The Madison Scouts began the 2015 season with November audition camp in Indianapolis this weekend. Potential new members and returning veterans spent 24 hours rehearsing, memorizing music, learning movement, and living together to get an idea of the Madison experience.Jacob Sheets, a tenor player from Cedarburg, Wisc., who marches at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, described his first audition experience with the Scouts as “user friendly and an easy way to get involved,” and noted the shorter camps are a good way to ease into the drum corps activity. Sheets spent half of last summer marching with Shadow Armada, a drum-corps style marching band from Oregon, Wisc. He felt the experience prepared him for the level of work a full tour with a world class drum corps requires.“I knew I wanted to march drum corps, but I wasn’t sure where,” Sheets said. After watching the 2013 Madison Scouts at the Big, Loud and Live movie theater event, he knew where he wanted to audition.Nick Hale, a trumpet player at the University of Texas at Arlington, hadn’t considered Scouts until college friend and Madison Scouts drum major Eric Perry encouraged him to try it out. Three days before camp, Eric asked Nick “for the 20th time” if he would like to come to Indianapolis with him and another veteran, even offering to drive.“They both thought I would be a good fit and make a good screamer,” Hale said, referencing his ability to hit the desirable double G.Hale, who has attended auditions at other corps in the past, appreciated the organization of the Scouts camp. Potential members spent most of rehearsal split into sub-sectionals, coming together Sunday afternoon to showcase what they had learned. Brass players played an excerpt from 2012’s Reframed show while doing simple drill. The battery and front ensemble performed respective exercises learned over the weekend, and the newly reinstated cymbal line exhibited their choreography skill.Both Hale and Sheets agreed the level of involvement from instructors created a positive camp experience. Sheets said the he liked their willingness to provide feedback and their focus on student improvement and desire for potential members to apply what they have learned and retain it for next time.“I really liked that they didn’t talk to us like we’re kids,” Sheets said. “They treated us like men.”Hale took advantage of the instructors’ one-on-one help and “constructive criticism”.“This weekend, I messed up a lot. I’m awful at marching,” Hale said. “But I felt one of them was with me the whole time to help, so now I feel comfortable with the Scouts marching style.”For those who have reservations about the audition experience, Sheets advises, “Even if it’s just your first day and it goes poorly, or it’s a lot [to deal with], just try to have a positive attitude and don’t let that get in the way of your playing. It’s really easy to say, ‘I can’t’, but you can’t let yourself get to that point. You gotta push through that.”The Madison Scouts’ next audition camp experience will be December 19-21. Individuals interested in auditioning for brass, percussion, and color guard positions are invited to register at madisonscouts.org.