This article is mostly for brass/percussion auditionees, as most color guards won't set their full cast until April due to WGI.

You just put everything you had into practicing for that one-on-one audition with your dream corps. You've thought of this very moment for months, possibly years, and the anxiety builds up to the highest point its ever been—then it happens.

You crack every other note on your slur exercise at a point blank-distance from that caption head you've been watching in those brass videos for years and stepped off on the wrong foot in the visual audition—something you've never done in your life but all of the sudden your brain feels like switching things up.

IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE.

It's not the end of the world, and there is still a home for you in 2019.

January to April is THE BEST time to reach out and see which corps have a spot ready just for you.

Callback Season

As the country's drum and bugle corps convene for their January audition camps, they go through the callback phase of the season. That means it's primetime for recruiting as well.

As the most popular corps tie a bow on their 154 members' contracts, those who didn't make it must restart their search for a home in 2019 and possibly beyond.

But here's the thing: it's a buyers market.

The spots that remain available even today, on January 25, will still heavily overshadow the number of people willing to sign up for a position this late into the audition season.

What that means for you if you're an auditionee with no contract—reach out to groups that you may not have considered before.

Every single year, without fail, a number of Open Class groups, Soundsport ensembles, and even some World Class groups will be looking to fill spots all the way through April (sometimes August in special cases).

I've said it once and I'll say it again—January to April is THE BEST time to reach out and see who has a spot you can march in.

What now?

Back to the scenario—It's Sunday night. You've driven your 6-hour drive home from camp and you're feeling defeated.

Let me remind you though, 48 hours ago, you were ready to knock down concrete walls and anything that may have even THOUGHT of getting in your way of this audition. The fire is still there and your skill is no less than it was days ago.

So what do you do now?

Step one is to get feedback from your playing and movement auditions, these notes are invaluable and will most likely apply to any corps you decide to march in. Then, ask for a recommendation from the corps to see if they know of another corps with room that may be similar in style or culture.

After that, start reaching out to the corps or their caption heads—messages directly to the organization's social media pages are a great place to start unless you can respond directly to emails from staff.

Then, get back into your practice routine and record yourself. Get familiar with a camera and start sending video examples to receive more feedback. Check out the Reddit post above for a good starting point.

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, the corps you may think of as your dream corps may not be once you're 30 days into spring training—or it could be a perfect fit. The reality is, you never know if the corps is the right place until you're already weeks into it.

Just because a corps may be Open Class or may not make finals every year does NOT mean they have any less of a tradition or family atmosphere or whatever you may be looking for.

Give every corps a shot just like they must with you as a performer in their ensemble.