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Hey guys!
This is my first post on these forums so hi!!! Anyways, if I want to march in a corps after my senior year of High School, should I try out for Drum Major or Sousaphone section leader? I would really like to make Drum Major, but would really like the marching practice. Any suggestions?
By the way my senior year is 2011-2012 and I would be auditioning in 2011.

You would have more fun as a Marching member, I think. Also, they use Contras in Drumcorps, not Sousaphones

Thanks for replying! I know they use contras XD. What I meant is my school uses sousas and I was wondering if it was more beneficial to march a sousa than be a DM.

Welcome to TubaNet!

I would start by deciding which is more important to you. Is it more important to become a drum major, or is it more important to march with a drum corps? If your answer is drum major, this would be a no-brainer. If the answer is march with a corps, it is a little more complicated. If you are a drum major, will you be able to compensate for the lack of actual marching experience? I don't know any of those answers, but I believe you need to evaluate what they are. I would suggest you PM "the elephant." He might be a very good resource on the subject. He'll give you straight information, no BS. He has some experience to draw on.

yes...both have its advantages and disadvantages.
Marching style will be different from your high school marching style. Period. May be small, but still will be different. Get in shape. Nothing will put you in shape like doing corps, but at the same time, you don't want to be overwhelmed about the fitness part of it.
Talk to your band director about it. In my opinion, it may be a benefit to your band for you to march as a sousaphone over being a drum major if you march corps. Corps will likely take you out of marching band rehearsal during your whole summer.
All in all...so are you saying you'd be auditioning for the 2011 season or the 2012 season? If it's just before you'd be drum major for the band, then do sousa. If not, do whichever you'd want.
Drum corps makes you work your @$$ off, but at the same time, you end up learning a lot and it all will become worth it. And have fun.

Thanks a lot guys! I would be auditioning for the 2012 drum corps season in 2011 because if I do leadership in my band, I am required to attend a leadership camp. I would definitely rather do corps than be a DM. Also, I was wondering if it was a smart idea to practice holding up concert horns in place of a contra to practice carrying?

KembleTuba wrote:I was wondering if it was a smart idea to practice holding up concert horns in place of a contra to practice carrying?

if you don't have a marching tuba, yes. if you don't want to try that, what also works is going to some store that sells weights and buying a probably 35 lb weight disc. Yes, it is heavier than a contra. But hold it. As long as possible. You want to train yourself to get used to something heavier and harder so that when you have the contra, it's not so bad.

This is so you end up training yourself to not "belly" your horn. Every corps hates when you do that. And some may even make you do pushups for doing so.

In honesty.... 95% of what you do in marching band relates very little to the drum corps experience. In the TOP "boa" type ensembles, there are some parallels, but not enough to worry.

Do what you want. Do what you enjoy. You aren't going too get much from marching sousaphone, or enough to give you a competitive edge in a drum corps audition.

Marching, playing, practicing... it just doesn't relate well to marching band. The proof is in the pudding.

This isn't the 70's or 80's. The things that they are doing in these ensembles is way beyond push to your face and blow as loudly as possible while marking time to your knees. That had a place and a purpose, but the techniques in these ensembles is greatly refined.

Why "wait" anyways? Plenty of drum corps need players now. You can be a youngin and still get the drum corps experience and a great music education in the process. Christian Carichner would be the first man I'd email!

djwesp wrote: Why "wait" anyways?

The only reason I want to wait is because am going to be a section leader and unless I got miraculously lucky, I would have to attend leadership camp, freshman camp, and band camp. IF I could get my director to let me skip those, I would be trying out for drum corps now lol.

KembleTuba wrote:

djwesp wrote: Why "wait" anyways?

IF I could get my director to let me skip those...

Your director wouldn't let you skip marching band "orientation" type things, to be doing professionally what he/she wants you to do, anyways?

djwesp wrote:

KembleTuba wrote:

djwesp wrote: Why "wait" anyways?

IF I could get my director to let me skip those...

Your director wouldn't let you skip marching band "orientation" type things, to be doing professionally what he/she wants you to do, anyways?

The only orientation really is the freshman camp and first few days of band camp, otherwise there is a lot of stuff about the program (not the marching or playing) that is very important.

Hmmm...being a section leader of a high school sousaphone section vs. experiences gained in a drum corps.

As a person on the "other side" of that decision from you, I can tell you with complete assurance that there is no contest. March corps. As many years as you can. If it means you have to forfeit being a section leader in your high school band, no big deal. You will gain so much more from a summer corps experience.

Wes is completely correct...marching band is to drum corps as painting is to sculpture. You are better off just starting with a clean slate training with your corps other than having solid playing fundamentals (which I assume you already have at this point). Prepare for your summer in corps by learning to make the most beautiful sound you can at all dynamic levels and cleaning up your tonguing technique. When I was a brass caption head I was happiest to get members who could play with a great sound both loud and soft and could tongue cleanly...we had plenty of time to teach the subtleties of the music book. As for marching technique, the techs will teach you how to move in their own way. You may be better off NOT having marching habits that need to be broken!

You don't need to upset your band director (which is not a good idea, anyway) with this decision. Just make it clear that you intend to march corps for the summer and will be late arriving to pre-school band activities. If that means someone else who is available for the early meeting needs to take over the section leader position then LET IT HAPPEN. It's not the worst thing that will ever happen in your life, really.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks so much for all the advice guys! For me it is a hard decision that I think I should spend a lot more time on (especially since if I want to do drum corps next season time is running REALLY thin lol).

I know if you end up short on time, at the least, Pioneer needs some people...if you can't march anywhere else.

A factor to consider is what you plan to do after high school. Do you plan to go to university; if so is music likely to be your major and eventual career area?

IF uni and music are your likely goal it could be wise to concentrate on your school based activities as they are what will be looked at more closely when it comes time to get into school.

IF you can handle both and your school director is sympathetic and you can be sure of meeting commitments to two organisations you have a bit more room to move. Gaining recognised leadership skills and experience can be important for the future.

Corps will still be available (most likely) after you leave high school but most likely the school activities will only ever be available the one time.

When I was about your age, I was recruited into the Kewanee Black Knights which was one of the better corps around. I gave it a try and would have liked to continue but, it would have interfered with my school activities so I decided pretty early to choose which group I would make a commitment to. I left the corps before they became reliant on me being a member.

My feeling is that you should only take on a new activity if you are going to be dedicated to it. What ever you do - don't do things half way because you are trying to do too many.

Think carefully then do what you enjoy and enjoy what you are doing.

Good Luck!!!