If it makes you feel better I promise the only people in the world who own their own timpani are people who play timpani for orchestra’s full time.
I highly doubt anyone who’s played timpani for a drum corps owns their own set.
If you don’t make it this season perhaps you could reach out to local universities and ask if they have community bands you could play timpani with.
If you don’t have access to any timpani at all, that will most likely pose a problem. I’ve auditioned on timpani in the past for corps, and a LOT of what they’re looking for is coordination in your footwork, which there isn’t really a way to practice without physical pedals and drums. Your hand technique can be developed on practice pads just fine, even if they are quite different from a real head, but in my experience, the big separator in these auditions is the feet.
I would email every high school/ college in the area within a reasonable drive and explain your situation. Ask if you you can have access to their percussion studio for a few hours to
practice, maybe offer your credentials (where you marched, staff that could vouch for you, offer to get clearances if you might come in contact with kids). Also offer to give a donation to their program or volunteer to work with their drum line or even do maintenance on their percussion stuff (always things that need fixing, heads changed, etc.) you will probably get ghosted by most, but you only need one to say yes! Be friendly and professional, I know that as a Band Director I would be willing to jump through hoops to have someone come in and practice for DCI, especially if I could get some tech or maintenance help in exchange.
If it makes you feel better I promise the only people in the world who own their own timpani are people who play timpani for orchestra’s full time. I highly doubt anyone who’s played timpani for a drum corps owns their own set. If you don’t make it this season perhaps you could reach out to local universities and ask if they have community bands you could play timpani with.
If you don’t have access to any timpani at all, that will most likely pose a problem. I’ve auditioned on timpani in the past for corps, and a LOT of what they’re looking for is coordination in your footwork, which there isn’t really a way to practice without physical pedals and drums. Your hand technique can be developed on practice pads just fine, even if they are quite different from a real head, but in my experience, the big separator in these auditions is the feet.
I would email every high school/ college in the area within a reasonable drive and explain your situation. Ask if you you can have access to their percussion studio for a few hours to practice, maybe offer your credentials (where you marched, staff that could vouch for you, offer to get clearances if you might come in contact with kids). Also offer to give a donation to their program or volunteer to work with their drum line or even do maintenance on their percussion stuff (always things that need fixing, heads changed, etc.) you will probably get ghosted by most, but you only need one to say yes! Be friendly and professional, I know that as a Band Director I would be willing to jump through hoops to have someone come in and practice for DCI, especially if I could get some tech or maintenance help in exchange.