As someone auditioning for a corps

[MisterA]

I was just wondering, for all of you that have auditioned, or are going to audition for a corps, how would/do you like it to be handled if the corps knows you aren't going to make the cut?

Would you prefer to be told after your first camp, or would you rather keep going to camps to gain knowledge or insight on how the corps operates? I know camps and driving/flying expenses are high, but would you rather be able to attend these camps with your favorite corps, or be told earlier, so you might be able to audition with another corps? Would you prefer if they recommended another corps that you might have a chance to make, or would you rather they just said, try again next year?

Would you prefer they just told you that you were cut, or would you rather have a critique on what your problem areas were? I know it is tough at a young age to receive criticisms, especially when it is something you love to do, and think you are extremely talented.

Also, would you like your high school/college band staff to discourage you from attending if they know you wouldn't have a chance to make it, or would you rather they just encouraged you to try out anyway?

[TheClutch]

They should tell you as soon as they know, but invite you to come to a camp or two just to learn.

Having to pay for x amount of camps and then not make it is terrible.

[jpaul]

It seems to me that most corps will tell you up front if you have no chance of making it. There are always spots in Open Class & lower-tier World Class corps pretty late in the season. If someone is really committed to marching, they'll find a place.

Edited September 7, 2009 by jpaul

[Abbevillekid26]

I would prefer to know as soon as possible so I could make other arrangements.

[JGuy1288]

As someone who this has happened to, I had things I liked and things that I didn't like about the cut process at the first corps. At the end of the first weekend, the corps director read off a list of names. If your name wasn't on the list, you had to leave the room, since you didn't make past that round and were no longer considered a part of the corps. Another staff member awaited the "rejects" in another room and gave them a talk about how they should still try to march in the coming season. They let us go after that, and we just had to wander around until the people who made it were done being given information about the next camp.

Sitting in this group, I felt very alienated and upset. I didn't want to hear what the staff member had to say. I had been cut from my dream corps right off the bat, and I was considering whether or not I even wanted to be involved in the activity anymore. I hated how they had singled us out and made us feel like aliens to the rest of the corps, and I just wanted to go home.

However, I liked how we were notified of openings in other corps. This specific corps gave our information (well, mine, at least) to other corps, and I got emails from four other corps who were interested in having me audition. One brass caption head went so far as to call me at home and at school to ask me to audition. This was a few weeks after I was cut, so the bitterness had worn off a bit, and I was willing to try again. That corps got my audition, and I got the spot. I liked this half of the "relocation" process.

Edited September 7, 2009 by JGuy1288

[MelloMike]

I'll just respond to your last bit about the band director. It's my opinion that any good band director should encourage their talented and/or passionate members to audition for a drum corps. A smarter director might point them in a certain direction based on their skill level but should not advise them to completely avoid a top tier corps if that's what they want to shoot for. Ambition in my opinion should always be encouraged.

Every corps' camp is different and much can be learned regardless of whether you get cut after the first camp or if you go on to march it so any director who straight up tells a student to not audition somewhere because they can't/won't make it is not a director that I would want to march under.

[oldschooldbc]

Would you prefer they just told you that you were cut, or would you rather have a critique on what your problem areas were? I know it is tough at a young age to receive criticisms, especially when it is something you love to do, and think you are extremely talented.

They really should give you a critique. Yes, sometimes hearing these critiques can be tough. But if you are ever to improve as a musician, you sometimes have to hear the bad news.

If you have bad pitch or range or intonation, you should hear this, so you can work on this. The same thing is true of marching (carriage, footwork, timing, etc.) Quite honestly, if you are not getting this type of feedback, when you audition, walk away. Go somewhere else where you do get this feedback. (Then take another year's worth of lessons, work in this area, then come back next year.)

Like it or not, drum corps still have an obligation for music education. (I know! It sounds weird! These corps were organized for a purpose other than competition! What a concept! Maybe competition is a means to an end - that end being the education of young men and women. Try to wrap your mind around that......) If your instructor doesn't give you honest, fair, and objective criticism, then how are you supposed to improve? If they don't give this feedback, they are abrogating their responsibility as music educators.

[Baritone13]

I was told via email that I made it a couple weeks after auditioning. I would have rather known at the camp, but since I made it it was all good. I was still given critique on what I could do better, and I think corps should critique everyone who auditions, because those who don't get a spot deserve to know why.

Edited September 8, 2009 by Baritone13

[r3vo]

I went and tried out for a corps and on the first camp they gave you a number 1-4:

1: Your in

2: Your on the bubble

3: You got a chance

4: Most likely not, but keep coming back if you want

After that they started cutting people, so the techs would take everyone individually into a room and tell them what was up. I was told that I most likely wouldn't make it but was more than welcome to come back for a few more camps if i wanted to.

[whitedawn]

As someone who this has happened to, I had things I liked and things that I didn't like about the cut process at the first corps. At the end of the first weekend, the corps director read off a list of names. If your name wasn't on the list, you had to leave the room, since you didn't make past that round and were no longer considered a part of the corps. Another staff member awaited the "rejects" in another room and gave them a talk about how they should still try to march in the coming season. They let us go after that, and we just had to wander around until the people who made it were done being given information about the next camp.

Sitting in this group, I felt very alienated and upset. I didn't want to hear what the staff member had to say. I had been cut from my dream corps right off the bat, and I was considering whether or not I even wanted to be involved in the activity anymore. I hated how they had singled us out and made us feel like aliens to the rest of the corps, and I just wanted to go home.

wow, that's about the worst thing i've ever heard.

personally, i think the staff should talk to each kid individually and let them know whether they think the kid should keep coming back. for some kids, especially less experienced ones, it doesn't make any sense to keep coming back to rehearsals where the line is 95% music majors and they don't have a realistic shot of making the line or learning much about playing.