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If you "don't have time to learn brass" you DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE A CONDUCTOR.

I think your statement exemplifies a lack of understanding of the commitment those people make within their ensembles.

I can see that reaction, but you can also read into his original post that maybe he doesn't have the confidence in himself to be able to be proficient enough to march in a World Class horn line while learning a brand new instrument at the same time he is keeping up with his college course load (which, as a Music Ed major, undoubtedly requires him to excel on his own instrument in lessons and concerts, being proficient on whatever instruments he is learning in methods classes PLUS to reading/homework/papers/exams for all of his other classes). Maybe he's trying to be honest while knowing he won't be able to devote as much time as he thinks is demanded in order to be good enough on a brass instrument to hang with a World Class horn line (remember, World Class is his end game/goal).

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I can see that reaction, but you can also read into his original post that maybe he doesn't have the confidence in himself to be able to be proficient enough to march in a World Class horn line while learning a brand new instrument at the same time he is keeping up with his college course load (which, as a Music Ed major, undoubtedly requires him to excel on his own instrument in lessons and concerts, being proficient on whatever instruments he is learning in methods classes PLUS to reading/homework/papers/exams for all of his other classes). Maybe he's trying to be honest while knowing he won't be able to devote as much time as he thinks is demanded in order to be good enough on a brass instrument to hang with a World Class horn line (remember, World Class is his end game/goal).

Right, but that very essence undermines the difficulty of being conductor in a WC corps.

Being the conductor of an ensemble that allows rookie DMs, like PR, involves more work than being a mediocre brass musician in a lower tier WC or upper tier OC.

In PR our conductors were the first people awake, the last people asleep, were responsible to a great extent in running rehearsal, spent 1,000s of hours in score work, etc. No doubt more times than not, in the off season people like Will Pitts, Tommy Feagin, Will Richards, etc spent more time on their craft than 75% of the brass, and much more than it would ever take to be a mediocre baritone player in a WC corps.

Edited by GeneralTsoChicken
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Thanks everyone for your opinions, I appreciate the input.

After PMing a couple people on DCP as well as speaking to some MMs from recent years, I have decided that I am going to try to learn a brass instrument (haven't decided which yet).

As to the comments about brass methods classes, I go to Florida State, and unfortunately they do not let us start those classes until Junior year.

I do, however, have many brass friends I will no doubt be consulting and begging for help!

I am going to try to start this week and my goal is going to be 1-2 hours a day, hopefully 2. (That may require me to stay up until 2 every night, but it's worth it!)

Now my question is where should I try to audition?

Quickly and humbly, I am on scholarship for my principal instrument at what is considered one of the best collegiate music programs in the country. I hope I can pick up a brass instrument fairly quickly, and I like to think that my musicality is pretty darn good, but I know brass is not saxophone.

With that in mind, and roughly 2 to 2 and half months until auditions, where should I go realistically?

Edited by sax1210
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If you want to march in a horn line Pioneer is a good place to go. We always have a few woodwinds and percussionist in our brass line and they tend to pick up quick. Pioneer is world class and I've had an awesome time in my past 2 summers there. But if your heart is set on conducting, I know Phantom does rookie DM's or you can try open class.

Bette Every Day

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Thanks everyone for your opinions, I appreciate the input.

After PMing a couple people on DCP as well as speaking to some MMs from recent years, I have decided that I am going to try to learn a brass instrument (haven't decided which yet).

As to the comments about brass methods classes, I go to Florida State, and unfortunately they do not let us start those classes until Junior year.

I do, however, have many brass friends I will no doubt be consulting and begging for help!

I am going to try to start this week and my goal is going to be 1-2 hours a day, hopefully 2. (That may require me to stay up until 2 every night, but it's worth it!)

Now my question is where should I try to audition?

Quickly and humbly, I am on scholarship for my principal instrument at what is considered one of the best collegiate music programs in the country. I hope I can pick up a brass instrument fairly quickly, and I like to think that my musicality is pretty darn good, but I know brass is not saxophone.

With that in mind, and roughly 2 to 2 and half months until auditions, where should I go realistically?

go noles!

and related to this topic, don't rule out DCA. You have 4 DCA corps within a 5 hour drive of school (Tampa Bay Thunder, Sun Devils, Alliance and CorpsVets).

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  • 3 weeks later...

First, I want to comment in your support about the time. I read your "not having time" more as a "I don't have enough time before I'm 21 to become fair competition with people who have played for years", not as everyone else is reading it "I don't have enough time in my day".

Second, I would also recommend Boston. They do have their winter camps in Florida, so that's a good way for you to get into auditioning with a top 12. And of course it will be very challenging, and if you make the corps it will be even more challenging than the audition camps. But being in a corps will really advance your skills. Often, if you don't make a top 12, you can find out with enough time to go to a different corps and march with them. Marching any of the corps will be a good stepping stone into your age out year.

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That's true, they are. Also, wasn't one of Phantom's DMs from this past season a rookie? I think they were. Like, an 18 year old rookie or something.

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