Orpheus Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Okay, so I'm just wondering after a conversation I had with a guy I know ... about what percentage of the hornline and percussionists in, let's say, a top-5/top-8 caliber corps are music majors? Or plan to go into it, if they're not in college yet? How 'bout the rest of D1? D2/3? DCA? How about when compared to ten or twenty years ago? It just occured to me that most of the guys I've known personally who have marched in D1 finalists in the past decade actually were music majors, not just good horn players or drummers who wanted a great experience. Of course, the guys I know personally are a very small sample so I thought I'd ask on here how it goes nowadays ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PR_ducky Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Okay, so I'm just wondering after a conversation I had with a guy I know ... about what percentage of the hornline and percussionists in, let's say, a top-5/top-8 caliber corps are music majors? Or plan to go into it, if they're not in college yet? How 'bout the rest of D1? D2/3? DCA? How about when compared to ten or twenty years ago? It just occured to me that most of the guys I've known personally who have marched in D1 finalists in the past decade actually were music majors, not just good horn players or drummers who wanted a great experience. Of course, the guys I know personally are a very small sample so I thought I'd ask on here how it goes nowadays ... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> when I was marching it was definitely a small group. There were several I marched with, but the vast majority I would imagine are like myself in that they haven't touched a horn since aging out. My brother gave me a beautiful 2 valve G baritone for my birthday this summer. It really brought back the memories. Its a beautiful example of an obsolete horn, and I have no clue what I will do with it aside from take it out, look at it longingly and polish it now and then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Time Fan Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Since my son marched with the Cavaliers not too long ago and he is a music major, I thought I would check out the biographies there. Of the pit and drum line that listed a major, 5 were music majors and 3 were not. Of the horn line this year, 23 were music majors and 5 were not. Can't vouch for the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalcontra Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I was myself. It took a lot of work (and some low grades in some classes) to march 3 seasons in the Blue Devils, but it was well worth it. I went to Cal State Long Beach and at that time we had a pretty large marching band (180+ not bad for a commuter school). There were a number of people that I went to school with that marched in drum corps. We had people in the Blue Devils, Vanguard, Troopers, Velvet Knights (they rehearsed there some in the '80s), Freelancers, Bridgemen, Cavaliers and other regional smaller corps. It was somewhat small at first, the amount of music majors in corps there, but it grew consistantly in the '80s. I always felt I was on the "cutting end" of the activity because of being in the Blue Devils. In fact, my first teaching "gig" was because I mentioned to a local band director, who was looking for an instructor, that I had marched in BD. He hired me on the spot (thanks Dan Garske!). That was hard balancing my college work, marching in BD the next 2 seasons, and working at a local H.S. I was fortunate to have a good education at Long Beach State and the practical experience in the Blue Devils. If anyone was going to become a music teacher or music performer, then they should really consider being in drum corps. I know a lot of successful people in the music business that were a part of drum corps. You aren't going to have a better "laboratory" than a football field during the summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted September 2, 2005 Author Share Posted September 2, 2005 I was hoping for some slightly more recent info, actually. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidfromthepit Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 everyone ive known personally before i marched (including myself)...that marched in DCI....was/is a music major...granted thats only about a dozen ppl but theres my 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubawarrior Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 i've actually thought of this before...i suppose what you would have to do is email the corps individually and ask each to take a survey (or you might be able to get DCI to help out with this) of its marching members. the numbers would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leadsop97 Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 I just started my freshmen year at Ithaca College as a music education major! I've been marching for a while now as you can see from my signature. I know at ECJ, at least 10 out of the 36 brass players were music majors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornsarge Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 when I was marching it was definitely a small group. There were several I marched with, but the vast majority I would imagine are like myself in that they haven't touched a horn since aging out. My brother gave me a beautiful 2 valve G baritone for my birthday this summer. It really brought back the memories. Its a beautiful example of an obsolete horn, and I have no clue what I will do with it aside from take it out, look at it longingly and polish it now and then <{POST_SNAPBACK}> MARCH IN DCA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl306 Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 It's frustrating being in the pit and not being a music major. It seems I can't make it into a Div 1 because of the fact that most, if not all, of the keyboard players ARE music majors. Being an engineering major... it's definitly frustrating at times because I don't have regular access to a board and I feel like I'm always studying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.