Brass Skill

[TommySopranoContra]

Corno-

Thanks for the Star compliments but I will have to say that our WHOLE focus was on the line playing together as a whole and with the same approach. We did as members take it upon ourself to not accept anything less than our best and the expected approach. With that being said in our years there was a mutual admiration between our line and the Blue Devils. We used to have lots of conversations about the difference in our approach versus theirs adn how both seemed to get to good results. The one thing I always used to say is that I do not feel we could line up player to player against many of the lines but when we played as an ensemble we were most times very proud with the end product.

So as I do not totally agree with your initial opinion that all players should be taught individually I do think that each player should take it upon themselves to know the approach of whatever line they are in and maximize their ability.

Off topic but I'd like to announce that im a star 91 junkie and i listen to it at least once a day

[BMBob]

I'm just going to put my ideas here, and anyone can feel free to disagree.

I am not as experienced in the drum corps world as many of you. I marched two seasons with an all-age corps, and have been a constant and avid fan since 1998. I marched in my high school band, and since then have taught multiple marching bands, and will graduate this semester with a music education degree. So, I am young and somewhat inexperienced, and I know that I may learn differently as I get older.

That being said, I tend to think of drum corps as I group activity. The summer is focused on building the group's endurance and fielding the best possible show. By focusing on these group issues, many individual issues are also addressed. Corps will address embouchure, use of air, breathing, pitch accuracy, intonation, and dynamics. They may focus at a group level, but every individual in the line must make adjustments. On the other hand, I think that high school band is a place to more closely address the individual issues. It is a educational setting, despite the competitive nature of most marching bands. Whenever I've been in charge of teaching a high school brass line, I've tried to spend the summer and beginning of the school year teaching individual technique, making everyone a better player, then moving on to group techniques and full line stuff later on, which has given me a better brass line to work with by the time we're looking at the whole line.

I think drum corps know what they're doing (in most cases) and they teach individuals through the group because there is just no time to give to individual attention, like there might be at the beginning of a high school marching band season. Let it never be said, however, that an individual cannot learn to be better from playing in a better ensemble. That happens in every musical setting.

[TealSoundBrass]

My main point is this, brass players dont practice enough in bettween camps. Spring Training, I would like to see this stuff happen, I am very aware of how short time is. I dont think anything has ever gotten past the musicality of the Cadets of 84, thats my opininon. I am just taking this from a Clasical Music Festival standpoint. You practice for hours a day with new music once a week, just having someone sit down and have you take a time out about your playing and saying you are doing this this and this wrong, will make you think about it all week and you will learn much more. Its like you go on tour with the corps and everyones playing goes to #### if they try to play anything but the music that is written so it sounds hard but is easy in the first place. Why not get music that is hard and really challege kids to do there best.

Masters classes will not help anyone that does not woodshed on their own. A great music educator does not make a student great. A great music educator opens the door to the knowledge and methods. A great student then uses that knowledge and those methods to make themselves great.

[melloguy05]

Ok, I didn't read everything but here's my 2 cents. During the winter, yes people should practice between camps and the such. But during the summer, there's just not enough time. You go from playing all day from 9 in the morning till 12 at night in the winter, to visual in the morning, maybe an hour or two of sectionals, to ensemble, to getting ready before a show, to going to the show, to warming up for the show, to doing the show in the summer. In fact in some corps, the staff doesn't want you playing during breaks to help save chops. Same is true after rehersal. They want to sleep so you can be refreshed for the next day. I think that's how it should be. Winter is for learning, summer is for cleaning.

Oh I'm currently a Music Ed Major on French Horn, played trumpet for 3 years, french horn since sophomore year of high school, 4 years of high school marching band, 2 years of college marching band, and going on four years of drum corps (soprano for 2, mello for 2).

Just thought I'd throw my stuff out there.

Edited March 6, 2006 by melloguy05