My friend and I where having a discussion/debate on the personalities of the people in the drumlime. My friend, bieng a flute, thought that to "survive" in the drumline, you have to have a specific personality: cocky, loud, obnoxious ect... I, on the other hand, being on the drumline/pit myself, think that it is less about personality, more about what you can do as a percussionist: at least that is the way it is in our drumline. And I'm not saying that we don't have cocky and loud people (who sometimes get locked in base drum cases when they get to annoying) but not everyone is that way. You can "survive" the drumline without that personality.
Is there a personality that will automatically make you "survive" the drumline, regardless of playing ability? and if so what is it?
Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:39 pm
I wouldn't say survive the drumline, but I have been observing the trends in the personality of all instruments.
Percussionists: Lazy (including me) Flutes: Have some sort of mental quirk (Ex: Germaphobe or Bi-polar). Different for all flutes Clarinets: Kind of Average Trumpets: Egos Trombones: Fun, not afraid to be who they are Tubas: Sort of loud and obnoxious Saxaphones: ? Bass Clarinets: Mix of trumpets and tubas
Ironically, my drumline isn't necessarily...obnoxious. Are we cocky? For the most part, yes. But for a reason. In our band we're the most productive, award-winning, and most disciplined section...so we hold bragging rights, lmao.
But regardless, unfortunately we don't get to base it on what you can do as a percussionist. Most of our snare line is only good at that, snare. Three of them can't actually read notes, the other ones are just...not really good at it. Same with the tenors and basses. Cymbals are THE WORST. Most of them are just people who wanted to chill with the drum line so they tried out for cymbals.
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:09 pm
I'm actually a flutist and a percussionist (I'm also on the drumline). I've definitely noticed that I have different conversations in those separate parts of the band.
Drumline: "BWAHAHA, he just tripped over his drum and hit his nuts!!!" Flute section: "The drumline is being like, really obnoxious."
The guys in my drumline are definitely cocky and rude, but they're hilarious for a bunch of bastards.
WHlTT
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290Pika
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:00 pm
These are how the sections have been at my school:
Flutes: Hard-working, but distracted by shiny things easily Clarinets: Similar to flutes, but more dramatic and chill Bass Clarinets: A loving family that supports and teases each other Trumpets: Love sexual innuendos and try to outshine each other Trombones: Obnoxious Alto Saxes: Have grown more obnoxious over the years Tenor Saxes: Dislike each other Mellos: Dislike each other lately; before, got along and played bored games Tubas: Love to make fat jokes at each other; generally unified Battery: Jerky; arrogant Pit: Are always playing their Pokemon; similar to the upper woodwinds
But I wouldn't say it's the same for every band. I mean, there's really general section stereotypes, but the "survival" is different for every band. Sometimes you don't get along in a section, so you move around a little. Whatever works for you best. :]
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:20 pm
wahmbulanceWell at my school, it really doesn't have anything to do with survival in the drumline. We all have different personalities, ( on the other hand we are all cocky), but we have the right to be. We are one of the bet in MS. We are also the hardest working group in the band. But all-in-all we are a family. We argue but never fight. If someone needs a friend to talk to, we are there for each other. Any if someone is bein messed with or bullied, we stick up for them. We ARE a loving disfunkional family. and For the most part we are all equal. A couple freshmen can only do bass, but other than that, we can all dabble around with every instrument. Now just like every team, there are some allstars. for instants our caption Wilma Davis. She can play all instruments and even plays the drums for her church. Then me and Anthony, ( the tenor line), we both worked hard to get there and can play all the instrument. (I was over the bass line last yr.3nodding
This is a few folks from the drumline last yr. ( not the whole drumline)
and heres a vid of us marching in the perade in Columbus, MS we are the ones in green and black
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 8:43 pm
Before I joined band, a piccolo described my section as "lazy".
I was told that once in drumline I would be expected to arrive late to all band events, practice three times as much as any other section and still come out as equal in skill.
I found this is be untrue. My section is sometimes late to practices due to extra classes or jobs - just like members of every other section. We are noticably late to get to the buses mainly because we have to load our instruments into a trailer.
We practice twice as much as other sections because there is an optional percussion ensemble class in addition to zero hour practice. I do not attend percussion ensemble and therefore practice exclusively during all-band rehearsals.
My section is the only one that has won awards consistently in every single competition.
Do you need a specific personality to "survive"? Yes. The personality of an individual who wants to fail life. You don't "survive" drumline. I'd never had any percussion experience before this year and I'm doing just fine. My section ranges from shy, hardworking, artisitic types to bold, academic, take-charge types. Nevertheless we all love each other and support the other members of our section.
I am extremely proud to be a part of such a section.
errantIy
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Nitrogen Lenny
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 2:20 pm
I don't think you need a specific "personality" to survive the drumline. You just have to have dedication, endurance, and perseverance.
Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:02 am
Being the captain of my band's drumline there is one thing that I can say that all of us who are still here have in common. You HAVE to want it. Examples from my grade.
Two years ago, I had a fellow drummers R. and B. (lol) B. A VERY talented drummer, but he didn't have the dedication to school to apply to drumming. He dropped out of school for online school. That happened right after our marching season ended.
R. Also a talented drummer. His parents wanted him to get a job. So to make sure he got to continue to pursue his passion for dance, he gave up drumline.
Two years before that: Three others dropped out at the end of the year for sports.
One year before that, Two more dropped out for their own reasons.
This year: I am a senior and the captain for my second year. Of the about 9 of us that we has in the percussion/drumline section, only I am left. Because I am the only one who wanted it badly enough. From my own personal expeirience you have to want it or you won't make it very to the end of high school.
At my school, I'm the only girl in the percussion section & drumline, and I'm first chair. The guys are all cocky & obnoxious, and I have learned how to pretty well "fit in". But they know I think they're annoying. The flute section is all girls, they are all goody-two-shoes and have the best grades. The clarinets are, as someone said, average, normal people. The trumpets are definitely egotistical. But they are fun to hang with. The saxophone section varies. Bass clarinets and the low-brass are different. Definitely their own kind. Haha wink If I had to categorize percussion, it would be called the most fun of all the sections. emotion_bigheart
Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 10:03 am
I'd say, especially at the college level, a drummer needs to be perverted, and he needs to know not to take jokes seriously (I still have issues with that). Drummers seem to only be able to think about sex, and they make sex jokes ALL the time, at least in my experience. Once, I played a beat too early, and for the rest of the season, the line made "Damn it, you came early! Nobody likes anyone who comes early!" jokes.
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