<p>My HS son, who is a good student and passionate about playing snare in the marching band, is interested in looking at selective universities that have strong marching bands. In order to help him assess the marching band programs at various schools, I'm asking CCers familiar with those programs to categorize their band on the following five-point scale.</p>
<p>Which of these styles of bands - listed from least to most intensive - most nearly describes the Wake marching band?</p>
<p>0 No on-field performing band</p>
<p>1 A largely student-guided "scramble" band that plays loosely and performs satirical shows (e.g. seven of the Ivies, Stanford, Rice)</p>
<p>2 A largely student-guided marching band that performs as a fun extracurricular (e.g. Cornell)</p>
<p>3 A professionally-directed but non-competitive marching band that is open to all participants regardless of skill level (e.g., Duke, where the main draw of the marching band is that it's a prerequisite to getting into basketball games as a member of the Pep Band)</p>
<p>4 A serious performing band with membership by audition (most bands at schools with major college football programs might fall in this category)</p>
<p>5 A band that is nationally-recognized as one of the top marching band programs in the country (e.g. Michigan, Ohio State)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
We don’t currently have auditions because we are trying to increase the band’s size, but may in the future. The band has improved a lot in the past few years (with the football team’s success) and for the past two falls, has done at least one exhibition show at a HS band contest.</p>