i completly agree thats why my cymbal line i teach them technique first, playing second, marching third, and visuals last

Very good Rain! That is the right approach.

I agree, sound quanity come first then lookin cool. : )

I think band directors and instructors really do tend to overlook the cymbal players. My freshman year, I played cymbals. I had no idea what I was doing, which is a shame because I'd really love to know the correct techniques for getting a good quality of sound.

The cymbals can be a great instrument if the player is taught the proper way to use them.

Cymbals are musical instruments, yes, but can only accent music. When you get a good line you can have a cool beat and ensembles at I&E are pretty sweet, but visual effect can't be sacrificed. Nothing should. The sound quality and visual effect that a cymbal line add is unmatched by any other section in the corps.

Sorry, stupid cymbal question, guys... What are air pockets?

Air pockets are the poof you hear when two cymbals hit with the edges lined up. There is nowhere for the air to go, so you get a poof. It's an awful sound and can cause cymbals to crack.

Or invert . . . Now THAT is a nasty thing that can happen.

I'll take a picture of this Sabian B8Pro Marching cymbal I still have from last season at PDX . . . It's been inverted and reverted over 10-15 times. By the end of the season (Actually, while in Ohio for Champs), we decided to destroy it. We threw it down a 200-300 foot high hill, down a set of 100 foot high stairs (and then on the stone path next to it), stomped on it, sliced it into an old, dead fallen tree trunk, kicked it, frisbee'd it, tossed it, flung it, and basically just treated it really badly.