Drum Corps Instrument Coaches

Beyond helping to teach the individual music parts of a field show, an instrument coach helps teach playing technique and posture specific to their particular instrument or instrument family.

The most common instrument areas for drum corps are brass (trumpet, mellophone, baritone, contrabass) and percussion (mallet, drum, and auxiliary). Marching bands may also have woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, saxophones) in their performances. An instrument coach may work specifically with band members playing the same instrument as them (most common in drum corps) or the entire instrument area of their instrument (e.g. high brass, low brass, woodwinds, percussion). Instrument coaches require intimate knowledge of their instrument, performance experience, and a general knowledge of teaching.

A background in performing in school marching bands and professional drum corps organizations like Drum Corps International (DCI) is important for assisting band members through the unique performance challenges that marching involves. Those with a passion for marching performance, their instrument/instrument family, and teaching others make inspiring and valuable instrument coaches.

While no degree is required for this career, a degree in performance for your instrument can be extremely useful and make you a tremendous asset to any field show organization. Nuanced understanding of pedagogy and concert or classical-based training will expand your toolkit for teaching optimal and sustainable technique to field show performers, especially at the high levels demanded by professional drum corps and collegiate marching bands.