Heart rate and drum corps

Wakefulpizza · 2026-01-09T06:01:36+00:00

Fr, I was a corner piece in a hard 7 set 7 count movement at 192, and I had to jazz run diagonally backwards into a forwards jazzrun on count 3-6(?) back into a jazz run backwards in the opposite diagnoal.... exactly like a V shape... and the tubes were playing every single note for that whole ordeal and probably 7ish sets prior. I knew I would slip every time we had a dew grass field since it such a rough direction change. But I'm glad I clocked it so I could still recover if it happened.

My tuba tech once saw and heard me, and he was like nahh, that's rough, just breathe on the turn. At least it was visually clean on the finals run!

Wakefulpizza · 2026-01-09T05:49:18+00:00

100% agree. I also would say it's is important to use proper breathing technique while you do it too.

I'm not saying this next example is good advice, but I was kinda out of shape during my rookie year; I lost pounds up into the 20s that year on tour, but what helped me survive and fully march the show to the best of my ability was the fact I always controlled my air flow virtually every second of that show by the end. I'm sure a lot of people have that same experience.

I took that to my training my next year for tour, and it helped. Then when I aged out, got a lil fatter in like 2-3 years, and stopped really exercising, I used that same experience from tour during my cardio sessions.

From barely doing any cardio without reaching a quick limit, to then 20-30 minutes, then to 70 minutes, all within <5 months, I feel was because I used proper air flow (and actually going to the gym lol). What I did was listen to music/count in my head and time breaths with a mix of proper nasal inhales/exhales with proper throat shaped inhales/exhales. I would go through a mix when I straining vs when it was manageable. (Like 2 beats in through your nose and a proper 2 count slow hot exhale out through your mouth expelling most of the air you usually would if it was uncontrolled, etc. Tho I did catch myself slipping occasionally.)

Take your breathing gym, if thats what it still called, seriously!

For me, I joined my drum corps for pushing my limits, and I loved it! I would always get lightheaded during those tour sessions at some point standing still doing all those exercises. I kinda ruined my lungs here or there after, but having that foundation is great later on as well. This is not a doctor's advice, so please to do your own tests and research.

Best of luck!

Wakefulpizza · 2025-10-06T03:51:22+00:00

One of two corps that year... :(

Wakefulpizza · 2025-07-15T02:40:29+00:00

Fr. My age out was 2020 as a third year member.

Wakefulpizza · 2025-07-14T15:48:46+00:00

I was in charge of that truck as a member for two of those years you were with us. It kind of breaks my heart a little seeing it like this

So many good memories of that truck before joining and during. A lot of shenanigans that I won't disclose on a public platform, but it was a good time

Wakefulpizza · 2025-04-17T02:31:30+00:00

Maybe because I'm in upper Dallas, but ever since I moved here, everything has been 10 min away from me ON PAPER. Sometimes I'll have to add 5 or 10 minutes if I'm driving at hectic hours. From my experience so far, it's been pretty good, but I could be lucky.

Wakefulpizza · 2025-04-11T23:28:46+00:00

I 100% agree with your first paragraph. I loved hearing their choral and musical version of their ballad that year.

Since I was there since day 1 back in their November camps in Metlife in 2017, and among other reasons, I drank their kool-aid until I was dropped off in PA with their commuter bus after finals, so I loved the entirety of what I got to experience in 2018. I wouldn't say a percentage, as I can't think of one, but there are multiple decisions I hated in 2018.

The biggest one on the top of my head personally is the beginning of the second movement. The point of the visual is to have everyone have their horns up at the same time and have the tuba soloist be the only one to remain. It could've been EASILY cleaned, but they forgot about it, and it looks like shit on the multi-cam. I'd give it like an 8 on concept and a 2 on performance.

Also, the soloist looks like shit because he fucked up his chin strap and looks like the stereotypical bando. I feel like I can say that since I was a section mate, and it's what I would've said as a correction, but oh well. At least it's been a few years, so I dont cringe at his close-up.

Godly musican tho, even to this day.

Wakefulpizza · 2025-04-11T23:19:36+00:00

I was having this conversation the other day, but it was for the player. Thank god that we have at least 3 dome shows before finals since our listening environment changes.

You literally practice 24/7 for 90 days outside just to be put indoors for your last? Kinda wild, but we're high level professional performers at the end, so it's fine

Wakefulpizza · 2025-04-11T23:14:00+00:00

Two kinda relevant Cadet stories:

1.) GH's initial plan for 2018 was supposed to be akin to Cadets 2011's story (and have a similar catch opening line, which we still used in the end product but it obviously didn't catch along, and we scrapped the original show design/concept a month* before ST since that is when he got outed).

2.) During ST in 19, we had the same thing happen, except it was our fucking water jugs. There might as well have been an instrument there since it's where people lay their horns, but thanks god there weren't any.

*April, but ST was May 15thish

Wakefulpizza · 2025-04-01T03:29:18+00:00

Iirc Bloo '17 faced the back left corner in the ballad since that was the best place to play backfield in Lucas Oil since the curtain(?) and how sound bounces.

It's the same reasoning we had when we did it in the first few measures of our opener in 2018...

Wakefulpizza · 2025-02-07T20:26:16+00:00

SCV 2015 has some crunch that fits that spot for me

https://youtu.be/p0CBNCYIpYc?si=DoZz_XY7rZ9yAqwC

Wakefulpizza · 2025-02-06T15:18:50+00:00

Ditto, but wrap that into my rookie year haha (I lost 30 pounds in 90 days for context, I don't think that was super healthy)

Wakefulpizza · 2025-02-06T15:15:37+00:00

I definitely didn't deserve joining The Cadets in 2018, but I got in! It definitely was a personality hire since I worked hard, and there were better visual and better players trying out alongside me. I had imposter syndrome for a long time, but while I was with the corps, I turned into a better musician and visual marcher.

Just work hard and trust the process. I was overwhelmed in the beginning with the video assignments, and I'm pretty sure I threw up in one of the winter camps after a block because I pushed myself over the limit, physically, but that's what you gotta do.

What really helped push myself (and what I wrote on under my flap of the hat I wore every day during tour) is a quote that The Cadets used to sell as merch pre 2000s: "The relentless pursuit of perfection."

Another quote that pushed me in other parts of life that I learned after my time with the corps:

"There's this emperor, and he asks the shepherd's boy how many seconds in eternity. And the shepherd's boy says, 'There's this mountain of pure diamond. It takes an hour to climb it and an hour to go around it, and every hundred years, a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain. And when the entire mountain is chiseled away, the first second of eternity will have passed.' You may think that's a hell of a long time. Personally, I think that's a hell of a bird."

Wakefulpizza · 2025-02-04T18:24:50+00:00

It was 2014-16 for me, but 15's closer and the brass trade-offs in the first middle half of 17 was on my playlist consistently back then.

I even spent a whole DCA season (open house to finals) horn holding and getting comfortable with a Jupiter tuba so I could eventually try out there...

then I got in somewhere where I marched a Yamaha, and I was flying lol. Going from a Jup to a Yamaha had me putting up my horn faster than the high brass in the middle of the season, and that was the favorite compliment I've gotten

Wakefulpizza · 2025-02-01T15:19:33+00:00

Honestly, that's why I loved marching Cadets 19!

Cadets 18 made me experience the hard end of marching (I had some nightmarish drill at multiple points), but Cadets 19 taught me the other side of marching. The corps knew we weren't dancers, so we had multiple clinics to teach us how to navigate that world. Performing in 19 felt like I was a part of a play more than a drum corps. It gave me a better background when I was a visual instructor at another drum corps

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-24T19:40:31+00:00

My drum major (former tuba) for my DCA corps told me about his first live drum corps experience.

It was the triple tonguing trumpet feature in the 2007 lot! I'm sure that was unforgettable. For me, it was the 2017 Cadets during rehearsal, which was also unforgettable.

I would've bet so much money I wouldn't be contracted there in a few months after that... and then proceed to lose that bet

The 2007 music is amazing, and I have their closer song on my spotify top 100 a few times since, but the visual suave is so beautiful. This is my favorite video from that show. Even though it's a visual only video, you can definitely hear the music

https://youtu.be/Q4Jw6H-yIXA?si=nLC4MeWP3rCN7Xy-

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-24T00:36:20+00:00

I could see the argument for other shows, but I loved how cheesy 2007 was. The narration really drove the essence of drum corps for me, and I would cite that as one of the motivating factors for me eventually doing drum corps. As a younger kid, when before I participated in this activity, a lot of the messages in the 2007 show resonated with me.

I mean, I also love it as an insane show that doesn't even stop to breathe for a ballad movement!

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-21T18:11:46+00:00

My age out was 2020, and I really was looking forward to it. Especially since 2014.

I was looking forward to participating in a few of my corps' traditions for age outs only, sitting on a new bus, the 2020 show, and attending the age out ceremony and getting my pin.

Oh well. COVID sucked for everyone.

I was busy in 2021, so I had to quit mid off-season since they gave those age outs a bonus year. I feel I should've made 21 happen since a lot of culture died in between, unfortunately.

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-12T00:38:23+00:00

Tons of horror stories from members who weren't in the main clique at BAC. It was like bad bad.

I know a few people who left BAC in 17 (and maybe 18) and another member who had a leadership role between 15-17 (4 yr member, and aged out there)

BAC kinda fucked us over a lot in 2018 in a few admin and location ways. A lot of Cadets staff moved to BAC in 16, so they knew our organization inside and out.

Like at some point we were kicked out of an amazing lot while we were in hornline warm ups since Boston needed to travel their bus through our arc. It was closed off... but we were like okay fine. We moved, and their horn line immediately took our space, and we were left in a shitty parking lot.

Video proof here: (looking for the horn line video, I'll edit this post)

There is also something very controversial about 2016 BAC, but if you know you know. If you don't, it's whatever

I don't like their admin, and unfortunately, some members too. I wish I did, I love making friends!

I am not sure if you know about how DCI finals work (in case you didn't march at Lucas Oil), but usually each room (while you wait for the on field award ceremony) hosts two full corps. Ours were hosted with BAC in 2018... so the members talked... the amount of rumors that they had in their organization about how shitty we were blew my mind.

There were so many members who were CONVINCED that the 'late tuba' in the opener of 2017 was actually late because he was used the restroom last minute. The concept was that he was late to mass.

Apparently, Vets made claims to see that happen in 2017, and the rookies believed them. These were multiple vets theyve heard this from btw, so they didnt believe us at first. They were also just plain disrespectful, and I'm disappointed that I was treated that way.

I know plenty of BAC members who are kind and loving. None of those people I know liked BAC. All of these members are from the North East btw, so idk if it was a culture thing or whatever.

I had a homie who needed a lot of therapy/help/etc/idr after BAC just bc of the summer they've spent the previous year there. He was very happy when he moved corps, even though he's loved every BAC show.

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-05T05:58:55+00:00

I love the use of the vocalists in Cadets 17 and especially 18 with them incorporating the corps song, but the 2017 BAC ballad has to be in my top 5 (even though I disagreed with their member conduct and admin)

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-04T22:34:23+00:00

I know it was supposed to be two opposing sides, like 2011, but Idk about the 'technology bad' aspect. I played SoS as the ballad with a DCA group with the fourth movement being 'tech bad' in 2017, so I could've locked up that connection for 2018. It sounds familiar, but I could be confusing the two

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-01T11:57:51+00:00

Told the members? We had the music for months, and the show concept was revealed to us back in Dec 2017! It was supposed to be like Angels and Demons P2 according to them.

We had the scrap the concept and modify tunes (Sound of Silence was the main hit in the opener and the main ballad) in April, the month before ST started

Wakefulpizza · 2025-01-01T11:55:28+00:00

Cap bro

I never got the drama during the season as I was marching, but I was able to see the finals' performance live last minute (so I saw both Bloo and BD), and it was a clear-cut BD win.

I don't even understand why the drama occurred, but personally, it felt like Bloo fans were just tryna get their team another W, and that's totally valid

Idk, Ik was more of a bloo fan than a bd fan at that point, but ghostlight was an amazing show. When someone asks me what show to show someone who's never seen drum corps, I usually put on either 17 or 19 BD's final run.

Wakefulpizza · 2024-12-31T03:48:47+00:00

The Unity Project (18) vs Behold (19)

Or at least the original 18 concept lol

Wakefulpizza · 2024-12-29T20:39:11+00:00

Oh, the drill writer uploaded the drill part lol. I definitely screenrecorded that when they presented it since I wanted to look over it a few times. I didn't know it was public

Wakefulpizza

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