NewTuba2011 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 You get to pick which one you want to at that point. Wow. I didn't think it was that easy. I thought auditions were a one shot thing... According to the comments of others, I should worry more about conditioning. Blue stars and Madison scouts are my favorite top 12 Corps and I know I can get there if I lose some pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcifanforlife Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I didn't know you could do that. What if two corps need me? Many tuba players get offered contracts from more than one corps. So you have to go with the best situation that meets your needs. Many corps have a no cut policy which means you cut yourself by stop coming to camp or refusing to sign a contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajawon Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Yeah dude, it's rather simple. Go running, practice, and the most important thing is to never give up. I've seen too many people talk about marching and never do and end up aging out without ever even trying. Best of luck bud. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewTuba2011 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 Many tuba players get offered contracts from more than one corps. So you have to go with the best situation that meets your needs. Many corps have a no cut policy which means you cut yourself by stop coming to camp or refusing to sign a contract. A no cut policy? I hav never heard anything about that! And is it really true that only 6 or 7 of the tuba players in a corps are true tuba players! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corps-mudgeon Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 My advice is to pick the corps you want to audition for and do it. Getting comfortable with the audition material is very important along with all the other things that have been mentioned, but I would guess the only thing that would blindside you is the contra itself. I've seen more than one sousaphone player give up on the first camp because the contra beat them. It wasn't that they couldn't handle it physically, it was that they weren't ready to deal with it mentally. Get a 25 lb weight and stand holding it a foot in front of your face while watching TV. Work your way up to at least five minutes at a time, several times an hour. You will hurt and you will shake at that first camp wrestling with that beast, but it can be done and it will be easier at every subsequent camp. Stick with a corps that tells you where you stand and what you have to work on after each camp, and persistence and application of effort will usually get you a spot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corps-mudgeon Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) A no cut policy? I hav never heard anything about that! And is it really true that only 6 or 7 of the tuba players in a corps are true tuba players! A no cut policy means that you can continue to attend camps and learn technique, but it doesn't mean that everyone gets a tour contract. Some corps some years might have to move people to tuba, but from what I've seen most tuba players are actually tuba players. Edited July 10, 2011 by corps-mudgeon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewTuba2011 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 My advice is to pick the corps you want to audition for and do it. Getting comfortable with the audition material is very important along with all the other things that have been mentioned, but I would guess the only thing that would blindside you is the contra itself. I've seen more than one sousaphone player give up on the first camp because the contra beat them. It wasn't that they couldn't handle it physically, it was that they weren't ready to deal with it mentally. Get a 25 lb weight and stand holding it a foot in front of your face while watching TV. Work your way up to at least five minutes at a time, several times an hour. You will hurt and you will shake at that first camp wrestling with that beast, but it can be done and it will be easier at every subsequent camp. Stick with a corps that tells you where you stand and what you have to work on after each camp, and persistence and application of effort will usually get you a spot. Your post made me laugh! And are they really that heavy? And how many tubas do you thing audition for the top 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corps-mudgeon Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Your post made me laugh! And are they really that heavy? And how many tubas do you thing audition for the top 12. Plus or minus a few pounds by manufacturer, 25 lbs is a good average. You're probably big and strong enough as is to handle one, but the kicker for the first camp is that it's the first time you'll ever be wrestling one for 24 hours out of 36. You might not be shaking, but you'll definitely be hurting. Just don't let it get to you--it's all part of the process. It won't hurt to build a little extra strength beforehand. Most corps are probably not overflowing with tuba auditionees, but over the course of 2 or 3 camps will have more than the number of spots they have to fill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewTuba2011 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 Plus or minus a few pounds by manufacturer, 25 lbs is a good average. You're probably big and strong enough as is to handle one, but the kicker for the first camp is that it's the first time you'll ever be wrestling one for 24 hours out of 36. You might not be shaking, but you'll definitely be hurting. Just don't let it get to you--it's all part of the process. It won't hurt to build a little extra strength beforehand. Most corps are probably not overflowing with tuba auditionees, but over the course of 2 or 3 camps will have more than the number of spots they have to fill. That's my only worry. Who would they take? This fat guy who can't run as much as others or someone with the same amount of skill but more conditioned. That is what makes me choose lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCTuba Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I was thinking about auditioning for a corps in 2012 but I don't want to waste my time. Is it true that tuba is the hardest instrument to get in a corps on? I started tuba in 2010 as an emergency measure at my high school. Three quit, we were left with three so I made the fourth. Is immense amounts of skill required for a corps? I am goIng to be a junior this school year and have been in marching band since eigth grade. I am 6'4 and 280 LBs. I don't know if I should start conditioning now just to be cut for my audition. I live in South Carolina and the Three closest corps to me are Carolina Crown, Spirit of Atlanta, and Teal Sound. I will never make crown. Spirit is my favorite corps, and I don't really like the uniforms or music selections a teal sound. If you are an age out or have marched any corps, please respond to my post. Marching a corps is just another distant dream to me. If I were you I'd attend Crown's camps and see how things go. I know they've been a bit desperate for tubas in the past, especially since they expanded to 16 a couple of years back. You obviously have experience marching, and you've been playing tuba for a while now, so I'd think you'd have a shot at getting in. Tuba isn't the hardest instrument to get into a corps on either. Talk to the gazillions of percussionists that get cut every year. But I would go up to Fort Mill for the first November camp and let the staff have a chance to evaluate you, listen to their feedback, and then gauge whether or not you think it's worth it to continue with the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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