn't start learning baritone until my first year of college. After a year of practice, I marched the 2 years I had left. Sure, you will not be a trumpet screamer, but you can march baritone or tuba if you are willing to put in the work, IMO. How many baritone players are there in most high school bands? Very few. Especially compared to trumpets, and even horns. A couple years before I marched, the corps I was in had 0 baritone players in the entire line. They had some trombone players, but no pure baritone players. I'm sure that's very rare, but look at any baritone line in DCI, and I would bet a lot of money that there are a fair number of non baritone players, and even a woodwind player or two (or more) I would never march a woodwind in DCI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlvalet Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I would play tenor games with anyone carrying a woodwind during the single file march-out to retreat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Well, Kenny Norman always wanted to write them into the show, but the 2v G bugles could just not get in the right transposing keys. Now with the Bb horns and the OK of woodwinds, I could finally march with my bagpipes. The 3v Gs could play in the key of Eb (concert Bb), the Bbs could hold there own and the bagpipes, which normally pitch today at about A=480-484...well, the horn guy that tries to tune this Jimmied up buggery...I will buy him 3 pints of Canadian OV!!! He's going to need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 The drum major uniforms would be an improvement on what they use today in most corps too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 This might work nicely too, although he would be a pipe major with that particular uniform style, but with the added 35 members, that would leave plenty of pipers without the PM. You could even nickname him "Mac"!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouooga Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I learned euphonium freshmen year of college to march in a corps after 8 years of clarinet and sax.... ....wouldn't have had it any other way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixfire Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I play flute unfortunately and I have no way of learning brass. Can't afford an instrument and my band director won't let me check one out. So I am learning how to spin flag and rifle. Already have bruises and a broken rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I would, and did, play brass. I did get to play my saxophone in my corps uniform, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMajikMan Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was a clarinet major in college, and I marched for 4 years on Baritone, and now I couldn't possibly think that I would march anything but baritone. I think this is best evidenced by what I marched in college marching band each year after Drum Corps (Euph, Mello, then Tuba) But when I think back to how afraid I was about learning a new instrument and trying something new, would I still have learned a new horn to do Drum Corps if I didn't have to? I think this is the heart of the question, and I have no idea what the answer would be. I like to think I would have gone with tradition and learned a brass instrument, but I really can't say for certain either way. Allow me a side tangent for a minute. Do any of you other WW players feel like proponents of WW in drum corps are marginalizing you? One of the big selling points is "we're losing out on so many great musicians? I would argue that we are only losing out on LAZY great musicians. If you want to march drum corps it's not that hard to dedicate yourself to learning a new instrument/guard. Or maybe it is and we're all just determined as all get out. But it's always bugged me when people say we're losing great musicians because we don't allow WW instruments, but then I see 5-10 WW players in our hornline, and meet WW players from other hornlines and guards as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elendil850 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Allow me a side tangent for a minute. Do any of you other WW players feel like proponents of WW in drum corps are marginalizing you? One of the big selling points is "we're losing out on so many great musicians? I would argue that we are only losing out on LAZY great musicians. If you want to march drum corps it's not that hard to dedicate yourself to learning a new instrument/guard. Or maybe it is and we're all just determined as all get out. But it's always bugged me when people say we're losing great musicians because we don't allow WW instruments, but then I see 5-10 WW players in our hornline, and meet WW players from other hornlines and guards as well. Lazy may not be the best descriptor for said type of people. I myself played saxophone in High School and College, and due to other commitments could never afford the time to effectively learn a brass instrument and play in a corps. Now if I had been told about drum corps at an earlier grade, say 6th or 7th grade, then changes could have been made much easier. Ah well, what's done is done. At least I can enjoy the performances of others! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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