<p>Any feedback from folks who are in the band? How much time commitment is it? Son has been playing the trumpet since 5th grade & will be entering for fall of 2006 & considering joining the band or some music group. How rigorous? Is it worthwhile? Are there less strenous ways to participate than marching band but still make music with others so inclined? He's not interested in jazz but is currently in his HS marching band.</p>
<p>Band does take up a lot of time but only during the fall semester. Spring semester is much more laid back and you can choose how much time you spend w/ band. Now fall semester is basically 6 hours/wk plus Saturdays. Saturdays begin at 7am (but sections meet about 30 min prior) and last until 11 (or earlier if there's an early kickoff time). We're in uniform for about 7 hours on game days. Along w/ the 6 home games, the entire band goes up for the Weekender. This takes some planning in case there's a midterm, paper etc due around the weekend.
It is worthwhile a great way to feel apart of the Trojan spirit. Everything from the walk to campus, to playing on the field/stands etc. is really fun. If he doesn't want to do marching band, there's concert band which is during the spring. Rehearsal is once a week, plus concerts etc.
Oh, and to be in band you have to attend band camp which is the entire week before classes start. It is a little hectic moving in, and the days are extremely long with rehearsal from about 9am-10pm almost everyday. I say give it a shot, if he doesn't like it he can always drop. If he can get through band camp, the rest of the season is a breeze.</p>
<p>Thanks--any other comments by anyone else? I'll be sure to share this info with son so he can make informed choices.</p>
<p>Have you checked out their webpage? The band is amazing and I am always impressed by their routines and talents. I was in the marching band in high school back in the day so I appreciate the hard work they do. If your son is the slightest bit interested, I would certainly urge him to participate in this world famous band.</p>
<p>I wonder... do most of the people who go to the band camp get accepted into the band? How competitive is it?</p>
<p>I'm an alto sax player. </p>
<p>Are some instruments more competitive than others?</p>
<p>I'm not in the band, but people who are in the band seem to love doing it. Obviously it takes a lot of time though.</p>
<p>The answer is probably something along the lines of, if he's going to see it as a chore, then he's not going to have fun doing it. If he sees the band as "fun time" away from classes then he'll probably not mind the time it takes.</p>
<p>Going to band camp is pretty much all you need to do. I think the silks and the drumline start camp a day earlier. I think being a twirler requires an audition, and drumline might be harder, not sure. Other larger sections (like trumpets) might have auditions to distribute parts. Considering there are a few people who are playing an instument they've never played before, I would say it's fairly uncompetitive.</p>
<p>Thanks. I will encourage son to sign up & attend band camp & decide. It will be a nice way for him to meet a nice group of folks & see all the sporting events at no extra cost (the band does get in free, right?) They deserve a perk for all the time they put in!</p>
<p>Not only do they get in the events, but they have considerable on air time when the games are televised. I'm sure you will enjoy trying to find your son on TV during the famous football games. I love hearing the Trojan Band vs the "other" college band. The Trojan Band is SOO much better musically and all the steps they do and their cool routines blows the other bands away. As far as perks there are probably more than we know. They are called "the Hollywood Band" and one year Tori Spelling had them perform for her birthday party. When I went to the Band lecture at parents weekend, the director of the band had pulled some strings and just gotton one of the band members his dream summer job, in the Disneyland band!</p>
<p>The band gets all sorts of perks. One time I think they even got to go to europe on tour.</p>
<p>If you enjoy it, it is definitely a hot gig for a college musician.</p>
<p>My daughter didn't get in for fall 06, may try to transfer in later; she's been in band for many years, was first flute, head of the woodwind section this past year, had hoped to be part of the Trojan Marching Band.</p>
<p>I heard, from a relative who went to USC who knew someone who was in the band, that there are scholarships for anyone who makes the band, starting the year AFTER that first year. Is that true? Any info about that, what portion of band members get scholarships, how substantial?</p>
<p>You don't get an automatic scholarship, though everyone (including freshmen) is allowed to apply. I'm not sure how much they get but I do know they are required to be in band fall semester and in 2 of the following spring ensembles (concert band, basketball band, brass band)</p>
<p>Im a freshman in high school. I have loved the USC band ever since i was a little kid. I play the tenors and have been doing band since i was in 6th grade. Im not that big but i can carry the weight. Is the drumline hard to get into? If it is i will still tryout but i just want to know</p>
<p>The Trojan Marching Band is unique. At many universities it is composed of music students only. Also, some colleges give band scholarships to freshmen. SC students are in the band because they wish to be part of something very special. An interesting fact about the band is about one fourth of the members are engineers!
Members of the band form a rather close knit group. They are often shown in films and play professionally on occasion for private parties in metro Los Angeles.
The band did play in Rome, marching in front of the Coliseum. This can be seen on YouTube. There are other YouTube videos of the "Spirit of Troy". Drummers may be interested to view SC Cadence.
The Marching Band also played on two Fleetwood Mack albums, both platinum. Last year they played on national TV for the finale of American Idol.</p>
<p>Don't worry too much about size; the smallest person in the drumline is about 4'9, and plays the cymbals.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how the drumline works exactly, but I know they do require auditions to see what instrument you'll play and you have to be there about 3 days earlier than everyone else.</p>
<p>This is what I know from conversations with people in the band but not on the drumline, so consider the sources. The default instrument on the drumline is the cymbals, which is plenty cool in and of itself. To play anything else (snare, quad, bass), you have to audition and know how to play all the charts for that instrument, which means a lot of work just to audition. You would have to be quite good to get out of cymbals, and that could well be your instrument as a freshman no matter how good you are at something else depending on the turnover of people already in that position.</p>
<p>Some other interesting features of the USC band is that most members are not music majors, and band is not a course you have to take for a grade. So everybody there is doing it for just for fun, and the faculty and leadership make sure it is fun. This is in contrast to other big college bands I know of, where it is more of a chore, music majors are required to participate whether they want to or not, and rehearsal and event attendance is enforced by threatening your grade.</p>
<p>Heh, I didn't even know how to play my instrument before joining the band.</p>
<p>Just audition and see how it goes. If you really want to play another part, work your ass off and try again.
I know one of the quad players didn't play quad his first year, but learned all the parts during the spring and became a quad player the next season.</p>
<p>Anyone have any updated info on this? @GeorgiaGirl, I’m looking at you! My son was just accepted as a screenwriting major for Fall 2013, and would love to be in the drumline if it works out and he is accepted. He plays tenors for his high school band. </p>
<p>I would love to hear about recent experiences with the band. Thanks so much to anyone who can help - this community is so valuable on so many levels.</p>
<p>This thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1360186-trojan-marching-band-silks.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/1360186-trojan-marching-band-silks.html?</a> has some recent (July of 2012) about joining the band. If you have more questions, you might try PMing Hawkwings or BandTenHut - they can fill you in (you will see their posts in the linked thread).</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>