How has marching corps has affected you?

[Jyri]

I recently posed the question to a Black Gold alumn, and added:

I've marched baritone/euphonium for a few years now. I though haven't seen corps really impact my 'real world' life. I end tour and come home, have some cool memories, but dont feel that I have changed.

I'm curious if the filter of time adds a different degree to the experience.

The response he gave me blew me away. I though, being young and of course always quick to assume those older then me live in islands of emotional solitude that only rarely open to let in light when coaxed very gingery thought 'oh thats one person'. So I pose the question to the community. Mayhaps this belongs on the historical corps discussion as the filter of time is 5+ plus in my minds eye, but anyone can answer. I'd also like to clarify a smidge, I'm asking more so, does the impact Corps has on you increase with time. I've yet to come across a senile old man who's eyes rekindle with joy when asked about his days marching, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

[Shadow_7]

It's helped me get over most of my shyness.

It has made me be able to have nothing, and not feel that that's any sort of problem. Losing a job, get another, when you're ready. No hurry, I know how to live cheap, I've done it before in corps. Who needs a bed anyway. A bicycle is just as good as a car. New clothes? What's wrong with the ones I have?

It's made me more people friendly. I'm by no means a peoples persons. But not everyone one is out to get me. Even though it seems that way 80% of the time. Sure everyone calls me names and is otherwise derogatory towards me a lot of the time, even after high school, but I've been more places and done more things in five years of corps than they'll likely do their entire life. Volunteer for something - Me: Okay - Them: How much does it pay?

It's also made me more of a big picture person. If I do this, where does that put me in five or ten years? If everyone was just like me, what type of world would it be? Where most these days seem to only see, me, now, right now.

Although I must admit that when someone tells me that they're marching corps that I'm a bit more detached from it than before. If that's what you want to do. Good for you, good luck with that. Where when I was actively doing it in junior corps, I would have been much more curious / supportive / coercive. How can I use you to benefit me type of thing. How do we make this a win win situation and such. I'm just not THAT into it these days. Oh, there's a local drumcorps show, I'll check my schedule later to see if I can make it. Now if someone told me that they marched the same corps that I marched, completely different. But that doesn't happen much these days. Too few and too far between.

[Piper]

It taught me that I wasn't the most important person in the world. That my corps came first, my corpsmates came second and I came third. That a corps isn't about you - it's about everybody else. A lesson well taught, well learned and still appreciated.

[Puppet]

This is one of those philosophical questions that perhaps you have to reach a certain age to answer.

Having reached that age - never won a world championship, the World or U.S. Open; having marched 2nd, 3rd or 4th near the top (except during the era of Circuit Shows which we did win 2 years in a row!) Having heard some say that had we hung around we would have been a DCI contender, having played some of the hardest most beautiful charts by the baddest-a**ed music arranger of our time in perhaps the smallest horn line (38 in 1972!) ever who not only made people stand up but hold on to their hats ... but that's only the surface stuff.

Drum Corp in my era (and this will be very difficult for most to understand who didn't grow up with an ATM on the corner or a cell phone on their waist) was meeting people who were different than you. In New York City in the mid sixties (which if you ask your parents will tell you something very different than I will tell you now - because THEY WEREN"T THERE - they only saw what they wanted to see on TV) there was just about 200 to 300 hundred drum corps to choose from in a 5 borough, 3 state area all available by public transportation and you could get from the Bronx (that's a place in NYC) to march with a corps in Newark New Jersey in a couple of hours. No, there were no Mini Vans taking us back and forth at that time. Walking into a Friday night rehearsal at St. Rita's on a Friday night you would see about 100 kids of every ethnicity and race and even nationality; every socio-economic, educational, shade, size, and or ability to express themselves was in attendance. Oh, there were no college grads. The age range was 11 to 17 in 1969 at St. Rita's Brassmen.

Diversity was the first thing to seep into your pores. It lives with you and makes you available to understanding there is a person who no matter what they look like or how old or young they are they just might know something you don't.

Confidence seemed to bubble up from somewhere you never expected it to. Because of playing in front of thousands when I was 14, a shy skinny kid like me was able to turn that into speaking to a hall full of prospective clients - to sell an idea I developed worth millions to an organization who didn't at the beginning of the day want to even think about signing a check.

Those are the two biggies for me because BITD we as children were not given confidence the way children and students are and have been in the eighties and nineties. vis a vis "we were allowed to fail!" We were not hand held through every single activity in our lives, we learned through actual experiences - we rode bicycles without out helmets, knee and elbow pads, we had to actually read books, we had dinner at home and actually spoke to our parents about stuff that went on during our days.

Working 3 times a week every week of the year to put a show on the field allowed an 11 year old to to walk in the door in September and step off the line in April for his or her first show - apparently there was no ADD back then.

The intrinsic value is immeasurable: I had a stroke in early February this year. (I'm 58) I have since then received hundreds of well wishes from alum - some of whom I haven't heard from or seen in nearly 35 years!

And lastly on a personal note: Father Dominic Schiraldi our Moderator and Carmen Cluna our Director (not to mention Hy Drietzer our Horn Arranger and Instructor) were some of the the most well spoken and intelligent people I ever had the pleasure to meet. They were firm but understanding of your limits; they wanted the best you could give and would only ask for more when they knew you could give it (and they somehow knew!) Never, ever did they talk down to us - we were all equals when given instruction - that is so awesome when you finally realize it is being given to you that way.

It (How marching in a corps has affected me), in answer to the OP is how I have payed it forward during my adult life.

Share all you know and know when to share it.

Puppet

[mellophonium]

I joined marching band freshman year, ok player and marcher as freshmen go. I worked my ### off playing lip slurs and practicing harder music and made a div. 2 corps. I marched, got really good, and came back. Marching band gave me section leader of mellos when I didn't even apply. Now, my sophomore year in hs I auditioned, and made it in a top 5 corps where I will be staying for 6 years. Teached me work ethic is the moral of this story. When we come back we'll discuss how eye contact can make or break any business relationship.(dollar to anyone who knows the reference)

[Puppet]

I joined marching band freshman year, ok player and marcher as freshmen go. I worked my ### off playing lip slurs and practicing harder music and made a div. 2 corps. I marched, got really good, and came back. Marching band gave me section leader of mellos when I didn't even apply. Now, my sophomore year in hs I auditioned, and made it in a top 5 corps where I will be staying for 6 years. Teached me work ethic is the moral of this story. When we come back we'll discuss how eye contact can make or break any business relationship.(dollar to anyone who knows the reference)

How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie, 1936

First instance.

Puppet

[soccerguy315]

it was a good experience. I made a lot of friends that I will always have a connection with. And I will always have a connection with the people who participated in the activity, and those in my specific corps.

It didn't revolutionize me as a person or anything.

[BlooContraGuy]

I joined the corps that makes you stand up and cheer rather than chasing a ring with a boring corps.

nice

[BlooContraGuy]

Corps (so far) has really brought me out of my shell and really changed how I interact with people quite drastically. I used to be a very introverted and such, and I still enjoy my quiet time, but now I really am not afraid to speak my mind. This mainly came from learning how to take criticism in a constructive manner and not being offended when told you are doing something wrong.

The amazing friendships that I will have for the rest of my life are nice as well.

[whitedawn]

my years in drum corps showed me that i can do anything i choose to do.