DrillmanSop06 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 sounds like a fake post, done by someone recruiting for a second tier corps. You're...you're being serious? Seriously? Wouldn't it make sense to NAME a second or first tier corps? Sure, lemme go ahead and audition for...Oh wait - I don't know who's trying to recruit me! :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 (edited) Sounds like someone is really taking their time to examine what works best for them and I applaud the OP. Kinda like what happened to me when I came back after working a few years. Went back to my old corps who was trying for top spot (runners up two seasons before) to check things out. After a weeks thought I realized that the mentality/time needed to support this corps was not for me as I had work and other things higher on my priority list. Was going to check out a lower corps who just wanted to get enough warm bodies to make the field but never got there for reasons I can't remember (think work). Bottom line IMO: Go for what you feel will work for you best and what you are looking for. If you don't care about marching for a winner, it really opens up your options. Edited November 30, 2010 by JimF-LowBari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contrajedi8 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 not buying this... Yeah. Great recruiting tactic. I'm sure they'll all start doing this. What a dumb thing to say. Anyway, to the OP: March where it feels like home my friend. Drum corps is really hard and really expensive. March somewhere that feels comfortable and where you feel like you fit in. One thing I can't stand is how some of the top corps feel like they can treat students like nameless, faceless robots who are there to service their needs. At some point in drum corps, it stopped being about the member and it started being about the names of arrangers and designers. Anyhoo, do some research, ask around and go get a spot with a corps that will treat you like a human being. My personal recommendations for corps that I know from personal experience knowing the people that teach there personally: Madison Scouts, Pioneer, Colts, Glassmen, Spirit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrillmanSop06 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Yeah. Great recruiting tactic. I'm sure they'll all start doing this.What a dumb thing to say. Anyway, to the OP: March where it feels like home my friend. Drum corps is really hard and really expensive. March somewhere that feels comfortable and where you feel like you fit in. One thing I can't stand is how some of the top corps feel like they can treat students like nameless, faceless robots who are there to service their needs. At some point in drum corps, it stopped being about the member and it started being about the names of arrangers and designers. Anyhoo, do some research, ask around and go get a spot with a corps that will treat you like a human being. My personal recommendations for corps that I know from personal experience knowing the people that teach there personally: Madison Scouts, Pioneer, Colts, Glassmen, Spirit I would HIGHLY recommend Colts for a competitive, FAMILY-oriented experience from Day 1. Though I haven't heard how things have progressed recently, I found that at the higher-placing corps I auditioned for, I was treated like a dot. Having auditioned there several years in a row prior to venturing elsewhere, I did not realize that this was not necessarily a "normal" occurrence. When I went to Dubuque, I was treated like a human being, not a drill number. It was pleasant. And I must say, being a part of BUILDING something great was an amazing feeling. I never marched a corps with a "guaranteed" finals spot. In fact, I auditioned for a 13th place drum corps. Imagine my surprise and honor of being part of building a better legacy. :) I'm also going to reiterate that whoever said this was some sort of recruiting tactic is being silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I would HIGHLY recommend Colts for a competitive, FAMILY-oriented experience from Day 1. Though I haven't heard how things have progressed recently, I found that at the higher-placing corps I auditioned for, I was treated like a dot. Having auditioned there several years in a row prior to venturing elsewhere, I did not realize that this was not necessarily a "normal" occurrence. When I went to Dubuque, I was treated like a human being, not a drill number. It was pleasant. And I must say, being a part of BUILDING something great was an amazing feeling. I never marched a corps with a "guaranteed" finals spot. In fact, I auditioned for a 13th place drum corps. Imagine my surprise and honor of being part of building a better legacy. :)I'm also going to reiterate that whoever said this was some sort of recruiting tactic is being silly. This is part and parcel of why taking on a more holistic viewpoint of drum corps is so important, and our friend from the other thread who views the season as all about HIM should pay attention to this post. The phrase "building a legacy" is almost always used in the past tense, i.e. one doesn't know one is part of a legacy until after the season, and the build, is done. Laying the groundwork for others who follow is almost always the last phrase used when reflecting on one's marching career. Living the moment is memory-rich when MM describe what DC did for them, but building a legacy for those who follow is the impact that a MM has on the activity and is much more rewarding than grasping the ring. Great post Drillman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsFan710 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Something tells me this thread will end with a great organization's name getting dragged through the mud. Different corps are for different people. Seems to me like the OP answered his own question in the original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roosevelt Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I auditioned at a top eight (G8 I guess. Still not sure what that all means) corps the weekend before Thanksgiving. I was asked to return and was given the highest auditions score available from a 3 tiered system, but not guaranteed a spot. Though I have been in awe of this corps for three years and have waited until my freshman year in college to audition, I was extremely disappointed in the overall experience. I have friends who auditioned at the same corps last year and had similar experiences. Not everyone in my group of friends last year and this year have the same talents levels, but I think they all deserve to have a great experience. Some were told immediately after playing that they could go home, but with no refund. Go home? We drove seven hours. All of us thought we could meet and interact with vets, but that seemed taboo. Though I got to play exercises and ensemble skill building stuff, I did not find there to be any real sense of education or explanation for it all that would add to my current knowledge of brass playing. The staff seemed to not smile much or want to get to know anything about you. I tried to walk up to vets and staff to simply say Hi and show I wasn't shy or scared, but felt very put-off. There were no hype moments about the corps, the process, the activity. Though I have dismissed past comments and DCP posts about people having a similar experience as being about them not making a corps and looking for negatives, I see that it can be true.I cannot imagine for one second being in that environment or any like it all season. I have decided to audition at a corps that is only a three drive for us. This corps used to be a finalist, but is not currently. They seem to be moving up and there seems to be a lot of good changes going on. I have friends from college that march there that seem to absolutely love it. They guarantee that my experience will be 180 degrees different than the one I had two weeks ago. I want to leave drum corps a better player and performer. I want to have fun. I want to meet great people my age and staff members that will spend at least a little time getting to know me. I want to learn how to do all of this so I can be a better band director when I graduate college. Making finals or being on a special tour with the top corps seems cool, but not if the rest of the stuff is high pressure win or nothing, or is in an atmosphere that puts the things that are important to me way down on the priority list. The deal with leaving right after you play for no refund unfortunately seemed like taking money and not caring what you get for your dollar. Someone on the thread about composers who wont let their music be used mentioned that drum corps was a music education activity. That seemed to totally not be the case where I auditioned two weeks ago. My first days in high school band and college were great. I guess I just expected an even better more professional experience than those. So my questions are, do I give corps A another chance in two weeks regardless of my experience this weekend? Am I being dishonest by auditioning at a new corps, making them think they are my first choice? Any other advice anyone have? thanks a bunch I would go back there for another camp AND audition for the second corps. Audition camps are tricky for staff. They have to listen to tone of people (often times more people than really have time for) and they need to try and teach some technique and make the camp educational too. The elite corps wont have any of the show written yet, so there is really nothing to do but audition people and work on technique. Finally, a lot of the staff will be stand-offish at those top tiered places because there are too many people to keep straight and they don't want to get too close to folks yet since over half of the folks there will not be at the next camp. Anyways, go to both corps and audition. It is your money and both of those corps will understand. My bet is your experience will be a little different the next camp.. if it not you know what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 One thing to consider. The environment is likely to be quite different after the auditioning process is pretty much over. Returning vets at the top corps have a blizzard of new hopefuls in their face every November and December, and are probably just more interested in catching up with their friends from the corps who they havn't seen in a while. Staff are incredibly stressed during auditions, weeding through all the talent and trying to make tough choices will wear on anyone, the way they interact with "the line" will likely be much more of a teaching experience than what happens during auditions. With that said, you certainly don't need to march a G-8 corps to have winning drum corps experience. Good luck with your decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadwick Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 Not sure what second tier corps you are referring to and not asking for you to disclose. However, if your second tier corps (I hate saying it like that), is Spirit of Atlanta, I say really, really give them some consideration. I know a lot of the staff very closely and they will truly be a pleasure to work with. They are doing some great things to a great organization....I also think it would be really exciting to be a part of a re-emerging corps. Just my two cents....good luck with whatever you choose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doylejd Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 One thing to consider. The environment is likely to be quite different after the auditioning process is pretty much over. Returning vets at the top corps have a blizzard of new hopefuls in their face every November and December, and are probably just more interested in catching up with their friends from the corps who they havn't seen in a while. Staff are incredibly stressed during auditions, weeding through all the talent and trying to make tough choices will wear on anyone, the way they interact with "the line" will likely be much more of a teaching experience than what happens during auditions. With that said, you certainly don't need to march a G-8 corps to have winning drum corps experience. Good luck with your decision! I came in to say this. One of the worst audition experiences I have ever had led to some of the best moments of my life when the season came. Having been on the other side of the fence now, I can also say that being on the staff side of the fence is a very trying experience. There are several students who will come in who have winning personalities and great attitudes who simply can't hang with the other people auditioning and when you take the time to get personal with these kids, it makes it that much harder to send them home without a contract in hand. In an ideal world, everyone would get a spot to march in any corps they wanted, but that simply can't happen. I say check out the corps that is closer to you if you want, but I strongly suggest you go to the original corps next camp and see if things flow better. If it doesn't work out and you are good enough to make a G8 corps, I'm sure any Open Class group or lower-tier World Class group would be happy to take you in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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