MotorCityMusician Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 General Question for everyone to weigh-in on Which do you think I would regret more 1) Passing up the opportunity to try out for a top drum corps (Madison or BD) and marching there for a season (potentially medaling, etc) 2) Passing up the opportunity to age out with the (non-finalist) corps I've marched with for the past 3 seasons. (I play baritone) Obviously making one of the two corps I mentioned isn't a given, but I like to think I'd have a fairly good chance at either, thanks to the experience and knowledge gained from the corps I could be walking away from. Id say go out for one of those top corps. Youll see at the auditions how the staff is and you can feel out if you like it. If you dont like it you can go back to your home corps. Finals is a great experience with a huge audience. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 So I know that many of the posters on this forum are adults with children in DCI, or alumni of the activity (or both!) but there are some others, like me, who still have years of marching eligibility ahead of us, and I'd like to put together a resource for us to use when audition season comes around, and also provide a thread for general questions. What should we expect at our first weekend? Are you sending in videos - if so, what kind of software do people use, how do they structure their videos, and what kind of recording equipment is best? Where can I find the material I need to practice to audition? Which corps are looking for additional players, and in which sections? I know these questions are sometimes overwhelming for newcomers to the activity. Hopefully young adults like me, and parents who have accounts on DCP whose children are planning to audition, can pool our knowledge and help one another with whatever questions might come up. Resources: 2013 Corps' Programs Corps' Locations (Map) DCI Parents' Guide DCI.org Audition Resources The Academy: Corps Website Audition Information Application Form Dates: December 7-9, 2012 (All Sections) Location TBD Registration/move-in begins at 5:30pm, Orientation/Auditions begin at 7:30pm Camp ends at 4:00pm Sunday, December 9 New Member Brochure 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Blue Devils: Corps Website Audition Information Dates (Calendar): December 1, 2, 8, 9 - Battery Auditions November 17, 24, 25 ; December 8, 9 - Brass Auditions November 24, 25 - Drum Major Auditions December 1, 2 - Front Ensemble Auditions November 23 - 25 - Color Guard Auditions 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Blue Knights: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Blue Stars: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Bluecoats: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Boston Crusaders: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact The Cadets: Corps Website Audition Information Dates: November 16-17-18 — Guard and Percussion Auditions at Woodstown High School in N.J December 7-8-9 — Brass and Percussion Auditions December 27-28-29-30 — Four-Day Camp for Brass and Percussion Winter Schedule: Brass: One camp in January and one the end of April. Percussion: One camp in January and March, none in February. 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Carolina Crown: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Cascades: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact The Cavaliers: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Colts: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Crossmen: Corps Website Audition Information Dates: Dallas eXperience Camp - November 16-18 Houston eXperience Camp - November 23-25 San Antonio eXperience Camp - November 30-December 2 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Glassmen: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Jersey Surf: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Madison Scouts: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Repertoire: "Night on Bald Mountain" - Modest Mussorgsky "You'll Never Walk Alone" - Rogers and Hammerstein Corps Staff and Contact Mandarins: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Pacific Crest: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Phantom Regiment: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Pioneer: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Brass Color Guard Percussion Visual Santa Clara Vanguard: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Spirit of Atlanta: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact Troopers: Corps Website Audition Information 2013 Program Corps Staff and Contact (More to come) So without further ado, I'm going to kick this thread off with a question that I'm considering as auditions approach: This past year I began the audition process for the Madison Scouts, but had to quit before I even really got started due to an injury. The reason I auditioned for Madison was primarily that my former high school band director knew the staff there, and recommended I give it a shot. As I go into college next year (Go Northwestern Wildcats!) as a music major, I'm looking to other corps, as well. Not because I don't love Madison, but to stay as close to college/home as I can, to work with my ideal staff, etc . . . So my question is this: I basically have an impossible time deciding which corps to audition for. I'm a huge fan of Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, the Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, and the Bluecoats. From Evanston, Illinois, driving times to Rockford, IL, and Rosemont, IL are under two hours. Madison is a slightly longer drive, Ohio longer still, and Santa Clara the longest yet. But, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to march with the corps that I end up picking. The hard part is the actual act of picking. I know that I would have an incredible and life-changing experience in ANY of these groups. So how do I pick? I'm considering things like distance, cost, which staff members I would get to work with, but what else went into your decision, or your child's decision, to march in the corps they marched with? A tip my band director passed on was to try and find out what each corps' program is for the following season. Not that you want to pick a corps based only on the music they plan to play, but if the decision is close between two or more groups, having a strong connection with their program that year is obviously a great way to get yourself started in the activity. Madison Scouts have announced their show, but will we know what other corps intend to play before auditions begin? I'm guessing not. For the record, I'm a percussionist. I don't know whether I would audition for snare or for the front ensemble (yeah, I clearly have none of this worked out - I haven't even picked an instrument yet), and that decision might hinge on whether I make it through physical therapy with enough strength to march. So give me whatever (preferably unbiased) advice you can! I hope this can kick off the thread on a good note, and that as time progresses this thread can be used as a resource for all the newbies, like me, who are looking for a corps to march next year. Thanks so much! Let the discussion begin. Don't forget Pioneer is relatively local for for you, as are the Kilties and defending DCA champion Minnesota Brass Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some Random Drummer Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Don't forget Pioneer is relatively local for for you, as are the Kilties and defending DCA champion Minnesota Brass Inc. Thanks! I'm continuing to review different websites as corps put out their dates and audition information. I'm not through everyone yet, as I'm having a really hard time getting the formatting on this thread to show up the way I want it to. It looks fine when I enter in the information, but then when I preview or submit the post, fonts change, font sizes change, spaces changes, spaces disappear . . . it's frustrating, to say the least. Bear with me while I get through the rest of these, and feel free to point out anything I've missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Thanks! I'm continuing to review different websites as corps put out their dates and audition information. I'm not through everyone yet, as I'm having a really hard time getting the formatting on this thread to show up the way I want it to. It looks fine when I enter in the information, but then when I preview or submit the post, fonts change, font sizes change, spaces changes, spaces disappear . . . it's frustrating, to say the least. Bear with me while I get through the rest of these, and feel free to point out anything I've missed. The wysiwyg editor is very deceptive. It lets you copy/paste html into a message and it renders it just fine -- UNTIL you save. Then it applie it's content filters and away goes your nice formatting :-\ Always hit preview before posting so you can see what the editor plans on doing. Even then problems with line spacing might appear only on the saved message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat61 Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 (edited) Crown said they will have materials up around Labor Day I have a few questions on Crown's Auditions: 1. Are they all 6 camps? Or just November/December? Or is it that they begin giving out contracts after December camps? 2. Is the registration fee JUST registration, or does does it count toward one camp? (As in if I wanted to go to the November camp, would it be $125 to register and $125 for camp, or just $125 for both and then just another $125 for each additional camp?) ---I think I just answered this one on their website, but I will leave it here just in case... I interpret from the site that its 125 for registration and 125 for camp) EDIT: Adding one... 3. What generally happens the very first week of spring training? Edited August 26, 2012 by Pat61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some Random Drummer Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 The wysiwyg editor is very deceptive. It lets you copy/paste html into a message and it renders it just fine -- UNTIL you save. Then it applie it's content filters and away goes your nice formatting :-\ Always hit preview before posting so you can see what the editor plans on doing. Even then problems with line spacing might appear only on the saved message. Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong, but I didn't think so. I may simply re-write the entire thread in Pages and then paste it all at once; continually changing one thing and then another is causing all sorts of problems to pop up. Also, I had another question: How do corps deal with students whose college/high school academic year ends after the summer move-in begins? If, for example, I attend a university whose year ends in late-May/early-June, but wish to participate in a corps whose move-in date in mid-May, what is the general policy? I see on the Blue Devils website that they work out individualized solutions, which is great, but is that the norm? How much would someone miss if they moved in two weeks late? Lastly, is it expected that new members attend every winter session? Travel costs can be quite expensive if the corps you wish to audition to join - for whatever reason - is not close to home. (I'm thinking mainly of the corps out west, for students who live/study on the East Coast or the Midwest.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 In the first week of spring training you do a lot of physical fitness training, learn drill, and put drill with music. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch1k3n Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong, but I didn't think so. I may simply re-write the entire thread in Pages and then paste it all at once; continually changing one thing and then another is causing all sorts of problems to pop up. Also, I had another question: How do corps deal with students whose college/high school academic year ends after the summer move-in begins? If, for example, I attend a university whose year ends in late-May/early-June, but wish to participate in a corps whose move-in date in mid-May, what is the general policy? I see on the Blue Devils website that they work out individualized solutions, which is great, but is that the norm? How much would someone miss if they moved in two weeks late? Lastly, is it expected that new members attend every winter session? Travel costs can be quite expensive if the corps you wish to audition to join - for whatever reason - is not close to home. (I'm thinking mainly of the corps out west, for students who live/study on the East Coast or the Midwest.) Bumped for answers. I have the same questions, especially the second one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summernowplease Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 General Question for everyone to weigh-in on Which do you think I would regret more 1) Passing up the opportunity to try out for a top drum corps (Madison or BD) and marching there for a season (potentially medaling, etc) 2) Passing up the opportunity to age out with the (non-finalist) corps I've marched with for the past 3 seasons. (I play baritone) Obviously making one of the two corps I mentioned isn't a given, but I like to think I'd have a fairly good chance at either, thanks to the experience and knowledge gained from the corps I could be walking away from. I just aged out from a top 5 corps after marching a non-finalist corps for 4 years before that. I was like you, wondering if I'd regret not aging out with my drum corps family and missing the chance to have all of the perks of being a super vet and an age out like everyone before me. I did miss those things, but I don't regret it. I had an amazing age out - the staff appreciated my experience, the members respected me and I felt like I fit in at my new corps rather than being the typical rook out. I think it was worth it to go to my dream corps and age out at such a high level. I won't lie - it's nice to perform to packed stadiums, when it's dark outside, and on that last Saturday night. I understand I did miss Corps A almost every day though. My friends and staff were supportive and encouraged me with my decision, but there were still days when I missed MY friends and MY staff and MY technique (to be dramatic about it ha). There were definitely times when I wanted to be there to help my corps improve and felt like I wasted my chance. Instead of taking an opportunity to be a leader at my old corps, I chose the performance aspect of drum corps. A few things really made up my mind after auditions and when I was really deciding to go to Corps B: -Two of my closest friends from Corps A marched there and I wanted to age out with them -I loooved the show concept and music -A lot of my staff at Corps A was taught by staff that now taught at Corps B, so I knew they'd be great (they were) -I've always looked up to and respected and been a huge fan of Corps B and lastly, to put it simply, -I got a contract. Now I try to persuade kids from Corps A to stay there and help it grow and appreciate the time they have, but I guess it's all talk since I ended up leaving. I made tons of pros and cons lists throughout the fall/winter, and now after having done it I'd add a couple of more to each side that I never thought about. I still love Corps A and when someone asks where I marched DCI, they'll always be the first one I mention. I thought about them everyday and will support them as a crazed alumni next year and every year after that. It's totally OK to love your two different experiences without having to feel bad about leaving the first one. Just some things to consider! I'm sure that didn't help at all, but that's my two cents 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splooie99 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Several kids at the Oregon Crusaders had the same question going into this past summer. They all banded together and decided to stay. Most of them could have made a finalist corps. However, they decided to be leaders of their corps that they all marched in together for at least 3 years or more. That bond and friendship helped OC take the next step to getting better and the leadership they provided was very important to the future of the Oregon Crusaders. Also, winning is not the most important thing. Going to a top corps still does not mean you will win. My feelings are this. If you love the corps you marched with for the past few years there is a reason why you stayed there that long. 1 year at a top corps is great, but the life long friends you made already are just as important and will last way longer than being a rook out. But, you also have to follow your dreams and if your dream is to march at a top corps, then you should try out. You can always do the other. Making a pro and con list is hugely important in making a decision. You have about 3 months to figure it out and take the step that is best for you. Other important questions. finances, can you afford to go to all of the camps....... will it interfer with school?????? How will affect your future? Just think about it and the answer will come to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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