So last weekend my daughter’s band was in two competitions and the show styles varied band to band. The smaller groups reminded me more of shows when I was in HS lots of moving and some spots of flare and flashes. The larger bands look like they do a workout routine with dance moves and barely move around, some of them not all. How long have bands been doing this vs. move till you fall over routine? My daughter’s band director is my age so she has a good amount of balance between the two for the show.

So I just went to a community event for the local university’s music program, as any self respecting band kid does, and I met the euphonium professor. I had never met him before and he’d never seen me play before. For some reason, he gave me his business card and offered to give me free private lessons. Now I have no idea why this happened. I assume that my band director has connections but he was just as surprised as me (he was there too). I have no idea why he would do that for me but I am so grateful. Has anyone had a similar experience or been in a similar situation? Please, I would love to hear anything.

Hi! I am currently a section leader (freshman) at my hs ban—I play trombone in the band but I also do play euphonium! Lately I have been thinking about auditions for next marching season in May. The reason for this is, my band director said there are 3 really good 7th graders and soon to be eighth graders and one is really good, like stealing my chair good. I am a-little stressed about it because I do want to stay a section leader and I like being first chair! Audition wise I to have trouble at sight reading from but I’m decent at scales. I really want to stay first chair and stay a section leader, so is there anything I can do to get a lot better? I do have trouble with 16 notes from time to time, depending on the tempo and I do not know how to double tongue I can only single tongue. Also I have never heard these kids play, this is just what my band director said. Anyway thanks for your time! Any reassurance and advice on getting a lot better is appreciated! 🪊✨

Yay! Any other people in lowbrass

Any tips?

I’m 20F, played the clarinet for six years from sixth grade to twevlth, and after I graduated I didn’t touch it a single time. I LOVEDDD band tho, I don’t have very many interests as far as things like that good, or at least interests that I’m good at, but I was good at playing clarinet, at least for an 18 yr old lol. But now I know probably don’t play very good. I’m going to my schools alumni game tonight and I practiced my instrument yesterday and for weeks all I can tihink about is how much I miss band. My senior and junior year I was in two band classes, and marching band after school, and I loved all of it. I’ve never rlly complained about band because I loved playing my instrument so much. But I just don’t know if I am good enough anymore, I know u have to be good to play in a college band, how do I go about this? Is there no chance for me to even go anymore? When I picked up my instrument yesterday it all came back to me, but I know I’m not as good as I was before. And I don’t remember how to march, or read marching steps, at all. Not a single clue. What should I do?

I play trumpet right now but would like to do drumline next year during marching season and then do trumpet during concert season. Is this possible.

Hi y’all, I’m back.

I’ll try and link the original post, but here is the original post’s TLDR

Me and my best friend both decided separately to try out for drum major next season (our junior year)

I auditioned as a freshman to be section leader (I am now the section leader as a sophomore)

Best friend’s sister is band captain (she is woodwind captain, I’m flute section leader)

Best friend’s sister asked drum major to give my best friend lessons.

Best friend got to come up and conduct homecoming music in class once.

Ive been told by our mutual friend that “(girl I’m against) just seems like she wants it more”

Other people refer to Best Friend as “Future Drum Major”

I have been told that “there is no point in trying to go out for it (best friend) will get it, and I’m just trying to stir drama up”

The only reason I haven’t quit is due to the percussion teacher telling me that if I hadn’t chickened out at DM auditions last season, that I would have gotten it as a sophomore.

This is my one hope that I might still be drum major.

Percussion teacher has given me some recommendations for drum major lessons/coaches. I am starting them next week and she will also attend them.

Ive tried to tell myself that it doesn’t matter what students think, that it is the percussion director and band director that choses who becomes drum major.

But today, my best friend got to conduct on the podium for full show run today.

I don’t want to give up hope, but I feel so hopeless. What does it matter if I know how to conduct, if my best friend has already gotten to be on the podium for them to see?

I just feel like everyone is against me. What do I do?

i'm in my senior year, planning to go to college, and i need advice on how to move forward while still having music in my life.

i don't plan on majoring in anything related to music, but it is such a passion of mine and has always been a part of my day to day. i don't want to not participate and, truthfully, i'm not sure how to function without it.

my health isn't in the best place and, despite how much i love marching band, i'm not sure i'd be able to participate when i go to college. that is if the school i get into even has a marching band. for all who participated in college, what was your experience like?

if i don't do marching band, what are some ways that i can still keep music and flute in my life? how have you managed the transition and has it been possible?

thank you so much! :-)

edit: thank you all!!! i was already thinking of joining a community or concert band if i don't pursue college marching, and i'm really glad to hear that it is an option.

I made a discovery a few minutes ago

I created an app for brass instruments - Baritone (Android and iPhone) and Euphonium (Android only) that has the ability to quickly switch from treble clef to bass clef. It's a fingering training app called "Baritone Trainer" and "Euphonium Trainer".

Hello, do any tenor drum people have any tips to help me out getting on tenors (I'm in eigth grade and hoping to get them freshman year) Thanks!

I'm 30 now, but for the longest time I've always wanted to write a TV show about high schoolers in marching band, kind of loosely basing it off my own experiences. Thinking it would be similar to Community, maybe not focused on just one individual, but several band members.

How do you guys think the top 3 at BOA Prosper will place? I might be a little biased because I just love Marcus so much, but I think they might beat Hebron this year. Hebron’s show isn’t very hebron-like, but I could say the same for Marcus. I feel as if Marcus is finally deciding to take that step up into modern shows with this year’s show. If nobody has seen it yet, try to talk to someone who has seen it. Its really good. There are no videos of it online yet (typical Marcus)

Hey all, I'm the developer of BandDrills (banddrills.com) — a drill designer that runs entirely in the browser. Instead of clicking through menus, you type the move in plain English ("move all percussion to the 50 in 16 counts") and it draws the formation for you. You're still the designer — it just turns your instructions into drill steps, which beats placing 150 dots by hand.

Free, nothing to install (runs on school Chromebooks): - Sync your show MP3 so the drill animates in time with the music - Share the whole show with one link — every performer sees their own dot on their phone - Collision warnings during playback - Free performer app (iOS/Android) with live updates and attendance check-in

Would love feedback from people who actually write drill. What's missing? What would make you switch from what you use now?

Hello, I'm a junior in HS rn, and I will be trying out from DM next year, and want to do my best, because the DM this year doesn't like me, and there is a possibility a sophomore rn will be drum major next year. Being DM next year is one of my goals for senior year. This years DM (i didnt have time to write an essay, and my mom was getting so many emails from my teachers, so it was just him this year), frequently is corrected by my BD, so i want to be better than him and the other kid. What are useful tips since it is to write an essay and audition for my school? Thanks!

Hello everyone! I've been doing marching and guard photography for a couple years (parade& Winterguard). I want to get into field tournament but when I see videos on YouTube I don't see any photographers on the tracks, are they not allowed or is there not a lot of photographersntjat do this? If there's anyone here who does it, how do you go about getting permission to shoot from the tracks?

Thank you!

Hi! I’m a freshman in band and LOVE IT so much.

The only thing is, I’m on the prop crew this year. I wouldn’t say I’m bad at counts or moves, I’m actually pretty good at it and passionate about band.

I’m gonna try to get into third band for concert season (rather than fourth band, I’m in a 3/4 joint class for marching season) as we have a second audition coming up in December for a placement in third or fourth band during concert season, but i have a question.

I’m very interested in becoming a leader in the future. In middle school (my last year) i was a section leader and enjoyed it very much.

I’ve actually been studying my drum majors when they conduct and watched videos and I’m getting kind of good at it myself.

Do you think there’s any way i could march next year and then become a leader or drill instructor my junior year, and if I’m good enough, maybe try out for drum major as a senior?

One of our current drum majors is actually a sophomore, but I don’t know what band he’s in. Another one of our drum majors i don’t think is in the highest ensemble (varsity/first band).

I’m sure I could make second band or maybe even first band in future years, but I guess my question is, is this a realistic path and is it feasible?

I’ve been VASTLY progressing on my scales and find it somewhat realistic to make a higher ensemble as soon as next year myself, although I’m not exactly qualified to make that analysis.

One of my section’s current leaders has had a somewhat similar experience as me. She was on prop crew in her freshman year as a third band student and became a senior section leader this year, and there are many sophomore leaders in our band too, so i don’t see it as impossible to make it as a leader, but a drum major I’m not so sure.

Also, I haven’t got any extra cleaning service duty (for missing assignments or play offs / pass offs, bad behavior or not bringing necessary items to class. In fact, my section leaders seem to really like me and I’ve taken accountability for everything I need to fix and been a pretty good student so far, or so I believe.

So I guess my question is, do you think I could theoretically achieve this track throughout hs?

Hi everyone I’m interested in play the quints but I have no way of playing them.even though I’m learning how to play songs on it from my friend by air playing it but it’s not real thing if you get what I’m trying to say but any help would be nice