High School Concert Band and Marching Band

When my sons were in high school, you had to be in marching band if you wanted to be in concert band. They had no choice.

When I was in highschool there wasnt a choice. Which is why I quit concert band. My kids had a choice ( and chose marching band ) the teacher are encouraging but not pushy.

In fact they seperated out foot ball marching band and our competition marching band to be able to include more kids. ( less commitment in football band ) it works for us and several other schools around here have started to do the same.

Here the band directors are just happy if the kids choose band in any way. Sure they'll encourage more but do accept no for an answer.

I don't think it's an option. It's just "band" - in the fall is marching and the spring is concert. Both recently and back in the day. Barring some physical reason she can't march, I can't imagine them allowing it.

When I was in college there was a one-legged boy in band. Literally. During marching season he played in the stands and helped with sideline stuff. There was some reason he couldn't march with his prosthetic leg, other than in and out of the stadium.

We have 3 bands and an orchestra in our high school. All daytime graded classes with the only after school time being concerts. Then we have competition marching band which is a huge commitment 3 practices a week plus the competition on Saturday plus the competition band members are part of the football band. The football band has 2 summer practices, one the first week of school than you only show up early to football game for oregano oractice.

Here, it's marching band in the fall and concert band the rest of the year. They practice twice a week and have 4 competitions plus all of the home games (4 this year). There has been football players in the marching band. I remember one year, he just grabbed his instrument from the pit and joined the band on the field at half time and then ran back to the locker room after the performance. With stuff like that, the coaches and band director will make exceptions.

Also, here, if a student does 4 years of marching band, they get the required PE credits. Same with sports. Play at least 4 seasons (can be fall and spring x2) of sports, you get the required PE credits for graduation.

Here it is just band
You march in the fall and concert in the spring.

In our school, you can choose and there are students that only choose Concert band. Marching is strongly encouraged...and the pressure to march sounds certainly like the pressure your DD is getting.

I will say that if she doesn't march, her relationships with her peers in band will not be the same. It just won't be. It's even possible to have her decision to not march reflect on the directors...and not in a positive way.

But I firmly believe that your DD has to do WHAT'S RIGHT FOR HER...and sometimes that means making tough decisions. There are many "band people" that just cannot understand how someone could want to spend time doing other things NOT band related. It sounds like whether or not your DD marches, she will not be one of those people.

My DS was in band in middle school. He knew he'd move to band in HS. Initially, he did not want to march. I pretty much "forced" him to march Freshman year...telling him that I was forcing one year...and if he didn't like it (because he was a real musician...loved band) that he'd never have to march again. He ended up loving marching season (even though it is a ton of hard work, for sure) but due to many other issues with the band program as a whole, "checked out" of the band program in early Feb of his Freshman year.

We're now on the second full year of full time chorus and drama...and he is so very happy.

There could be many reasons they are pushing, friendship, comraderie, she's good and they want her.

FWIW Selective universities look at a diverse and challenging high school and extra curricular life. Academics and a creative activity doesn't cut it anymore.  Is there any way she could try it one year and see.  I was lucky, in our area, many schools have 8th graders in Marching band so you get to decide if it your thing before you commit to your high school schedule.  I loved band concert and marching.  My kids didn't want to do band and the band director is a jerk so I was ok with that.  The band used to have nearly 130 marching at small school and is down to around 20 now.

I would have to agree with this. There's just something about marching band... I hated high school except for my experiences in marching band. At our school, it was voluntary. I didn't join as a freshman, but as a sophomore. I wish that I'd joined a year earlier. I have great memories of my time marching. 

For my own children, there isn't a choice. During marching season, you're marching. Then comes concert season. No exceptions, except they will work with you if you are in a fall sport and need to juggle schedules. 

With that said... our band really doesn't compete--yet. We had a director who was there for over 30 years, and she didn't believe in competing. This is our third year with a new director, and now there's a new assistant director. They're really working on shaping up the band, and I expect competition is in the near future. 

Band camp starts this week. I know my daughter is worried about it (it's her first year, and she's on the drumline), but I absolutely love hearing the band practicing from my house (we live a few streets away from the high school). I can't wait. 

Also no choice at my kids' high school. In football season you marched. No exceptions made, not even for football players. Which was dumb, in my opinion, and is the reason why ds and several of his friends never moved to the concert band. He stayed in symphonic which was new students and the kids who didn't want to march. There were enough upperclassmen that it wasn't a problem even when he was a senior, and he made first chair (trumpet) several times. (he and another kid would have challenges every once in awhile, lol). But yeah, march or not, that determined which band you'd be in for the rest of the year.

Marching band was the most wonderful experience for DS and us. Best.four.years.ever.

When I was in high school, you did both.  It's still that way around here in all of the schools.  Marching band in the fall, concert band in the winter and marching band again in the spring.

Here you can do concert band during the fall. However a lot of the time is spent on marching band music. There are 3 levels though. Concert band is usually for freshmen and those new to their instrument. Then Wind 2 and Wind 1 all during different periods of the day. Wind 1 works on festival music too for a district wide performing arts festival in October.

During spring, all band kids are in 1 of the 3 ensembles with try-outs in December.