DcFr3aK Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 But can anyone give examples/reasons for staying/leaving a corps?Maybe I shoulda put "Discuss" at the bottom of the original post... Okay, I marched 6 years with Pacific Crest, a great organization! The first three years I was there (2001-2003) was amazing seeing the corps go from open/Div 2 to being competitive in Div 1 in 2003 and making semis for the first time. The following years felt like they would be promising, but in fact were quite the opposite for me. I learned a lot going to a school for the performing arts in high school and going to a very good college studying music, and when I looked at the faculty at PC, it was just not going anywhere. I felt that I was capable of such more, the potential of those individuals is so great, but they were just not pushing me. So I left in search of an organization that was going to do that. And I found it. Carolina Crown was a great way to push me to new limits of performance ability and TEACHING ability. They focus so much on how they can teach us MM to become teachers, and that's why I wanted to march in the first place! So I could better myself musically and pedagogically! If were to have stayed at Pacific Crest I would surely have had an amazing time with the staff and membership, but I wanted more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marimbaman89 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hey Adam, I remember you from Cadets camps! It's always better for a corps if you stay with them and go somewhere else but even if you go somewhere else or take the year off (like I am doing) then you can still support your old corps in other ways, like buying souvenirs and recruiting people to join your old corps. I wouldn't feel guilty about it because you are paying to do corps and you want the best experience for your money, but it is nice to show support for your old corps in any way possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acolli17 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hey Adam, I remember you from Cadets camps!It's always better for a corps if you stay with them and go somewhere else but even if you go somewhere else or take the year off (like I am doing) then you can still support your old corps in other ways, like buying souvenirs and recruiting people to join your old corps. I wouldn't feel guilty about it because you are paying to do corps and you want the best experience for your money, but it is nice to show support for your old corps in any way possible. I'm not sure if I remember you, I can't find anything about who you actually are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Ford Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 However, my understanding is that you commit only one summer/season at a time. Thus, as long as you fulfill your commitment and give your best effort to the corps you're with while being a member, then I don't judge anyone for re-assessing in the "off-season" and electing to try to go elsewhere. I think this is very valuable advice. As long as you fulfill your commitment to the corps and give it your all during the summer season, everything else is fair game, in my eyes. Remember, you are doing drum corps for you! In the end, you should make the decision with which YOU feel comfortable, not what someone else wants you to do. I'm kind of in a similar situation. Private Message me if you'd like and we can chat! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acolli17 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Again, thank you all, but I'm not looking for advice. I personally think it's ok as long as you haven't told anyone you're coming back. No matter when you said it. I may have said it last summer, which is why I feel bad about this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMH Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) Point 1 Most corps require members to re-audition every year. It used to be this was just a technicality, but lately (especially in the battery) this is for real. Where is the loyalty there? Point 2 With SUCH "celebrity" being shown to the winning corps, the activity-wide emphasis on "the journey" has been whittled away. The kids in the winning corps are treated like rock stars on all of the activity multi-media outlets and advertising. Is it any wonder the majority jump at the chance to be on the winning teams? Edited August 2, 2010 by OMH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acolli17 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 I've also heard that at the #####(that's not the number of letters in their name, btw), they won't even give you a serious look if you haven't been auditioning there for a few years. I don't want to say who I've heard it is because I don't want people getting the wrong idea, but you basically have to commit yourself to them before you're considered for membership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) If drum corps today was more localized, in other words if there were more regional circuits and corps that competed in those regions of the country, then the issue of leaving a corps for the "elite" and all the reasons to do so would not be as big a topic. Drum and bugle corps today is still competitive, but it's also more of a national tour with national marketing. In the old days it was about how the local kids from my city could compete with the local kids from your city. Their was a pride in where you came from. The early part of the summer was dedicated to local/regional shows and those corps did not travel all that far. In the middle of the summer and toward the end you would hit the regionals, and at the end you would travel the longest distance to attend world finals, or VFW. The model that is much more in play today is one similar to professional sports, except there is no money in it and it's not nearly as popular. But some things are very much alike. Many who get drafted by an MLB team usually start by playing A or AA ball. They want to move up to AAA, and eventually the Majors. This means a move up in quality and a move in terms of city or location. Sure, the experience at A ball can be good, but it can only take you so far. Ultimately they want AAA, or better yet, Major League. Football players are constantly trying to move up in their ability, making the 2-deep roster, and after high school many of them want to get a scholarship to a college. They do not all stay in state or play for their local college. Why? Because it is about going where they can achieve greatness, where they get the right training, where they feel the best, perhaps where they have a better chance at the 2-deep, or where a position is being guaranteed (quarterback). Some cannot play at the college level, and most will never play in the NFL, but that remains their dream, and if they can get there they will move to any city to be a member of a NFL team and to collect that paycheck. With drum corps being much more national--its tour, marketing, the membership, web-based business, etc.--the plus side was the high quality of students that come from all over the country to march with certain corps. We see some amazing things in this activity. The down side of the national presence is that local corps have been hurt or all but wiped out. Local circuits have mostly died, and finding LOCAL help to work bingo, run fundraisers, be on committees, and volunteer for about a million other things has diminished. People like myself get overworked doing stuff that other kids' parents (and those kids) could be helping with, but they are all from elsewhere, so folks like me are left to help fund a corps that doesn't march any local kids. To call it a regional corps is really a stretch as well. Yet, the corps wants to house their operation in some city, and they want city funds and city help, and city facilities. You see, this is the case with almost all of the corps today, and it presents a BIG problem. But for all that, I don't think the national presence is going anywhere anytime soon. And as long as you have these elite corps and a competitive status that promotes the best, you will have kids from all over the country who aspire to march the best. Just like in sports, they wish to move up the ladder, much like we all do in our careers. Moving up the ladder means going to a better corps with a better foundation and better teaching, and perhaps one with more name recognition. I do agree with many others here that it is YOU who has a choice. Your choice is dependent on what you want out of the experience. Do you want to win or learn? Do you have to score high to get both winning and learning, or can that be done separately? What style do you like? What do you know about the corps? All those things must be considered...and cost of course. Also, because there are no local corps anymore (at least not by the old definition) chances are you will have to travel to march with someone. What can you afford and what can you deal with in terms of travel? Edited July 16, 2009 by jwillis35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluublood Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Personally.... I started marching a div 2/3 drum corps my freshman year in high school. I had know idea what drum corps really was, just really liked band and used drum corps as an excuse to do it year around. The more I familiarized myself with the activity the more I wanted to move on to 'bigger and better' things. Wanted to max out my experiences in the marching arts and for me, it was being a contender in DCI. I still maintain loyalty for both corps I marched. After all, if it wasn't for the experiences and preparation at Esperanza, I probably wouldn't have had the chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluublood Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I think this is very valuable advice. As long as you fulfill your commitment to the corps and give it your all during the summer season, everything else is fair game, in my eyes.Remember, you are doing drum corps for you! In the end, you should make the decision with which YOU feel comfortable, not what someone else wants you to do. I'm kind of in a similar situation. Private Message me if you'd like and we can chat! :) Go for it, dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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