<p>What opinion do people have about the value of Marching Band to a future music major? Marching band takes many hours of rehearsal in the late summer, fall, and early winter. If a person was drum major, would that be considered valuable experience conducting (if conducting was where that music major hoped to end up)? I would be very interested in your answers (and would share them with a certain future music major).</p>
<p>My D is a senior and finishing her 4th year in marching band, last 2 as a section leader. I can tell you our experience: Marching Band was not about the music. Are we glad D did it? Absolutely. Several of her private teachers tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. The personal growth and leadership skills she developed from this experience were tremendous. She now has an amazing ability to get a large group of very diverse people to work well together. But I cannot really say her musical skills improved much.</p>
<p>I think the marching band experience is probably more valuable for a potential music education major than a music performance major, as far as the music part of it. If your S wants to conduct, that may be another good reason to do marching band, as there are not many opportunities for a high school student to conduct. (I have heard, though, that there are very few undergraduate conducting programs…others would know more about this). But the time management has to be very good, especially during band season, to be able to keep up with the “serious” music practice. This would be similar to trying to be a serious musician while playing a sport. Our band season is in the fall also, while D was trying to prepare for auditions. Her grades took a hit.</p>
<p>We are so glad our D did marching band. We have met the most incredible teachers, students, and other families. Would she have been farther ahead with her music if she did not do this? Maybe. I think about that especially now, in the application aftermath. But the experience for her was priceless, and she had so much fun.</p>
<p>I agree with everything in the above post. It also depends upon the individual program, the instrument, etc.</p>
<p>In my S’s case, the marching band was a big deal at his school, and very time consuming. He did it only one year, because he realized it was taking away from his long-term musical goals. His directors were not happy with him, but his private teacher was. His private teacher felt that marching was going to hurt his embouchure.</p>
<p>There are not a lot of conducting classes for undergrads. It’s mostly a grad school pursuit, and the few I know of who have gone on to conducting were folks without marching band backgrounds, (either string players or foreigners) so I have no data points.</p>
<p>The drum majors at our school were chosen only in part for their musical ability, but more for their leadership (read: popularity - ability to get the other kids to follow them) and none pursued music later.</p>
<p>I agree with what has been said above. My kids both march. In their HS it is required in order to be in the band program. </p>
<p>I think for a music ed major who ultimately wants to teach at the HS level (and in a HS with a marching band) marching in college would be very important. There is so much involved in a marching band - it is a complex ensemble to coordinate and lead. If you want to do it professionally then you should get that exposure in college.</p>
<p>On a personal level my kids love marching band (and it is not because we live in NH where it is very cold at many games!). I am sure they have grown musically (to a degree) because of the experience, but they got so much more from marching band. Both of my kids are very enthusiastic about marching band, and I am sure they will always have very fond memories of it. The right band director will make marching band an incredible experience!</p>
<p>And yes, it is a huge time commitment.</p>
<p>Marching band is a lot of things. It is the opportunity to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people, it is the opportunity to learn to be part of a team, it is the opportunity to to put some movement with the beats and to learn to be a performer, not justs a musician. </p>
<p>My son has probably performed in front of more people (in excess of 800,000 people) as part of his high school marching band program than some of professional musicians have in their entire careers. He once had someone ask him if he was “THE trumpet player from XXX high school”. He litterally feels like a celebrity any time he goes to a band function and someone asks him what high school he is from.</p>
<p>Personally, I think that the argument that it “takes too much time” is bogus. Sure it takes time, everything takes time, but I think that the rewards that one can get out of it are worth the time ten times over.</p>
<p>Of course I am sure all of that depends on the particular marching band program. At my son’s high school marching band is just as competitive as any “sport”. Competitive for spots in the marching band, competitive for “chair” and part, competitive as a team competing against other bands. I’ve heard a few college marching band student say that college marching band is not “the same” as it was in high school, again, that probably depends on the college. At my son’s high school marching band it is a very amazing experiance, I think that I almost got as much out of it as a parent as my son did as a participant.</p>
<p>Here is a email that my son’s high school band director recieved just after our state championship:</p>
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<p>That guy made it quite clear that marching band is not the same everywhere. I honestly feel sorry for people who don’t get to experiance why my son has experianced at his high school.</p>
<p>You gotta think about those thousands of students who participate in drum corps every year. They have 12-16 hour a day practices, they run and do push ups and spend hours in the blazing sun. It has to be physically miserable. Yet they pay lots of money to do it! And a lot of top wind and percussion college music majors do this on top of their college marching band. There has to be something worthwhile about the experiance or else they wouldn’t put themselves through all of that. </p>
<p>If nothing else musically, marching band builds crazy lip and lung endurance.</p>
<p>When it came time for my son to narrow down his college list, the first thing we did was to eleminate all colleges that did not have marching band.</p>
<p>I’ve read some posts where people indicated that marching band was “just about playing as loud as you can”. thats not true. Anyone who thinks that has never experianced a good marching band. Yes, you do have to play out, but you also have to avoid standing out or blasting. It’s all about blending in, not simply playing as loud as you can. </p>
<p>By the way, there is another quite lenthy thread on this topic that was started several years back. You may want to search for it.</p>
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<p>Not bogus at all. It is a huge time commitment, which logically means there is less time for other pursuits. “Too much” might be subjective, but it certainly can be valid. My S marched freshman year, played in a community youth orchestra, and a well-known youth symphony. He rarely had time to practice. He had to evaluate his schedule on cost vs. benefit. Marching band AND the community youth orchestra lost.</p>
<p>He cut out everything for youth symphony, academics, and practicing. In his case, marching band took too much time for too little result. In his case, actually a negative result, as it decreased his musicianship (yes, he did hear, “mellophones, play louder!” all the time), hurt him physically, and took time away from practice.</p>
<p>That said, I did marching band, and it was the highlight of my HS - not for music, but socially. I encouraged him to give it a try. His marching band was very competitive, large, well-run, expensive ($1500 per year), and a very big deal. They regularly win competitions all over the southeast. Students are frequently “punished” for not marching, such as being assigned to lower level bands. (They did not do this to my S, however.) My niece (same HS) cannot march because she is a competitive gymnast, and will be in the lowest level band all four years because of it, although she is quite talented.</p>
<p>I agree that marching band experience in HS and college is crucial to those who want to teach HS music. Plus, the experience can be a draw for certain colleges.</p>
<p>Marching Band was one of the most valuable experiences our S had in High School. Yes, drum major made a difference – it was one more example of his music talent and his leadership skills. He is a music ed major.</p>
<p>Programs very from school to school to be sure. If the OP’s student is in a school with a strong program, I would encourage the student to stick with the band.</p>
<p>My wife was in her high school marching band, mainly because it was required of their woodwind, brass and percussion players who wanted to be in other ensembles. Not wanting to use her good flute outdoors or to have any negative effects on her embouchure or posture when playing, she used marching band as an opportunity to pick up some skills on the clarinet.</p>
<p>Reading the responses, I think there is a disconnect here, I don’t think anyone is saying that marching band isn’t worthwhile or somehow ‘less worthy’, they were responding in the context of the original question, which is what did people think about the value of marching band to someone presumably majoring in music, more then likely music performance, and that is the context of the responses. </p>
<p>Having done marching band in high school, and having seen high school marching bands that were incredible, it isn’t that there isn’t value to it, or that the kids doing it are doing something special, they are. It is a team built experience and to be good at it, to be the kind of bands that win competitions and such, it takes a lot of dedication and commitment.</p>
<p>In the context of a kid seriously thinking of going into music performance, something my S is heading into and having seen what kids do to reach for that, the benefits of marching band to me are outweighed by the negatives of doing it (negative in the context of preparing for a BM program). The discipline and teamwork and such are helpful, but here are the negatives:</p>
<p>-Marching band takes a lot of time, at least at a serious level, lot of practices and work. While that discipline is not a bad thing, kids seriously heading into music already have a lot of things to do. Practice is a large slot of each day, serious music students heading to conservatory practice several hours a day, and many of them belong to youth orchestras and chamber groups that further takes their day.Add that to schoolwork, and marching band’s demand on time can take away from the other aspects. </p>
<p>-The kind of skills marching band requires of a musician are different then that for a concert performer or soloist, marching bands combine a stage show with the music, and the emphasis is not on the kind of sound required from an orchestra or other traditional performances, and because of that what you learn to do in marching band is not likely to help you ace an audition into a music program (would if you were heading into a marching band program at the college level, but that is different). </p>
<p>-For kids whose primary instrument isn’t a marching band instrument (violin, piano, cello, etc, etc) they would be spending time working on a totally different instrument from their primary one, and while it is not a bad thing to learn about other instruments per se, it doesn’t do much in terms of working towards getting into a BM program. </p>
<p>-Entrance into performance programs are very different then getting into a college for academics. Marching band as an EC would probably be a plus, but music schools from everything I can tell don’t really look at the music CV all that much (might be in borderline cases), everything is the audition, and I suspect then that marching band if heading into a conservatory or performance program within a LAC would give much of an edge, to be honest, even if they look at the CV. If a student had the choice between a marching band or a youth symphony or chamber program, the latter would count a lot more (if it counts that much at all). </p>
<p>Again, I think marching bands are a wonderful experience (well, okay, i can say that looking back, in my HS it was like another poster, we had to do marching band if we wanted to be in the music program) and you do learn a lot there, I am just saying that I don’t think that for kids heading into music programs that the kinds of things it teaches add up to a plus for heading into music school as a BM and given the amount of time it takes, given how much effort it takes to get into a performance program, marching band IMO is probably more a negative then a positive in terms of what it teaches, and as far as being an edge on admissions, it probably isn’t. I would be saying something different for music education or even as an EC for admit to an academic program, but for performance, I would say it isn’t worth the effort.</p>
<p>Great input from everyone. I should point out that my D plays saxophone in the band at school, but considers piano her main instrument and that would be the instrument that she would go into college with. Her band director is aware of this. Her high school requires everyone who is in band to march, which she dutifully did in freshman year. In sophomore year she submitted a proposal to be excused from marching while staying in band and it was granted.
Her band director would really like her to rejoin the marching band, however. I think she does combine leadership abilities with musical abilities (if I do say so myself), and thats why she is getting some pressure to rejoin. But whats best for the marching band may not be whats best for her. How is it even possible to prepare for auditions senior year while marching 20+ hours a week in addition to school? But evidently some of your students have done it!
The difference between being a music ed major versus a performance major may be crucial here. Thanks for pointing that out!</p>
<p>Related, but in the same vein. </p>
<p>We were at loggerheads with my son’s chamber coach when my son insisted that he commit himself every year to the high school pit orchestra for the six to eight week rehearsal period.</p>
<p>Her concern was that it was not “serious music” (imagine heavy Russian accent), cut into his practice time, quartet rehearsals.</p>
<p>These was a program with a great professionalism, exceptional musical and stage talent and dedicated teachers. My son felt he “owed” it. I agreed, as his high school music department and peers were just as much a part of his development as a musician was his private instructor or his chamber coach.</p>
<p>You pick and choose the opportunities that serve your ends.</p>
<p>lastbird, marching band did get in the way of my son preparing for auditions - sorta. It does take time from practicing for auditions. But he became a better overall player due to those 20+ hours a week. He probably would have been better prepaired for his auditions if he spent that 20+ hours a week practicing specifically for auditions, but the reality is that he probably would not have practiced for auditions an additional 20 hours a week if he had not done marching band. He may have spent part of that time practicing, I am sure he would have, but it’s a trade off - practicing for a public performance (marching band) vs practicing for a private audition. </p>
<p>Someone said that marching band was great for them as a social experiance. I agree with that 100%. A good bit of the time that marching band takes is not taken away from music practice time, it is taken away from “social time” or TV watching time, or goofing off time. For two hours after he got home from marching band, he didn’t want to talk - to anyone, he would use that time to practice piano or trumpet (if he had anymore “lip” left). He had “being social” out of his system for the day. </p>
<p>All of his college auditions were during the winter though so there was not a conflict between college auditions and marching band, and he practiced a rediculous amount (not that there is a maximum anyone should practice) for college auditions after marching band season. The pieces he picked out for college auditions are very high end pieces, but he had been working on those pieces for two years, so any loss of college audition time due to marching band wasn’t that big of a deal.</p>
<p>Since your daughters primary instrument in college will be piano, I have to agree with those who suggest that marching band in college has little music value to your student. If she wants to consider it as a “break” from college studies, then it would still be a good activity for her in college. Many colleges will give a stipend for marching band, or will require it for a music scholarship (or bigger music scholarship) so thats a consideration also. Also, it doesn’t hurt to be good at more than one instrument, my son is a better trumpet player because he also takes piano lessons, and he is a better piano player because he takes trumpet lessons. </p>
<p>Since your daughter likely will not have the opportunity to take private applied music lessons on sax while in college, marching band could be an excellent way of keeping up her sax chops while in college. Plus, marching band counts as a class at most colleges and you get college credit for it.</p>
<p>I was NOT a music major but was in my university marching band, along with many music majors who were required to be in the band. One thing it did for the music majors was give them ideas about possible careers other than trying to be professional musicians or instrumental teachers. Five of the students I was in band with are now major university marching band directors, but had never thought about that as a career before college. Another one has had quite a lucrative career as a travel agent for high school and college band trips and also owns a maunfacturer of marching band uniforms and accessories. A few were able to put together bands and peforming groups with other marchers that have stayed together for 25+ years. </p>
<p>Some of the music majors griped about the time involved in marching band, but most of them loved it. Music can be a very isolating major if you let it, with so many hours spent alone in practice rooms or in one-on-one lessons. Marching band makes you get to know other kids from other majors and backgrounds, and it gives you a ready-made but still structured social life that still focuses on music. One of my music major friends told me he was so glad he had to be in marching band, because he met me and other non-major kids who gave him more of an appreciation of people who love music but don’t want to make it their careers. </p>
<p>And the perfomance opportunities can be amazing. Face it, most university symphonies and wind ensembles play to very small crowds. In my four years of marching band, I got to perform at a World Series game, two NCAA basketball Final Fours, a Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve, in front of Prince Charles (he gave us a standing ovation!), and at a U.S. Olympics festival. We traveled to places like New Orleans and Atlanta for away games. Our university opened a new football stadium my freshman year, and I still remember the goose bumps I felt being part of the very first group to march into that huge stadium! The memories and friendships I have from marching band truly will last a lifetime.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the decision to join marching band should really be based on where you are going. If it’s a less serious or intense music department, more music majors will be in marching band and you should do it to. It’s a great way to make friends. However, in some schools like FSU and Michigan, the teachers do not want their students to do marching band and there are hardly any music majors in it. If you are absolutley serious about getting a career in music performance, its best to avoid it. However, I consider it useful for Music Ed majors because who knows, you could be directing a high school marching band/ college marching band in the future. It’s best to ask the opinion of the teacher you will be studying with.</p>
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This is absolutely true; my son is at Michigan and that is precisely what he was told. Absolute time-eater.</p>
<p>I agree that it is useful for music ed, but can be detrimental to a performance track.</p>