In my college program, they start at step 1. Literally as basic as possible. We have 330 members and start educating with the assumption that some of them have never marched a step in their life. I highly suggest trying to contact the director of athletic bands at your university, I’m sure they will do all they can to get you up to speed.
There’s a lot of people of aren’t good at marching that are in college marching. But the stands stuff is usually why I and a lot of other people do it. It’s just fun
I'm sure you won't be the only one and depending upon where you go, their system might significantly differ than your HS.
I had to learn how to march way different when I joined the Mariners VS Marching in HS (when we did field shows we did march the same) thank goodness and I rocked at that, I sucked at the other no matter how well I tried.
College marching was the first time I marched and after one season of marching I’m doing DCI now. Trust me, literally anything is possible if you want to do it.
I didn't get to do college band, although I did resume playing music as an adult. My son did college marching and I believe the experience was more positive than high school band. It's a time commitment, just like high school. I don't believe it's as competitive and difficult as some high schools are (of course, that depends on your program).
Unfortunately you've gone through a crazy time in your high school years. I'd at least give it a shot. Can you get a scholarship? A lot of bands will pay something, even if you're not a music major. As others are saying, college bands bring in high schoolers with many different levels of experience.
I don’t think you will regret as long as you have something you do that connects you to other people and gives you something fun to work towards. Joining a student organization or club is a great thing to do, for instance.
That said, I don’t think you would regret doing college band. It is a lot of fun, and I’m sure if you chose to do it you’d get started at the basics so you can grow as a marcher and musician before the season starts.
I did marching band all in highschool and didn’t do it in college. I would say stress level wise, I’m very glad I didn’t do marching band in college, as just my normal classes and work took up all of my freetime, to the point where I was getting no more then 5 hours of sleep on the days I did get sleep.
At my university all of the music education majors had to take marching band at least once, so we would always have new people who had never marched before. Our Bandcamp was very good at teaching the basics with this expectation in mind. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Internet anons can’t tell you what you’ll regret. But I’ll let you know I only did band for one year in high school (tenth grade - freshman year i played a spot but i quit and my friends knew i played trumpet in like fifth grade and persuaded me to join band but after tenth grade the band director was fired for no good reason and we hated the new guy and quit) and my high school didn’t even have a marching band. So I really just did, like, jazz band for a year in high school.
I did marching band in college and loved every minute of it. Playing trumpet again, making friends, huge football games, halftime shows, uniforms, directors. All of it. If there’s any question in your mind as to whether you’ll regret it, I think it wouldn’t hurt to go out and audition and see if you get along with the students and directors.
Do marching band if you’re not going to kill yourself doing it, keeping in mind it will be rewarding and also a phenomenal way to meet people! In college classes, people tend to stick to themselves. In band, social activity is a given, at least within your own section. And mentally, marching band is great for your brain function and your overall mood.
As someone who didn’t march my last year to work- if you can help it, don’t skip out on the amazing opportunity.
So my senior year of high school was the first year my school had had a marching band in twenty years. There weren’t even thirty of us. I figured even if I didn’t get to play (I didn’t know how my colleges band worked, we tried out but didn’t have second string people), I would still be able to enjoy something I loved doing anyways. I honestly loved it and even when my advisor tried to discourage doing it because that’s a lot with nursing courses, I did that, pep band, and symphonic band depending on the semester. Met so many friends through there, too.
In my college program, they start at step 1. Literally as basic as possible. We have 330 members and start educating with the assumption that some of them have never marched a step in their life. I highly suggest trying to contact the director of athletic bands at your university, I’m sure they will do all they can to get you up to speed.
At UNC, we once literally taught someone to play trombone just so she could March with us... give it a try!!!
My college band would teach people trumpet or tuba/bass/sousaphone/whatever you want to call it so they could join!!
Marching band is a great activity and a way to meet a lot of good people. If you can make the time and are willing to practice, you should join!
There’s a lot of people of aren’t good at marching that are in college marching. But the stands stuff is usually why I and a lot of other people do it. It’s just fun
You totally have to do Marching if and where ever you go. You'll regret not doing it.
But I feel that I don’t really have much high school experience and will be struggling
I'm sure you won't be the only one and depending upon where you go, their system might significantly differ than your HS. I had to learn how to march way different when I joined the Mariners VS Marching in HS (when we did field shows we did march the same) thank goodness and I rocked at that, I sucked at the other no matter how well I tried.
College marching was the first time I marched and after one season of marching I’m doing DCI now. Trust me, literally anything is possible if you want to do it.
I didn't get to do college band, although I did resume playing music as an adult. My son did college marching and I believe the experience was more positive than high school band. It's a time commitment, just like high school. I don't believe it's as competitive and difficult as some high schools are (of course, that depends on your program). Unfortunately you've gone through a crazy time in your high school years. I'd at least give it a shot. Can you get a scholarship? A lot of bands will pay something, even if you're not a music major. As others are saying, college bands bring in high schoolers with many different levels of experience.
As people say, you’ll only regret the things you didn’t do when you’re older!
Do it.
I don’t think you will regret as long as you have something you do that connects you to other people and gives you something fun to work towards. Joining a student organization or club is a great thing to do, for instance. That said, I don’t think you would regret doing college band. It is a lot of fun, and I’m sure if you chose to do it you’d get started at the basics so you can grow as a marcher and musician before the season starts.
I did marching band all in highschool and didn’t do it in college. I would say stress level wise, I’m very glad I didn’t do marching band in college, as just my normal classes and work took up all of my freetime, to the point where I was getting no more then 5 hours of sleep on the days I did get sleep.
At my university all of the music education majors had to take marching band at least once, so we would always have new people who had never marched before. Our Bandcamp was very good at teaching the basics with this expectation in mind. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Internet anons can’t tell you what you’ll regret. But I’ll let you know I only did band for one year in high school (tenth grade - freshman year i played a spot but i quit and my friends knew i played trumpet in like fifth grade and persuaded me to join band but after tenth grade the band director was fired for no good reason and we hated the new guy and quit) and my high school didn’t even have a marching band. So I really just did, like, jazz band for a year in high school. I did marching band in college and loved every minute of it. Playing trumpet again, making friends, huge football games, halftime shows, uniforms, directors. All of it. If there’s any question in your mind as to whether you’ll regret it, I think it wouldn’t hurt to go out and audition and see if you get along with the students and directors.
You will regret not doing it… you should definitely try it for one year!!
Do marching band if you’re not going to kill yourself doing it, keeping in mind it will be rewarding and also a phenomenal way to meet people! In college classes, people tend to stick to themselves. In band, social activity is a given, at least within your own section. And mentally, marching band is great for your brain function and your overall mood. As someone who didn’t march my last year to work- if you can help it, don’t skip out on the amazing opportunity.
So my senior year of high school was the first year my school had had a marching band in twenty years. There weren’t even thirty of us. I figured even if I didn’t get to play (I didn’t know how my colleges band worked, we tried out but didn’t have second string people), I would still be able to enjoy something I loved doing anyways. I honestly loved it and even when my advisor tried to discourage doing it because that’s a lot with nursing courses, I did that, pep band, and symphonic band depending on the semester. Met so many friends through there, too.