Sudden Burst of Freshmen

[bandgeek101]

We are getting 30+ freshmen next year. Our new director has done an excellent recruiting job. But how do you deal with this? Freshmen are going to make up more than half of the band. I'm talking about marching band by the way.

[lws2mforlife]

Same here, just this year we got alot of freshman, but next year there is even more coming in. I will be a junior next year.

And we have alot of seniors leaving too

It should be very interesting.

[Deleted]

Dudes, me three. We got about five freshmen this year, and next year we're looking at anywhere between fifteen and fifty. Out of a forty piece band.

[altoclarinets]

We have more than 10 clarinet freshmen this year! Im happpyyy!!!

[bandgeek101]

Apparently band is kinda sorta coming around again in some place. I like this

[Lprdgecko]

Hopefully my school's band will get a lot of freshmen next year. 1/3 of our band is seniors (me included), so we need a lot of people to fill our gaps, so to speak. We'll be losing a lot of low brass and clarinets. Hopefully they'll do well next year anyways.

[clarinetrox2012]

I'm a Freshman myself, but I'd have to say that we make up nearly half the band. We have 72 people. This year, only 5 seniors are leaving, but next year we're losing a lot of people.

[clarinetlover]

This year we went from 8 clarinetists to 20. It terrifies me to think it could double again next year. There was a freshman explosion this year - they make up about 1/3 of a 175ish member band. I'm sure there will be a lot next year too.

On the other hand, there will be NO freshman trombonists coming in next year, there are none in 8th grade at any of the four middle schools our high school schools. But we're only loosing one, so it doesn't really matter.

[Deleted]

My band has enough freshmen coming in that the stated purpose of our fund raiser is to buy more low brass instruments, because we simply do not have enough baritones for even the low end of our potential spectrum. I have mine, we have a crappy bugle-style one and a slightly less-crappy upright, and at least one baritone returning next year plus anywhere from two to five freshmen. It's bad enough that if we get close to a 90% retention rate, we may have to have two concert bands (out of a school of 400, well, closer to 450 next year).

As quartermaster, I'm honestly worried about how many uniforms we have, especially considering one of our near-guaranteed freshman is 6'7'' and something like 275 lbs. Granted, he is a football player and will probably march a contra (we're getting a convertible) over his pads, but for contest, damn.

[redhead]

I'm incoming freshman. I haven't heard is I made marching band yet- I should hear sometime this week.
However, i do knwo that last fall half of the marching band were seniors. And there's not enough interest from incoming freshman to fill that spot. THere will be probably be like 4 clarinets, becuase I'm the only clarinet auditioning and there will only be three left after the seniors leave.

[bandgeek101]

good luck redhead. It's fun.

[carlaxbassoon]

This year we only had 4 freshmen come in, me included. But one died out somewhere in the middle of the season.
We only have 5 seniors going this year, but next year were gonna get rid of 15 senoirs, which means only half the band is left. [We only have only like 40 people, including color guard]
This year our BD didn't make marching band a requirement when you take "band class"...next year he's gonna have to, since we are going to be so short of a marching band.
Oh, and my freshman class isn't excalty "enthusastic" about marching band. They all hate it. xP Only me and this other freshman actually likes it. xP
Oh, and I don't know how many new freshmen are actually come next year. This one kid said we are getting alot, but I don't know