Its okay to not be proud of it if your cymbal line is like... garbage... But don't ever consider cymbals to be a "lower" instrument. Just look at SCV or Crossmen. Their cymbal lines are amazing. I would be more than proud to march cymbals for either one of those corps.

Take pride in your cymbals. I'm sure there'sthings you could do that would make the crowd (or whoever you are worried about what they are thinking) think "Oh! Look at the cymbals!" Visuals or way not. Study up on some stuff that cymbal players do. Its just as important as any other part of the drumline.

It is as important as the rest of the drumline, but its not recognized how it should be. Corps have visual coordinators and flarking awesome cymbal players, but in high school, cymbals is just where the trash falls into from the drumline.

Unfourtnuately thats ture. So for highschool (unless your drumline is amazing and people like the cymbals, or if the cymbal isn't just used for something for the sucky drummers to have something to play) Most of the time cymbals are considered trash... But you could try making them not trash... =]

That's not true at all with my program. I do not have any "lesser" sections in my program or any "dumping" areas. This year I had 9 kids specifically try out for cymbals and I could only keep 4.

It is NOT ok to not be proud of playing cymbals. You take whatever opportunity you are given and you make the most of it. Attitudes like the ones I'm reading on here are kids that would not make my line. I don't have time, nor do I tolerate negativity or the standard "I'm stuck on cymbals, feel sorry for me" crap.

I think the same way, though for some reason, we never really stress of cymbals. The drumline never really put stress on playing cymbals. The only thing cymbals have ever done with the line is played while we did cadences or in the stands. We never march them on the feild, and occasionaly use them in the pit, but nothing more. Its a shame, because i love marching cymbals. Not me personally, i've never done it, but i love bands that actually put the cymbals on the feild. Like SCV or Crossmen.

Idk, but just for some reason, cymbals have always been considered a "lower" instrument. I'm not particularly fond of the idea, but drummers are stubborn. If they start out thinking that "Oh if you play the cymbals, you must suck," then thats what they will always believe, unless they see a good cymbal line that doesn't just crash every now and then... Its a sad thing, but most people don't take pride in playing the cymbals. I think its a good thing to take pride in it. Even if you have a triangle part, it doesn't matter. All perts are important. They all contribute to the music, and should be veiwed in such a way. They wouldn't have been created if they wern't meant to be played. Cymbals are important too.

i march cymbals at Colorado right now, and originally i did not try out for the cymbal line, i tried out for snare but my audition was terrible, i choked, and so they said they still wanted me on the line so do the cymbal auditions, so i did and march with them. well we have a line of 10 cymbals and only a few are vets. at first i was a little overwhelmed because its so different and i was disappointed, but i have definitely grown on to it because it is hard. sure you may have less notes, you may be the icing on the cake, so the music could be easy but playing it isnt. it takes a lot of work to build up strength and endurance. we have the most fun i think adding in visuals. sure we arent the greatest cymbal line, and the music we play in our shows isnt super hard (its college not corps) but its still fun, and i enjoy it, so i'm using it as an opportunity to learn so i can try out for the blue knights percussion ensemble this year, now that they march cymbals. i'm still a snare player and i would like to try out for snare again next year at CU but i'm a cymbal player now too and i enjoy it because i know its hard, whether or not anyone watching thinks it is. i would suggest that the people who feel stupid or ashamed or whatever playing cymbals should look through their music and find all the blank spots, and plug in a bunch of visuals. sit around and watch SCV cymbal line videos like we do and see what you could do, it'll make your music more interesting and people will notice you. sorry this is one big block of text..

There's a band called SCV? And another band called Crossmen? Who're they?

Actually my comment about not making my line was completely necessary. All sections of the drumline add to the overall score. With cymbals being as visual as they are, it's even more obvious when they are off.

Ask the guys that have marched SCV, Crossmen or any other corps that does have or did have cymbal lines if they feel ashamed of putting cymbals on their jacket. I know several of the guys that have marched SCV cymbals over the years and not a single one of them would trade in those experiences for anything.

Cymbals are not popular in my area either. Know why I've made the decision to march them for the past 3 years? It's because I see the visual and musical extras that they bring to an ensemble. The kids that make the cymbal line totally dig what they are doing and hype on it. Heck, my snare line gets jealous of the stuff they are doing.

Yes, in the high school setting cymbals have been the dumping ground. I blame instructors on that stereotype. I, as an instructor, do what I can to overcome that.

I've said what I've said and I completely stand by my statements.

If you're not proud of being a part of the drumline (cymbals last I checked are part of the drumline), then quit. You're not doing anyone any good with that attitude.

You're also not improving scores, either.