MusicEducation Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 most kids coming in from a decent competition band aren't prepared to make D1. I had about 4-6 of my high school band kids make Division I corps this year. This program I teach has gone down hill over the years, so I don't classify it as one of the best, but it is "decent"--funny, one of the kids who I teach here at this program made Blue Devils--who would have thunk. We aren't "corps" styled, but we certainly train and teach similar marching techniques to some of the corps. I marched in a corps myself, but I do not do this: "When I marched in drum corps..." Infact, we only make references to drum corps in some cases. Most of these kids find or found out about drum corps on their own, so they probably are picking up on things from videos. I certainly encourage it, and I do not take credit for them making their respective corps. They made it, because they have heart, drive, and learn fast! That is usually the ingredients you need to make any corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb 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. There are approximately 200,000 kids in competitive HS marching bands right now. There are only 3,240 potential spots in division I corps (135 x 24). Evidently, at least 196,760 of those band kids (98.4%) can't make the cut. Mathematically speaking, 98.4% qualifies as "most". I'll bet kids are better trained these days. But that doesn't necessarily get them straight into division I corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I marched in a corps myself, but I do not do this: "When I marched in drum corps..." Infact, we only make references to drum corps in some cases. Most of these kids find or found out about drum corps on their own, so they probably are picking up on things from videos. The same for our staff....two of the four of us marched corps...Yes, our total staff is 4...director, Asst director/percussion tech, visual designer/instructor/guard guy (marched Kilties in the late 70's), and me...wind/percussion arranger/visual instructor/wind instructor/percussion instructor/and go-fer. :) We were able to take a bus to DCI East last season, and we do show a video or two...actually showed Cadets and Cavies 2000...along with some BOA band videos. That's it for the drum corps references. We have one or two who kick around the idea of joining a corps...and we support that (though I don't think either ever did). But...we do teach corps-style concepts. I am sure a couple of our kids could make a div I corps...esp our lead trumpet who was actually kicking it around. Our lead DM became a TOTAL drum corps freak last summer after attending the Vivace/Gerorge Parks DM camp (and DCI show presented at the camp in West Chester PA) as well as DCI EAST. We watched PR rehearse at DCI East for over an hour, and he was totally amazed...though he is a WW player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 There are approximately 200,000 kids in competitive HS marching bands right now. There are only 3,240 potential spots in division I corps (135 x 24). Evidently, at least 196,760 of those band kids (98.4%) can't make the cut. Mathematically speaking, 98.4% qualifies as "most".I'll bet kids are better trained these days. But that doesn't necessarily get them straight into division I corps. If a person does not try out at all, how can you say they failed to "make the cut"? That's like saying I failed to make the USA Olympic Figure Skating team, even though I never tried out (which in and of itself would be a sight to behold!). :P Plus, I don't anyone here said that everyone who tries out right out of HS makes it...they said "some". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 There are approximately 200,000 kids in competitive HS marching bands right now. There are only 3,240 potential spots in division I corps (135 x 24). Evidently, at least 196,760 of those band kids (98.4%) can't make the cut. Mathematically speaking, 98.4% qualifies as "most".I'll bet kids are better trained these days. But that doesn't necessarily get them straight into division I corps. That's pure bs, you can't just go throwing around random numbers and call it evidence. Of the 196,760 maybe half are brass or percussion players. That brings it down to 98,380. There are around 24 Div 1 corps right now, the average number of kids at the auditions is around 200-300. For the sake of argument lets say it's 300x24. That's only 7,200 out of the 98,380 who bother going to the auditions, and with 3,240 spots that's a 45% rate of "making it" although that's a very simpleminded way of looking at it considering the number of kids that "make it" and then decide not to march because of financial reasons, relationship reasons, or any number of reasons. Corps generally don't make very many "cuts" at least in my experience, because so many people quit halfway through the winter that just to stay relatively close to the 135 mark you need about 50 spare people. That's not people who aren't "good enough" it's people who don't want to do it. During the 2003 season at the audition I went to I went from 42nd, to 33, to 24, to having a spot over the course of the winter, and that's just for my section alone. Not because I got better than the people that were ahead of me, although I did work my ### off, but because they quit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 really? then why are 7000 cut every year? why isnt every corps full? Because people are going to naturally gravitate towards the top few corps. Believe it or not a LOT of people want to march because of the competition aspect. The Cavaliers are going to have more people audition than Pioneer, that's simply common sense. And the reason that the top corps have spots open sometimes? Drum corps is HARD. People don't like to do things that are hard. It's a lot easier to sit at home in the air conditioned living rooms watching reruns of Dawson's Creek than it is to get up early every day, go outside, and have the #### beaten out of you day after day after day all summer long. By the way, 7000 are not cut every year. Few corps have 400+ people auditioning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsFan27 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 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. Some people are arguing how prepared kids are from their HS program. Each HS has a different philosophy on what they want. That makes it relevant to this discussion. There are marching bands that aren't "corps style." My band director did not like drum and bugle corps. So, he did not bring those concepts in. He just wanted straight lines and everyone in step. No discussion on posture, instrument angles, foot techniques, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Some people are arguing how prepared kids are from their HS program. Each HS has a different philosophy on what they want. That makes it relevant to this discussion. There are marching bands that aren't "corps style." My band director did not like drum and bugle corps. So, he did not bring those concepts in. He just wanted straight lines and everyone in step. No discussion on posture, instrument angles, foot techniques, etc. that is why I said this... ...and I think the folks talking about the transfer of skills refer to the band kids that march in corps-style bands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 If a person does not try out at all, how can you say they failed to "make the cut"? That's like saying I failed to make the USA Olympic Figure Skating team, even though I never tried out (which in and of itself would be a sight to behold!). :P Plus, I don't anyone here said that everyone who tries out right out of HS makes it...they said "some". I never said "failed to". I was merely illustrating a simple principle regarding band kids and division I corps auditions: As long as there are more kids than spots, some kids won't get spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I never said "failed to". I was merely illustrating a simple principle regarding band kids and division I corps auditions:As long as there are more kids than spots, some kids won't get spots. You said "Evidently, at least 196,760 of those band kids (98.4%) can't make the cut." How can you possibly include kids who never even considered trying out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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