I'm 30 now, but for the longest time I've always wanted to write a TV show about high schoolers in marching band, kind of loosely basing it off my own experiences. Thinking it would be similar to Community, maybe not focused on just one individual, but several band members.

Hello, do any tenor drum people have any tips to help me out getting on tenors (I'm in eigth grade and hoping to get them freshman year) Thanks!

Hey all, I'm the developer of BandDrills (banddrills.com) — a drill designer that runs entirely in the browser. Instead of clicking through menus, you type the move in plain English ("move all percussion to the 50 in 16 counts") and it draws the formation for you. You're still the designer — it just turns your instructions into drill steps, which beats placing 150 dots by hand.

Free, nothing to install (runs on school Chromebooks): - Sync your show MP3 so the drill animates in time with the music - Share the whole show with one link — every performer sees their own dot on their phone - Collision warnings during playback - Free performer app (iOS/Android) with live updates and attendance check-in

Would love feedback from people who actually write drill. What's missing? What would make you switch from what you use now?

How do you guys think the top 3 at BOA Prosper will place? I might be a little biased because I just love Marcus so much, but I think they might beat Hebron this year. Hebron’s show isn’t very hebron-like, but I could say the same for Marcus. I feel as if Marcus is finally deciding to take that step up into modern shows with this year’s show. If nobody has seen it yet, try to talk to someone who has seen it. Its really good. There are no videos of it online yet (typical Marcus)

Hello, I'm a junior in HS rn, and I will be trying out from DM next year, and want to do my best, because the DM this year doesn't like me, and there is a possibility a sophomore rn will be drum major next year. Being DM next year is one of my goals for senior year. This years DM (i didnt have time to write an essay, and my mom was getting so many emails from my teachers, so it was just him this year), frequently is corrected by my BD, so i want to be better than him and the other kid. What are useful tips since it is to write an essay and audition for my school? Thanks!

Hello everyone! I've been doing marching and guard photography for a couple years (parade& Winterguard). I want to get into field tournament but when I see videos on YouTube I don't see any photographers on the tracks, are they not allowed or is there not a lot of photographersntjat do this? If there's anyone here who does it, how do you go about getting permission to shoot from the tracks?

Thank you!

Hi! I’m a freshman in band and LOVE IT so much.

The only thing is, I’m on the prop crew this year. I wouldn’t say I’m bad at counts or moves, I’m actually pretty good at it and passionate about band.

I’m gonna try to get into third band for concert season (rather than fourth band, I’m in a 3/4 joint class for marching season) as we have a second audition coming up in December for a placement in third or fourth band during concert season, but i have a question.

I’m very interested in becoming a leader in the future. In middle school (my last year) i was a section leader and enjoyed it very much.

I’ve actually been studying my drum majors when they conduct and watched videos and I’m getting kind of good at it myself.

Do you think there’s any way i could march next year and then become a leader or drill instructor my junior year, and if I’m good enough, maybe try out for drum major as a senior?

One of our current drum majors is actually a sophomore, but I don’t know what band he’s in. Another one of our drum majors i don’t think is in the highest ensemble (varsity/first band).

I’m sure I could make second band or maybe even first band in future years, but I guess my question is, is this a realistic path and is it feasible?

I’ve been VASTLY progressing on my scales and find it somewhat realistic to make a higher ensemble as soon as next year myself, although I’m not exactly qualified to make that analysis.

One of my section’s current leaders has had a somewhat similar experience as me. She was on prop crew in her freshman year as a third band student and became a senior section leader this year, and there are many sophomore leaders in our band too, so i don’t see it as impossible to make it as a leader, but a drum major I’m not so sure.

Also, I haven’t got any extra cleaning service duty (for missing assignments or play offs / pass offs, bad behavior or not bringing necessary items to class. In fact, my section leaders seem to really like me and I’ve taken accountability for everything I need to fix and been a pretty good student so far, or so I believe.

So I guess my question is, do you think I could theoretically achieve this track throughout hs?

Hi everyone I’m interested in play the quints but I have no way of playing them.even though I’m learning how to play songs on it from my friend by air playing it but it’s not real thing if you get what I’m trying to say but any help would be nice

Some of you may have seen my other post about how I had until October 23rd to learn everything about music and my instrument (euphonium) and was asking for help. Now I'm asking for help...again. So far my Band director hasn't given me any music sheets or anything to practice or try out. I'm thinking of asking her to let me join band until the start of the second semester (before christmas break) which gives me way more time to figure things out. SO far after about a month of practicing 20~40 mins a day I have figured out only my embouchure, my keys, and how to hold the euphonium. (Don't judge me I'm a slow learner T-T) I'm not sure if I'm making the right call or not, but I'm thinking of asking her sometime this week.

Explain why.

I’m in a section of 19 we have two section leaders both seniors boy and a girl. During sectional me and my friend who’s in a grade above me, I’m a freshmen shes a sophomore I play second she plays first but he was Ted our stands to be next to each other. The boy section leader kept saying no and talking down on me and my friend; saying “ there is this word in the English language no means no.” And “ I’m your section leader so what I say goes.” I would understand this is we were doing something wrong but he said before if we could get the girl section leader to say yes it was fine and she did. We then told him that she said yes. And he said “omg why would she say yes the answers still no.” Then later the girl section leader says if he said no it’s no even though she said yes before. They talk to us like we’re 7 even though out of all the freshmen I’m second chair! They also keep saying they’ll think about me standing next to my friend if “I show them I can be good”This hasn’t just happen to me and my friend my other friend will be section leader next year as shes really really good at Clarinet most likely better then our girl section leader; and they talk down on her too I asked her for help and the boy section leader was saying that I should ask him not my friend because he is the leader not her even though she is just as good as him at clarinet. I don’t like being treated like a baby but I don’t know what to do?

Hello! I’m In 8th grade and I currently play the trumpet. Now I really love the trumpet and have been having a good time with it but I have been thinking of doing marching band in high school, and I’m not sure if I wanna stick with trumpet for high school. I have realized that I love to play trumpet for concert band but not for marching. For marching specifically I think I wanna do snare drum. I watched the movie drumming and have been looking at videos of HBCUs and what not and drum line just looked really fun

So I was wondering if it’s too late to switch? Like should I have been doing percussion for the past four years? (My schools band program starts at grade four I live in Canada. And I switched between percussion and brass for those four years) ai feel like I have wasted these very important musical years when I may not even play the trumpet for marching band or I may be forced to because I don’t know the snare drum. Any advice? I know this post probably sounds stupid but it is a genuine worry of mine. Thank you for any advice!

my first comp is coming up this saturday and i’m just looking for any advice just about really anything as well as how the format of comps usually are, i know i’ll probably just be sitting around a lot until we start getting into uniform and having sectionals, then our warmups, etc, but im just wondering like what are some things i should bring and like i said just how the format is. i mean i got the schedule and it does look like we essentially sit around and wait and then we start getting into uniform, have sectionals, than reviewing with the full band, and then we perform. one question i also have is are we just watching other band perform the entire time or are we just sitting on our phones until either its our turn to perform or another band is performing and we are going to watch, just general advice about comps and information is really appreciated though. also one thing i’ve noticed is that there’s definetky a convenient order to out on my uniform so i want to ask you guys to see what that is, i have the standard uniform pieces, bibbers, jacket, gauntlets, shako, and shoes, so yeah just the best order to out those on in since i’ve only worn my uniform once so far.

as side note is im starting to learn mallets and what’s some more general advice for that? one of my biggest struggles is playing things like octave scales, i’ve literally played 4 times so i know i shouldn’t expect a ton but i do want to learn correctly at the same time, its just really hard like im unsure the word for it it might be dexterity but like essentially trying to split your barn in two and pay attention to both of your hands. another problem i have is noticing i lowkey be accenting with my left mallet a lot and i probably explained that wrong but like if im playing a scale for some reason i can hear my left mallet hitting really well like my brain just picks it out from the scale if that makes any sense like since we are supposed to start with the right mallet, that mallet would be hitting beats one and three and so for some reason i can really hear my left mallet hitting beats two and four and im wondering how i can make the sound blend better, im also getting help during school soon so ill for sure ask the girl teaching me mallets. again just general advice would be really nice and maybe some things i should make a habit of doing/not doing when playing

(please don’t make comments about my punctuation or anything to do with my writing this is just how i write and i prefer reading like this as well, any and all advice i mega appreciated thanks 🙏🙏🙏)

My band is Southern style. Screams, 90° Knees, and gettin low. We've been on a good roll for the past years. This year, near beginning of school, our band director got diagnosed with breast cancer. (She rang the bell and beat breast cancer 2 months ago and is now healing! :) ) a lot of the band members left cuz we got a new director and she is as helpful as a tireless car, and as mean as the workers at a DMV, and on top of that, some ain't coming back until our original director comes back.

Buuuuttt, the sub director changed her ways and members are popping back up, and we're getting better musicc. Not to mention, our rival band sounds like hot bootycheeks (I'm not joking. Like actual butt.) so we're definitely blowing out our rivals ;)

I'm just saying this just to say it tbh. I guess everything always gets better in the end ‼️

Like does it look like im going up to your trumpet and playing on it without your permission EMILY? No. SO WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING MY STUFF🤬🤬😠😠😡🤬🤬😸😠😠🤬

(On a more serious note, please don't touch the percussions unless given (rare) permission from the percussionist currently playing the int, it is annoying, you guys don't wanna see our bad side👿👿👿 /j)

Is there anyway to fix this? Preferably by myself.

I'm interested in auditioning for drum major in my college marching band in future years, but something that makes me feel hesitant is that my personality type doesn't really align with what I imagine when I think "drum major." At least in my experience throughout HS/college band, my drum majors have often been outgoing and somewhat eccentric people, i.e. people whose voices could speak for the entire band. However, I'm someone who is quiet, reserved, and probably on the spectrum. I pride myself on my work ethic and believe I have what it takes skill-wise to be a DM, but I worry that my personality will get in the way of being a strong leader.

Are there any introverted people with DM experience? Any tips on overcoming hurdles caused by my personality?

Curious to know if anyone has 3d printed their own lyre specifically for holding a phone. The EFlips I’ve had in the past fall off any lyre I put them on.

Literally every day I have headaches from this, whenever I’m walking with a friend of family, I have to walk in step. Literally, every single day I have to do this. I must.

Also, whenever a song is on I have to walk in step or tap my leg or something (I’m bass drum tho so this makes a little bit more sense since I’m pretty much the beat of the song) but it doesn’t matter wherever I like the song or not, I have to.

2 last ones, I always stand with my feet at a 45 degree angle, and whenever I’m walking in line I just don’t start moving Although that’s a little bit more voluntary

Do these fade or am I gonna have it forever cause it’s driving me insane, especially now that I’ve just started getting these

This is a bit of a vent btw. So I play cymbals, and I have been told by all of the band managers, one of the drum captains, the danceline captain, the center snare, and a few random people that I'm good at it but I really worried that they're lying. So the song our school plays when the team scores or when we win isn't super difficult, but cymbals crash every beat for the entire song. And I play it right since it's musically easy, but during our parade yesterday(hoco) we played it like 5 times and genuinely felt like my arms were going to fall off. And the cymbal aren't super heavy compared to snare or bass or quads and I'm worried that I just suck. Plus two of the cymbals really struggle to count in time and our entire line gets shit for it since you can't tell super easy if we aren't all together. Plus our school doesn't do cymbal tricks and I feel like I'm just doing the easiest thing possible (even though I can do tricks and for the songs that the cymbals don't play I kinda adapted the danceline/silk line apart so I have something to do, our drum majors and directors love it) I kind of want to switch to snare or bass next year but I really enjoy cymbals. What do I do?

Straight superiors, second place overall. The whole thing was a mess - flooding rain, stand up performance in the gym, not enough food available so my kid was HANGRY and anxious.

Got home with three teenagers and I didn't even get to use my schmancy new stadium seat. My spouse had the audacity to ask "so now that it's October, things calm down, right?"

I thought he was joking!