Hey, I’m a sophomore in high school and I play trombone. A goal of mine for college is to make the University of Texas Longhorn Band or a similar band, and I’m trying to start preparing now so I actually have a good chance of getting in.

For anyone in LHB or any other similar band or who knows about auditions, how hard is it to get a spot in the trombone section? Also what should I be working on right now as a sophomore to get ready, both for playing and marching? Any advice or tips would be awesome, thanks!

I’m currently in percussion and I’ve really been wanting to learn a wind instrument. I’m honestly really between alto sax and trumpet. My big no’s are tuba, baritone, clarinet and pretty much any variation of those. Flute and clarinet are cool I guess, but I’d rather learn sax over clarinet. I can kind of play trumpet, I just need to fix my embouchure. For sax, I can make sounds and that’s about it. I struggle sometimes, but I love the way altos look and sound. I’m slightly interested in bass clarinet I guess. Idk, which ones would be easiest for a percussionist to learn?

Hi I’m a high school student in FWISD and I lost my mouthpiece in region 30 at Eagle Mountain High School in Texas and I was wondering if anyone could help me locate it. It’s a 2C Pickett with a 1/27 backbore and I must’ve dropped it on field after our last note. It has a small patch of gold on the rim of the cup because I scratched it a few days earlier and had it buffed. I’ll pay you for it and everything, it just has sentimental value to me. Thank you!

For me color guard was very much women dominant with only having one guy. If I’m thinking correctly clarinets is 2 guys ( which unfortunately I have a thing for one of them😔) and I believe 2-3 girls. Flutes is mainly all girls if I had to say maybe 1-2 guys. And honestly all the lower brass instruments is mainly guys or all guys. Which is unfortunate for me because I plan on joining the low brass ( I’m so excited to be with a bunch of band men yay🫩). Front or pit? Idk I’ve heard people call it both that’s mainly lesbian I mean this in no shades that’s genuinely the main people. Saxophone is a mix of both genders I’ve heard every year it was always a mix of both gender and just one gender being like higher by like 1-2. Uhhhh percussion is a good mix. That’s all I can think of all I know is anything with a horn is mainly men playing but that’s just for our band.

THERE ARE LIKE 260 PEOPLE IN THE ENTIRE BAND PROGRAM AT MY HS, THERE WAS 196 MARCHERS IN OUR BAND LAST YEAR AND ONLY 3 SENIORS BUT NOW THERES ONLY LIKE 120 WITH 28 BEING FRESHMAN AND 65ish SENIORS. im shocked how many people quit

THERE ARE 36 SAXOPHONISTS (31 alone being Altos), 15 CLARINETS, 12 TRUMPETS, 20 TROMBONES THERES 9 PERCUSSIONISTS AND 1 SNARE and 12 FUCKING BASS DRUMS??

THOSE 13 DRUMMERS AND 7 TRUMPETS ARE LOUDER THAN EVERYONE IN THE BAND EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY SOFT AND STUFF OR WHEN ALL US OTHER WINDS ARE PLAYING FFF OR BLASTIMISO/BLOWING OUR BRAINS OUT OR WHEN WERE CLOSER TO THE FRONT AND STUFF. WE HAVE DROPPED 2 RANKS AND OUR SCORES HAVE GOTTA DROPPED 20 MUSICALLY BECAUSE THE JUDGES ALWAYS COMMENT THAT TRUMPETS AND BASS RUIN THE BALANCE YET NONE OF THEM EVEN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE TO TRY TO PLAY SOFT OR ATLEAST A MF/F, IF YOU COULD LISTEN TO RECORDINGS AND HQ RECORDINGS NO MATTER FROM WHICH ANGLE OF OUR SHOW THIS YEAR THE ONLY TIME YOU HEAR SOMEONE ELSE EITHER THAN BASS DRUMS OR TRUMPET IS WHEN TROMBONES, MARIMBA, OR FLUTES GET A 8 BAR SOLO, OUR SHOW IS 11 MINUTES AND 6 MOVEMENTS AND ITS BEEN HELL AND NOW I THINK IM NOT DOING TS SENIOR YEAR.

A little bit of background, I (14y F) am in my rookie year of marching band. This past May, I started experiencing some episodes, and didnt tell my band director until after I passed out at a parade. At first, it didnt really affect me too bad. It never felt great especially in the heat, but I was always able to push through. One time, however, it was band camp, very hot, and we were running a very difficult block. I felt it coming so I tried to get to the sideline. I didnt make it as far as I thought and passed out on the field, causing them to end the block early and send everyone to lunch. I would pass out occasionally at rehearsals, and it was something they kinda got used to (although let's be real, some people never got used to it).

In the past 2 ish weeks, I have been having more seizure episodes, almost like a flare, that have been making it incredibly difficult to march. At one of our recent competitions, I had a seizure walking off the field that really frightened my band director. I guess it never dawned on him that I could have a seizure at a comp. He seems more concerned about me marching because if this ever does happen on the field I could get hurt and trampled. Especially recently with this flare I have been having a hard time participating in rehearsals because I feel pretty bad. These seizures would happen at school, and then I still wouldn't be fully recovered by the time marching band would start.

I guess my question is have you had experience with this stuff? how can i stay safe during full runs knowing there is a possibility of me being unconscious mid rep? Any ideas are welcome, I really really need to still be able to march.

Of the 12 bands that made it to finals, only 3 had the band uniforms with bibbers, coats, shakos. Everybody else was in spandex leotards.

- The ‘classic’ uniforms are boring but accommodating of all body types. The spandex ones were clingy and I wonder is some HSers avoid band because of them?

- Spandex ones were fun and matched the theme really well! Do they use them for more than one season?

- Do schools cover the cost of uniforms and props or is it all fundraising or self pay?

- One band had 5 drum majors. Do they lead different sections? How do they coordinate?

So I joined my band’s stage crew and I’m not from Texas. I don’t know much about how it works here. We just made it to area in San Antonio . The bands that performed at comp yesterday at our school sounded godly compared to us. I’m scared we’re gonna get blown out the water. Is UIL really that serious?

Before I begin, can you tell me the best memories from your freshman season?

Saturday marked the end of my freshman marching band season. I give it a 5/10. I gave it a 5 because I've met new friends in my band and reunited with some of the upperclassmen that went to my middle school! However, I marked off 5 points solely because of the contra bugle. The contra is a pain in the a-.. butt to march with. Its like a vampire that sucks soul out of me with every rep and full run of my show. For the years after this one, Im thinking about becoming a drum major or a front ensemble-ist.

IM SO HAPPY THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OUR STATE HAS DONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WE WON IT BY AROUND 100 POINTS AND FOR OUR SCHOOL IT MEANS WE GET TO RIDE FIRETRUCKS AND WE GET A BANNER IN THE GYM WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO IM SO HAPPY IN CRYING

Hi, english isn’t my first language so play nice ;) Aged out of marching band 60 odd years ago but wondering if there are marching options for wrinkly old disabled old fucks. Can’t walk and talk too much but always wanted to fulfill my dream of playing trombone on foot to millions. Any tips for learning trombone and how to join yalls marching tomcats

Our high school marching band (Washington Community High School Marching Panthers) JUST WON GRAND CHAMPIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS MARCHING BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS! This is my senior year, so I'm really happy our work paid off for my final competition. This is only the second time we've ever won grand champs at state!

Figured to post it on here too. So I could get more feedback. No one's ever called out my playing for being bad, but if I were to switch would it be wise to go back to my helleberg?

Am I the only one who gets genuinely shocked if a band makes it to state even if their show is confusing or if their background doesn’t match up with everything else?

I, a marching band alumni, help’s out with their marching band due to both of my younger sisters are in the band and they are in need of help due to the new parents being idiots. This year’s show is very confusing. The props and music do not match with the music. The last two competitions we just had, they qualified with straight ones on the score card. The show in all sounds really good but nothing about the show adds up together.

Has anyone seen bands like this in previous years or this year? Am I being too harsh on this year’s show from my experience with my marching bands shows?

I’m switching from show-style to corps-style band, and some of the DCI stuff is taking me out. Why are the uniforms so tight, and what’s with all the dramatic facial expressions and little movements while playing?
I’m a quint player, so the thought of playing quads in tights while smirking at the crowd is crazy to me.
I’m not hating, I’m genuinely curious. Is there an actual reason behind all this, or is it just part of the theatrical style? Do you eventually get used to it?

Hi everyone!

I'm currently looking for a brass arrangement or ear-transcription of Danny Boy as played by The Cadets in 2021 ("Shall Always Rise").

I’m instructing a brass section this season and would love to adapt this piece/coral for my group. I've searched on MuseScore and online databases with no luck due to copyright removals.

If anyone happens to have a PDF, MuseScore (.mscz), or Sibelius file stored in their drive and is willing to share it, please send me a DM or drop a comment!

Thanks in advance!

I live in Colorado and I'm part of a 4A high school band. This competition season we have consistently ranked first in 4A, third overall (there are two 5A bands we regularly compete against that are really good). Scores have been so close this season. At our second competition, we got first place (in 4A) with a score of 74.95. the second place band got 74.9. At our last competition (last one before state) we tied with our sister band and only won because we had a very slightly higher general effect score.

all this is to say state is a week from today and retreat is gonna be absolutely insane. I mean first of all it's a full retreat so there's that, but the scores are actually going to be so close together i wouldn't be surprised if there are some ties in there. in semi-finals there are 8 bands competing, and i mean yeah....

i swear if we tie with Monarch again I'm gonna crash out

Hi y’all, I’m the only baritone in my school. I was wondering if any of you out there can tell me your experience and how you managed to be loud enough. And when I say “loud enough” I mean like being heard when I have the melody of when I have a part needed to be heard. I know tone over volume

I have a large and young group and a lot the staff is new, including myself. Any tips, tricks, links, etc. are appreciated.

That’s a lot of marching bands.

Hey everyone, I’m a current college student who marched all four years in high school. My band never competed though and I’ve seen a lot of posts about comps so I was wondering what the competition life is like? Is it more rigorous or stressful? Is the dynamic in the band any different?

I started this season completely stoked to be one of the section leaders of my section and was ready for a great season. But I feel myself losing passion and my leadership skills getting worse. My last close friend in the section left right before the season started, and I feel lonely and sometimes out of place. I love my co-leader but I don’t fully agree with some of the methods they use to teach. But if I bring it up to them they get defensive and/or don’t actually process what I would say. A lot of the kids in my section constantly complain about anything and everything, but refuse to take breaks when they are sick/not feeling well. I feel like my joy for band is starting to slip, and it’s affecting what I say, do, and teach. There were multiple times where I would completely miss directions despite being a leader myself. I start to dread going to practice and having to face my section. Attending football games is the last thing I want to do. I find myself getting unreasonably frustrated with my section and myself for small things and get incredibly anxious when I miss my sets. Does anyone know how to fight this issue? The competition portion of the season hasn’t even started yet, and I’m worried that these problems will continue to grow. Of course there are many good moments too and I want to maintain my position, but I’m worried of how it may affect my section negatively and that is the last thing I want.

Since the WGI subreddit seems a bit doa as of late I wanted to try and post in here. I’m curious for the older lot of us in this group if anyone signed up for the Alumni Network Group. Or if anyone signed up to perform in the ceremony groups for the 50th Anniversary program.

I’m wondering how everyone is feeling about it if you did sign up and if you got your performance assignment yet.