noahsigs Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 I live in Ohio and next year I'm probably going to audition for Blue Stars, Music City, or Blue Knights. I admit, I haven't had as much guidance and stuff like that, but I'm just gonna do the best I can and hope I get contracted! Either way, I'll be super happy just to get to audition with these amazing groups :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 I live in Ohio and next year I'm probably going to audition for Blue Stars, Music City, or Blue Knights. I admit, I haven't had as much guidance and stuff like that, but I'm just gonna do the best I can and hope I get contracted! Either way, I'll be super happy just to get to audition with these amazing groups :) Looks like you are a tuba player...? Live near Canton...? You've got 2 major advantages going for you already. Go check out the Bluecoats in the fall (if you have any soft spot for them). It is the least intimidating process that you can imagine... and SO much fun. Save the gas money or plane ticket and check out the big boys in your back yard! And again... keep going back until they tell you to stop. I could be wrong... but you may be surprised to find that they never tell you to stop coming. And they may pay back your loyalty and commitment with a spot in the line. Tuba spots are notoriously difficult to fill out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noahsigs Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Looks like you are a tuba player...? Live near Canton...? You've got 2 major advantages going for you already. Go check out the Bluecoats in the fall (if you have any soft spot for them). It is the least intimidating process that you can imagine... and SO much fun. Save the gas money or plane ticket and check out the big boys in your back yard! And again... keep going back until they tell you to stop. I could be wrong... but you may be surprised to find that they never tell you to stop coming. And they may pay back your loyalty and commitment with a spot in the line. Tuba spots are notoriously difficult to fill out. Really? I heard somewhere Tuba was the second most competitive spot at BC after snare. That could be wrong though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Really? I heard somewhere Tuba was the second most competitive spot at BC after snare. That could be wrong though Hey, things may have changed... but usually all of the perc. slots are highly competitive and then the brass line is as follows: 1. Trumpets (there are a ton of them... because, hey, drumcorps is about screaming your spleen through the mouthpiece right?) 2. Baritones (are next most common) 3. and then it's a toss up - Mellos... nobody knows quite what to do with one, so you get a mix-mash of french horn and trumpet players kind of figuring it out (I'm mostly kidding... but somewhat, not) :-) - Tubas... hey a shoulder mount tuba takes a bit more than the average amount of work to deal with. No season follows a reliable pattern and I'm sure some will have different experiences that are contrary to mine. There will be competition, but I assure you... people come, audition at the first camp and then just don't come back by their own choosing. The real test is to return for the second camp (unless they 'cut' you at the first, which doesn't typically happen). I can tell you that every single prospective member is on the same footing in the process. It is entirely possible and normal (yet perhaps uncommon) for a new person to the group to unseat a veteran in the selection process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trask Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 You should audition with the Blue Stars. They hold all of their winter camps in Indianapolis and is easy to get too. It costs almost as much to march in an Open Class Corps as it does a World Class corps. World class is the only way to go. As much as I love the Blue Stars, claiming that World class is the only way to go is straight insulting. I'm going into my fourth and final year with my OC corps, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've had every chance to jump to WC but have chosen year after year to stick with my home team. To the original poster: Check out the staff at the corps you want to audition for and determine who provides what you're most looking for as a whole. Audition where you feel is most appropriate fitting your goals, but whatever that audition outcome you should still march. A summer's worth of experience is a definite plus in future auditions at any other ensemble. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassClefTristan Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 To EVERYONE who replied. It seems the biggest points expressed were to get in shape, and not to rule out OC. I think what I'm going to do is audition for 3 corps, 2 WC, and 1 OC. 2015 yielded all of the 'big guys' (Crown, BD, Coats, Cavs, Phantom, etc) were on the same weekend, but a lot of the lower placing WC worps such as Colts, Spirit, Mandarins and the Academy were the next week, while almost all of the OC corps are much later. If 2017 yields no conflicts in this plan, what I'm going to do is audition for one of the three I mentioned before (BD, Crown, Coats; I'll have to make a decision), Spirit of Atlanta, and Music City. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassClefTristan Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 When you specifically say "Euph or Contra" - does that mean you marched baritone in school? or just trombone? Visual impressions are quick and easy to make from a distance at auditions, before they are able to evaluate your musical ability, and if it looks like you are struggling to even hold up your horn, that is going to be huge disadvantage for you to overcome. You're confident in your musical ability - you've probably put a lot of time into practicing, maybe lessons, etc. Make sure you start putting the time into the physical side of things as well, if you want to march at a high level. I only marched trombone, but I have a marching baritone, and lately I've been practicing with it in the physical aspect; holding it up, moving with it, even some playing while moving. One thing I've been doing once a day is what a friend recommended to me; holding the horn up throughout the entirety of a standard drum corps show (12-14 minutes) while having the show play, putting the horn down only when the corps on my computer does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puntifex Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 (edited) I only marched trombone, but I have a marching baritone, and lately I've been practicing with it in the physical aspect; holding it up, moving with it, even some playing while moving. One thing I've been doing once a day is what a friend recommended to me; holding the horn up throughout the entirety of a standard drum corps show (12-14 minutes) while having the show play, putting the horn down only when the corps on my computer does. Don't put your horn down at all. My experience thus far has been that you're going to be holding your horn a hell of a lot longer in arc than members do in shows. If you're serious about it then do 3 hours of horn holding a week. Start off with 6 minute segments. Work your way up. Buy ankle weights and add them as you get better (This makes your normal horn feel like holding a feather). Then show up to camp and look hella better than everyone else. My understanding is that how you look over the course of the weekend is huge, as others have said. Edited December 21, 2016 by puntifex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Tristan: Please, please, please consult with your own physician, a certified sports trainer, and a certified sports nutritionist prior to engaging in any intense workout process to get yourself in physical shape for DCI. Take note that this blog/chat room is on the internet, and unless you can verify to the extent of a court of law that one of us here on DCP is really certified in those areas, do not rely at all on anyone here advising you how to train. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassClefTristan Posted June 3, 2016 Author Share Posted June 3, 2016 Tristan: Please, please, please consult with your own physician, a certified sports trainer, and a certified sports nutritionist prior to engaging in any intense workout process to get yourself in physical shape for DCI. Take note that this blog/chat room is on the internet, and unless you can verify to the extent of a court of law that one of us here on DCP is really certified in those areas, do not rely at all on anyone here advising you how to train.Thank you, I'm trying to get my doctor to take me seriously. "I want to march in a drum corps, how do I get in shape?" I ask. "You're fine" he says. But I don't think I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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