First experiences with drill?

[noneofyourbusiness]

Hi Alumni, a question or two from a drum corps newbie, I just got the drill charts for this season and I can honestly say that I'm a bit scared, excited and anxious and eager all at the same time

So

How was the drill/visual experience for you your very first year of drum corps?

Was it a scary experience?

Any tips (besides getting into shape and practicing the marching style)?

Blue Stars, right? Be ready for the weather:

Indianapolis:

Mar 26 Friday

Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s.

Mar 27 Saturday

Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s and lows in the mid 40s.

Mar 28 Sunday

Cloudy with rain. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the low 40s.

And don't suck

[Taylor]

Don't ever have to be told twice what to do.

[CrownStarr]

Also, here's another general tip for any kind of rehearsal - don't make the same mistakes. If you're told 5 reps in a row that you're slow in a section, then change something. Really go after it, even (or especially) to the point of playing too fast. The staff would much rather see you make an effort and go too far than not change at all, because if you're at least changing, then they can work with it.

[perc2100]

Hi Alumni, a question or two from a drum corps newbie, I just got the drill charts for this season and I can honestly say that I'm a bit scared, excited and anxious and eager all at the same time

So

How was the drill/visual experience for you your very first year of drum corps?

Was it a scary experience?

Any tips (besides getting into shape and practicing the marching style)?

My rookie year, I was TOTALLY green when it came to marching. The best advice I can give is to not be too frustrated, and do everything you can to always be improving on the field. Staff can forgive inexperience if it comes with a great work ethic/attitude. Don't psych yourself out, don't get too upset, and work hard to improve.

Also, it goes without saying, but know your dots. If you're an inexperienced marcher, you need to make sure that everything in your control is stellar: know the counts, know your dots, know the forms (if that's what your corps does), know the intervals, know the spacing, know the guide, know what musical phrase correlates with a visual phrase, etc. You can't help the fact that you might be inexperienced with the marching technique, but make up for that by having everything else DOWN. At least staff/vets will be able to say, "he might be green as a marcher, but he has everything else together."

Good luck this season!!

[euponitone]

Also, here's another general tip for any kind of rehearsal - don't make the same mistakes. If you're told 5 reps in a row that you're slow in a section, then change something. Really go after it, even (or especially) to the point of playing too fast. The staff would much rather see you make an effort and go too far than not change at all, because if you're at least changing, then they can work with it.

This is something i teach just about everybody... Even little french kids marching for the first time. When it comes time to march backwards, they never quite make the spot, so I tell them to go too big. They come up short again, so i exaggerate even more...'no seriously, go past your spot'. They try and go too far, and end up right on the line....literally, it works every time. Same thing applies in dci - once your body learns something wrong, you have to overcorrect to fix it.

[84BDsop]

This is something i teach just about everybody... Even little french kids marching for the first time. When it comes time to march backwards, they never quite make the spot, so I tell them to go too big. They come up short again, so i exaggerate even more...'no seriously, go past your spot'. They try and go too far, and end up right on the line....literally, it works every time. Same thing applies in dci - once your body learns something wrong, you have to overcorrect to fix it.

I do the same thing when teaching fencing, and for the same reason (usually it's keeping their weapon from drifting to the center of their body, thus exposing target)

[CloudHype]

"Im on my dot" Respond "Well Remark it off"

or make someone else mark it for them

Thats just my preference though

IMO corps that get good scores by guiding just have members who hit their dot well enough while learning that guiding isnt as hard.

Well you can't mark off your dot mid performance (true that muscle memory develops. Each and every person has to have the same 8to5 to have form accuracy though), you have to guide to your dot.

I personally only have dress point/angle setters mark off dots in diagonals (similar philosophy for other forms) and royally chew them a new one when they blow it. Personal dot responsibility (100% accuracy) for each and every member for each and every set is dotters utopia and IMO an unreal one. I'll take my chances focusing on the handful of members that need to nail their dots on a given set and have the rest guide (yet knowing of the dot). However I do write a set every now in then that does need to be 100% dot marched... Really, you can't guide a scatter. I'm an early season dotter (but still preach guide), late season guider (nailing the dots of the important few).

All be it, this is just my personal preference.

Edited March 24, 2010 by CloudHype

[fourouttheforty]

Don't miss instructions. Easy way for accidents to happen.

[soccerguy315]

Don't miss instructions. Easy way for accidents to happen.

this is a good one...

if you are running sets 4 to 7... STOP AT 7!! And if you run sets 4-7 a few times, and then are going to run sets 4-12... DON'T STOP AT 7!! lol

[euponitone]

And try and amuse yourself when things like the following occur -

In 2003, one of the hardest chunks we ever rehearsed was from letter H to letter O in the opener. So when the staff said "lets do H to O" we would all say "yes please"