Marching band as a class

[fruple]

I've heard people talking about this and it's pretty intriguing.

So, I'm just wondering if you do have it as a class during the school year. And, is it all year around, or just the marching season? Is there a separate class for concert band? Do kids have to be in that class to be in marching band? How often do you practice outside of school? Does the winter program practice in those classes, or is it all outside? And does your BD/any of your BD's teach at the school?

Here, it's all separate. When we competed, we'd practice Mondays and Thursday from 6pm - 9pm, and usually have 2 or so sectionals a week. Kids technically have to be in any of the music programs to join (like how most of our pit is/was in orchestra), but the director lets that slide if need be. We actually get yelled at if we practice our music in school because "there is a time and place for everything". Our director comes once a week to help the percussionists, as that's what he is by trade, but that's all we see him at school. And for winter (well, drumline at least; the guard usually practices ALL THE TIME) we'd do 530pm - 9pm rehearsals Monday and Thursday, and usually 3 or 4 sectionals a week, and if we don't have shows during the weekend, we usually do a Saturday 8am - 8pm practice, or something close to that.

But yeah, I just really want to know how other groups function. It fascinates me.

[Trombonium]

We have it "Zero" period all year long. Class name is "Concert/Marching Band". Kids have to be in that class and one of the three other classes (obviously depends on what you do in the band) to be in band:
-Symphonic Winds
-Percussion Ensemble
-Color Guard

Our BD just does band; he doesn't teach anything else.

For winter drumline and concert band, we practice in "Zero Period". For marching band, we practice Thursdays from 6 pm - 8 pm. Winter drumline is Thursdays from 3:30pm - 5pm (I think). We don't usually hold sectionals outside of band camp. =(

[KUguardgrl13]

At my high school, marching band is a separate class that is only during marching season. There is also rehearsals on Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm-9pm as well as Saturday rehearsals before competitions. Kids don't have to be in any of the concert bands to march, but those who want to be in any of the concert bands either have to be in marching band or be in one of the fall concert band ensembles. Winterguard, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Pep Band are all extra-curriculars that meet outside of school.

[redhead]

At my school, we have jazz band, concert band, and marching/symphonic band.
You have to audition and make jazz and marching/symphonic, otherwise you go into concert band.
At the end of marching season, after-marching band practices stop, and class time becomes Symphonic band.
Some of the freshmen have to go to concert band to even out the numbers. I hope I'm not one of them. I don't want a schedule change.

[Lee]

To me, the disadvantage of having marching band as a class would be the fact that it would lessen the size. Some people in marching band can't fit band in with their busy schedules.

[290Piika]

We have it as a class, but some of the mechanics get pretty confusing. @_@

Marching Season - All band and guard members have two periods of band (6/7, after lunch). We have a band class and a band/guard P.E. class, and all we do is march until after WBA's over. After we come back from Thanksgiving break, we still have two periods of band, but the band goes into concert mode for both periods, while the guard just does their work. Our head director, percussion director, and techs lead the season. Band is every day for two hours and we rehearse on Tuesday nights and some Saturdays.

Percussion - They have a similar marching band schedule. They rehearse more hours after-school. During winter percussion, their band period is usually used for that rather than concert music. Techs and our percussion director lead rehearsals.

Colorguard - Colorguard has two periods of guard during marching season, but has one period of guard during second semester. They get put into a guard class and a P.E. class second semester. Guard instructors head colorguard. They rehearse more after-school hours than the marching band does.

Concert Season - We get split into two periods of band for second semester; Symphonic Band (Per. 6) and Wind Ensemble (Per. 7). The opposite period gets turned into a standard P.E. class. Our head director leads concert season.

Jazz Band - We have two Jazz bands, A and B. Both count as classes. During marching season, both bands rehearse certain days of the week after school for two hours. Come concert season, Jazz A gets turned into a 6th period class (so the members are in Wind Ensemble). Jazz A members have to take Lunch P.E. second semester to participate. Jazz B always rehearses after school, but rehearses more days second semester than the first. Our Jazz director has both jazz bands.

Orchestra - Orchestra is a class for string players. However, winds rehearse with the Symphony Orchestra after school on certain days for two hours when orchestra begins its festival season. I don't think it counts as a class. Our Orchestra teacher is in charge.

For a wind or percussion player to participate in Jazz or Orchestra, they must be in our main program that goes over the Marching and Concert Seasons. Anyone who makes Guard try-outs can be in guard.

Section leaders are in-charge of sectionals, but typically, most sections don't have sectionals.

[tubachick11]

We have three band classes and a seperate orchestra class.

Concert (Freshman) Band--It comes up on our schedules/transcripts as concert band, but what it is is the freshman only band. Most freshman go straight into that, but within the last two years (I was a freshman three years ago, so this makes me mad.), we let freshman audition in to our upper classes, so now a few don't take this one.

Symphonic/Marching Band--During marching season, all we do is march for class, the rest of tthe time it's symphonic. Like I said above, freshman can now audition into this one, but sophomores and up automatically go to this one. If you're in band, you're here.

Jazz Band--Audition based only and you must at least be in freshman band, but marching/symphonic is perferred.

As for after school marching practices, we have one week of day band camp at our school, which just ended, and then after that, we have twice a week practices from 6:30-9:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sectionals vary from section. Sousas don't normally have them, so I don't know about our other sections.

[trittico]

Band is a year-round class, with marching in the summer/fall and Concert in the winter/spring.