For kids who have marched multiple corps

[MisterA]

As a band director, and former corps staff member, I have noticed that almost every corps and almost every band, kids seem to become like a family. Obviously that happens more in corps, since these young members are pretty much living together for 3 solid months.

From an adult perspective, it always seems like almost every corps is almost exactly the same. While every corps has different styles of rehearsal, the kids all seem the same. And from year to year, even though the faces may change(although it is funny how a lot of kids that come in new remind you of the kids that left last year, in both personality and physical appearance) things still seem the same.

So just curious, for anyone who marched multiple corps, did you feel like every corps seemed like a family? Was one more like a family than the other?

When I was more involved with corps, I always felt that maybe the smaller the corps, the closer the bond. Did this seem to be your experience? For kids that marched DII/III(Open Class), who moved up to DI(World Class), or someone who went from a smaller corps like Pioneer, to a larger corps, did the smaller corps seem more like a family, or were both experiences pretty similar? I would think a corps like Pioneer would seem more like a family, being smaller, but then I always wonder if the higher amount of turnover would make it seem less like a family.

In almost every sports interview for high school, you see the parents and coaches always saying what a great group of kids. And at every drum corps show, you see parents and souvie people, all talking about what a great group of kids that are involved.

I think sometimes the family atmosphere is what brings kids back year after year, when you know how physically challenging it can be. 60 plus days on tour can be grueling, uncomfortable, challenging, painful, and yet several thousand young people do this every single summer. And yet so many members come back year after year. I think there are some kids who have marched a feeder or small Open Class corps, who have ended up marching 10 or more years.

So let us hear about your "family" experiences from being in drum corps, and how it was different from corps to corps.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

So just curious, for anyone who marched multiple corps, did you feel like every corps seemed like a family? Was one more like a family than the other?

No.

Yes.

That said, a lot of that could have been me. I was younger than most of the corps, and was in WAY over my head. Spent most of the summer relatively alone and a complete tick box. I was reeling way too much to make "family".

On another note, fraternity rituals and initiations serve to bind people with common experiences and common moral cornerstones. That way two fraternity brothers anywhere, any time, can bond together in common experiences, secrets, and moral cornerstones. I think drum corps is a naturally fraternal setting. The fact that so many people spend so much time together, go into so much stress together, share so much---it binds them in a way that no one else can understand or experience.

Drum Corps members see each other at their most vulnerable moments. While sleeping. While naked. While upset. While stressed. While sick. While homesick. While ensnared in the lives that continue outside of the corps. Nothing can replicate that.

[JimF-LowBari]

Well let's stretch the 'kids' definition and maybe jump start more discussion.

I always say I have at least two corps families and I'm still a member of both even if I don't participate. The first corps I was in (70s) had reformed and was down the bottom of the pack. We were trying to survive so that was the goal. By the time I left we were hitting the middle of DCA Finals and wanting higher. Then in the 80s they reformed again and I was in for a bit doing parades and Main Guard duties. Again the goal was survival with a side order of prepping for a return to Finals. Three totally different groups and mindsets (so was that one family or three?). The non-competing corps is in it for love of doing it, pride in what goes out and concern for the members. Still want to be proud of the show but without that score pressure. Again different mindset...

As for one more than other, hard to tell since the Internet age has helped one keep in touch more than the other.

Great timing as I saw some members of both corps two weeks ago at a show and after party. hard to decide who to talk to first.

Edited April 26, 2012 by JimF-LowBari

[Piper]

Swiching corps is always a tough assignment. I only had to do it once out of necessity and it was hard to make the adjustment. New kids, new instructors, new policies and hoping to make some new friends in the process. Fortunately for me I knew a few kids in my new corps and they became my lean on go to guys for the first few weeks.

[ibexpercussion]

It's a combination of both the corps and the person. You have to be willing to let yourself be "uncomfortable" and let your guard down. If you are totally willing to buy in, both to the corps and its individual members, then you are more likely to develop a family-type relationship with the other members, especially those in your section (or possibly with you bus partner ).

Edited April 26, 2012 by ibexpercussion

[MisterA]

No.

Yes.

That said, a lot of that could have been me. I was younger than most of the corps, and was in WAY over my head. Spent most of the summer relatively alone and a complete tick box. I was reeling way too much to make "family".

On another note, fraternity rituals and initiations serve to bind people with common experiences and common moral cornerstones. That way two fraternity brothers anywhere, any time, can bond together in common experiences, secrets, and moral cornerstones. I think drum corps is a naturally fraternal setting. The fact that so many people spend so much time together, go into so much stress together, share so much---it binds them in a way that no one else can understand or experience.

Drum Corps members see each other at their most vulnerable moments. While sleeping. While naked. While upset. While stressed. While sick. While homesick. While ensnared in the lives that continue outside of the corps. Nothing can replicate that.

Thanks for your honest answer. That is not what I was expecting at all. I also hadn't thought of age as being a factor in seeing the corps as a family. Do you mind if I ask you how large the corps were that you marched? I am sorry you felt like you were in over your head. I bet you were a lot better than you thought you were. But I know that any insecurities can be easily magnified, especially being away from home for so long.

[MisterA]

Well let's stretch the 'kids' definition and maybe jump start more discussion.

I always say I have at least two corps families and I'm still a member of both even if I don't participate. The first corps I was in (70s) had reformed and was down the bottom of the pack. We were trying to survive so that was the goal. By the time I left we were hitting the middle of DCA Finals and wanting higher. Then in the 80s they reformed again and I was in for a bit doing parades and Main Guard duties. Again the goal was survival with a side order of prepping for a return to Finals. Three totally different groups and mindsets (so was that one family or three?). The non-competing corps is in it for love of doing it, pride in what goes out and concern for the members. Still want to be proud of the show but without that score pressure. Again different mindset...

As for one more than other, hard to tell since the Internet age has helped one keep in touch more than the other.

Great timing as I saw some members of both corps two weeks ago at a show and after party. hard to decide who to talk to first.

It's fine that you used DCA corps to describe your experience. And I think you could probably describe it as either one or three families. Each time was a different group of people, even if it was with the same organization. As far as the internet keeping people together, I was more thinking of your time on the road during the summer. But I do agree the internet really does help keep the kids(and adults) connected after the experience of the summer.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

Thanks for your honest answer. That is not what I was expecting at all. I also hadn't thought of age as being a factor in seeing the corps as a family. Do you mind if I ask you how large the corps were that you marched? I am sorry you felt like you were in over your head. I bet you were a lot better than you thought you were. But I know that any insecurities can be easily magnified, especially being away from home for so long.

The two I'm referencing were large Divison I corps (old school nomenclature) aka WC.

I was pretty bad. Most of that badness came from being horribly out of shape. Not prepared for what was to come, so I spent the whole summer trying to figure it out. Ha, it wasn't insecurities, it was genuine.

[TheClutch]

Depends on your personality compared with the other personalities in the corps and how they interact.

I didnt get along well with the people I marched with first...That being said, they were one of the closest groups Ive ever seen

Edited April 27, 2012 by TheClutch

[Barifonium]

From an adult perspective, it always seems like almost every corps is almost exactly the same. While every corps has different styles of rehearsal, the kids all seem the same. And from year to year, even though the faces may change(although it is funny how a lot of kids that come in new remind you of the kids that left last year, in both personality and physical appearance) things still seem the same.

Interesting. I feel that different styles of corps attract certain types of people in general in this weird, ethereal way that even I can barely understand but from corps to corps I feel like there are, in most cases considerable personality differences between the corps because of:

1. Region they're from/where the majority of members are from

2. Blending of personalities that happens over summer

3. The extroverts

4. Corps values

5. The aggregate of all of the above

What unites us all on the other hand is the experience.

So just curious, for anyone who marched multiple corps, did you feel like every corps seemed like a family? Was one more like a family than the other?

Not necessarily. It took time. I had the general's problem except mine was self-inflicted. I had a tendency to be really hard on myself when I wasn't strong enough and ended up having similar (though not as extreme) an experience of the General here:

That said, a lot of that could have been me. I was younger than most of the corps, and was in WAY over my head. Spent most of the summer relatively alone and a complete tick box. I was reeling way too much to make "family"

From the OP:

When I was more involved with corps, I always felt that maybe the smaller the corps, the closer the bond. Did this seem to be your experience? For kids that marched DII/III(Open Class), who moved up to DI(World Class), or someone who went from a smaller corps like Pioneer, to a larger corps, did the smaller corps seem more like a family, or were both experiences pretty similar?

I went from Impulse in 2009-10 (17-24 member hornline) to Academy in '11 (76 member hornline). It was quite a difference. I noticed that there were a considerable number of smaller groups of people, mostly within sections. With a smaller corps, that's a little more difficult and you all know each other a lot better and in a sense you grow more because you learn to adapt to their personalities because you HAVE to. It forces you to reconcile yourself to possibly personalities you would much rather not interact with on a daily basis. Not that that's a bad thing, it just happened to turn out that way.

There's a larger selection of individual personalities in World Class/larger corps so you have a good chance of finding just as many people if not more to bond like-family with and the more you do that, the more favorably you can bond with the entire drum corps. If you get tired of someone, just talk with someone else. There's a lot about them you probably don't know.

but then I always wonder if the higher amount of turnover would make it seem less like a family.

Pioneer, from what I've read, actually doesn't have that much turnover but don't quote me on that. I think that's more prevalant the higher up you go like BD for example but then again, people define "family" differently and get their joy out of the different aspects of it like I mentioned with regard to the sources personality I listed (numerically) earlier.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Barifonium