The information on this page is exclusively for those interested in auditioning for the 2008 Santa Clara Vanguard Cymbal Line. Please read all of the information carefully.
Regarding Cymbal Auditions:
There is no official audition packet this year for potential cymbal players in SCV. Any and all techniques, exercises, music, etc., will be handed out at the camp. If you are unable to attend the first camp, you may email Murray Gusseck at mgusseck@scvanguard.org for information on how to obtain any materials that were handed out at the first camp. The following information is designed by the staff to help you understand what to expect and how to prepare for the first audition camp.
Physical Conditioning:
The single-most important factor for being in the Vanguard cymbal line is the ability to manipulate the cymbals with ease. The typical size and weight of cymbals that SCV uses are Zildjian 20" Stadium Series or Classic Orchestrals. These will get heavy in a hurry if you are not conditioned. Much of the cymbal line's training involves sheer strengthening and toning exercises. While nothing takes the place of working with actual cymbals, practicing crashes, holds, etc., understandably you may not have access to cymbals all the time, or the ability to practice crashes without having the police called to your house. So in these cases, basic upper body strengthening exercises like push-ups can help a lot. The following is one of the main actual exercise routines that the SCV cymbal line goes through at EVERY REHEARSAL:
- Do 25 push-ups, then immediately get up, put on your cymbals (with no time to rest!!) and hold them in Flat position (cymbals in front of your chest and about 2 fist lengths off your chest). Hold the plates at Flat for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Keep your breathing calm and isolate the work. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Do 25 more push-ups. After the second set of push-ups, put your cymbals back on (no rest time!) and hold the cymbals at Port position (cymbal bell at mustache level and 2 fist lengths away from your face). Hold the cymbals at Port for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Keep your breathing calm and isolate the work. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Do another 25 push-ups, or as many as you can do. Put your cymbals back on and set at Tap position (cymbals at a 90 degree angle, like an upside-down "V", with the tops of the cymbals at eye level and 2 fist lengths away from face). Hold here until your physical strength is completely gone and can no longer hold them up. DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE.
IMPORTANT: While this routine is part of the every-day training of this cymbal line, newcomers should not expect to jump into this exact routine right away. If you are relatively new to cymbal playing of this sort, you will need to work up to it slowly by starting with fewer push-ups and more rest time. Trying to do all this without any sort of work-up to it can result in damaging your muscles and setting you back. The important thing is to pay attention to your body and follow your intuitions. If you feel like you're damaging your body, you probably are! And again, breathe...
If you have been playing cymbals for a while and think you have the basic requisite strength, this routine can be attainable much sooner since your muscles already have some conditioning. Start with once a day, and work toward twice a day. If at anytime you feel that this is getting too easy, do more push-ups and/or add more minutes to the holds. Remember: The whole point of this is to build physical and mental strength. It should not be easy. If you make the A-corps, you will be doing this every day. Learning to breathe easily and isolate the areas of your body that are doing work will help immensely.
Running 20-30 minutes a day is also a very important and regular part of the SCV cymbal line routine. Again, build up to this slowly and smoothly. Avoid running on concrete. Many drum corps members have had to quit because of knee problems. Running on concrete will help ensure that you will have knee problems sooner rather than later. Good running shoes are a must. If you must run on concrete, rather than grass or a running track, good shoes will help.
If you are able to work these exercise routines into your life leading up to the auditions, you will find yourself well prepared physically.
Timing Considerations:
The cymbal line music will contain difficult split parts, much like the bass drum section's parts. The next most important thing for you to be adept at is a sense of timing while marking time with the feet. You need to be able to accurately play isolated parts of the quarter note subdivision in both duple and triple feel (16th's and 8th note triplets). Practice the following simple exercises by clapping or singing the rhythms over the top of a metronome while marking time with the feet. The heel of the foot marks the beat, so be conscious of this as you practice -- when the heel hits the ground, that's the pulse (and it's an exact science!). Start off at 60bpm on the met. This is important: As you practice these various simple subdivisions, you have to be able to nail these rhythms EXACTLY. Close does not count like it does in horseshoes and hand grenades. Plus, you have to be able to relax as you do it. So start slow where you can hear and feel and speak the rhythms clearly. If you can do it slow with ease, fast is easier still.
Cymbal Rhythms (40k - Adobe PDF)
Sound Vocabulary:
The last topic of interest for your audition will be your vocabulary of sounds. You will be shown how to do the various crashes that are the standard repertoire of this cymbal line, so we will not go into that here. Suffice it to say that you need to have an ear for what constitutes a good-sounding orchestral crash, with a slight flam on the attack and a warm, full-bodied sound for the release. In addition to a few types of crashes, the cymbal line regularly plays combinations of different sound effects -- sometimes one right after another -- in the context of the music. These effects are generally named like the sounds they create. Some of these are:
- Taps -- tapping the edge of one cymbal with the other;
- Zings -- scraping outward along the inside of the bow of one cymbal with the edge of the other;
- Dings -- a tap, but this time against the inside bell;
- Sucks -- a vacuum effect achieved by placing the cymbals directly against each other vertically (but with one cymbal slightly higher than the other) and then aggressively bringing the cymbals in alignment with one another, causing the vacuum effect to occur;
- Sizzles -- bringing the cymbals together vertically, but with a gentler force causing a sustained "sizzle" to sound;
- Sizz-Sucks -- a Sizzle followed by a Suck;
- Crunches -- slamming the cymbals together from a distance for a forceful hi-hat sound.
The Season:
Full attendance at all camps will be crucial to our success and is therefore mandatory. Exceptions to this will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Keep in mind that an effort has been made to avoid scheduling conflicts with most California and Nevada WGI regionals as well as WGI Championships. Absences due to any other winter percussion conflicts are not acceptable.
Due to the special requirements of the cymbal section training program, members of the cymbal line are expected to move in no later than February 1. This move-in date does not apply to any other section of the drum corps.
If you have any questions regarding the audition processes, please contact Murray Gusseck at mgusseck@scvanguard.org.
If you are interested in the Vanguard Cadets, please view the Vanguard Cadets Audition Information or inquire directly to the Vanguard Cadets Percussion Caption Manager, Kohei Mizushima, by email at kohei@mizushima.com for more information.
