mn trumpter guy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I'll be the first to admit: I'm not the most experienced dude around. Yeah, I marched for 4 years in World class (including finals), and yeah, I've taught for a few years, at both world and open class levels. But I was not raised around drum corps. It was not popular in my area, or my school. For 3 of my 5 years at college, I was the only music major to be involved. So, my question to you, oh DCP-verse is: How important is it, on these forums, to have experience marching in drum corps? Why? There are certainly some things that are best understood from experience. There are some discussions people who did not march might best avoid. But for the most part, I feel the discussions here are discussions someone who is only familiar from a 'fan' perspective can participate in. Therefore, part III is: Where is the line where experience starts to matter, if there is one? Feel free to answer, or not. I've just wondered for a while, and decided to pose the question to the masses, instead of perseverating on it myself. Plus, it's a while till November (and longer till June). Gotta kep busy somehow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I personally don't care if someone marched ten years, marched three years (like I did), marched part of one season or didn't march at all. We spend too much time erecting barriers between ourselves and not enough time breaking them down. All I care is that a person is a drum corps fan, whatever their background. I wouldn't trade my drum corps marching years for anything, but not everyone was as fortunate as I was to go to college in a city that had a corps. (This was before it was common to fly to camps, back when rehearsals were every week through the winter and spring months.) Marching gave me a certain perspective, but those who didn't march have perspectives I don't have. I hope we learn from each other. You ask if it's important to have experience marching in a corps to contribute positively to the DCP forums. (At least that's how I read your question.) The only thing it's important to have is an Internet connection. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 (edited) I'll be the first to admit: I'm not the most experienced dude around. Yeah, I marched for 4 years in World class (including finals), and yeah, I've taught for a few years, at both world and open class levels. But I was not raised around drum corps. It was not popular in my area, or my school. For 3 of my 5 years at college, I was the only music major to be involved. So, my question to you, oh DCP-verse is: How important is it, on these forums, to have experience marching in drum corps? Why? There are certainly some things that are best understood from experience. There are some discussions people who did not march might best avoid. But for the most part, I feel the discussions here are discussions someone who is only familiar from a 'fan' perspective can participate in. Therefore, part III is: Where is the line where experience starts to matter, if there is one? Feel free to answer, or not. I've just wondered for a while, and decided to pose the question to the masses, instead of perseverating on it myself. Plus, it's a while till November (and longer till June). Gotta kep busy somehow! Simply speak your mind on things from your point of view. These forums are for expressing your thoughts on things you'd like to say about drum corps (or like activities) based on the way you see it regardless of experience. So thus, nevermind experience. Simply say what you think. Edited August 31, 2012 by En929 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Powell Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Like Boo, I marched three years in corps and four in a corps style High School Marching. I did my share of teaching marching band but never taught the corps side. Experience matters in the sense of what you took out of that time on the field. Some people do not walk away with the same experience - So time cannot be used as a judge. For example, I learned more about music during high school and I learned how to lose gracefully in corps (my high school band never lost a competition). My band experience brought a great deal of parade knowledge to corps - having marched six "major" parades during those four years in band. From my band experience I had greater knowledge of how to listen than many of the people in corps - music was at the forefront of the high school. Corps taught me to expand the dynamic range of the horn and how to really march. Experience in both also brought some friends that will last a lifetime. We all shared common goals, highs and heartbreaks. I have great respect for the leaders of both those organizations and would not trade either experience for the world. Practical world lessons come from outside of the corps community which maybe need to be listed to as experience. How "business" is run, different learning and project ideologies - waterfall vs agile, the view of your product to the consumer, target audience and focus groups, how evolving design through a life of a product can actually damage the original design intent. These are all practical daily experiences from my day job that can be described as experience. Corps is not all drums, brass, guard and a bunch of folks running around. It is a well designed product that needs to be treated as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Just remember this: Every corps has its worst member. The same is true among fans and contributors to DCP. Experience might impart wisdom and value. Or it might not. You're in. HH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mn trumpter guy Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Thank you all for your thoughts. I've made the time since moving to become more involved on the forum here, and have from time to time found myself "erecting barriers" as Mr. Boo put it. I'm not sure if I was looking to have my life changed by my question; it was just something I've been thinking about. Moderators- feel free to close this thread, or let it die of its own accord. Thank you again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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