How to Succeed at Your First Drum Corps Camp:

[Bo Park]

How to Succeed at Your First Drum Corps Camp
A Quick Guide from the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps

The Bushwackers will be hosting our highly anticipated 33rd Open House coming up in 7 Days, and we would like to share our positive message of how to SUCCEED at your First Drum Corps Camp.

This guide, created for our prospective members, can be used to help anyone attending a Drum Corps camp this fall set themselves up for success.

If this is your first Drum Corps experience, or even your first time at a Bushwackers’ camp, here are a few tips on how to succeed and leave with a smile on your face:

1) Be Prepared. Your time here is about having fun, not stressing out. Make sure to have the following with you:

• A great attitude of wanting to have an amazing time while getting world-class instruction
• Sneakers
• Equipment. We will have MANY people at Open House. Extra stuff is always good to have around.
  • Brass
    • Bring a horn if you can, in case we run short
    • A mouthpiece
    • Valve oil
    • Towel (Navy Blue), sizeable for under your instrument when laid on the ground
    • Three-ringed binder w/ sheet protectors
  • Percussion
    • Sticks or mallets
    • A Practice pad
    • An extra snare/tenor/bass drum with stand. The more the merrier!
    • Three-ringed binder w/ sheet protectors
  • Guard
    • Your own Rifles/Sabres if desired.
    • Your own pole and silk if desired.
    • Athletic/Dance appropriate clothing
• Pencils!
• A great attitude. In case you missed that one :)

2) Ask A LOT of Questions!!

• Be Wrong! It’s OK! That's the only way you know what's right, and how we know what information we need to be emphasizing. .

3) Make Friends Before Coming

• Make sure to say hello and introduce yourself in our 2014 Bushwackers Interest group as well as the individual 2014 Brass, Guard, and Percussion groups.
• Message your caption heads and vets to ask questions, say hi, or just geek out. We love doing that!

4) Make Sure We Know You Are Coming!

• Why? We want to make sure we are prepared with food, equipment, etc.
• We need to make sure we can get you a ride or help with anything you need to succeed before Open House!
• RSVP-ing is easy…go to www.bushwackers.org and click on the REGISTER link by the Open House announcement. It takes like 30 seconds.

5) If you are under 18, tell your parents about the Open House PARENT MEETING at 1pm

• We will have a special session at Open House just for Parents to get specific info on the details and schedule of marching for a season. Information is key for you AND your family to be successful in Drum Corps. We want everyone involved!!

6) This is NOT an AUDITION!

• We don’t do that here. We don’t cut people. If you want to be a Bushwacker, we will always have a place for you in the Corps.

7) RELAX, and see #6

Follow this list, and you will walk in already successful. We look forward to meeting every one of you!

See you in 7 days.

The Bushwackers Open House Team

Edited November 18, 2013 by Bo Park