Who should I choose?

[Kirbyscream]

Hey guys, as you can tell, I'm new here (and I probably ended up posting this in the wrong section anyone, haha).

There's just a question I have for all of you - yes, I know that dci.org has a bunch of interviews with marchers about corps and other stuff like that, but I really wanted to ask a group of a bunch of die hard DCI fans (many of you also being experienced marchers) - What's the best way to decide which corps I want to march in?

I don't plan on marching for another year due to high school, but drum corps is absolutely amazing to me and it is my dream to march in one of these corps. I'm just having issues deciding which one to join, haha. I'm wondering what all the different factors are that I should look at, the pros and cons of different corps, or even just your guy's opinions on them. Right now I have it narrowed down to three different corps that I am really interested in - either Carolina Crown, Blue Stars, or The Cavaliers.

Thanks for taking your time to read this guys, and once again, sorry if I posted this in the wrong section :)

[HPUEuph]

Well, I'd say first what do you play and then what kind of shows/music do you like to perform?

For me I based mine of geography and chose Pacific Crest, ended up liking it there and staying instead of moving on to the upper echelon. However, I played euphonium, and I really enjoy dark melodic music yet also jazz so I tend to gravitate towards corps like Phantom, Bluecoats, BK, Crown

[Kirbyscream]

Well, I'd say first what do you play and then what kind of shows/music do you like to perform?

For me I based mine of geography and chose Pacific Crest, ended up liking it there and staying instead of moving on to the upper echelon. However, I played euphonium, and I really enjoy dark melodic music yet also jazz so I tend to gravitate towards corps like Phantom, Bluecoats, BK, Crown

I play Trombone, so I'm assuming I would be playing Euph/Baritone.

I like shows that have fast paced music, yet still having a ballad that can have a really awesome impact (those really long notes give me the chills..)

[alto92]

Pick the corps that picks you. Where are you called to? Try spending time in the lot next show. Go to a rehearsal. If you listen and watch, you'll know.

[Barifonium]

I chose Impulse because there was someone I knew teaching there, and I loved their shows. Their unis were different.

I wanted to do Phantom in 2011 but didn't make it...

Then I chose Academy, which was slightly (okay, 225 miles) farther away than Pacific crest because they did decently competitively and their sound/shows were cool. Uniforms looked pretty spiffy (turned out they were CHANGED to look even MORE spiffy) as well whereas PC had none of those for me.

I chose Phantom for 2012 (injured, couldn't finish the season) because of an obsession with them that stretched back to my freshman year in high school. The first show I heard was Harmonic Journey, and as I saw more shows the performance energy combined with the pure yet bad### look of the uniform made me feel like that was the corps for me. It also matched the original mindset that I thought my band would have when I first joined my freshman year: think R. Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket..okay maybe I'm exaggerating but that's the kind of pressure you're under to perform well (from yourself because you know everyone else is thinking the same way. You just KNOW it. It's a tangible presence in the air, and the staff confirms it in the way they act and talk).

Each corps had its own mindset that I had to adapt to, and had a very real expanding effect on my mind.

So to answer your question, I would start watching lots of Drum Corps and find which corps that has shows that you like the most. Then narrow them down by geography, then audition. You may not make it so make sure you have a 2nd and 3rd choice, including a semifinalist and an Open Class.

I know one guy who came to Impulse in 2009 from Virginia because he literally CLOSED HIS EYES and pointed at the screen. We weren't even doing a full tour. We had maybe 8 or 9 shows and ended in mid-July. We were a small corps and he had a big personality that really helped us bond. The randomest person from the randomest place at the randomest time turned out to help our corps bond in a way that couldn't have happened without him, and had an extremely positive effect on him as well.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Barifonium

[JayM]

If it's financially feasible for you, check out audition camps for each of those corps. I think most corps these days treat audition camps as clinics, so it's fairly useful to attend one even if you don't plan on (or expect) to make the corps, and it will give you a pretty good idea of what each corps is about.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about The Cavaliers.

[RockyGranite]

Hey guys, as you can tell, I'm new here (and I probably ended up posting this in the wrong section anyone, haha).

There's just a question I have for all of you - yes, I know that dci.org has a bunch of interviews with marchers about corps and other stuff like that, but I really wanted to ask a group of a bunch of die hard DCI fans (many of you also being experienced marchers) - What's the best way to decide which corps I want to march in?

I don't plan on marching for another year due to high school, but drum corps is absolutely amazing to me and it is my dream to march in one of these corps. I'm just having issues deciding which one to join, haha. I'm wondering what all the different factors are that I should look at, the pros and cons of different corps, or even just your guy's opinions on them. Right now I have it narrowed down to three different corps that I am really interested in - either Carolina Crown, Blue Stars, or The Cavaliers.

Thanks for taking your time to read this guys, and once again, sorry if I posted this in the wrong section :)

I really don't know much about how to select a Corps. In my son's case, he saw a theater show of DCI in his Sophomore year of high school, decided he was going to march with BK, switched that summer from clarinet to horn/mello and this year...three years later...he auditioned, was accepted and is marching his rookie year with BK. As an added bonus, he found a love for the horn that he never had for the clarinet.

I guess what it all really boils down to is this question: Where does your passion point you?

The answer to that will tell you whom to choose.

[wesleyrp]

Also consider which corps give the best attention and teaching to auditioning members. Some corps overlook giving feedback that could really help the auditioning student. I always tell my students to look at what corps have a track record of working/getting to know each person. In this process if you're not careful you can get swallowed up by the volume of perspective members. Longevity of staff and corps director also is important to make sure your perspective corps is on good footing. Lastly march where ur heart tells u. What corps would benefit from having you, instead of vice versa!

Wes P

[CuriousMe]

Hey guys, as you can tell, I'm new here (and I probably ended up posting this in the wrong section anyone, haha).

There's just a question I have for all of you - yes, I know that dci.org has a bunch of interviews with marchers about corps and other stuff like that, but I really wanted to ask a group of a bunch of die hard DCI fans (many of you also being experienced marchers) - What's the best way to decide which corps I want to march in?

I don't plan on marching for another year due to high school, but drum corps is absolutely amazing to me and it is my dream to march in one of these corps. I'm just having issues deciding which one to join, haha. I'm wondering what all the different factors are that I should look at, the pros and cons of different corps, or even just your guy's opinions on them. Right now I have it narrowed down to three different corps that I am really interested in - either Carolina Crown, Blue Stars, or The Cavaliers.

Thanks for taking your time to read this guys, and once again, sorry if I posted this in the wrong section :)

If you have the resources, I'd go to some audition camps this year (knowing you may not make it). This will give you a flavor of each corps unique culture and let you know what you need to work on in order to march at your preferred corps.

Edited August 10, 2012 by CuriousMe

[friceox]

Figure out what your ACTUAL budget will be. Meaning, how much can you actually afford to march.

Look past the dues amount for the corps, then add on what it's going to cost you EACH camp to get to and from camp.

Then after that, figure out how much it's going to cost to actually GET to camp from the airport (Phantom for example used to pick us up from the Rockford bell tower after we took the bus from O'Hare, which was like $15 round-trip per camp).

Budget in money for free days, laundry days, snacks, etc while on the road.

Then after all of that....figure out what style of corps your enjoy. I'd recommend ranking the corps you like & think you'd have a shot at. Look at their audition schedules and figure out what your backup plan will be if you don't make corps #1, #2, etc.