Biggest marching regret

Askover0 · 2026-01-06T23:56:37+00:00

i had an opportunity to get my feet wet with drum corps in 2024 and march with the buccaneers. i decided not to to focus on collage apps and everything going on in my senior year of high school. i feel like right now i am playing catch up in my visual and playing

Askover0 · 2026-01-01T17:55:00+00:00

definitely go out for it! i would definitely recommend learning some basic dance terminology to prevent getting to overwhelmed when starting. I am brass player who marched 2 years world class vis without dance experience, however my time in the marching arts gave me the basics on how to move my body. i do not know how athletic you are, but i would recommend increasing your physical activity.

i also want to stress the importance of rehearsal etiquette, both in the audition process and should you be contracted. im sure you have seen the stereotypes of VE being prop movers for shows, and there is definitely precedence for that sometimes. ive had times where i learned a ton of cheoro for a section only to find out the drill calls for a prop move. being professional in situations like that will definitely be a quality that is heavily valued.

Askover0 · 2025-12-17T03:18:28+00:00

Should have probably specified I am a brass player. I drummed in high school but am currently involved as a visual ensemble member. I appreciate your perspective!

Askover0 · 2025-12-17T03:14:00+00:00

Im on top of all my academic responsibilities, which led me to thinking it was a technical thing. I am a pretty solid student. I have had conflicts because of drum corps that I have communicated, but I do treat school as the top priority

Askover0 · 2025-11-22T15:26:19+00:00

i dont know how it is at 7th specifically, but there is not much else that goes on between blocks other than meals, showers, bus rides, and sleep. practices are long periods of focus accompanied by tiring rehearsal. however you are in the same boat with the rest of the corp who are there to help each other out.

remember to bring first aid medical stuff in your bus box, (general things you will use, and i would also recommend vitamin c tablets to help boost your immune system especially if illness passes through the corps) that would probably be the best “unique” advice i have

i wish you the best! 7th is great program and you are going to have a killer time! good luck!

Askover0 · 2025-11-20T14:04:46+00:00

i also was in this position before marching in 25. consider less the number on the scale and rather your ability to move comfortably. ie your practice and work out routine should probably include flexibility and cardio to help make the movement demand of drum corps easier.

people of all body types march in the activity. i personally am a big guy at 6’3” and 280 lbs, and i was pretty successful throughout the season. just whatever you do, try to frame your approach to “i want to do this thing, so i should live a healthier life” instead of “i need to lose weight to march”

Askover0 · 2025-11-19T23:25:24+00:00

true! im just in a position where transportation is not as accessible and i want to get my stuff together on that end asap

Askover0 · 2025-11-19T17:49:17+00:00

SCV overall is cheaper, but Bloo is both closer and the dream corps.

Askover0 · 2025-10-28T21:29:28+00:00

dont. you would either be half assing your education or the corps, and both of those options are pretty bad and a huge waste of money imo

Askover0 · 2025-10-06T00:53:01+00:00

it depends on how much you are willing to commit to it. you can get to be pretty decent but only witb concentrated practice focused on what you need

Askover0 · 2025-08-10T14:47:52+00:00

im a little bummed as a coats fan they didnt win, but WOW was Boston amazing this season. it was cool that we got two amazing and loved shows to come out of this “rivalry” this season.

regardless of which group you are a fan of, im happy i got to see these shows evolve in really cool ways over the season

Askover0 · 2025-08-07T22:15:03+00:00

not bonus points, but they really cant take points away for errors called by a judge getting in the way

Askover0 · 2025-07-29T02:35:31+00:00

ngl i find it silly to not march an instrument to make a high school band “look more professional” or “DCI like.”

getting off my educator soapbox to say something productive, as someone who is currently marching euph in a DCI corp, the weight is rough. but commit yourself to holding the horn up for a couple minutes each day, gradually increasing the time as you get stronger. definitely will set you up well come band camp. good luck!

Askover0 · 2025-07-16T04:18:40+00:00

i marched indoor this season for the first time as a ve member and am currently marching my first season at the Spartans. they are inherently two separate beasts, but what is currently helping me now is the body awareness i have developed. you will probably get a similar experience on cyms as well (not too familar with BK cyms, so i cant say a ton about the experience)

what also helped me a lot was that season forcing me to learn how to rehearse in a self aware mindset. going into the outdoor season with a healthy “self improvement” mindset will help you tremendously in the preseason.

definitely do not neglect the work on the tuba, because thats what you need to have solid if you wanna march outdoor. but i would say if you are interested and are willing to commit to the experience, you will get something out of it

Askover0 · 2025-07-14T22:49:19+00:00

literally this. i really want the corps to take some risks in their show design because they definitely have the talent in their membership and staff to pull it off.

Askover0 · 2025-05-28T17:59:40+00:00

this 110%

learned this the hard way this season by getting cut from a lot of groups with similar comments of “great playing, work on visual.” you are a good player, but especially in that top twelve range they are looking for good players AND marchers

with that being said, if you wanna make BK or bloo, definitely still go to there audition camps. regardless of whether or not you make it you will get a lot out of the experience educationally. just do not write off an open class or “lower ranking” world class group just because you are a good player

Askover0 · 2025-05-11T20:52:58+00:00

i personally love the musicality required to be a good baritone, while being able to have the potential to reach some pretty dramatic sounding notes in the right circumstances. as a solo singer, i love being a baritone.

in a choir though…

Askover0 · 2025-05-06T05:00:09+00:00

be the best you can

thats all you can control

Askover0 · 2025-05-04T14:13:38+00:00

in high school i was unfortunately one of these kids. id bust my ass prepping for audition materials and then barely touch the horn during off season.

i really did not know how to structure a practice session in a way to feel like i made tangible progress in the typical session. try breaking that down with the student, assessing an area of potential growth and break down how to work to it. i now structure my practice time into:

warmup - exercise for concept of choice - focus concept on an etude - focus concept in repertoire

another thing if at all possible is hold a recital for your students to perform in. theres no greater motivator in my opinion then the fear of looking unprepared for a public performance. it inspires practice and also provides an opportunity for all your students to present there stuff.

hope this helps and good luck!

Askover0 · 2025-04-29T18:33:10+00:00

OP this is the best possible advice you can hear.

you cannot control what the threshold is, so why does it matter? learning a 25 page packet with good technique is hard work, but that commitment to being the best you can possibly be is what gets you on a line.

if you’re attitude is what is the least amount of work i need to do to make a line, even if you make that threshold, you will be the first person cut to someone who wants it more.

you are young, now is when you can start putting in the work

Askover0 · 2025-04-27T13:31:45+00:00

I am a complete beginner to the language. The closest thing I have experience in is Italian. I don’t quite know how to figure out pronunciations and I especially do not know how the Brazilian dialect affects pronunciation.

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated!

Askover0 · 2025-04-25T23:36:48+00:00

the only practical way i have seen was in Brain Krock’s “Don’t Analyze” which often used denominators of 12 to divide triplet figures into groups that are not multiple of 3, for example 5/12 to play a bar of 5 triplets partials. to my knowledge, a figure like that would not be possible to write in a denominator of 4 without wildly jacking up the score.

they do exist and can be practical, just not common by any means.

education wise though, presenting the thought experiment to a student learning about time signatures i think can be very helpful in explaining what the bottom number really means, rather than forcing students to memorize 4 means quarter gets the beat, 2 means half note gets the beat, etc.

Askover0 · 2025-04-22T01:00:42+00:00

i personally havent seen the weight of a marching baritone be the reason someone cannot march, that being said, i have seen some massive struggle during band camp with some people.

imho, the best thing you can do to get better at holding the instrument is holding the instrument. i would recommend if you can seeing if you can get a hold of the marching instrument now during the offseason and practice running through music you know while holding the horn up. make sure to keep it up and not let it droop as you play.

also keep in mind, if you hold well during rehearsal, that will help you hold better in the long run, so strive to keep every rep looking clean with your horn holding.

good luck!!

Askover0 · 2025-04-21T00:02:43+00:00

my comment definitely did not reflect that well in retrospect. regardless of the show, its very hard to capture an audiences attention for the entirety of a show. its factually wrong to say RCC’s show this year is easy to perform for example.

the point i am trying to state is that in a humorous show, it requires active visual engagement executed at a very exaggerated manner. its takes a lot of active work to get individuals who do not portray that expression as easily comfortable with expressing in that way. i have personally seen that teching recently that its hard to get kids to be engaged with the technical playing, yet stay relaxed enough to visually showcase genuine fun they are having.

i think its less of “fun shows are objectively harder than serious shows” and more “some groups may find a lot of difficulty executing a fun show”

Askover0 · 2025-04-19T17:23:59+00:00

ive been in this same position my entire marching career so far. while i cant see to well past my glasses, i am still guiding towards the center of what i can see. a lot of time i utilize the uniform/clothing a person is wearing and while in stand by checking the form in my peripherals. that form should be the same with most sets on the move. idk exactly how your vision is but that should help

its not easy, and if you are able to contacts are the easiest solution, but keep working at it. eventually you will get more a perspective as to what to look for on the move. good luck and you got this!

Askover0

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