What is drum corps tour like?

[C.Holland]

"There is no greater feeling than taking a hunk of metal, a pair of sticks, or a piece of equipment, and lighting a crowd on fire with it." ~John Schipper Madison Soloist mid 90s and eventual trumpet tech.

In coed corps the center line of the gym usually divided guys & gals areas for sleeping. In some corps you will not get to sleep on a gym floor your first several weeks of tour.

You will have at least two weeks at the start of the season where you are in one place learning drill and putting it to music. Then after that you will spend the rest of summer living out of a suitcase going from rehearsal site to show... rinse and repeat.

You may get a day off here and there. Some corps have free days, some do not. You will likely get at least one evening every ten days for laundry where you are dropped off at a laundromat.

Breakfast if often cereals, fruit, milk, and sometimes eggs bacon pancakes etc. Lunch is usually hot. We had protein at every meal so it helped the body recover faster. dinners were varied. from pasta, to chicken, sometimes meatloaf... it depends on the cook staff. I don't think i ever had a time when i was hungry. I also don't think there was ever a time that I passed on a meal because it wasn't normal to me. But standard 'merican food is what you get. Sometimes stir fry or the occasional awesome meal like steak or ribs happened. But that's not often.

Days are long, but go by quick because you are working all of it. You'll usually get up, have an hour to eat and get ready for the day. Don't be late. ever. you then have a morning block of several hours for visual only rehearsal, lunch for an hour, then music only time, then a block of hours where everything goes together. (music plus drill) You have a run of the show before the end of the rehearsal day.

then you have usually an hour or 90 minutes to eat, pack, shower, and load the busses and trucks for the show.

warmup for show, perform, retreat, snack, bus to the next place, rinse, repeat.

I marched five years, three in whats now known as open class (coed), two at a world class finalist. (all male) the schedules didn't change much. The treatment of the membership did from organization to organization. So audition, if you don't like it, try somewhere else. Every corps is different, every experience is different. its a lot of work, but you'll be a better player and person for it.

If you don't make a world class corps, come to Open class. Raiders, 7th, Music City, Spartans, & Legends all have great programs and after a season at one of these corps you'll be ready for World Class easily.

Any questions, Pm me.

Cheers.

[ibexpercussion]

First off, it will be one of, if not the best, experiences of your life!

Probably the most important thing (aside from the music and marching) is to have a bus partner that you do not mind being close with; extremely close! As in a person you do not mind unintentionally, or intentionally, tries to snuggle on the long bus rides. Also, a bus partner with good hygiene will make bus rides much more bearable.

Aside from that, be ready to work hard, laugh, cry, sweat, possibly bleed, but enjoy every last second of it!!! I still look back on those days as some of the greatest memories/times in my life.

[Sideways]

Never pick up a lone sock you may find on the bus...

[LabMaster]

Everything ibex and C. Holland said is pretty true. You work a lot and move a lot, you experience all kinds of weather. You will learn how to sleep in a bus seat and that ability can last a lifetime and is actually beneficial. I travel a lot and being able to zone out in an airport, on a plane, on a bus, in a car is invaluable. You will experience performance highs and lows but when your corps is on and the crowd responds, there is nothing like it in the world and you get to enjoy it with your many, many, corps friends. Many of whom will remain your friends forever. And the war stories get better and better with each retelling. Commit to being the best you can be for whomever you choose to march with. work hard, play hard and enjoy it all.