Rwassmer Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I am 15, I've been playing euphonium for three years now, I practice everyday. I'm drum major at my highschool, in winterguard, have been taking music theory lessons for a good one and a half years, and take regular lessons. (I also can play tuba, and trumpet to a degree). One of my main goals as of now is to march in a World Class Drum Corp (Phantom Regiment, Cavaliers, and Madison Scouts are closest to me) when I get out of highschool, does anyone have any suggestions as to what else I should be doing right now to prepare myself for my future audition? Perhaps go ahead and try out auditioning? What? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1993 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 If you plan on auditioning for a Drum Corps make sure right now that if you can try and get ahold of either one of these Corps audition books and just practice on them to help develop some idea of what you will be doing in Drum Corps. It does help with taking music theory to a certain degree if there is any other thing I can help with just ask. Oh make sure you work on the basic's and do lot's and lot's of playing everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rwassmer Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Do you suggest gettubg a book from everyone that I'm auditioning for or just one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1993 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Well do you know for sure that you want to audition for all three? If so I can send you Madison's Audition book from this season. But I would say pick the one you want to be in the most so you don't have to much to work on. Especially since the visual portion you will have to do and they all have different marching technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbwhat? Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Besides, practicing and playing, save every penny you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rwassmer Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Do I need to work on there different individual marching technique? My most prefered of the three is Phantom Regiment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Save every penny. Get the audition INFORMATION for every corps you are interested in. You might not make your 1st choice, so having options and being prepared is a good thing. As a brass player, I wouldn't worry too much about marching, unless you've never done marching band. There are different techniques (less so these days), but as long as you put the right foot down at the right time (and the left foot too) and don't look like a string puppet doing it, it'll probably be something they can work with / teach. If you're a bit cheap or skiddish, you might look into other types of corps (non-competitive / all-age / ???) to get your feet wet. Perhaps someone knows someone and can help get you where you really want to go. Or at least get you enough information to be better prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Become a solid player and a solid marcher. You don't have to have every aspect of their individual technique down, but if you are teachable and a hard worker, you'll do fine. People have this picture of incredibly difficult auditions to get into corps, and honestly if you're a well-practiced player you'll be fine; it's drive and determination that make the cut at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOReason Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Become a solid player and a solid marcher. You don't have to have every aspect of their individual technique down, but if you are teachable and a hard worker, you'll do fine. People have this picture of incredibly difficult auditions to get into corps, and honestly if you're a well-practiced player you'll be fine; it's drive and determination that make the cut at the end of the day. SAVE MONEY! BTW, if this seems like a popular response, that's no accident. Welcome to the world of DCI! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Play every day. Practice for results, not for hours. It got me into All-State Band, it got me a lead Bari spot BITD with a very good DCA corps that I held for 6 years, it also got me into a good School of Music as a Euphonium major, etc, etc. I'd also recommend two books for you that you should be looking at regardless of what the corps wants. They help to develop the kid of flexibility, musicality, and the sonorous Tone Quality you want to have as a Euphonium player. I played these when I was your age and they gave me an edge in whatever I do, even today when I play in a Brass Quintet. One is "Matty Shiner's Lip Builder", simple flexibility excercises so you can slue seamlessly and have good agility on the big horn. The other book is Rochut's "Melodious Etudes for Trombone." They make you learn to play in sharp keys and also giuve you practical musicality and phrasing problems to solve as well as demand that you have a solid and sonorous tone quality. Better reading skills are a help when you get to a corps. Concone Vocalises are also good for that though not as tough. If you can come in and show that you're a serious student of the instrument and you have a good, mature tone, are agile with the horn and don't clunk around on slurs, and understand the basics of musicality and phrasing, I'd think any brass staff member would give you a rather serious look. I'm sure there are plenty of guys who can honk away on the bari- but to show you understand it as a serious instrument... that's another thing. ;) Good luck to you- I guess I've played Euphonium for over 35 years now, and it's a lifetime journey, and someting I have found to be very satisfying in my life. Speaking of which, I need to rehearse for a solo I'm doing on May 5th... can't embarass myself! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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