I was recently accepted into UM and USF, but I haven’t committed to any college yet. I’ve been in marching band for the past three years of high school and I know I want to be in marching band in college. I’ve heard rumors that UM’s marching band is not only small, but it’s not that amazing. I come from a school with just a 70 person marching band and one of my dreams is to be a part of a large and outstanding band.
What is UM’s and USF’s marching bands (specifically drumline) like? Is UM’s marching band good? Or should I go to USF for its large marching band? Thanks!
You can probably find videos online if you haven’t already. Usf appears to have a pretty cool drum line but I’m not sure about UM’s.
Although UM’s Band of the Hour is on the small side, there are a lot of exciting things happening with the program. A new band director - Jay Rees - started in the fall 2014 and he has done some great things. There are several videos on youtube and they have a Facebook page. Professor Rees spent many years at U of Arizona building the Pride of Arizona before returning to his alma mater.
I’ve heard from multiple sources that one big reason for the band’s small size is that many incoming Miami students come from high schools without marching bands. Some great musicians but no marching experience. That can be intimidating. So, the Band of the Hour does spend time getting the word out to attract people with no marching experience.
The drumline at Miami is great and they’ve actually begun performing on their own at university events, etc.
I’m sure the program’s staff would be happy to answer questions.