<p>I read in the Navy forum about their D&B corp. I know AF has one too. Is it similar? Are there auditions? What instruments are in it? Is there a spirit band too? How about an orchestra? My preferred instrument is a woodwind but I also play in the pit. In Navy D&B seems to count as your sport. Is that true at AFA too? If you wanted to do D&B and a sport, could you? If there is no spirit band would I be able to bring my instrument just to play in my free time? I play it a lot now and I find that it is very calming to me and I think it would help me to deal with the stressors at AFA. Ideally I could be in D&B in the pit (I doubt you have woodwinds in D&B) and then it would be really great if I could play my woodwind in a spirit band. I have searched all over the AFA webpage and don’t see much about D&B or other musical things. I read in Navy it was cool, they seem to have an orchestra and D&B and Spirit band too - as well as they do a musical in the Spring (wow - how do the cadets have time for that?).</p>
<p>At USAFA, the D and B is a HUGE committment. You need to seriously consider it and talk to people who are in it once you get here. Yes, it does count as your sport and you will be excused from training and PT and such, since you will be practicing every day for several hours plus on some weekends as well. However, this is almost all during first semester because of all the football games. You will also play at almost every noon meal formation starting a month or two into the academic year (the Academy band will fill in until D and B has practiced enough).</p>
<p>There is no "spirit band" to my knowledge. D and B acts as the band for the games, but there are still no woodwinds. The only place to do that is the community orchestra, which is something you can do on your own time, kind of like if you were in chorale or Stairwell or one of the church choirs.</p>
<p>Thsi is all coming from my experience with people I know...my old roomate and one of my good buds in my squad are in D and B, and this is where I get most of this from. Personally, I never was and never will be a band person in the slighest. Hope I answered your question though. :)</p>
<p>Oh, and one note: You can definitely have musical instruments after basic training, but depending on your squad, you might have to get permission from your AOC, which is usually not hard to do at all.</p>
<p>Thanks. I really want to do it. I know it would take time and keep me busy. I am just so glad they have it. Does anyone who wants to be in it (and plays instrument!) get to or is do you have to be really good? Does the D&B get to travel to football games with the team? Do you have to have really good grades? </p>
<p>I was at my MOC Academy Days and a Cadet was there. I asked him about D&B and he said they don't have one. He also said that if I really wanted AFA I would drop all music for it. Of course, I would but I don't want to if I don't have to. He wasn't very nice and said there is no music available at AFA. He said to go to a civilian school. I don't want to do that - I just want to be able t to play my instrument once in awhile. Anyway, I am so glad. Thanks for being responsive and all.</p>
<p>Yes, you travel with the football team, which is a definite plus. I don't think you have to be exceptional to get into it, but being able to play well is good. :P You sign some kind of contract when you start it, so know that you cannot quit it once you start until the year is over.</p>
<p>I don't know what this cadet meant about dropping all your music...that's completely false. There are plenty of opportunites to play, sing, or study music. You can be in several different choirs, acapella groups, and like I said before, there's an orchestra. Plus there are some classes after your freshman year like Humanities 200 that deal with music and art and such. Don't drop your music...it might even help you through those hard days. It does for me.</p>