<p>I was a member in my high school marching band, and was thinking of joining the D&B at the Academy. Problem is I only play the saxophone and would therefore need to learn a brass instrument. Does anyone know how difficult it is to make the D&B at the academy.</p>
<p>Our S also plays sax, but is learning to play the tuba to be in the D & B Corp. There are several bands at the NA where you will be able to play your sax. S still waiting for appt.</p>
<p>The only instrumental group technically at the Academy is the D&B Corp. The midshipman Orchestra was dropped this past year when the New Supe down sized the number of EC's. They still do meet but have no public performances beside being the pit Orchestra for the winter musical.</p>
<p>Trident Brass still performs publicly and sometimes plays for the Brigade in King Hall.</p>
<p>Trident Brass also plays at many of the dances</p>
<p>i thought the orchestra still exists, it's just more of a "club". my son was in it first semester.
pipes and drums also exists. it's a little different than D&B.</p>
<p>Orchestra does still meet but it is not recognized as an EC. My son who is the principal percussionist said that many have dropped because it's lack of EC status and not allowed to have any performances, many feel like they are playing for nothing. Hopefully it will be reinstated. Last year they played for a fall and spring concert. Played for Commissioning week, Supported the Musical as a pit Orchestra, and did one trip to DC where they played for the Horatio Alger awards. </p>
<p>They did do one concert this winter but it never appeared on the official calendar and when announced in Chapel, the Chaplain had to state it was off after Monte shook his head no, but it did play, just not with the administration's blessing.</p>
<p>AcademyFan,</p>
<p>You can sign up to do D&B over plebe summer as your sport. Having a background in music will definitely help you. They will help you convert over to a new instrument. I know last summer the Supe cut the amount of mids allowed in D&B..I believe it is almost half of what the previous year was. There will be tryouts at the end of the summer for the year, some made it and some were cut. Plebes were only allowed to travel to two games this year (unlike previous years) if their grades were SAT (Notre Dame for football and Army for basketball- being that Army/Navy football was in Baltimore this year, I didn't count this one). Good luck and Congrats on your appointment.</p>
<p>I know of some who have gone from no percussion, brass, woodwind experience to D&B, e.g. from piano or stringed instruments to percussion. If you can read music, you can do it.
While some may think it is superflous, there are many benefits to D&B in that you get off the yard a great deal more than others, e.g. travel to some football games, some performance trips, etc. and the group is tightknit.</p>