dapperpoet Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) As someone whose son went to a major midwestern corps camp (and got a call back, by the way, which is pretty astounding given said corps and the fact that he was 16 and had never marched before) but he hated it. Part of it involved being forgotten at a bus station in a major city, part of it by how the corps members treated each other and newcomers. He was ready to give up on drum corps. Luckily, a person who happens to work where I do, was involved as a caption head in a top 12-14 place corps. He went, and thrived, but having been on the road with them for two weeks, and considering that this corps had younger kids and was thus more in tune than many would be about the implications of that, there was still a lot of large group showering, a certain disregard for being clothed, a number of different cultures (all of which were positive, some of which might be difficult for a fourteen year old to understand) and a very very physically demanding, musically demanding, and intellectually demanding activity undertaken day after day, week after week, with almost never having more than 4 or 5 hours sleep together for weeks at a time, marching from 7:30 in the morning until 5 at night, performing a show, traveling all night, catching a couple of hours on the bus, and so on. Kids get knicked. Younger kids without developed physical structures might suffer (my kid is a contra player. Could he have hefted a 40+ King Contra and spun while marching at +230 plus backwards? Nope.) I would have had the same injury concerns I had about him playing football or running distances at that age. In fact, he did hurt his back during move ins, and spent several difficult days trying to decide whether to pack it in or keep going. Add in the usual homesickness, food that might not be like mom cooks, various social learning experiences, and so on, I would have said no to Thomas marching with his current corps, Blue Devils at 14. As others have suggested, there are numerous ways to march corps and thrive with a less than full summer experience, BDB and BDC, Cadets Two (Too?), Vanguard Cadets, and so on. All in all, I think 15 is probably pushing it as well, but I'm sure I'm over-protective. By the way, if it matters, I'm also a development psychologist specializing in teenage development. Oh, and even more important to most people reading this, I never marched drum corps, much to my regret. Edited January 9, 2012 by dapperpoet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cage Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 How can you manage high school and corps at the same time ? summer tour would start before school is over wouldnt it ? I would LOVE to start DCI now (15) but with school I just cant until 2015. By then when i start going to audition camps (fall 2015) ill be 19, which means ill only be able to march through summer 2018 because ill turn 22 that fall. Please answer my question about doing highschool and DCI, and please correct me if im wrong about only being able to march 3 years because of my age, id love to march as many as i can. Surf does not move in until 6/15 which is 9 days after school ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kac Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Two of the HS students that I teach marched Surf last summer at 14. One was the youngest member of the horn line. They both had positive experiences at Surf and returned To HS with fantastic work ethics. This year I think we have two 15 year olds, a16 yr old, and an 18 yr old going to Surf. Oh and my 11 yr old has already told me he's going to Surf when he's 14. He's now interested in the kids triathlon training program at our YMCA to get ready for Surf. (and I have not encouraged drum corps with him, in fact I've told him time and time again just how hard it is) If your son has the determination, then the rest should come with experience. Talk to Bob Jacobs about it. Your son may not be the only 14 yr old there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 The question you should ask is really this: Should my 14 year-old shower with 21 year-olds? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) Most World Class corps I know do not offer a spot to a 14 year old. There's just too much social difference between a 14 year old and an 18-22 year old. There's a good chance he could feel isolated socially. As much as a drum corps can be a family, there's a reason why the young adults don't appreciate sitting at the kids' table at holidays. I think you see what I am getting at. Also, in my experience, he'd be in for a tough summer marching wise. There is just no way a 14 year old can march like an 18 year old. Play...yes...I've heard 14 year old phenoms on almost every instrument. The separation is when you add that extra step of moving and playing. Then there's all the memorization, the show changes...so much to keep in the head of a hormonal 14 year old young person. It's a very tough age to grasp so many adult concepts continually. My kids were fortunate enough to march with a Div. II/III (now Open Class) corps with members more their age and on a far less competitive level with a much shorter season. It was the only way my wife and I would let them march. When my youngest was 14, he auditioned for the Phantom Regiment. It was nearby. We wanted him to get the experience. Albert Lo was his auditioner. Our son played very well as he had prepared for the audition since August. One of Mr. Lo's first questions was to ask his age. Our son answered 14. Mr. Lo asked him if it was his father outside and he invited me in for our son's critique. There was so much education given in the next 10 minutes...as a brass player myself, I was really impressed with the depth of his suggestions. Then he said to our son, "If you were 2-3 years older, we would take you. Please come back." The long and short of it was, our son did not go back there but marched nearby in Madison as a 17 and 19 year old. I'm glad he went back and marched a smaller corps with members closer to his age as a 14 year old. His time with a World Class corps could wait. I can agree and disagree with this.... I know a man who marched The Cavaliers when he was 14 on the contra line. I was so pleased to meet him... I will not share his name on this forum. He is a great teacher, marcher, and tuba player. I say let your child march... you never know what what he might accomplish. Edited January 9, 2012 by Hook'emCavies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I got a red negative for merely questioning if it is proper for a 21 year-old adult who can drink alcohol to be showering with a 14 year-old youth; are you kidding me? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I got a red negative for merely questioning if it is proper for a 21 year-old adult who can drink alcohol to be showering with a 14 year-old youth; are you kidding me? I understand what you are saying... but to be honest I think its something you should PM the father about instead of posting a comment like that on here. Yes, I know you should post your thoughts, but I kinda don't want to read that type of stuff on here. (by the way I didn't -1 you... just stating my opinion.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook'emCavies Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) ahh double post. Edited January 9, 2012 by Hook'emCavies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I understand what you are saying... but to be honest I think its something you should PM the father about instead of posting a comment like that on here. Yes, I know you should post your thoughts, but I kinda don't want to read that type of stuff on here. (by the way I didn't -1 you... just stating my opinion.) Why find offense to openly discussing *the entire truth* as to concerns about a 14 year-old being involved in a 21 year-old environment? Unless, of course, you support the drum corps activity so much that being publicly obtuse is actually acceptable? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I have it on good authority that since corps have been changing their "fees" to "tuition" and their "staff" to "educators" or "instructors" that there is no longer cursing in drum corps. Prominent educators would never go on a tirade of foul language for seemingly the smallest mistakes. So in that regard, there is nothing to worry about. After all, they are a lot more professional now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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