2000Cadet Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I don't know too much about Phantom or Crown other than they're VERY good corps. Marching Cadets is not for everyone. The marching technique is a little difficult to get used to. And as someone else mentioned, they have put on controversial programs in the past, but honestly, I can't see that happening too much in the near future, but you never know. I can only speak for myself when I say that marching Cadets was one of the greatest experiences of my life. As much as people may not like what George Hopkins has done in the past few years, he is an excellent mentor. He doesn't want people coming to Cadets if they are focused on winning because that's not the primary objective. I would suggest that you encourage your student to go to each corps' websites to learn a little more about them. Or maybe talk to some people on here who have marched at either of these corps to get their perspectives on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cron Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I'm with the other folks on here, he should contact the caption head for whichever section he intends to audition for each of the three corps, then go for it with the one he identifies with most. Regardless of where he ends up, he's certain to have an experience he'll take with him forever. I don't have any insider info on what to expect from any of them. I've been "out of the loop" for over ten years now except as a fan. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIbrassplaya Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 (edited) I would say the Cadets would be the most "educational" and "technical" among the three you mentioned. Crown and Phantom would still be wild cards as far as 2010 placement is concerned. Watch out for any staff changes in the next few months for that would give you some clues of the direction and potential for next season, I'll disagree, I for one got a heck of a education at crown; I'm pleased to have learned , I will agree that some programs better suit the individual but all corps are technical in what they do. Edited August 16, 2009 by DCIbrassplaya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OdeToArsenal47 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 All three are serious corps, but from testimonies of past marchers for each corps, I'd say that Phantom and Cadets are really close to each other in terms of a "hardcore" approach with Crown trailing behind the other two. By hardcore, I mean shortest leash in rehearsals, that kind of thing. For instance, a friend of mine marched Phantom in 08. He told me that he contemplated quitting several times through everydays before the tour. He said it was the hardest experience of his life for those first rehearsals. He eventually loved it and is marching next year, but it took a lot out of him. I've heard similar stories about the Cadets. About marching in visual blocks for hours, cleaning like CRAZY, that kind of thing. As for Crown, I haven't heard as much about the whole Crown mentality, but I'm sure that they're similar. So, for that guy, he has to be a guy that's fully dedicated to what he's doing. Those corps are strongly disciplined. It's their philosophy, in their DNA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plan9 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 If you think he has the chops and a little extra cash, he might want to go the BOTH Cadets and Crown audition camps (or PR) - assuming they are de-conflicted to attend both. This way you get to see the work ethic and some of the teaching style of the corps. As has been suggested here, these tops corps have different approaches and not everyone fits in. Some on here will suggest that there's a difference between the audition camps and the actual rehearsals camps (once the lineup is chosen) and they may be right. But I think he can get a pretty good feel of the staff's philosophy and style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty543 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I would find out from the different corps caption heads... or just audition camps. DCP at times is largely biased towards their own corps... or certain corps.... of course everyone is going to say X is great. With that in mind, you should try out for Phantom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schickmeister Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 For starters, the image that the three corps display on the field are completely different from one another. Their visual programs are very different, and their musical offerings are all very different from year to year when compared to each other. So for starters...Which style suits you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
709 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I would say that if your student is basing his/her short list of corps off of enjoying those groups programs and performances from the '09 season alone, that he/she owes it to themselves to check out their performances from the past five years or so. I LOVED Cadets this past year, and I don't want to be negative AT ALL, but if I had only seen '09 Cadets and went out and marched with them the next year and got stuck performing The Pursuit of Happiness Part 2, I think I would shoot myself in the face. I'd feel the same with PR doing Gershwin again, nothing against it, it was a fine show, I'm just not a fan of his music and wouldn't want to be stuck performing it all summer. Some corps, some years announce their programs before the audition camps. If he/she has no biases between these corps, I personally might base up to 50 percent of my decision off of what I would get to play if I marched with corps X, Y, or Z. Other than that, everyone elses ideas about contacting staff sound perfect to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Your student should also have a "Plan B" in the event he doesn't make it through the audition process. With corps like the ones he's looking at, there are always far more talented applicants than there are available spots. Not marching at all if he doesn't make his first choice of corps is a bad plan. Marching with a lower tiered World Class corps or an Open Class corps is a much better option. At age 18, he has plenty of time to develop and gain the experience necessary to make it into a top-tier corps in the future. I'm certainly not assuming he can't make his first choice, but nevertheless he should be open to other options just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 depending on how much he knows about DCI, you should mention the money aspect to him, I think. Just to make sure he knows what he's getting into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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