<p>I'm about to enter high school and I can't make up my mind on whether to join marching band or not because:
1. It takes up a lot of time and I have extracurriculars everyday.
2. I play tennis, and the girl's season coincides with marching band.
3. I've heard it negatively affects your GPA.
However:
1. I can't be in concert band unless I'm in marching band, and i can't audition for region band if I'm not in concert band.
2. Roughly 2/3 of the student body is in marching band.
3. You can miss one period of gym a week if you're in band.
4. Our high school band is amazing.</p>
<p>IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH/ KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BAND PLEASE HELP!!</p>
<p>Join!!! Freshman year is the year to join marching band if you also play a fall sport because the class load is usually lighter frosh year. I played on the varsity girls golf team freshman year while doing marching band and I managed all A’s without taking a study hall. Sure, there were days where I’d go from golf practice to marching band in one evening and wouldn’t get home til 8, but it was worth it. My band director was super understanding and let me miss practice for golf matches. On the other hand, my golf coach was not that lenient about me missing golf practice/matches for band and was pretty upset whenever I did. </p>
<p>Marching band greatly boosted my confidence and I knew a lot of upperclassmen before school even started. So, join it. It’s crazy to do a sport and marching band, but I swear it’s worth it.</p>
<p>Absolutely! You start high school with 100 (more or less) friends the day school starts because you spent 2 weeks in grueling (but fun) band camp. Most of the kids in my sons school took many, many AP classes (school offers 26) and did well. Band kids are usually high academic and they tend to be competitive but in a friendly way. Band camaraderie goes a long way and you can take it into college with you if you choose to and really makes it easy to meet new friends from all across the country. I would not recommend marching band and IB diploma program though - time killer. </p>
<p>I don’t do band but a lot of my friends do. They all seem to love it, I’m just not interested in that scene but my one advice to you is do what you want to do. Do you enjoy tennis or are you doing it just because you want it for college applications? The biggest mistake that I made freshmen year was doing track because I wanted it on my application, I wasted so much time and despised it. If you like marching band, I’d do that. If you like concert band or regional band and you need marching band to get there, I’d do that too. Regarding your GPA, I don’t how it’d would negatively affect your GPA but that’s something you can discuss with the representatives from your high school when/if they visit your middle school. </p>
<p>The biggest piece of advice that I can give is to do what you like. That’s so important. </p>
<p>I’ve done marching band first three years, and I’m not goign to do it next year. I want a year off to relax because band camp before school starts is a bit of a grueling experience. It’s fun but I’d like to have my senior year less physically demanding and more so academically, as I’m taking AP classes in all the different departments.</p>
<p>Other issues I have with quitting marching band are not really something as a whole, just personal things I have with some of the people and the director that I’d rather just quit then try to get it all resolved.</p>
<p>But I would recommend it, if you have the patience of working with a ton of people. In these people are those who never pick up their instrument outside of practice, practice any of the music, and of course there are people that participate and learn and do well. But unfortunately I am tired of having the entire band be blamed because a certain group of people doesn’t feel like putting in 100% effort. I guess that’s just what comes with a group like this, but our marching band is big (120ish kids) and its become a bit too much of a hassle for me. </p>
<p>Absolutely do it. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s hot. Yes, it will feel horrible at some times. But the memories you create and the friends you make make it worth it. There’s nothing like the feeling of giving everything you have in a performance, leaving it all out there on the field and realizing that it’s what you’ve worked for in the last few months.</p>
<p>It will probably be difficult to balance everything at first, but you’ll get used to it. It’s 100% worth it.</p>
<p>Yes, it takes up a lot of time. Ours is between 20 and 30 hours a week. We are a competition band, though, and competitions can add 12 or more hours.
I was in the same boat as you. Our tennis season conflicts and I unfortunately had to drop the sport, but Marching Band completely made up for it. If you do both, you should be willing to drop Tennis for Band, because if you’re marching, that’s a spot on the field that isn’t able to be filled.
I managed to get approx. a 4.5 and a rank of 13/471 with Marching Band, Indoor Percussion, and a long term illness. As long as you’re smart and study hard, don’t worry about your grades. Time management is key.</p>
<p>Are you a competition band? If not, it will likely be a significantly smaller commitment, but still incredibly fun.</p>
<p>PROS:
Being able to walk into school with a built in friend group of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Walking down the hallway and nodding at those super cool seniors and knowing they’ve got your back. Having a family that will never judge you. Your set partner turning out to be your boyfriend/girlfriend. Increased physical fitness from marching (calf muscles, mostly). Laughing about your horrible tan lines. Leadership opportunities abound. Best friendships made.</p>
<p>I was deciding between band and tennis, and let me tell you, choosing band was one of the best decisions of my life. Best of luck <3</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for replying! I think I will do marching band. (It’s not a competition band, but, well, let’s just say the football team is definitely not the reason why people show up at games. Sad but true) Regarding tennis, I enjoy it, and definitely plan on joining this summer. </p>
<p>Looks like I’m late to the thread but I just want to say:
Carried straight A’s with marching band. You learn time management, and the GPA will stay high. Plus it only really affects the first quarter of the school year.
“2. Roughly 2/3 of the student body is in marching band. 3. You can miss one period of gym a week if you’re in band.” Omg I want to go to your school. Band at my school is like 4% of the student body! Probably less.
It sounds like music is kinda big for you if you’re going for region band. Hope you don’t give it up. :]</p>
<p>YES YES YES. It’s seriously so much fun and you’ll make a lot of new friends before high school starts. Yes it’s time consuming but it’s worth it in the end.
-Second year clarinet player </p>