<p>Yea, the question is simple. There's more to 'band' than just talent. What schools have the best bands with the total package, not just talent. I heard UT-Austin is pretty badass, but I bet the Aggies would disagree.</p>
<p>Stanford, hands down. Well, if you like strange, at least. They are definitely different. :)</p>
<p>In the Big 10 OSU, Michigan and Wisconsin have the best bands and all are good in their own ways.</p>
<p>I'd have to agree with Michigan being one of the best. I seen them and they were great.</p>
<p>Texas A&M. unbelievable.</p>
<p>TExas tech</p>
<p>Any big football school will have a solid band... other schools with great bands [that aren't football powers] include UMass and JMU.</p>
<p>^ Not true. Placing 200 people on the field and doing a park-and-bark Beatles medley is not a mark of a good band, yet many big football schools do it.</p>
<p>Oregon is (at least historically) pretty good if you would prefer more of a DCI stlye show. Fancier drill than most college bands, though most football fans just want large numbers and loud music. Though the unis...</p>
<p>I don't like UT's unis (or tOSU, UWash, PSU...). I love USC's.</p>
<p>I strongly urge you to check out Stanford, the UVa Pep Band and the Ivy Bands (except of Cornell) if you consider yourself a Band-nerd.</p>
<p>Rutgers???</p>
<p>I'm gonna stick with Texas schools all the way. Texas has the most competition when it comes to music.</p>
<p>I thought USC was pretty good?</p>
<p>look around for local drum corps if you have to. that's why I didn't do the college marching band thing.</p>
<p>If you're looking for a sweet Jazz band, go North Texas all the way.</p>
<p>ohh I forgot about North Texas.</p>
<p>it's the school to go to if you're a drummer - the percussion program and drumline are pretty sweet. (apparently the other music programs are good too, I dunno)</p>
<p>College bands don't move very much, that's how it is. When you learn multiple shows throughout the season, you can't learn many sets for each one. You don't move far. You don't march 5 to 5 at 180 bpm.</p>
<p>College bands do not come anywhere close to DCI.</p>
<p>And the UVA pep band no longer exists [to perform at football/basketball games]. <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/marchingband/%5B/url%5D">http://www.virginia.edu/marchingband/</a></p>
<p>If you have a local drum corps, go for it. Unfortunately for me, the closest one is at least a 6 hour drive, and 8 or more with traffic, but i'm making the sacrifice.</p>
<p>I am in a Big Ten band, and (though I am biased towards it), the Big Ten is known for its marching bands. I would have to disagree with one of the above posters though- Wisconsin's band is not one of the best. Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, OSU, Penn State, and Purdue have the best ones in the Big Ten (and some of the best in the nation). Indiana and Northwestern are probably the weakest. Each has their own unique marching style, though all of them do a type of high step (which is what the Big Ten is known for.) OSU is all brass, however.</p>
<p>If you'd like to know more about being in a college marching band, feel free to send me a message!! :)</p>
<p>OSU all the way. I am a retired band member (marched in high school, actually was semi-retired last year due to becoming the videographer who rarely played with the band).</p>
<p>I didn't really enjoy marching band outside of chilling with my friends (all of whom were apathetic about band and were also just there for the social aspect). I do enjoy playing my trombone, however...but I honestly hated marching. I had to do marching to be in jazz band because of my high school director's dumb policies. My director and I didn't always get along, especially my senior year. Had I been there for a fifth year, I would have faked a knee injury to get out of it.</p>
<p>space-cadet-- Every away game the UW band plays at the other team has commented about how great the UW band is. When we played Auburn in Orlando they were blown away. The UW band invented the 5th Quarter concept which is unique to UW.</p>
<p>Marching band is pretty sweet. Despite never having marched in HS (I went to private school, so we didn't even have a football team much less a marching band), I joined the band at college this year. It was definitely a challenge to figure out what the heck was going on for about the first two days of band camp, but I caught on pretty quickly. I've made some great friends, plus by being in marching band, I'm automatically in pep band, so I never have to camp out for games or anything which is awesome.</p>
<p>We're kind of up-and-coming. It's a small school so the band isn't huge. We got a new assistant director this year who's kind of intense. We've focused on improving musicianship as well as drill and really making it crisp and clean.</p>
<p>Texas A & M. Until you've seen them, don't say any other band is the best. Incredible.</p>