Marching Music

In all seriousness, this is actually pretty scary; a CBS news cast of last month’s Glassmen bus crash at the following link

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/tour.bus.crash.2.1060554.html

The Glassmen are still trying to raise funds to cover tour expenses, including arrangements for the replacement bus.  Visit their website to donate!

http://glassmen.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=63

It’s just about the middle of May and age-outs like myself are sitting behind desks and in cubicles longing for the smell of freshly cut grass, sunscreen and sweat.  (That really is what drum corps smells like, for those of you who have never marched.)  High School and college kids are excitedly shopping and packing.  The rookie girls (and some of the guys) are packing WAY too much clothing.  Parents are fighting with principals and professors to get their kids out of school early so that they don’t get behind in drill.   If you had cold feet back in November IT’S NOT TOO LATE!  Statistically, at least one member of each corps will be injured and/or quit in the next 4-6 weeks and the corps will be desperately seeking new members to replace them.  My only suggestion is that if you plan on starting your drum corps career as a hole filler, you get in there as soon as possible.  The further into move-ins you start, the more physically fit everyone else will be (and be expected to be) and the higher your risk of injury becomes.

Don’t let that scare you though.  This is a wonderful opportunity, so don’t waste it!

If you need help finding a spot, let me know and I’ll hook you up if I can!

I got an email from a friend of mine asking for my address so that she could send me a march-a-thon.  I can’t believe it’s that time of year already!

Anyway, this post investigates what march-a-thons mean to corps as well as to members.

Let’s start off with the corps.  The corps, as an organization, definitely benefits from march-a-thons.  That’s why they insist that members fill them out.  With 150 people filling out 20 or so forms each, they’re bound to get some gas money.  Think about it.  If each of 150 people brings in only $5, that means $750 for the corps proper.  Then they offer a small percentage back to the member (usually off of their tour fees) as an incentive to participate.

Just FYI, most corps don’t actually do a march-a-thon like they say.  Most just designate a rehearsal day and figure that they probably march about that much in a day, which is probably true.

Now for the member’s point of view:  Each member pays around $2,000 in tour and camp fees.  Some corps charge more.  A small percentage of the money brought in from a member’s march-a-thon really doesn’t make much of a dent in the tour fee.  If that member were to write a personal letter to friends and family asking for help with tour fees, he or she would probably get much more out of the deal.

So the point is, march-a-thons benefit the corps proper.  Personal letters benefit individual members much more.

High School band directors, this might be a great fundraising tool for you.  Keep a percentage of the money and put another percentage into the kids’ trip accounts or give it to a charity that supports school music.  Invite donors to watch a practice, performance or the march-a-thon itself.  Getting the community involved and showing they what you’re doing is always a great PR move toward future donations and participation.

Unfortunately for young music educators, it is becoming harder and harder to get a job in the current economy, much less an ideal job.  Many, like myself, are teaching outside of their specialty.  Music Ed. certification is K-12 vocal and instrumental, but teachers are rarely trained equally in all parts of the spectrum.

Even if you have known that you wanted to be a high school marching band director since you were 10 (that’s me) you may end up teaching elementary school general music or middle school theater arts.

Keep your instrumental skills up and be patient.  The economic crisis and lack of positions can’t last forever!

A couple of my friends have a related blog.  You should check it out!

http://pointtwo-five.blogspot.com/

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Having marched with a lot of different groups, in a lot of different styles, I have taken a great interest in the sport.  I grew up going to my cousins’ marching band shows and the Drum Corps International Eastern Classic in Allentown, Pa year after year.

As a second grader, I picked up my first instrument, a pair of drum sticks.  I practiced like crazy.  My grade school finally let me take cello lessons in the fourth grade, but you can’t march with a cello.  I was at the high school every night, watching the marching band practice with my parents, who were on the band staff. 

In the 5th grade, I was finally allowed to choose a wind instrument.  My parents bought me a brand new trumpet and started taking me to Sheffield for rehearsals with the Grey Knights Drum and Bugle corps less than a year later.  I marched my first show with a DCA drum corps at the age of 12. 

High school was a dream come true for me, because I could finally put on the uniform that I had been idolizing for so many years.  I was a soloist, drum major, section leader, etc.  The next logical step was Drum Corps.  I marched with the Glassmen for two years (2004 and 2005) and then the Cadets in 2006 and 2007.  (I age out this year.)

I am unbelieveably excited to see what the future holds for me.  For now, I am a music education major at Grove City College, a Cadets’ age-out, and a marching tech at Youngsville High School in Youngsville, Pa. 

I love marching music.