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Tryouts
Aug 18, 2009 22:23:22 GMT -5
Post by tonynoyes on Aug 18, 2009 22:23:22 GMT -5
Hello, I know I haven't posted much on here, but I would like to know a lot of stuff about Corps. I live in Keizer, Oregon (it's so close to Salem there's almost no point in calling it Keizer though) and since I used to live in Spokane, Washington, I have my heart set on joining the Spokane Thunder for their return to DCI for the 2010 season. What I wanted to know is stuff that would be pretty generic among open class corps. Like how should I prepare myself? Do I need to have all major scales memorized? What should I wear to tryouts? Any answers will help, I'm just nervous as heck for tryouts and almost worried that I might not make it. Is this normal? Anyway, thanks in advance. =)
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Tryouts
Aug 19, 2009 1:43:51 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 19, 2009 1:43:51 GMT -5
Rule #1.....don't stress.....you're going for a small Open class corps on the comeback trail....not Blue Devils or Cadets.
They'll be happy to have people with a pulse.
Most corps at ANY level -- unless they're looking for something specific to their show (like a real screamer) are looking for someone with the potential to grow into their program over the months of the practice season.
Example...you won't find a more rookie than I was...I hadn't marched corps style at all, nor had I ever played on a 2 valved G bugle, and I had only seen one show live and the finals on PBS when I auditioned for Blue Devils. Granted, there weren't audition camps with hundreds of people fighting for a handful of spots back in the day, but it was still a little scary.
I arrived in Concord (Wayne Downey picked me up at the Concord BART station) and was handed a soprano...told the fingering patterns (same as on my trumpet...I just couldn't play anything needing a 3rd valve, but not to worry...they weren't written into the score anyway), and jumped into the warmups. Played for about an hour with the line on warmups and the opener, then Jack Meehan (father or current BD brass guy John Meehan....who was just a little kid in the B corps at the time) took me into a back room with my trumpet and I played my prepared piece...a jazz number we'd done at San Diego State earlier that year.
I knew I was in when Jack asked when I could move up from San Diego...I told him January (the audition was in November) and he said "Welcome to the Blue Devils."
I had a steep learning curve, especially on corps marching, but if you apply yourself like I did and let yourself be taught, you'll be fine.
Do NOT go in acting like you're God's Gift....no matter how desperate they may be for bodies, they will likely not take you if they think you'll cause problems.
It's not that difficult....the culture of drum corps is different from marching band, but you'll have the advantage of being in a young group that will likely be more lenient with the learning process, even as the staff demands you pay attention, do your best, don't try to be staff yourself, and allow yourself to be taught by people with LOTS more experience than you.
Good luck!
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Tryouts
Aug 20, 2009 23:53:21 GMT -5
Post by tonynoyes on Aug 20, 2009 23:53:21 GMT -5
Okay thanks. Wait, do they still use G bugles?
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Tryouts
Aug 21, 2009 13:46:07 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 21, 2009 13:46:07 GMT -5
^ Not in DCI World Class Corps and most Open Class Corps. You will be playing on the same marching instruments most high school bands use. Yep....part of the rationale for the change from G to any key in 2000 was to allow an easier transition for new people to move from band to corps. An unintended benefit of the switch was the increase in available G horns to start up more Sr corps (which didn't go any key until 03 or 04). However, if you play a bass clef instrument, you'll need to learn to read treble. All corps horns (if not in G) are going to be Bb, except for mellophones, which are in F (easier to tune than a Bb mello) Thunder might be one of the corps that still has some G horns...but don't panic. You'll be fine..
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Tryouts
Aug 21, 2009 20:42:28 GMT -5
Post by jazztastic on Aug 21, 2009 20:42:28 GMT -5
^ I'm sorry if I always seem like I'm contradicting you Sam lol... I just have tons of questions. Do the majority of corps play in treble Bb? I worked a bit with the Academy this year and had to learn the music and conducting it as part of camp. The baritone (and contra) lines in the scores are all in Concert Pitch bass clef. (While of course t-pet is in Bb and horn in F) Is this something not many corps do? Enlighten me Academy is VERY new, so could this be the cause?
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Tryouts
Aug 22, 2009 0:16:48 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 22, 2009 0:16:48 GMT -5
^ I'm sorry if I always seem like I'm contradicting you Sam lol... I just have tons of questions. Not a prob...you don't find out if you don't ask...and let's face it....I Am a little bit in the know. Unless they have G horns, yes (and the mellos in F, if course)...all of the World class (BD, Cavies, Troopers, etc), are on Bb/F....but some of the open classes may have G lines...don't know which, tho. Most of the G horns are in the Sr corps (SoCal Dream, for example, is entirely G, as are Renegades). You might see individual horns in other keys...like an Eb trumpet, but those are single people for s specific use like a solo. No...Academy the drum corps is part of a much larger performing arts organization...the concert pitch stuff might be part of that. Either way....Academy's a good program to get into....you'll WORK, but it'll be worth it!
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Tryouts
Aug 22, 2009 15:16:30 GMT -5
Post by jazztastic on Aug 22, 2009 15:16:30 GMT -5
I'm willing to work my butt off and do anything it takes to get into the Academy and learn as much as I can. I will be going to the clinic/audition week-ends this year on baritone. DCI is amazing and the standard of excellency is inspiring, I want to be a part of it.
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Tryouts
Aug 22, 2009 19:57:38 GMT -5
Post by jazztastic on Aug 22, 2009 19:57:38 GMT -5
Yes, I got it the first time Sam explained it. I hate transposing, but I can do it while I read. My primary is trombone but the trumpets at my school have difficulty with their parts, which is probably the only reason I'm able to look at their Bb treble music and play it on trombone concert pitch C.. anyways, thank you both.
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Tryouts
Aug 23, 2009 11:50:57 GMT -5
Post by bluescalesdragon on Aug 23, 2009 11:50:57 GMT -5
To my delight, I am in rather close proximity to two world class corps: The Cadets and Jersey Surf.
My main instrument is the sax and I am very, very good at it. I picked up trombone a couple years ago and marched it my sophomore year (As a freshman I marched tenor sax.) Now I'm a junior, low brass captain, and I march baritone.
I'm an okay baritone player, but I know I do not have a talent for brass like I do sax. However, I have known for a long time that I must march in a world class corps. It's just something I've got to do. I will put down the sax for however long I need to to work on the skills I need for baritone/euphonium.
I don't see how I'll ever be good enough to get into the Cadets (but I dream big, so there's always hope) but I was wondering how good you have to be to get into, say Jersey Surf, who got third to last this year in their first year of Worlds. Everyone else I've mentioned Jersey Surf to turns of their nose and says "why on earth would you pick them over the Cadets." Any thoughts?
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Tryouts
Aug 23, 2009 23:42:20 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 23, 2009 23:42:20 GMT -5
It's not who you march with, but that you DO march. You're still in high school...you have time.
Go for Surf and build your chops until you can make Cadets, BD, or some other corps....OR you might find that you found a home in Surf and stay there until ageout...that's YOUR choice and no one else's.
Personally, I would march no other Jr corps but BD....but that's me. I know people who WON a ring and then moved to BD (Charlie Ryan in our 84 bari line....won with Cadets the previous year....yet aged out as a Blue Devil).
The attitude of "Why you you march Surf when you can march Cadets" is one thing that ticks me off....like anyone from 7th down means nothing...EVERY corps is worth something...not just those that win.
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Tryouts
Aug 24, 2009 8:00:50 GMT -5
Post by bluescalesdragon on Aug 24, 2009 8:00:50 GMT -5
It's not who you march with, but that you DO march. You're still in high school...you have time. Go for Surf and build your chops until you can make Cadets, BD, or some other corps....OR you might find that you found a home in Surf and stay there until ageout...that's YOUR choice and no one else's. Personally, I would march no other Jr corps but BD....but that's me. I know people who WON a ring and then moved to BD (Charlie Ryan in our 84 bari line....won with Cadets the previous year....yet aged out as a Blue Devil). The attitude of "Why you you march Surf when you can march Cadets" is one thing that ticks me off....like anyone from 7th down means nothing...EVERY corps is worth something...not just those that win. Thank you for giving me a positive perspective. I'm not really planning to start marching DCI until the summer of '11, but I decided to request membership info from Surf for the next summer anyway. My parents are pretty against me joining while I'm still in high school, for good reasons, but I'm curious.
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Tryouts
Aug 24, 2009 15:01:30 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 24, 2009 15:01:30 GMT -5
Are the objecting purely to your age? It's a common refrain...usually from parents who have never watched how the corps works and what goes on.
Maybe you should see if they'll accompany you to audition camp...that way they can try to talk to the staff and get a feel for what you'd experience.
As a side note....the guy who marched next to me in BD was 14 years old at the time....just sayin'...
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Tryouts
Aug 24, 2009 18:51:13 GMT -5
Post by bluescalesdragon on Aug 24, 2009 18:51:13 GMT -5
^ Thanks for the link! My friend and I were thinking about going but we weren't sure where to get info.
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Tryouts
Aug 25, 2009 0:06:49 GMT -5
Post by tonynoyes on Aug 25, 2009 0:06:49 GMT -5
Wow thats a lot of information. But I do have one more question: I checked Thunders website (www.spokanethunder.org) and it says that they plan on coming back for the 2010 season, along with the cascades and a new open class corps somewhere else in washington. So it is for those reasons that people in my band,a nd on Micro Marching League have said they don't expect Thunder to come back. So does anyone know is this is true, and should I tryout for the Cascades as well just for a back-up plan? Thanks for the information, and thanks in advance. =)
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Tryouts
Aug 25, 2009 2:48:08 GMT -5
Post by 84bdsop on Aug 25, 2009 2:48:08 GMT -5
I would tend to believe Thunder more than people on a web board who may not be in the know....but starting a corps is hard....and being in Washington makes it even harder just because you're so far from any performance venues (similar to Troopers, in fact).
Still....nothing says you can't audition for ANY corps....it's only when you sign the contract that you're locked in (because you then have an obligation to live up to the terms of that contract).
Some corps don't like it if they think they're your 2nd choice....so you might want to keep that under wraps.
If you audition for #1 and they don't offer you a spot for a bit, but #2 offers you right away, I'd go with #2....if they're offering a spot they're probably in a better position.
But there's also the financial angle....Cascades tour nationally....their tour fees might be out of reach....while Thunder's or the other new one might be more affordable, especially if they're only touring regionally.
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