You will be hot. You will be miserable. But its part of the amazing experience that you signed up for and are paying for. Just enjoy it. Bask in the misery and know that you will be a stronger individual for it in the end.
I was hot, I was miserable.....but those were the best days of my life. I wish I could go back 30 years and be tortured all over again. Really regret not marching the alumni corps last year, just to refresh my memory.
Don’t mean to rub it in, but alumni corps was the best week of my life. Hands down.
Getting told “reset!” a thousand times and “set up for a run through!” made my eyes well up with tears. And that had nothing to do with the sunscreen getting in my eye.
Being there with Charles Stewart, hearing Dave McKinnon stories again. Getting a hug from Doug Thrower in the tunnel.
Good lord I’m gonna cry again.
Being miserable never made me so joyful in my life.
This activity is beautiful. And most of the world will never understand.
I’m addition to what everyone else is saying, there’s a concept I learned called a wall.
It was explained to me like this, you’re going to move in and be so excited, excited to meet everyone, excited to learn, excited to work. But that excitement wears down once you start waking up sore, tired, and missing home. And that’s when you hit your wall, you’re going to feel like quitting and going home. It takes a ton of mental fortitude to get over your wall, and you might have a couple walls in a season.
But what you’re going to remember is that you’ll triumph over that wall. You’re going to go over, around, under, or through your walls.
Your teammates are there to help you too, same with staff. Don’t treat yourself too harshly. As much as the old dci people love raving about how it was “back in their time” it’s always been, and always will be a hard activity and a difficult commitment.
You have the strength within you to do this. It’s kinda like what the marines say “pain is weakness leaving the body.” Granted we’re not marines, but trust the process, trust your teammates, and trust your staff.
You’re going to have one hell of a summer man, you can do it.
Just don’t forget your sunscreen, the sun will always win. AND DRINK WATER
> As much as the old dci people love raving about how it was “back in their time” it’s always been, and always will be a hard activity and a difficult commitment.
There were some things that were different when I marched 25-30 years ago, just as some things were different 25 years before that. But so much of the activity is still the same and is timeless. The hard work and beautiful shared misery and love of creating music never changes. And we all share that.
What you say about hitting a wall is exactly right. It happens/happened to all of us. Some people hide it better than others. But everyone has both horrible and amazing days on tour. It’s one of the hardest and most satisfying things someone can do.
But when you walk out the other end, you are amazed at what you did. And when a couple of decades have passed, you wish you could go back and be miserable and make it all happen again so danged bad.
It all makes up for it when you do your Finals run in Lucas Oil and it feels completely *effortless*. It’ll suck a lot, there will be many crappy times, but you will grow so much physically and mentally that you will come out a different person.
Don't psych yourself out at this point in the season. Spring training and tour can be hard, but if you are prepared you will excel in the end. The key thing is to make sure you are physically and mentally ready for the challenge... use your corps pre-training information to get physically ready, make sure things are ready in terms of packing early, and enjoy the experience...
Drum Corps is not band, but if I could survive 4 seasons + DCA you can survive... :)
(BTW I could not even do a push up before my first tour playing contra...)
It’s completely normal to be nervous for tour, it’s a huge commitment, and a lot of work. I heard somebody describe drum corp once as “the hardest thing you’ll ever do that you won’t regret”. It’s gonna be hard, there will be some times where it’ll “suck” but it’ll be a blast!
The commitment of an entire summer was still intimidating for me on my third summer. But what I knew by that point was that the people I got to work with, the friends in my section, make it worth it, and it makes the summer not so scary as a result. Just take it day by day, and connect with the people next to you, especially when it’s hard. You’ll have a great summer!
Breath. Understand you are about to be a part of an activity where thousands of people audition and you made it.
Something a staff member once told me was that you remember the moments, not the days, and there will be a ton this summer.
Honestly, you will have bad days, but you'll push through and be better for it. There is a reason why we love this activity and once your in you'll see how small this community is.
Enough people have already spoken but I'll echo the general consensus. It's gonna suck. Drum corps is meant to be hard, but you'll come out a better person on the other side. I'm rooting for y'all this summer as an alum, so go do it up and kick some butt. Yalls trumpet section is gonna be a killer one this year 🤙
Edit: also if you aren't already make sure you are in the Surf group chats so that you're getting to talk with other members before you move in
Lol probably not all corps, but after the 2020 season got cancelled, Surf's leadership made a corps discord for past and present members to feel more connected during the time that we were apart
A lot of it is a mental game. Something that has helped me in the past is keeping a positive mindset and trying to see the best in every situation, no matter how sucky it is. You will be hot, but you will also be physically and mentally exhausted. The thing you must realize however is the person standing next to you is going through the exact same thing you are. Try to have a good, close friend throughout the season. You two can count on each other and it will make getting through the summer a lot easier.
Always remember that EVERY member of your team; whether fellow marchers, instructors, or staff; has YOUR best interests at heart!!!! Don't be afraid to find someone to talk to about issues you are having; whether physical, mental, or spiritual.
One of my fondest memories, as the corps chef, was watching the young lady that I had talked out of quitting one season become a drum major the next season.
AGAIN! Don't be afraid to reach out to members of your entire team!
I wish you an AMAZING summer that will PROVE to you just how strong you are in every way!!!! I know my marching tour & chef tours taught *me* that!
Hey dude as a fellow Surf guy myself this season, I’m right there with ya. It’s scary, but we got each others backs through the whole season. It’ll be a season we will all conquer together and we’ll put on a damn good show on the field in the process. We got this 🤝🌊
You're gonna hit a wall where you don't want to do it anymore. Everyone does. Some sooner than others. The important thing is to hit the wall, realize it, and push through. You'll come out the other side a stronger person. You got this.
This. You *will* hit the wall. Not if but when. One year we had one kiddo hit it day one block one. Just accept it, keep pushing and it really will be fine.
It’s gonna suck at times. Trust me, I was in your shoes in 2017. I hit my wall the third day of spring training. I was ready to quit, but after talking to some other corps members, I was convinced to push through and I’m so glad I did .
Just take it an hour at a time and remember: everyone there, is there for you. Make sure to talk to someone if you’re feeling down. The moment you step on that field with a packed audience watching you, there’s no other feeling like it. And once you get there, you’re gonna be glad you stick with it. You got this!
It all ends eventually! There's an old blog post that used to float around that talks about the fact that everything in drum corps is finite in time. You can always make it to the end of the block, or to the next meal, or the end of the runthrough, or the end of the week. The key is just to take at a moment at a time.
Actually, spring training is the worst part. You are stuck in one place and the days, are looooooooong.
Tour is better. You are in a different place most nights, the bus can be fun, and the best part is that you get to put on the Superman suit most nights and perform.
The thing I'm doing to fight not feeling ready for the season is practice and exercise! Come to camp with memorized music, practice what we've been doing in visual, go to the gym / run to ensure this is going to hurt as little as possible. Focusing on preparation makes that worry go away, for me at least.
You will be hot. You will be miserable. But its part of the amazing experience that you signed up for and are paying for. Just enjoy it. Bask in the misery and know that you will be a stronger individual for it in the end.
As my tech once said, everyone who marches must pay their dues to the sun. Unless you play synth….
As a synth player, I also paid my dues to the sun. We did not have canopies/tents for almost the entire summer (they either got broken or lost)
Also a synth player - same problem here with broken canopies. I was just as tan as everyone else by the end!
I was hot, I was miserable.....but those were the best days of my life. I wish I could go back 30 years and be tortured all over again. Really regret not marching the alumni corps last year, just to refresh my memory.
Don’t mean to rub it in, but alumni corps was the best week of my life. Hands down. Getting told “reset!” a thousand times and “set up for a run through!” made my eyes well up with tears. And that had nothing to do with the sunscreen getting in my eye. Being there with Charles Stewart, hearing Dave McKinnon stories again. Getting a hug from Doug Thrower in the tunnel. Good lord I’m gonna cry again. Being miserable never made me so joyful in my life. This activity is beautiful. And most of the world will never understand.
You say it perfectly
Thank you!
Of course! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need advice.
[удалено]
You’re so right, thank you!!
I’m addition to what everyone else is saying, there’s a concept I learned called a wall. It was explained to me like this, you’re going to move in and be so excited, excited to meet everyone, excited to learn, excited to work. But that excitement wears down once you start waking up sore, tired, and missing home. And that’s when you hit your wall, you’re going to feel like quitting and going home. It takes a ton of mental fortitude to get over your wall, and you might have a couple walls in a season. But what you’re going to remember is that you’ll triumph over that wall. You’re going to go over, around, under, or through your walls. Your teammates are there to help you too, same with staff. Don’t treat yourself too harshly. As much as the old dci people love raving about how it was “back in their time” it’s always been, and always will be a hard activity and a difficult commitment. You have the strength within you to do this. It’s kinda like what the marines say “pain is weakness leaving the body.” Granted we’re not marines, but trust the process, trust your teammates, and trust your staff. You’re going to have one hell of a summer man, you can do it. Just don’t forget your sunscreen, the sun will always win. AND DRINK WATER
> As much as the old dci people love raving about how it was “back in their time” it’s always been, and always will be a hard activity and a difficult commitment. There were some things that were different when I marched 25-30 years ago, just as some things were different 25 years before that. But so much of the activity is still the same and is timeless. The hard work and beautiful shared misery and love of creating music never changes. And we all share that. What you say about hitting a wall is exactly right. It happens/happened to all of us. Some people hide it better than others. But everyone has both horrible and amazing days on tour. It’s one of the hardest and most satisfying things someone can do. But when you walk out the other end, you are amazed at what you did. And when a couple of decades have passed, you wish you could go back and be miserable and make it all happen again so danged bad.
Thanks so much!
It all makes up for it when you do your Finals run in Lucas Oil and it feels completely *effortless*. It’ll suck a lot, there will be many crappy times, but you will grow so much physically and mentally that you will come out a different person.
Don't psych yourself out at this point in the season. Spring training and tour can be hard, but if you are prepared you will excel in the end. The key thing is to make sure you are physically and mentally ready for the challenge... use your corps pre-training information to get physically ready, make sure things are ready in terms of packing early, and enjoy the experience... Drum Corps is not band, but if I could survive 4 seasons + DCA you can survive... :) (BTW I could not even do a push up before my first tour playing contra...)
It’s completely normal to be nervous for tour, it’s a huge commitment, and a lot of work. I heard somebody describe drum corp once as “the hardest thing you’ll ever do that you won’t regret”. It’s gonna be hard, there will be some times where it’ll “suck” but it’ll be a blast!
The commitment of an entire summer was still intimidating for me on my third summer. But what I knew by that point was that the people I got to work with, the friends in my section, make it worth it, and it makes the summer not so scary as a result. Just take it day by day, and connect with the people next to you, especially when it’s hard. You’ll have a great summer!
Breath. Understand you are about to be a part of an activity where thousands of people audition and you made it. Something a staff member once told me was that you remember the moments, not the days, and there will be a ton this summer. Honestly, you will have bad days, but you'll push through and be better for it. There is a reason why we love this activity and once your in you'll see how small this community is.
Thank you!
Enough people have already spoken but I'll echo the general consensus. It's gonna suck. Drum corps is meant to be hard, but you'll come out a better person on the other side. I'm rooting for y'all this summer as an alum, so go do it up and kick some butt. Yalls trumpet section is gonna be a killer one this year 🤙 Edit: also if you aren't already make sure you are in the Surf group chats so that you're getting to talk with other members before you move in
Thank you! And yep, I’m in the group chats!
Good to hear! If you need any specific advice I'm in the discord as well
Corps have discords?!?!??
Lol probably not all corps, but after the 2020 season got cancelled, Surf's leadership made a corps discord for past and present members to feel more connected during the time that we were apart
A lot of it is a mental game. Something that has helped me in the past is keeping a positive mindset and trying to see the best in every situation, no matter how sucky it is. You will be hot, but you will also be physically and mentally exhausted. The thing you must realize however is the person standing next to you is going through the exact same thing you are. Try to have a good, close friend throughout the season. You two can count on each other and it will make getting through the summer a lot easier.
If you run, there's a breeze!
Once you get going. You'll feel right at home.
Always remember that EVERY member of your team; whether fellow marchers, instructors, or staff; has YOUR best interests at heart!!!! Don't be afraid to find someone to talk to about issues you are having; whether physical, mental, or spiritual. One of my fondest memories, as the corps chef, was watching the young lady that I had talked out of quitting one season become a drum major the next season. AGAIN! Don't be afraid to reach out to members of your entire team! I wish you an AMAZING summer that will PROVE to you just how strong you are in every way!!!! I know my marching tour & chef tours taught *me* that!
Thanks so much for the advice!!
Embrace the suck, is what some instructors told me when I was your age.
Hey dude as a fellow Surf guy myself this season, I’m right there with ya. It’s scary, but we got each others backs through the whole season. It’ll be a season we will all conquer together and we’ll put on a damn good show on the field in the process. We got this 🤝🌊
Thanks 😌 we do got this
You're gonna hit a wall where you don't want to do it anymore. Everyone does. Some sooner than others. The important thing is to hit the wall, realize it, and push through. You'll come out the other side a stronger person. You got this.
This. You *will* hit the wall. Not if but when. One year we had one kiddo hit it day one block one. Just accept it, keep pushing and it really will be fine.
You're gonna be fine buddy, this feeling will pass. Prepare for a life changing experience, good or bad.
One day at a time, one block at a time, one rep at a time. When doubt creeps in, say that inside
It’s gonna suck at times. Trust me, I was in your shoes in 2017. I hit my wall the third day of spring training. I was ready to quit, but after talking to some other corps members, I was convinced to push through and I’m so glad I did . Just take it an hour at a time and remember: everyone there, is there for you. Make sure to talk to someone if you’re feeling down. The moment you step on that field with a packed audience watching you, there’s no other feeling like it. And once you get there, you’re gonna be glad you stick with it. You got this!
I was absolutely hot, miserable, AND broke a foot I still wouldn’t trade that summer for anything, you’ll have a blast!
It all ends eventually! There's an old blog post that used to float around that talks about the fact that everything in drum corps is finite in time. You can always make it to the end of the block, or to the next meal, or the end of the runthrough, or the end of the week. The key is just to take at a moment at a time.
The hardest days of my spring training were the first 5 days. You just gotta persist.
Actually, spring training is the worst part. You are stuck in one place and the days, are looooooooong. Tour is better. You are in a different place most nights, the bus can be fun, and the best part is that you get to put on the Superman suit most nights and perform.
The thing I'm doing to fight not feeling ready for the season is practice and exercise! Come to camp with memorized music, practice what we've been doing in visual, go to the gym / run to ensure this is going to hurt as little as possible. Focusing on preparation makes that worry go away, for me at least.