Slow Adam Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 - Sops and melli/os will think their horns are heavy, and complain about their sore arms. Bari/euph players will swear that their horns are actually heavier than those of other bari/euph players, and complain about their sore arms. Contras will snicker, rub their shoulder, then see who can hold their horn at carry the longest. And then complain about their sore arms. Snare drummers will at some point complain about a sore back. If you play tenors it's okay to tell them to STFU. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Billock Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Snare drummers will at some point complain about a sore back. If you play tenors it's okay to tell them to STFU. :) Ah, and speaking of the drumline - never remark to a cymbal player that all they really do is bang plates together... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 before i even start -- ALWAYS be hydrated. you should be peeing clear 24 hours a day. this means skipping the kool aid after shows. WATER WILL HELP YOU STAY HEALTHY. first -- ignore any vet whose only advice is "don't suck" or "figure it out" or "use the force." this kind of "advice" defeats the purpose of asking, and shows a lack of concern for the group. if they aren't willing to offer something substantive, don't bother asking them anything else. second -- shower shoes (flip flops used in the shower) are the most important clothing you should pack. don't go to the showers barefoot. a lot of things on tour are gross -- but nothing quite as unsanitary as the floors of showers that haven't been used in a while. don't lose your shower shoes. keep them in your backpack, so you can hit the shower immediately after rehearsal. third -- there is going to be a day about two weeks into tour where you feel completely and totally overwhelmed by life. everyone has been there. it gets easier. fourth -- don't be afraid to ask questions, especially about the directions during rehearsal. there is nothing worse than a new guy who hasn't quite got the flow of rehearsal figured out missing the directions and stopping two sets early or something. asking for help is not a sign of weakness. fifth -- don't go on tour assuming that you are going to get to make out with all the guard chicks. it might happen, but don't let the pursuit distract you. you have MUCH bigger fish to fry. like not dying. sixth -- remember when it gets really difficult, that there is a reason people come back year after year after year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 second -- shower shoes (flip flops used in the shower) are the most important clothing you should pack. don't go to the showers barefoot. a lot of things on tour are gross -- but nothing quite as unsanitary as the floors of showers that haven't been used in a while. don't lose your shower shoes. keep them in your backpack, so you can hit the shower immediately after rehearsal. I also recommend taking some Tenactin. Chances are you will get to a school with non working drains. Showering in standing water is one of the nastiest things I can think of on tour and you don't want your feet getting sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael18 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 - Have a draw string on your shorts, and attach to these a pencil and a thing of DCT If you're marching PR - then you won't have to worry about that...you get to wear a fanny pack (the crazier the better). :) As a rookie you get to work twice as hard for half the respect the staff gives vets - it will likely take until about mid-season before the staff finally gets off your back and starts to notice the vets that are now not as good as you (living under the microscope sucks, but you get better REALLY fast). Afterall, no one likes to be a tick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass5 Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 If you're in the drum line wear ear protection -especially during the winter months where you play inside all the time. Those mylar/kevlar snare heads can project well into the stands but they can destroy your hearing. This is advice from an old man (and drum line vet) with hearing issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I'm sorry... did you say something Mikey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempotantrum Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Don't spray perfume, cologne, deodorant, etc. on the bus. You will catch the beatdown. Be first to do the right thing. Don't bring already crappy shoes on tour. They will just get worse. Bring as many socks as possible, however keep track of them by marking them or wrapping them up in themselves. Combo shower gel/shampoo is probably the best thing ever invented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A27Lancer Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 1. TOLERATE! TOLERATE! TOLERATE! This was the most important rule I learned on tour. Sooner or later, living on a bus and sleeping on a gym floor will make you sick of everyone and everything around you. You have some annoying habits, too. Learn to live with it. 2. Hydrate (preferably with bottled water) whenever possible. Sports drinks are good - they have lots of electrolytes, and are absorbed into the body quickly, (you won't have to pee as much), but are high in sugar and calories. 3. Eat whenever there is food available!!! Bus breakdowns and other delays might also delay dinner time. Also, if there is a common meal you don't like, pack something like energy bars, a jar of peanut butter and something that won't go stale (crackers instead of bread). Peanut butter on crackers kept me alive every time tunafish was served. 4. Be gracious. When winning, if a member of another corps congratulates you, turn the conversation around. Ask them about their show and performance. Make a positive comment or two if you've seen their show. If losing, and you see a member of a corps that beat you, do the same. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES!!! 5. Find a vet or instructor that you can latch onto and become friends. Pick their brain without being a pain in the neck. I learned a ton of "tricks" from vets that I became friends with. 6. Don't suck. Very important. Closely related - don't be a "weak sister". 7. Enjoy everything there is to enjoy. 8. You can never have enough clean socks and underwear. GOOD LUCK!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveSOS Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I don't know if this has already been said or not, but WRITE YOUR NAME ON ALL OF YOUR BELONGINGS!!!! I came off of tour and had in my possession half of what I had stared with, lol. It's amazing how things can be lost so easily...also I was just careless, so it could also just be me. Enjoy! Go Bluecoats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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