dbc03 Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 right...but drum corps doesnt have that problem. show me a corps with a 14 year old with no knowledge coming in, and i'll show you someone barely cracking 50 in todays world. in todays world the kids are supposed to know it coming in the door. from there you make refinements based on their ability and go to a masters class level. you approach things in a way you couldn't even begin to break down at the high school level.again see above. the basics and fundamentals at the corps level are so far advanced it's like Beta abd VHS. again see above. again, walking in at drum corps you KNOW it. if you are teaching beginners in today's DCI, you're ####ed. it's a totally different approach from ground zero You are making a lot of assumptions there jeff. In my years of drum corps I've marched with saxophone players, flute players, and vocal majors. None of them were very experienced at all in brass instruments, and they still made a top 12 division 1 corps. The corps I marched with in 2002 had more than 10% of the hornline who had learned their instruments just to march drum corps. This past summer I marched with a 16 year old guy that had never done marching band before in his life and now he is a world champion at it. Not everything is quite as black and white as you would like to make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 right...but drum corps doesnt have that problem. show me a corps with a 14 year old with no knowledge coming in, and i'll show you someone barely cracking 50 in todays world. in todays world the kids are supposed to know it coming in the door. from there you make refinements based on their ability and go to a masters class level. you approach things in a way you couldn't even begin to break down at the high school level.again see above. the basics and fundamentals at the corps level are so far advanced it's like Beta abd VHS. again see above. again, walking in at drum corps you KNOW it. if you are teaching beginners in today's DCI, you're ####ed. it's a totally different approach from ground zero I've had plenty of experience teaching at the Division I, II, and III levels in DCI over the years. I've seen kids with alllllll sorts of levels of experience come through the doors. Kids who had marched in other corps, kids with a year or two of marching in a really bad marching band, kids who came from BOA Grand National Finalists, even kids with zero marching experience. They do NOT all share the same technique background. They do NOT all share the same knowledge base of the fundamentals of what WE will be asking them to do. So in that respect, it's just like starting over. This is our technique program. This is what we do here. Some kids, even those who have marched corps before, it will take them all season to grasp certain concepts. And MY approach to teaching them is the same as if I were teaching a marching band...where some kids are coming in with little to no knowledge base and some kids have been at it for two or three years in the program and know exactly what to expect. I said it before and I'll say it again...I run a basics block the same way. I run an ensemble rehearsal the same way. I introduce technique to new members the same way. I might have to adjust things for time restraints because we don't rehearse as much in band as we do on a typical touring drum corps day, but the basic concepts and techniques are essentially identical. And you'd be surprised how many first year drum corps kids are essentially beginners, whether to marching in general or to a new instrument or piece of equipment or whatever. Even at the Division I level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom&Phitch Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 there is a difference between teaching someone something they dont know, and expanding upon a concept they do.... i teach a marching band whos kids range in grade from 6th-12th I myself joined when i was in 5th grade... they all get taught and treated the same, and its a consistant and top placing program. age doesnt matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rut-roh Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) there is a difference between teaching someone something they dont know, and expanding upon a concept they do.... But not all kids come in even knowing the concepts. It happens a lot in Division II and III, and it even happens in Division I. I've seen it. I've dealt with it. Many times. That's a fact. I've seen some kids who have marched in band before come into drum corps with little to no concept of how to do even the most basic things, like: -stand up straight (!!!) -hold their instrument properly -BREATHE -demonstrate the ability to recognize and internalize a given tempo -produce a characteristic sound from their instrument To me, teaching them is no different than teaching an 7th or 8th grader the same concepts and techniques I would teach them as they enter their first year of marching band. Edited February 7, 2006 by rut-roh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 It seems that it depends on the school program and philosophy. I was in marching band first and it did not prepare me with the concepts I needed for drum corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 It seems that it depends on the school program and philosophy. I was in marching band first and it did not prepare me with the concepts I needed for drum corps. Which is irrelevant to the situation today...and I think the folks talking about the transfer of skills refer to the band kids that march in corps-style bands. I know we teach roughly the same skills...though not nearly at the same level as a top corps would...we are in no way a BOA Finalist...or even Semi-finalist level band, just a decent competitive corps-style band here in NJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 most kids coming in from a decent competition band aren't prepared to make D1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George82 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 most kids coming in from a decent competition band aren't prepared to make D1. and you know this how....??? You're familiar with "most kids" from a "decent competition band"??? In fact Jeff, there are ALOT of kids who make Div I drum corps right out of their HS marching band program. The training they receive is alot better than what it once was. Therefore, I beg to differ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommySopranoContra Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 and you know this how....???You're familiar with "most kids" from a "decent competition band"??? In fact Jeff, there are ALOT of kids who make Div I drum corps right out of their HS marching band program. The training they receive is alot better than what it once was. Therefore, I beg to differ. Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 and you know this how....???You're familiar with "most kids" from a "decent competition band"??? In fact Jeff, there are ALOT of kids who make Div I drum corps right out of their HS marching band program. The training they receive is alot better than what it once was. Therefore, I beg to differ. really? then why are 7000 cut every year? why isnt every corps full? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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