Aside from Pregame. Everyone ALWAYS loves Pregame.

I'm gonna start with saying he's fresh out of college, so he has a pass on most things, but some of the stuff he's been doing is simply careless!! We are going to the third to last competition of our year this Saturday, and we JUST started setting the closer this week and he expects us to march it at said competition (mind you we only rehearse Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) and he's just letting anyone by with literally anything on the field, someone even did a cartwheel once. It's making me genuinely consider not coming back my senior year and just trying to audition for drum corps because the way he's doing things this year is just killing my love for marching, and I'm not sure how true it is, but I've heard that both he and the assistant director (who has a doctorate in music) have both said that they only care about concert band and that's not helping at all. Should I just stick with the idea of dropping hs band and going to an all age corps (which tbf I'm gonna try to either way since they won't interfere too much with eachother) or should I try to stick with it solely due to being my senior year, plus I feel bad leaving my section behind so idk what to do.

Where I'm at right now, people are pretty understanding that I'm just gonna be worse at balance and walking straight, but I'm pretty worried about when I go to college next year. I've been pigeon toed my whole life, which means my feet naturally angle in, which causes me to trip over myself. I also have trouble with spatial awareness, knowing where my legs are pointed and what they're doing, which may or may not be entirely because of the physical issue. That makes it harder for me to walk straight. It also feels very weird and unnatural to put my feet together sometimes, and my knees don't really sit right against each other. I'm also prone to stepping on my feet when marking time. Is that something that's gonna mess me up in college? Right now I just have to lock in and work hard to compensate, but I'm not sure how that's gonna go when I'm in a higher level of band.

Tomorrow is eighth grade night and we stay afterschool before we do the football game. However its going to feel like 92 degrees outside and our band directors don't typically have us stay inside when its that hot. But because it was so cold for the past 2 weeks, I couldn't even handle the 90 degrees weather today. I still have a heat migraine hours later. We will probably be outside tomorrow from 1-4:20 and maybe even later if the eighth graders dont get here on time. What the hell am I supposed to do.

So I've been playing upper split of my music all season then my band director wants me to switch to lower partial all because he said "it sounds weird when your next to lower partials" and now he expects me to learn the lower split less then 24 hours and it's close to the end of the season would anyone say that his action is justified? Also there is only one other upper split it he isn't forcing them to move.

hi i’m a student in a rly well known marching program in tx and i wanted to share what it’s like bc it’s not all super sunshine and rainbows. now this applies only to my experiences. it’s constant ridicule from my section peers. now i’m fortunate to be in the top band, basically varsity, but basically i’m equivalent to a bench player. i’m not the top performer and within this “varsity “ group of our section its constant “ ( my name) you’re such a 💩” “ you’re the rzn why we lost xx caption” “ bro we would’ve won if ___ didn’t play” . i’ve been a varsity member for 2 years now and have won several solo awards as well. more than some of the top members too. but those exact same top members are also the ones who touch and move my stuff without telling me, hit my chair, yell at me and everyone else js watches. not js from the other students but from staff as well. we have a team of staff basically parent voulenters who run our uniforms, on several occasions have one of them grabbed me forcibly by my arm in an attempt to talk to me abt behaviour. ik this story is kinda of a mess but its js a way for me to vent on how while some top programs seem polished on the outside the inside isn’t what it seems like.

For context, I was able to get a job teching at a texas 6A high school, but this is my first time ever teaching or doing anything like this. Sometimes I find myself letting reps pass by without giving feeback and sometimes I feel like I don't know what to say or look for. I have marched two years of world class DCI, so I feel like I have an adequate understanding of what performers need, but I can't just get it off the top of my head. In addition, I serve as both a mellophone and visual tech but i don't know what exactly to be listening for, looking for, etc. The other day I was handed a group of trumpet players to clean choreo, but I didn't really know how to move forward. If anyone could offer me some advice or resources on how to be a more effective teacher, I would very much appreciate it.

I’ve always wanted to do marching band but due to me moving a lot I never did till now. This was my first season and I did color guard. Mainly because I wasn’t in a band class so I couldn’t march with an instrument. Now that the season is slowly coming to an end I really want to march next season with baritone. I already talked to my band director he has no problem with it and the plan is that next school year I join band so I can do it. And while that’s happening I’ll be learning it on my own. My main thing is how hard would it be? I’ve only really ever played string instruments (violin and cello) so I know how to read both bass clef and treble clef. And I’ve dabbled on the saxophone I know they’re different but I have an idea of how your mouth should be. But what else should I be expecting since I also plan on marching with it?

So I saw this on Amazon, I’ve been needing a piccolo and have been looking and the YPC-32. It’s quite expensive to me but I know its quality is worth it. Should I trust this? It looks a bit sketchy for how cheap it is and I doubt Yamaha would just give a 44% off discount, but it does say it’s from the Yamaha brand. I really hope this is real

So basically I've easily been able to keep up with our show the entire time up until now, last week we had a football game, a competition, several rehearsals, and I was performing at top condition. We had like 2 days off in between the comp and our next rehearsal, and I just haven't been able to handle it. For example, I am running out of breath VERY easily, and at times it feels like there's something weighing on my chest/lungs. I'm also not very capable of maintaining proper technique or performing properly. There's a point in our show where we do some character stuff and essentially skip around the field for at a minimum 32 counts while like spinning around, doing general character stuff, and just everything has been taking a HUGE toll on me, by the end of rehearsal I can barely even lift my feet off the ground, like it takes serious effort to do things that were just regular to do last week. Has anyone experienced anything similar? If so, PLEASE give me some advice, it's my senior year and I'm not trying to go out like this. 🙏

This is my first year in marching band, I’ve found that I’ve only had problems with people in my own section (trumpet). They all think they are better than each other and just straight make fun of you for not doing something perfectly even tho they are worse than you. Every other section I’m cool with and they say I play well. Im friends with almost all the clarinets and saxophones. This sucks bc I genuinely love the trumpet and my own section might make me quit due to the negativity. Any tips?

I feel and look like I bend my knees whenever I forward march via roll step. Anyone have any tips on how I can minimize that?

Hey all, sorry in advance if this goes long!

I'm a parent of a HS Freshman Marching Band student, and I'm reeling a bit this season. I've been salty really all season so far, but I walked away from this past weekend's competition really bent out of shape. I'm hoping I can find someone to talk me down, or at least give me an outside opinion that I'm not crazy here.

First, my own background. I was a marching band kid in my own HS days, and our band had a real track record. We didn't march the Bands of America circuit, but in the state-wide circuit we marched in, we set records that still stand. My son goes to the same HS, and in the performing arts hall, my band years are the only ones that have banners up on the awards wall. I'm not a music educator, but I feel like I have some idea of what its like to participate in a successful program. Admittedly, though, it was a different competition circuit and timeframe...we usually had practice over the summer and wrapped up our season in early August.

I've been shocked at how different the culture is now. The first shock was the annual fees, $1200 base or $1600 if you wanted to "buy out" on parent volunteer shifts. The next, and ongoing shock, has been the intensity. They started up in July, and it seems like since the band camp week in late July, the intensity has been continuous. Since school started at the beginning of August, it has been weekly sectionals, 2x midweek practices scheduled until 9pm, and 12-hour Saturday practices on non-competition days. Leading up to their first "big" contest a couple weekends back, they had significant (over three hour) commitments every day of the week, including a band fall concert and a football game, all before a 6am - 2am competition day. All of the posted times are really low estimates...most practices, he's pressured to get in early, and the end times are a loose end time for the practice, the kids needs to take everything back inside and do tear down every night as well. This wouldn't be a big issue, but these are school days. My son is often up until 10 or 11 working on homework (he maintains straight As) and has gotten very good at negotiating additional time on mid-week assignments with his teachers.

We're told that this is what is required to put together a "top class" band program. But after last weekend's contest...our band is not in the top class. The front runner in the contest group sounded like they were playing in a different league entirely. Their band is maybe over twice the size of ours, which I know can create opportunities, but back in my marching days our biggest rivals were smaller bands that had great, tight shows. In terms of economics and enrollment, our schools are pretty similar. It seems like a program quality disparity here.

What sucks the most about this is that the kids are doing everything they can and then some. They are putting their all into this program. The program demands so much from them. When it comes to education and general (and music in particular), my personal belief is that bringing wide experiences to the table is a good thing. My son took guitar lessons, he was part of a community band, and he doesn't have time to do either of those things now. The band director forbids marching band kids from participating in other music programs (e.g. pit band for the musical) in the school. These kids are working hours that I wouldn't tolerate in a job as an adult, and for all their efforts, the band is going to struggle to make the finals of the BoA competitions they enter.

Am I wrong to be salty here? I'm trying not to compare it too closely to my own MB experiences, but for this level of effort and cost, I'd expect our band to be in the hunt for excellence. The directors have told us that they treat marching band like a varsity sport, but my other kids who are in actual varsity sports don't have demands that are anything like this. I could nitpick a ton of things but I don't want to mentally get into a space of backseat director-ing. I'm just so frustrated by the whole thing. Given how much I loved Marching Band when I was a kid, I hate that I feel this sour about it now.

I had my first comp yesterday and it went great! Just wondering how others are doing if you have started you season yet. I know some schools still haven't yet.

I’ve heard some brass instruments can affect your teeth over time. Me personally, I smile with my bottom lip spread over my teeth like how I used to play my clarinet, and I’m sure the amount of pinching my cymbal does to my arm will leave a mark.

Basically our band director got mad at percussion this weekend and today the percussion coach quit. This made at least 2 of my friends who are in percussion pretty much not want to do marching band next year. Im in colorguard and love marching so much and seeing them so upset and them not being there because of this makes me sad. It just feels like so much is going wrong and everyone is mad. Idk what to do. I dont want to quit but doing this without such important people to me makes it hard to stay motivated

Hello, I just got accepted into OU for my major, I'll be starting next fall. I've dreamt of being a part of the Marching 110 now for years, and now that it's time to start practicing for auditions (deadline in May), are there any tips on auditioning? Mainly what I need is tips on getting used to traditional grip, my band director taught us matched grip because that's what was popular when he was in college, so it's a little difficult for me since I've been used to it since 5th grade. I've played snare for 2 years and quads for 2 years more recently, so I don't know if it'd be better for me to just try out for "middles" or toms.

Snare player pointed out that it said ensmeble and I thought I should share this.

So I recently got diagnosed with hypermobility, and I've been going to physical therapy to help with my frequent subluxations (partial dislocations). I'm a sousa, and my subluxations are mostly in my shoulder, so that makes it hard to march when they actually happen, and also causes increased soreness due to focusing on my shoulders in PT. Basically I've been in so much pain recently to the point I've had to sit out at rehearsals multiple times.

I think either making drum major or switching instruments is the only solution, and honestly, the pain's been so bad I've been considering quitting. I've been told by many people, most being people who I consider my friends, that I'll never make drum major because I play sousa and there's so few of us that my director won't pick me. I doubt that actually matters to the director, but those kind of comments really get under my skin.

I was talking to my friend about my plans for next year, and I said, "If I don't get drum major next year, it will be my last year marching" (meaning if I don't get drum major at auditions May 2027, I will march the 2027 season and then won't march my senior year). She said that my pain is probably getting to my head because I "used to love marching band" and now I don't want to march because of the pain. (She also thinks I'm overexaggerating, which is another story).

I know people seem entitled when they say "I'm quitting if I don't make drum major!!11!1!", but is this a valid reason to quit? Or should I just switch instruments senior year? If so, what instrument?

Many moons ago, I was a middle school band teacher (and did my own marching band charts). I went to grad school and eventually became a college music prof. Yesterday I went to a marching band competition, the first I've seen in decades. It was quite enjoyable overall (boy, how things have changed since I was a band director), but I couldn't escape the feeling that these shows looked/felt like DCI "minor leagues." And not just drill design. Every show had a "theme" and was accompanied by some sort of audio track: some with narration, some with sound effects. some with pre-recorded singing (by a professional), and some that acted as backing tracks for soloists on the field. (When did wireless mics attached to instruments become a thing?) In general, I was amazed at how complex all the shows were, even with the small, AA school bands. At the end of each band's performance, the PA announcer would mention who the music arrangers were (both winds and percussion), drill design, color guard design, etc., etc.

Toward the end of the competition I began to wonder: do directors these days simply purchase an entire packaged show that includes everything you need: the electronics (CD or mp3), the arrangements, drill design for the players and guard?

Edit: I'm enjoying the comments, everyone, thanks! When I taught, 1980-3, corps-style marching was in its infancy. The term "marching arts" had not been coined. (When did that term come into existence?) I just retired from college teaching (music theory) and hope to work with the lmiddle high school music program just up the street from me. I may even might try my hand at arranging again--but obviously there's a LOT of reacquainting myself with today's standards.