frankv Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 How did you choose what corps you wanted to audition for? I am currently deciding where i want to audition, but I cant choose between a couple of corps to audition at. I like all of their music and none of them are particularly closer than the other so i wanted to see what other people take/took into consideration other than some more obvious reasons like location. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tesmusic Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Sitting at DCM finals in 1993, decided where I was marching that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 What the corps was like off the field and out of sight was as important as what was meant to be seen by the judges and paying public. Is it a fit? Do you feel respected? Do you respect the staff, admin, and volunteers? Would you want your own kid to march there? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaestroBen Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Sitting at DCM finals in 1993, decided where I was marching that night. Me too. I marched Spirit in '93; it was -- I had hoped -- a continuation of my HS days (as a Sprayberry alumni, I was used to Freddy Martin running brass rehearsals). So, there wasn't much thought there. After a rather disappointing season (not just scores...although I will admit it wasn't fun playing my last show of the '93 season at 4:00 in 100+ degree heat in Jackson), I was ready to head off to college, and wasn't thinking at all about any more drum corps. But, my family had tickets to finals, so I used my wristband to get in the stadium, and squeezed into the bleachers with them (right in front of some Madison parents, it turned out). Something about the combination of the rain, and the show, and the brass...and maybe a bit of the unfamiliarity...Madison was the only corps that Spirit didn't tour with at all that summer...I knew I was going to audition with them, and that if I marched any more, it'd be with them. Still very glad I got the chance. Follow your heart and work hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Realized I had one years of eligibility, decided to go for BD after seeing them at Riverside...and for once in my life, grabbed the brass ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Freedman Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I would post on here the actual corps that you are referring to. People on here can advise you on interesting tidbits of those corps. Some corps have themes or long running traditions that might be useful to know about, Pioneer for example are Irish and Christian. Madison and Cavaliers are all-male. Read their web pages carefully, especially the about us stuff. Read the 2015 and/or 2014 program thread for each corps you are considering. People discuss lots of behind the scenes stuff on those threads. Of course you have to take it all with a grain of salt. Past placement will roughly tell you how hard it is to get in. Lower corps don't always do a full tour, so finding out how long all-days and touring will last is important for the lower corps. And tour fee, of course. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelloMatt Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I'd liked Boston's shows from '12-'14 and a few from the early 2000's and my director taught there as well as my assistand director being DM at one point. Also it was close being that all of their stuff was in Florida up until Spring Training. Then I went to camp and I felt like I was home. The environment just felt so right. Thats when I knew I really wanted to march BAC rather than just march corps and happen to be at BAC because of circumstance. Even after I was cut on Mello I wanted to find a way to march there and then somehow I wrangled a full spot on Contra. TL;DR: After the first camp, it felt like home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cf144 Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Back then, Crossmen were a local suburban Philly group made up mainly Philly area HS and college kids so that certainly was a part of it. Our drum instructor at PAL was a former Crossmen (Dale Adair) so his influence was there as well. I liked the way he wrote and taught - we had the best drumline in our circuit (took high drums at our circuit championship in '82) and I saw the Crossmen drumline as similar in style to ours but at a much higher level of course. And I loved the style of jazz they played. Several of us PAL guys decided in Montreal that we would try out for the Bones in '83. Of all of us that talked about it, I was the only one to actually go to the first camp. Actually got to march in the 1982 Gimbles thanksgiving parade in Philly as a Crossmen (wish I had a photo of myself in the '82 uniform). They taught us their street beat and the 2nd half of Russian from the '82 show to play in the parade. By the end of the 2nd camp I knew that I was light years away from being good enough and told them I wouldn't be coming back. I took the exercises they gave us - as well as all of the pointers and suggestions from the staff and returning members from the line, especially Andy Tamarin - and went home determined to work my azz off until I was good enough to try again. Went back to PAL and worked at it for 2 years until I felt that I had a shot. Went back to try out for '85 and made the tenor line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuriousSoundbyte Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I liked what I saw so I put a ring on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Fieldpaint Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I'd imagine that instead of the hat they'd use the Sorting Cone 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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