Resources for a newbie to learn rifle?

[Eleran]

My daughter wants to learn rifle, but is too young to march with (and learn from) her High School marching band or a drum corps. Are there any resources out there to teach basic technique - books, quality videos, etc.? I have been unable to find any instructional works by any drum corps, and of the vast number of YouTube videos out there, they certainly vary in quailty, so if there is any particular YouTube video series you are aware of we could look up, that would be great.

Thanks.

[lindap]

As a preamble, I was checking wgi.org for FN status (not looking good) and remembered WGI have videos for sale 29.95 (I'm Canadian, gotta double the price for shipping and foreign exchange;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmzTSI0bHpg

Your daughter may be too young to march and I may be too old to march as I'm now a grandmother (did solo rifle I&E once in 1970, want to spin again). Maybe we both can benefit from the video?

[Pete Freedman]

Here you go:

(Edit: dumb joke removed.)

Edited January 7, 2015 by Pete Freedman

[Pete Freedman]

As a preamble, I was checking wgi.org for FN status (not looking good) and remembered WGI have videos for sale 29.95 (I'm Canadian, gotta double the price for shipping and foreign exchange;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmzTSI0bHpg

Your daughter may be too young to march and I may be too old to march as I'm now a grandmother (did solo rifle I&E once in 1970, want to spin again). Maybe we both can benefit from the video?

I would think basic dance skills would be the corps of color guard these days, yes? So even if she is too young to join an area guard, the best prep might be just a dance class, and/or gymnastics? What do you think?

Also, do they sell smaller rifles and flags for the little ones to play/practice on?

[Eleran]

For future reference, this is technically a drum and bugle corps forum. But if the mods don't mind...

I'm not sure what this comment is meant to address? I'm talking about how and where my daughter might learn the fundamentals of color guard, particularly rifle, which last time I checked was a solid proportion of a drum and bugle corps. Are you saying it's not proper to discuss where and how to learn that technique until she is actually in a drum & bugle corps? Or was the comment meant to address your own photos about 2nd Amendment rights for toddlers?

As to your second post, she's been studying ballet for 6 years or so, so that angle is covered - she just wishes there was a junior DBC around for kids her age.

[Pete Freedman]

I'm not sure what this comment is meant to address? I'm talking about how and where my daughter might learn the fundamentals of color guard, particularly rifle, which last time I checked was a solid proportion of a drum and bugle corps. Are you saying it's not proper to discuss where and how to learn that technique until she is actually in a drum & bugle corps? Or was the comment meant to address your own photos about 2nd Amendment rights for toddlers?

As to your second post, she's been studying ballet for 6 years or so, so that angle is covered - she just wishes there was a junior DBC around for kids her age.

It was just my sad attempt at a dry joke. (2nd Amendment? Gah! Those pictures are horrifying!) Sorry for the confusion.

There seem to be plenty of free YouTube videos by brass and percussion instructors as well as students. The instructors videos sometimes include series videos of different skills, as part of courses they selling. But I see nothing like that for guard work.

I would think an enterprising guard instructor would create such a series,

DCP user Guardling might know, you could message him/her directly.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Pete Freedman

[Eleran]

Thanks for the suggestion - I will contact Guardling.

I too am puzzled that there seems to be a wealth of instructional videos, but few (if any) are by any particular group or instructor with the credentials behind him/her such that you would trust that the technical instruction is correct. We've looked at a lot of videos, where the comments generally range from "great work" to "you're doing it wrong" ... leaving us in the dark as to whether to trust the instruction. (I'm a brass player who dated guard members, but never learned the trade).

I realize that some might hesitate to give away the instruction for free, but one would think that an established drum corps might find it beneficial to create a series of instructional videos that express their own preferred technique. Too much work, I guess, though to my eye it would be great publicity for the instructors, which would raise their marketability.

[Eleran]

Just to update:

The local high school is running bi-weekly guard training sessions during the winter (they don't have a competitive winter group), and they permitted my daughter to attend, so she is learning and thrilled to be doing it. They even gave her a flag and sabre to take home and practice with.

Also, I found a YouTube channel that others might find helpful, operated by Spintronix Colorguard in Missouri (which was started by a former Blue Star) that seem to be good quality (to my untrained eyes), with many, many videos to learn from.

Hopefully, she'll be marching in DCI in 4 years or so.

[rayfallon]

Just a word - my daughter started in WC WGI at 9 yo. She marched SAC's "Natural Born Killers" show at 13.

Disclaimer - when she was born she never went home from the hospital - rather she went to a drum corps camp where I was teaching.

When I look back I wish I had forced her to take more time to be a kid, before diving into this activity.

I'm not sure she'd agree, as it has been a great life to her, but man...

11 years with BAC on the field, a couple more teaching; Blue Devils Winter Guard teaching; BDB Guard teaching. Stints with University of Cincinatti.

Makes me glad about the year I made her play Little League baseball. She hadn't done much for fun besides march, spin, toss (and catch virtually every time), teach and judge in her 30ish years.

Makes me feel a little guilty most days.

Don't push too hard. If they want to do it, there's time, but in my opinion having the youngest kids in a bunch of different groups may not all it's cracked up to be.

If she decides to do it though... get ready to watch some (thousands) guard shows. I need to pick a week this winter to fly out to see BD's Winter Guard this winter to see what she's up to now.

[Eleran]

No worries; the kids know they can pick and choose what they want to do (including dropping my preferred sports or other activities, which they have done). This one played four years of soccer, is in her fourth year of volleyball (first at the competitive level), her 6th year of ballet, her second year of chorus, her first year of clarinet, does the drama week production when it comes around ... and still has plenty of sleepovers, TV and general goofing off. She will likely take these bi-weekly sessions through April, then maybe attend a clinic/camp during summer if there is an appropriate one around. But she probably won't have an opportunity to actually compete for another 2.5 years, when she can join the high school's marching band. The winterguard options for her are too far away to be feasible at her age.