Some advice for those about to march drum corps...

About to March Drum Corps?



 Some thoughts as you get ready for the summer. 

1) Accept the fact that 95% of your daily existence is out of your control and “Embrace the Suck!”  Things will be tough; that is what you signed up for. You will be pushed extremely hard; again, what you signed up for. It will be hot; it is summer. You will take cold showers; again, it is part of the deal. There will be crappy fields, crazy schedules, long bus rides, short EPL, frantic show warm-ups etc…Complaining about any of these things helps NO ONE! So, DON’T! EVER!!!! I mean it! 

2) You grow the most when you are out of your comfort zone. You are going to be uncomfortable and feel overwhelmed. Great! That is what makes drum corps fun, and why only a select type of person can do this crazy activity. You will, most definitely, grow this summer.


3) Your attitude and your performance are your greatest commodities to the drum corps. Everyone brings joy to a room, some when they enter and some when they leave. Which one will you be? What will your legacy be in the long history of this drum corps? Make every performance memorable by performing from your heart. Every performance also includes every rep.

4) Stay in PRESENT time. Focus on now. Your performance will always happen in the present. Dwelling on the past or worrying about the future only take away from your complete mental focus on the PRESENT. First time-Every time! Invest completely in every rep. Nothing else matters.

5) The goal is improvement and progress. Failure is a part of the learning process, but should be reduced through mental sharpness and relentless pursuit of improvement. Be determined to not let something happen again, but do not get upset. When emotions get involved, our rational brain shuts down, and so will your performance level.

6) Be your own best teacher. How good will the corps be, if everyone played and marched like you? Expect more from yourself and never settle.

7) If you are ever feeling down or frustrated, which will probably happen, picture yourself “under the helmet” walking into Lucas Oil for Finals. Everything will get better. I promise.


8) The staff is here to help, and part of helping is criticism and redirection. Do not take it personally; just get better.

9) Remember, you are entitled to NOTHING! You earned the right to work your tail off. That is it. Thousands have gone before you to provide you this opportunity and gift. You owe it to all of them to pay this gift forward. Fully invest in every rep and you will have an amazing summer.

 10) Treasure every moment. It will be gone soon enough and this edition of your corps will not exist ever again in three months. Play! March! Perform! Believe! These memories will last a lifetime. 
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."  Vince Lombardi
Have a great summer! 
Location: Suwanee, GA 30024, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Battle for another day...Successive Approximations and the Middle School Band

Image
"Battle for another day!" Thoughts on the Middle School Music Rehearsal When I was an undergrad, I was first introduced to Bruner's Spiral Learning Theory . At the time, the concept was presented as an abstract ideal with little to no direct application. The idea of learning concepts and continually revisiting those concepts and layering new learning onto the previous concepts which eventually led to mastery seemed to be common sense. Yet, when faced with the cold reality of developing my own curriculum and teaching in a room filled with young energetic minds the theory was quickly forgotten. I was chasing the next concert or administering playing tests. The educational equivalent of walking barefoot in a dark room filled with lego pieces and sharp furniture. A lot of painful mistakes. I wanted it perfect now and I expected my students to get it "Right now!" and this was my way of setting high standards. The reality was this approach led to terrible i
Read more

This one time in drum corps... a reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 (Part 1)

Image
A reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 2017 Spirit Brass Staff at DCI World Championships 1. I really do not like doing drum corps in Louisiana, but we found a way to get better anyway I think one of the things drum corps teaches us is how to push through barriers or walls. During the summer, you are constantly challenged to push yourself mentally and physically harder than most people have pushed themselves in their regular lives. Lousiana presents many challenges that test the strength of your will, including, extreme heat, high humidity, terrible facilities, and fields which resemble mud pits or fire ant city. These were some of the toughest days of the summer, but the drum corps got better and was an important turning point for the corps during the summer. The Nacy SEALs have 40% rule: you are only at your 40% physical capacity when your mind wants to give up. You have more strength and capacity then you realize and drum corps help remind us of t
Read more

Jump Start Part 2: Helping your beginning students succeed in the first few weeks (Brass Edition)

Image
Introduction Here is an overview of some concepts I have found to be helpful when starting beginning brass players. During the first year of study, I start students on all five primary brass instruments--trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba--and we start on these instruments from the beginning of the year. Currently, our classes at South Forsyth Middle School are in homogeneous groups by instrument family; brass in one class, woodwinds in the other and percussion evenly divided between the two classes. NOTE:  I have used these same techniques in heterogeneously grouped classes, but the instructional pace is much slower in this grouping.  Helping the Students Select the Correct Instrument Helping your students select an instrument that matches both their interests and aptitudes is an essential prerequisite to their future success in music. This process may be even more important for students selecting an instrument from the brass family of instruments.  The
Read more