5.14 Rehearsal information (Drum corps)
Description
This article is from the Drum corps FAQ, by Cathy Doser cathyd@halcyon.com with numerous contributions by others.
5.14 Rehearsal information (Drum corps)
Paul D. Herzog
I marched four years (1986-1988 Colts, 1989 Bergen County) and am
asked one question more than any other: What is a corps' rehearsal
schedule like, both in camps and on the road?
A corps consistently has their first rehearsal around the weekend after
Thanksgiving. This camp has little actual rehearsal, and is used for the
corps' veterans to re-acquaint and for the rookies to the get the feel of the
activity as a whole. The actual camp schedule afterward will usually be:
- 1 camp in January
- 1 camp in February
- 1 camp in March
- 1 (perhaps 2) camps in April
- 2 camps in May
Most top 12 corps require all members to be "moved in" by Memorial Day
camp, after which daily (or at least multiple times per week) rehearsals
start. A typical camp varies from corps to corps, but nearly all corps
have a camp from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.....here is an
example schedule from a top-25 and a top-5 corps:
Top 25 Top 5 ====== ===== Friday 6-8:30 PM Members arrive 6-8:30 PM 8:30-9 Welcome from director 8:30-9 9-12 AM Sectional rehearsal 9-1 AM 12-1 Snack 1-2 AM 1 AM Lights Out 2 AM Saturday 8:30 AM Get Up/Breakfast 8 AM 9:30-10 Calistenics/stretching 9-9:30 10-1 PM M & M 9:30-2 PM 1-2 Lunch 2-3 2-6 PM Sectionals 3-8 PM 6-7 Dinner 8-9 7-11 PM Ensemble rehearsal 9-2 AM 11-12 AM Snack 2-3 12 AM Lights Out 3 AM Sunday 8 AM Get Up/Breakfast 9 AM 9-9:30 Calistenics/stretching 10-10:30 9:30-1 PM Sectionals 10:30-2 PM 1-4 PM Ensemble 2-4 PM 4-5 Snack 4-5 5-6 Clean up/pack 5-6 6 PM Get the hell out 6 PM
Drummers, since the emphasis is completely on playing as a line,
rather than individuals, will often have their own rehearsals, not as strict,
more to get used to being around each other than to really learn the summer
program. These rehearsals will usually split the monthly camps (i.e.
Camp on the 1st, drum practice on the 15th).
Once a corps is on the road, the schedule tends to be the same
nearly every day, since there are shows (and for the Top 5, clinics) nearly
every day. A typical schedule may look like this:
9-10 AM Get Up/Breakfast
10-10:30 Cals/stretching
10:30-2 PM Sectionals (M & M for the horns, usually)
2-3 Lunch
3-5:30 Ensemble rehearsal
5:30-7 Dinner/Clean the school/Pack/Get in uniform
7-7:30 Travel to show site
7:30-8:30 Warm up
8:30 Show Time!
11:00 Finish with retreat
12:00 AM Pull out for next town
4:30 Arrive at next town
4:30-9:00 AM Sleep on a gym floor
A corps on the road will usually have about two days a week with no
shows, and the day is usually devoted to a little extra rehearsal (2-3
hours), laundry (sometimes!), relaxation time, etc. There are usually
two or three free days over the course of a summer, where the corps will
go to the movies, amusement parks, the ocean (I still have great
memories of two days in Ocean City, MD), where the corps members can
spend all their money on junk food and other refreshments (for the age-
outs, anyway), souvenirs, and whatever other tourist traps they fall into.
Continue to:
My Books
