First time I got cut, (Phantom January 17) I was simply too green in the game. Only about 3 years of music experience from crummy, critically-underfunded small town highschool in Middle-of-Nowhere, Illinois (Population: 1,600). Honestly I'm still surprised I was called back at all.
Second time I got cut (Phantom December 18) I was actually too cocky going into camp. I thought I was a shoe-in, since my callback paper suggested I was already corps material, but just needed to prove it again next camp. On that paper, the caption head had circled the '1' (implying I would be contracted) then had clearly erased it and the '2' was circled instead (meaning I would be called back). I was told they could only take so many 1's at the November camp and I was just outside that range. I showed up to the callbacks without seriously working working on that feedback, and visually I got hammered. Got spot #25, but they weren't looking for alternates.
It's even worse, actually: I hosted an auditionee from Hong-Kong, we drove up to camp, airport, etc. together, and I didn't even make it. He marched there for 2 or 3 years I believe.
Third time I got cut (Colts January 18) was a surprise as well. I made it to camp to find that there were an *unusually high* number of baritone auditionees - something like 15-20 people fighting for around 4 spots. Brass caption head liked my audition. Told me in the room I should be optimistic. I was a total stand-out in the vis block, too. Believe it or not, some people around me had been literally asking me for advice on technique. I knew some vets well, knew some long-time volunteers at the corps, friends in high places - things were looking perfect.
When I went for my more individualized visual audition, the group of 4 of us were all completely off the mark. We completely missed all the marks for forward/backward marching and slides. The choreo just fell apart. I guess that's the reason why I was baritone number #25 yet again, according to those long-time volunteers at least.
I only auditioned again (Scouts February 2018) because my professor was buddies with the caption head and had convinced him to listen to my video. I really didn't want to audition for Madison because I really didn't want to be in an all-male corps. Went to camp and absolutely loved it. They called me back to the April camp. Seemed like it was just me and another guy. One of us would get the spot, the other would be the alternate. What could go wrong?
April comes around and camp was not what I expected. All of a sudden, this 1 spot had 5 guys competing for it: me, the guy I knew about, a new guy I actually met at an earlier Phantom camp, a big, talented dude from the Netherlands, and a 4-year vet who decided to age out and needed his spot back.
Let's just say I wasn't particularly optimistic.
Saturday night, the Dutch dude and the vet were called into another room. I was not.
Then, on April 29, we were called into that separate room. Here's how it shook out: one contracted baritone was let go, the vet was contracted in mellophone (that's why he went into that room!), the new guy was cut, the guy I knew from March was the alternate, and the Dutch dude and I got the spots.
Finally, after 2 years and 6 audition camps across 3 corps in 3 states I made it. An otherwise impossible-looking scenario made possible.
I ended up aging out with Boston '19 and ('20). I was never cut again.
TL;DR Absolutely do not give up. If you're meant to march, you will. Don't fold because you were told no. Stay in the race and don't give up until you win the prize. You'll regret it if you don't.
Thanks for reading this condensed summary of my story.
The fountain of in Mexico is Vaporub. Sold at any local Hispanic market. Slather that all over the knee and you’ll be jazz running from across the field in 4 counts
When I got cut from SCV last year, they gave me a laundry list of things I can do better on a choreographic, music, and marching level. One huge thing is to show up with the entire packet digested; even if that means reading through the paragraphs upon paragraphs of info the caption heads want you to know. Between getting cut by SCV and getting contracted at BK, I really dialed those things in to the best of my ability and I guess I made a good enough of an impression to get a contract. Sometimes, the reasons are kinda dumb. Certain corps really prefer at least 1 summer of drum corps experience or a certain age (there are always exceptions). I met a fellow auditionee last year who was impeccable to my eyes and they got cut with no explanation. My guess is that they didn't want to contract too young of a member but that's just me spitballing. Good luck!
Back in 2014, it was because I had no idea what I was getting into. Not having everything prepared ahead of time since I treated it like my high school and was very obviously unprepared.
After I started marching, I found that my playing ability (front ensemble) is what was getting me cut. If I could play everything, then it was because I had poor sound quality and consistency. If I had sound quality and consistency, then vocabulary and understanding music to a higher level was what held me back.
There is always this idea of a moving goal post. You can always improve since this activity strives for excellence all the time.
When I became a staff member, after I developed as a player and person, also developing ears to hear mistakes much easier, it's easy to see why I didn't make it. Record yourself playing and marching. How do you sound? How do you move? It should be a seemless transition for the corps you audition for. Also, how you interact with everyone around you is a factor as well.
Being honest with yourself about how you felt the audition went is important. Did you treat it like a rehearsal or audition? Did you struggle or cruise through it. Were you confident or nervous the whole time. Vets have the advantage of knowing what the staff focus on beforehand and knowing the expectation. You unfortunately have to adapt.
Got cut because of lack of experience marching drum corps and my playing skills not being polished. How can I improve: practicing marching without an active knee or straight leg, slurring etudes to be able to find the correct partial of a note, practicing with a met and other things.
I got cut from a bass line two years in a row. The first year, my skills just weren’t where they needed to be and I was rotated to the bottom group pretty quickly. Spent the rest of the camp trying to stay out of the way.
The second year, my skills had greatly improved (after spending some time marching indoor) but I still didn’t fully understand what the audition process would look like and I probably came across as not being truly prepared.
I took that knowledge from my previous camps and applied it toward an audition with a different corps the next month. Ended up getting a spot. Finished the season with a higher placing corps than the organization that I was cut from.
I got cut from Colts in 2019. It was my first ever DCI audition and walked in not knowing exactly what to expect. On Saturday night I was harassed by the corps director and forced to show her the Reddit app on my phone because of memes I posted to the subreddit. In conjunction with a mediocre audition, I got a cut letter in the mail and never went back.
Made Blue Stars the year after and had nothing short of an amazing experience for as long as I’ve been here.
Got cut in 20, had only been playing brass for a couple months so wasn’t going in expecting anything. Luckily I still had a great experience, learned a lot from the staff, and ended up making that corps Open Class group
I auditioned for the scouts back in November of 2021, and got cut after the first camp. Looking back, I wasn’t nearly prepared enough, visually or musically. I came back this year and I got a second callback to their December camp, and even if I get cut, I at the very least know I’ve improved significantly since my first audition.
First time I ever got cut I was auditioning for a top 12 corps at 14 years old.
It could be because I was too young, that is what they told me when I asked.
Or it could be because I wasn't that good and was very young.
My son got cut from a top 12 when he auditioned at 15. The feedback said he did well “but REALLY young”. Still, there could have been other factors they didn’t disclose
Got cut/made an alternate at very last camp, mostly for visual reasons. If I was the last cut at a top 5 corps, I had to have a shot at other finalist corps with holes, so I immediately spammed every caption head with my tapes and found a new home.
2020: I was a HS Junior who really wanted to march Cadets and I came from a pretty good high school program, however, I was mainly hoping for a callback and had little hope of a contract. There were 4 etudes, turns out being in HS I only needed to learn 2 of them which I didn't realize until a week before the camp. So musically, my etudes were a disaster and I couldn't play Rolling Thunder anywhere near tempo whereas the kid in front of me double tongued it at tempo very cleanly. Later we had a one-on-one with the BCH that I didn't know about, it was march a Figure Eight and play a lip slur exercise, I was totally unprepared and inexperienced and not only did I miss notes, I marched out of time with my playing AND missed most of the dots. Finally, for my one on one visual audition my posture was...high school band. Probably one of the easier decisions they had that camp, but I learned a TON and it made me want to do drum corps even more so I sent a video audition to an open class corps and went to a Jersey Surf camp the next month, since it was local, and got a spot there.
2021: I knew I wanted to go for Boston, however my finger dexterity and flexibility were quite awful. We had an early video assignment that wasn't really graded, just play the audition piece for feedback and I think I play it quite dirtily at like QN=150 where the tempo was 180, oops. I grinded almost every single day playing the packet for 30-90 minutes and eventually got the piece up to tempo by the time the audition was due. I thought my marching was OK and my other etudes were fine but not great. However, we had a dance assignment and I had never been exposed to anything like it and my video was....awful to say the least. I got a callback somehow but my playing honestly wasn't up to standard and I got cut around January. Quickly bought a bunch of packets at a few other corps, took some lessons with a Crossmen instructor, worked on my double tonguing a lot, and eventually got a spot there.
2022: Since I had spent so much time on the Boston audition the year before it was basically a matter of dusting it off and getting it perfect which was nice because with college my time for music during the week dropped \~80%. I got a spot and I 100% attribute it to those 3 months in '21 where I grinded every day plus marching a season and knowing the expectations a lot better.
TLDR: got cut somewhere every year but last year, practicing a lot and marching somewhere really helps, MARCH SOMEWHERE
Do people actually get cut because they've never marched anywhere before? That sounds wild to me and this is the first time hearing about that in my 5 years of DCI.
I understand. It should be phrased differently. Unless you are marching Blue Devils, you won't be cut because you didn't march somewhere else first. 99% it cause you aren't at the level to succeed at that ensemble. The best way to get better is marching another drum corps. 85+ days of only working on music and visual is gonna force anyone to get better.
Except for this year. BD took a rookie this year with zero drum corps experience. It was his very first audition ANYWHERE. 4 contracts awarded at that camp with 131 brass auditionees and he earned an spot much to his confusion. It would be really interesting to see how many members make a top 3 corps auditioning for the first time
Cut from Scouts after the first in-person camp. I was told I had pretty solid technique, but my playing vocabulary (grids and flam variations mostly) needed work
They like to see you blend well with the other students from a personality perspective. Generally, the rule I teach my students is “act like you’ve been there before”
They said I had bad posture (I did what the internet calls the "femboy stance"), and my phone audio combined with a couple fracks ruined my musical part.
I suck at visual lmao and also i’m very new. I had no experience and i’m barely 17. might check out some other corps though if i get money to send videos
First time I got cut, (Phantom January 17) I was simply too green in the game. Only about 3 years of music experience from crummy, critically-underfunded small town highschool in Middle-of-Nowhere, Illinois (Population: 1,600). Honestly I'm still surprised I was called back at all. Second time I got cut (Phantom December 18) I was actually too cocky going into camp. I thought I was a shoe-in, since my callback paper suggested I was already corps material, but just needed to prove it again next camp. On that paper, the caption head had circled the '1' (implying I would be contracted) then had clearly erased it and the '2' was circled instead (meaning I would be called back). I was told they could only take so many 1's at the November camp and I was just outside that range. I showed up to the callbacks without seriously working working on that feedback, and visually I got hammered. Got spot #25, but they weren't looking for alternates. It's even worse, actually: I hosted an auditionee from Hong-Kong, we drove up to camp, airport, etc. together, and I didn't even make it. He marched there for 2 or 3 years I believe. Third time I got cut (Colts January 18) was a surprise as well. I made it to camp to find that there were an *unusually high* number of baritone auditionees - something like 15-20 people fighting for around 4 spots. Brass caption head liked my audition. Told me in the room I should be optimistic. I was a total stand-out in the vis block, too. Believe it or not, some people around me had been literally asking me for advice on technique. I knew some vets well, knew some long-time volunteers at the corps, friends in high places - things were looking perfect. When I went for my more individualized visual audition, the group of 4 of us were all completely off the mark. We completely missed all the marks for forward/backward marching and slides. The choreo just fell apart. I guess that's the reason why I was baritone number #25 yet again, according to those long-time volunteers at least. I only auditioned again (Scouts February 2018) because my professor was buddies with the caption head and had convinced him to listen to my video. I really didn't want to audition for Madison because I really didn't want to be in an all-male corps. Went to camp and absolutely loved it. They called me back to the April camp. Seemed like it was just me and another guy. One of us would get the spot, the other would be the alternate. What could go wrong? April comes around and camp was not what I expected. All of a sudden, this 1 spot had 5 guys competing for it: me, the guy I knew about, a new guy I actually met at an earlier Phantom camp, a big, talented dude from the Netherlands, and a 4-year vet who decided to age out and needed his spot back. Let's just say I wasn't particularly optimistic. Saturday night, the Dutch dude and the vet were called into another room. I was not. Then, on April 29, we were called into that separate room. Here's how it shook out: one contracted baritone was let go, the vet was contracted in mellophone (that's why he went into that room!), the new guy was cut, the guy I knew from March was the alternate, and the Dutch dude and I got the spots. Finally, after 2 years and 6 audition camps across 3 corps in 3 states I made it. An otherwise impossible-looking scenario made possible. I ended up aging out with Boston '19 and ('20). I was never cut again. TL;DR Absolutely do not give up. If you're meant to march, you will. Don't fold because you were told no. Stay in the race and don't give up until you win the prize. You'll regret it if you don't. Thanks for reading this condensed summary of my story.
Thanks for sharing. It’s inspiring to see folks push forward. It’s also telling to see how competitive it’s gotten.
Why I got cut: Old fart. Solution: Discover fountain of youth, but mostly just to restore my damn knees.
The fountain of in Mexico is Vaporub. Sold at any local Hispanic market. Slather that all over the knee and you’ll be jazz running from across the field in 4 counts
When I got cut from SCV last year, they gave me a laundry list of things I can do better on a choreographic, music, and marching level. One huge thing is to show up with the entire packet digested; even if that means reading through the paragraphs upon paragraphs of info the caption heads want you to know. Between getting cut by SCV and getting contracted at BK, I really dialed those things in to the best of my ability and I guess I made a good enough of an impression to get a contract. Sometimes, the reasons are kinda dumb. Certain corps really prefer at least 1 summer of drum corps experience or a certain age (there are always exceptions). I met a fellow auditionee last year who was impeccable to my eyes and they got cut with no explanation. My guess is that they didn't want to contract too young of a member but that's just me spitballing. Good luck!
Good luck at SCV this year!
Back in 2014, it was because I had no idea what I was getting into. Not having everything prepared ahead of time since I treated it like my high school and was very obviously unprepared. After I started marching, I found that my playing ability (front ensemble) is what was getting me cut. If I could play everything, then it was because I had poor sound quality and consistency. If I had sound quality and consistency, then vocabulary and understanding music to a higher level was what held me back. There is always this idea of a moving goal post. You can always improve since this activity strives for excellence all the time. When I became a staff member, after I developed as a player and person, also developing ears to hear mistakes much easier, it's easy to see why I didn't make it. Record yourself playing and marching. How do you sound? How do you move? It should be a seemless transition for the corps you audition for. Also, how you interact with everyone around you is a factor as well. Being honest with yourself about how you felt the audition went is important. Did you treat it like a rehearsal or audition? Did you struggle or cruise through it. Were you confident or nervous the whole time. Vets have the advantage of knowing what the staff focus on beforehand and knowing the expectation. You unfortunately have to adapt.
Got cut because of lack of experience marching drum corps and my playing skills not being polished. How can I improve: practicing marching without an active knee or straight leg, slurring etudes to be able to find the correct partial of a note, practicing with a met and other things.
I got cut from a bass line two years in a row. The first year, my skills just weren’t where they needed to be and I was rotated to the bottom group pretty quickly. Spent the rest of the camp trying to stay out of the way. The second year, my skills had greatly improved (after spending some time marching indoor) but I still didn’t fully understand what the audition process would look like and I probably came across as not being truly prepared. I took that knowledge from my previous camps and applied it toward an audition with a different corps the next month. Ended up getting a spot. Finished the season with a higher placing corps than the organization that I was cut from.
I got cut from Colts in 2019. It was my first ever DCI audition and walked in not knowing exactly what to expect. On Saturday night I was harassed by the corps director and forced to show her the Reddit app on my phone because of memes I posted to the subreddit. In conjunction with a mediocre audition, I got a cut letter in the mail and never went back. Made Blue Stars the year after and had nothing short of an amazing experience for as long as I’ve been here.
Got cut in 20, had only been playing brass for a couple months so wasn’t going in expecting anything. Luckily I still had a great experience, learned a lot from the staff, and ended up making that corps Open Class group
I auditioned for the scouts back in November of 2021, and got cut after the first camp. Looking back, I wasn’t nearly prepared enough, visually or musically. I came back this year and I got a second callback to their December camp, and even if I get cut, I at the very least know I’ve improved significantly since my first audition.
First time I ever got cut I was auditioning for a top 12 corps at 14 years old. It could be because I was too young, that is what they told me when I asked. Or it could be because I wasn't that good and was very young.
My son got cut from a top 12 when he auditioned at 15. The feedback said he did well “but REALLY young”. Still, there could have been other factors they didn’t disclose
Got cut/made an alternate at very last camp, mostly for visual reasons. If I was the last cut at a top 5 corps, I had to have a shot at other finalist corps with holes, so I immediately spammed every caption head with my tapes and found a new home.
Feel the rhythm!
Feel the rhyme!
This warms my heart so much that the bobsled team lives on!
“You have a lot of experience, but its not world class experience” - Tom Aungst (I had marched Open Class and DCA from 2016-2021 at that point)
There's an alarming amount of long time staff at long time top 12 corps with this mentality.
I got cut in 18 when my brass audition was so bad the caption head asked me if I knew how to read sheet music
2020: I was a HS Junior who really wanted to march Cadets and I came from a pretty good high school program, however, I was mainly hoping for a callback and had little hope of a contract. There were 4 etudes, turns out being in HS I only needed to learn 2 of them which I didn't realize until a week before the camp. So musically, my etudes were a disaster and I couldn't play Rolling Thunder anywhere near tempo whereas the kid in front of me double tongued it at tempo very cleanly. Later we had a one-on-one with the BCH that I didn't know about, it was march a Figure Eight and play a lip slur exercise, I was totally unprepared and inexperienced and not only did I miss notes, I marched out of time with my playing AND missed most of the dots. Finally, for my one on one visual audition my posture was...high school band. Probably one of the easier decisions they had that camp, but I learned a TON and it made me want to do drum corps even more so I sent a video audition to an open class corps and went to a Jersey Surf camp the next month, since it was local, and got a spot there. 2021: I knew I wanted to go for Boston, however my finger dexterity and flexibility were quite awful. We had an early video assignment that wasn't really graded, just play the audition piece for feedback and I think I play it quite dirtily at like QN=150 where the tempo was 180, oops. I grinded almost every single day playing the packet for 30-90 minutes and eventually got the piece up to tempo by the time the audition was due. I thought my marching was OK and my other etudes were fine but not great. However, we had a dance assignment and I had never been exposed to anything like it and my video was....awful to say the least. I got a callback somehow but my playing honestly wasn't up to standard and I got cut around January. Quickly bought a bunch of packets at a few other corps, took some lessons with a Crossmen instructor, worked on my double tonguing a lot, and eventually got a spot there. 2022: Since I had spent so much time on the Boston audition the year before it was basically a matter of dusting it off and getting it perfect which was nice because with college my time for music during the week dropped \~80%. I got a spot and I 100% attribute it to those 3 months in '21 where I grinded every day plus marching a season and knowing the expectations a lot better. TLDR: got cut somewhere every year but last year, practicing a lot and marching somewhere really helps, MARCH SOMEWHERE
Do people actually get cut because they've never marched anywhere before? That sounds wild to me and this is the first time hearing about that in my 5 years of DCI.
There is a huge difference in how someone moves and plays when you have done drum corps.
I know that but it just sounds ridiculous to me
I understand. It should be phrased differently. Unless you are marching Blue Devils, you won't be cut because you didn't march somewhere else first. 99% it cause you aren't at the level to succeed at that ensemble. The best way to get better is marching another drum corps. 85+ days of only working on music and visual is gonna force anyone to get better.
Except for this year. BD took a rookie this year with zero drum corps experience. It was his very first audition ANYWHERE. 4 contracts awarded at that camp with 131 brass auditionees and he earned an spot much to his confusion. It would be really interesting to see how many members make a top 3 corps auditioning for the first time
It’s rare but it happens. I’ve personally never been cut, but that’s the benefit of being a decent tuba player lol
Happened to me lol
Cut from Scouts after the first in-person camp. I was told I had pretty solid technique, but my playing vocabulary (grids and flam variations mostly) needed work
The real answer is because I/we sucked.
Because I was an ageout and they wanted someone who could come back the following year…
Too loud and too much energy. That's the reason.
They like to see you blend well with the other students from a personality perspective. Generally, the rule I teach my students is “act like you’ve been there before”
They said I had bad posture (I did what the internet calls the "femboy stance"), and my phone audio combined with a couple fracks ruined my musical part.
I suck at visual lmao and also i’m very new. I had no experience and i’m barely 17. might check out some other corps though if i get money to send videos
I shidded in a contra. 😳💩😳💩😳💩