Drum corps and college

[JK8699]

I'm making my final decisions on college right now. It comes down to a smaller school that I really like but has no marching band and a larger school I don't like as much but has a marching band. I don't intend on majoring in music- I just want music to continue being part of my life. I definitely want to do drum corps before I turn 22. I guess I'm wondering if going to a small school without a marching band makes it harder for you to audition/make it into a corps. Does not having constant marching band practice hurt your chances of getting a contract? If anyone is in this situation, please help!

[MrSirEric]

I'm not in this exact position, but I think I know something that will help. My cousin goes to college in Tennessee, and she does color guard. The school she attends has no band or guard, but another school nearby, Vanderbilt, does. She reached out to the directors of their program and they allowed her to spin with them. I don't know if this would work for you since I don't know how close the two schools you're considering are, but it's a thought.

As to how it would affect your chances of doing drum corps, it isn't necessary to marching college to do drum corps, but it can help. If you own your own drum and harness, and have a space nearby where you're living where you can practice marching, I wouldn't worry about going to the larger school because you'll have everything you need to practice on your own. If all you have is a practice pad you may want to consider it, but it's still not 100% necessary. Work your hands, work hand/foot timing, but be sure to work out as well and still practice marching technique even if you don't have a drum to wear while doing it.

[gloriousgoo]

My cousin goes to college in Tennessee, and she does color guard. The school she attends has no band or guard, but another school nearby, Vanderbilt, does. She reached out to the directors of their program and they allowed her to spin with them.

This was less of an exception and more of the rule with us. Vandy kids don't have time to do band so we mostly outsource it to Belmont. It's around 70% students from other schools on a yearly basis. So it might not be as normal at schools where that isn't the case to have a non-student marching with them.

[MrSirEric]

My cousin goes to college in Tennessee, and she does color guard. The school she attends has no band or guard, but another school nearby, Vanderbilt, does. She reached out to the directors of their program and they allowed her to spin with them.

This was less of an exception and more of the rule with us. Vandy kids don't have time to do band so we mostly outsource it to Belmont. It's around 70% students from other schools on a yearly basis. So it might not be as normal at schools where that isn't the case to have a non-student marching with them.

Good to know, I didn't realize this was so common there.

Also, when you said Vandy I got really confused for a second because we always call our sister/rival school, Vandergrift, Vandy.

[Mrnicknick02]

I'm somewhat in that same predicament, but in few years from now. You see, I plan on attending MTSU or if not Austin Peay after high school. The thing is I want to march Academy, then after that for my last two years I plan to march MCDC or SOA if I get cut from one then go to the other and see what happens. The thing is, while I'm playing mad beats with either of the corps mentioned in the lot I would imagine both colleges would be start doing drill and working on their opener around that time. After I come back from tour, how am I supposed to hop in the drill that the band had started a month ago?

[MrSirEric]

I'm somewhat in that same predicament, but in few years from now. You see, I plan on attending MTSU or if not Austin Peay after high school. The thing is I want to march Academy, then after that for my last two years I plan to march MCDC or SOA if I get cut from one then go to the other and see what happens. The thing is, while playing mad beats with either of the corps mentioned in the lot I would imagine both colleges would be start doing drill and working on their opener around that time. After I come back from tour, how am I supposed to hop in the drill that the band had started a month ago?

With that, you'd just have to work harder to catch up after you get back from tour. There was one guy in our band who marched Crossmen last summer, and he missed about a month of summer camp while on tour. When he got back, he just spent extra time before and after rehearsal working to catch up, and he really had no trouble doing so since what we were doing was so much easier than what he had spent a whole summer doing.