Auditions Today Vs. Yesterday

[Terri Schehr]

One of the things that kind of bugs me about nowadays, is that a younger person, say 16 years old, can audition for the local corps, make it down to the last two for one spot, and they’ll pick the age out kid from 1000 miles away rather than the kid who lives nearby and has several more years left to march.  Seems short-sighted to me.

BTW, this really happened.  I personally told the founder of the corps about it and he found it very disturbing. 

[OldSnareDrummer]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I was in the same boat. I was recruited by a staff member to march Oakland Crusaders and I just showed up and was put in lead sopranos. Then, a rifle from Crusaders went to 27th and told George Zingali about me, I got a call and poof, I was a 27th Lancer.

[Jurassic Lancer]

8 minutes ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Not really. It’s just like what @Terri Schehr said, march a few years and you get to know a lot of people. They go to bigger and better corps and staff ask them if they know anybody good who would fit in. That’s how I moved up. I had friends up and down the top twelve when I marched in 79. One friend wanted to know if I would march mello for SCV and at the same time this rifle mentioned to GZ that I was a decent sop. I chose 27 mostly because I loved them and I could march sop. It was a small world back then.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Jurassic Lancer

[Mello Dude]

38 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

One of the things that kind of bugs me about nowadays, is that a younger person, say 16 years old, can audition for the local corps, make it down to the last two for one spot, and they’ll pick the age out kid from 1000 miles away rather than the kid who lives nearby and has several more years left to march.  Seems short-sighted to me.

BTW, this really happened.  I personally told the founder of the corps about it and he found it very disturbing. 

Part of it stems from people wanting shape talent rather than make talent.  Speaks volumes to someone who can teach vs those that cannot.

[OldSnareDrummer]

16 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

Not really. It’s just like what @Terri Schehr said, march a few years and you get to know a lot of people. They go to bigger and better corps and staff ask them if they know anybody good who would fit in. That’s how I moved up. I had friends up and down the top twelve when I marched in 79. One friend wanted to know if I would march mello for SCV and at the same time this rifle mentioned to GZ that I was a decent sop. I chose 27 mostly because I loved them and I could march sop. It was a small world back then.

Well, you're still special. The only corps that ever tried to recruit me from my current corps were our cross-town rivals and they sucked worse than we did. 

[JimF-LowBari]

9 minutes ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Well, you're still special. The only corps that ever tried to recruit me from my current corps were our cross-town rivals and they sucked worse than we did. 

Lol we had 2 or 3 people from my high school in our senior corps. HS assistant band director was with another corps. My corps thought he was recruiting for his corps at the school. Finally had to tell them “band director is retiring soon and he wants the job. He doesn’t want to screw up his chances so he never mentions drum corps”. 
My buddy and I didn’t even know he was with another corps until we saw him at DCA 😳

Edited November 29, 2023 by JimF-LowBari

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, Terri Schehr said:

One of the things that kind of bugs me about nowadays, is that a younger person, say 16 years old, can audition for the local corps, make it down to the last two for one spot, and they’ll pick the age out kid from 1000 miles away rather than the kid who lives nearby and has several more years left to march.  Seems short-sighted to me.

BTW, this really happened.  I personally told the founder of the corps about it and he found it very disturbing. 

it's all about the now.

 

if you don't get on all the travel teams now for baseball or soccer in the youth leagues, when it comes time for high school, unless you are ungodly good, you don't make the team, no matter how much promise you have. 

[Jeff Ream]

in my years at Westshore, we had connections to Crossmen in percussion through staff/arrangers. in my time several people went to Crossmen to do a year or 2 and age out, then come back. brass had more ties to Bluecoats, so several went there then came back. guard went a few directions. 

later when drum staff moved to Bucs, some went to Bloo and several followed them there for a year or two. some later came back to Bucs, or others to Empire or Cabs. a lot of it is who you know and who teaches where.

[Terri Schehr]

50 minutes ago, OldSnareDrummer said:

Well, you're still special. The only corps that ever tried to recruit me from my current corps were our cross-town rivals and they sucked worse than we did. 

Part of it was people I marched with in Norwood park had went over to the Guardsmen and said she has a lot of experience.  I was not even close to special besides being a very good sightreader, but I was consistent and a good soldier. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Terri Schehr

[Jurassic Lancer]

7 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

Part of it was people I marched with in Norwood park had went over to the Guardsmen and said she has a lot of experience.  I was not even close to special besides being a very good sightreader, but I was consistent and a good soldier. 

And you weren’t a pain in the ###. Everyone knew who the pain in the ##### were, and they weren’t pursued 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Jurassic Lancer