Auditioning For a Drum Corps Drumline

by Zack Rodriguez

So you’re a hot shot snare drummer who can grid any cheesed rudiment over a 7/16 pattern while running backwards diagonally at 220 beats per minute playing at a 22″ stick height…but you can’t play 16 consistent 8th notes in a row to save your neck. Thanks, try again next year. This senario is seen all to often at an audition for drum and bugle corps drum lines.

These days, the top drumlines in the world are more musical than mechanical. Their sound can often have the finesse of the Chicago Symphony string section, the tone quality of Canadian Brass, or even the showmanship of the Boston Pops. The days of playing the hardest and fastest rudiments to win a DCI Championship trophy are over.

The first step to take when auditioning for a drum corps drumline is to find out for whom you are going to audition. Many drum corps have drastically different musical and technical styles. Decide what moves you. Do you like the big flashy style of the Madison Scouts, or the dark yet jazzy Blue Devils? Do you enjoy the symphonic sounds of the Phantom Regiment, or would you prefer the big-production-value shows of The Cadets? There are so many different styles and sounds that these drumlines project, but it’s entirely up to you which one is right for you.

Once you know who you want to audition for, it’s a good idea to find out more about their technique, and even the type of stick they use. Practicing like the line you are going to audition for will give you a clear advantage over your competition. Watch drum corps videos of your favorite corps, or, if you have the opportunity to go to a live drum corps show sometime in the summer, DO IT! And if you can find out where your favorite drumline is rehearsing during the day, you should definitely make it a point to go check them out. Many drum corps let you video tape the warm-ups, and, sometimes, even the full corps rehearsals. Often, drum corps give clinics throughout the summer at many of these shows. These are great for learning the breakdown on technique, the types of notes the drummers are playing, theory on musicality, learning about endurance, etc. One thing that a lot of drum corps are doing these days to help with the auditioning of new members is selling audition packets prior to the try-out. These packets usually contain the actual warm-ups and exercises that the drumline will utilize at the audition camps and during the summer. Sometimes they will even include an exerpt of music from the show from the previous summer. The good books will have long detailed sections explaining how your hands should look, a breakdown of stick heights for different dynamics, and even pictures to illustrate these ideas.

Practice what you know, not what you think you know. Take all the information you learned from your videos, books, and experiences and process it. Practice every day, and practice with a metronome. If you don’t have one, GET ONE! A $30 investment in a tiny Casio metronome can put you in a clear advantage over someone who doesn’t practice with a metronome. Trust me, they will know who uses a met, and who doesn’t. Practice your exercises using any variation in tempo and dynamic level that you can think of. If you start getting sloppy at certain speeds or heights, then spend the time on that speed or height that it takes to get comfortable. Then, once you get comfortable, move on to something else. Keeping it fresh will keep your brain ready for anything that will be thrown at you at the audition. Just remember that once something does become easy, don’t let it become second nature. Once you can play 8 on a hand at 9″ perfectly in time, do it every day to make sure that you can do it at the drop of a hat. It will also be important to video and audio tape yourself when practicing. Believe me, the camera doesn’t lie. Practice smart, otherwise you are just wasting time with mindless hacking.

When the day comes for you to audition, DON’T FREAK OUT! There will be a lot of other people there that appear to have great hands, and will challenge you to “chop out” with them. When you accept the challenge, and see that this guy just played flam drags faster than you’ve ever seen, DON’T FREAK OUT! Consistency is the key, not worrying about the other guy. You only have control over what your hands are doing.

You will be asked to audition individually, you will be asked to audition with the full line, then you will be judged individually again. The auditioner will play mind games with you to test your mental strength. Given the fact that 90% of the people auditioning for one spot will be able to play the material well, it has to come down to something else: your mental preparedness. If you can last an entire weekend of 16 hour days, and play just as good at noon on Sunday as you did at 7:00 on Friday night, then you have a good shot.

A word about attitude. Remember that guy that wanted to have a drum-off with every other person auditioning. Guess where he’ll be by the time the summer rolls around? In the crowd cheering on his favorite drum corps. What happened? This guy was great! Or was he? Nope. When he went in for his individual audition, sure he played some crazy-fast rudimental jibberish that was loud as all get out. But guess what. As soon as he tried to play 8 on a hand with a metronome, it was all over road. And when he went into his full line audition, forget about it. It was like there was a drumline, and this guy hanging around it. No attention to the player next to him, no attention to detail, no chance at making the line. NEXT!

This guy was cocky. The judge knew from the start that he was going to be trouble. He came in trash talking other drummers, trying to get in on the inside jokes with all the vets, with an ego the size of the Empire State Building. Just be cool. Let your playing do the talking for you. You’ll get the chance to cut up with the vets, after you make the line. Until then, just learn.

Many drum corps auditions are a long process. Often, you won’t know at the first camp whether or not you made the cut. Usually, you will be asked to return for a second audition, probably around a month later. If this is the case, don’t rest easy yet. Usually they will send you more music via Email, or even snail mail. Having this music down cold by the next camp could guarantee you a spot on the line. Again, consistency is key. If you can play a piece perfectly, and exactly the same every time, it’s all good. The judge will note this, and, with luck, award you with a spot on the drumline.

The fact is, most people who audition for a top drumline don’t make it their first time around. Often it will take two or even three tries before you make it. Whatever the case is, don’t give up! If you want it bad enough, you’ll get it.

by Zack Rodriguez

former student of Prof. Lane

member of the EIU Midwest Funk Factory Drum line 1997, 1998, 1999 snare section leader 1999.

member of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps drum line 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001. Bass drum section leader 2000 and 2001.

Tags: Audition, drum corps, drumline, EIU, funk factory