<p>Anyone have any inside info on being a member of the Maryland marching band? Are the practices really time-consuming? Is it a huge committment?</p>
<p>I was in the marching band my freshman year. It is quite time-consuming and a very big commitment, but if you enjoy it then it will be extremely worthwhile. You take 2 credits of band including a full practice MWF (I might be wrong on that Friday but I think I'm remembering correctly) for 2 hours, plus a sectional in the evening once or twice a week depending on what you play. On game days, you have to be at the practice field ~4 hours before game time (which is quite early for a noon game!!). </p>
<p>My high school band was very competitive and I really enjoyed working hard to get one show perfect throughout the season. College band is very different because you do a different halftime show for each game-- you don't have time to get it all perfect, you just have to learn it and make sure it's good enough. And if it's not, oh well. This makes it more fun for some people and less fun for others, compared to their high school experiences.</p>
<p>The absolute positives which I still am very thankful I got the chance to experience include the camaraderie and instant friendships that you make, moving in early and learning your way around campus as a freshman, and that great happy teamwork feeling which most people enjoy about marching band. "Trucking" is also incredibly fun but you'll learn more about that if you join. :) Also, if you're interested in being in the basketball pep band (read: automatic free admission to ALL basketball games including duke, plus a hot dog), you're required to have marched during the fall. (This rule may have changed in the last few years but I doubt it.)</p>
<p>Hope that helped!! I'd recommend you give it a try if you think you have the time and desire, and if it isn't for you, stick out the season and don't sign up as a sophomore. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to PM me so I don't bore everyone on the board with my band rambling....</p>
<p>thanks lindz-- that does help. i will PM you if i think of more questions. seems like it would be a lot of fun to be part of this.</p>
<p>I'm in the marching band right now (as a freshman) and I LOVE it! It is a lot of work (lindz was right, 2 hours MWF marching and 2 hours Tu night for music) but it's totally worth it. Just the people and the friends alone make it worth it.</p>
<p>The only real downside to band (for me anyway) was early week aka band camp. I had to miss out on a lot of the new resident orientation events, which left me a little alone in the dorms. Everyone else had met each other already. But, on the bright side, I already had about 250 people who I "knew" and several I was already close with, many of them upperclassmen, who could help me with anything I could possibly need. </p>
<p>Just that alone makes doing marching band here worth it. We ARE the best band in the land, and there is nothing like having Byrd Stadium, filled to the brim with 50,000 people, screaming for you. The students actually respect the marching band here. You tell them that you're involved and they really think that it's pretty cool. Usually you get the "I love that crazy run around thing you do!" response. </p>
<p>Overall, it is really a lot of fun, and well worth the time commitment. Hope to see you next year! :D</p>
<p>Thanks for the helpful response inspiredwriter. What instrument do you play? And lindz, how about you?</p>
<p>I was in the silkline (colorguard). Had a couple good friends from high school in the band also; one I believe stuck with it all four years (tuba) and one would have but he transferred (baritone).</p>
<p>inspiredwriter -- saw you guys at the first game of the season. You sounded great!</p>
<p>I play flute. </p>
<p>Oh...THAT first game...the one where everyone almost passed out and we didn't even march halftime? That was fun! Lol. Thanks though! Glad you enjoyed it!</p>
<p>No marching = great sound ;) As long as I catch some trucking, I'm a happy camper.</p>