Competing in College

[Marvin]

What if college marching bands competed against each other? Well, maybe not the type of competition where the highest scoring colleges advance to somewhere, but just a contest where college marching bands attend and play their halftime show. Have some judges tell them what could be tweaked and whatnot. Of course optional, if a director feels that this may defeat the purpose of marching in college. to have fun, am i wrong? Well, ill soon find out next summer...but anyway, And since most college marching bands learn a new show after a period of time, maybe have several competitions. One every month, maybe? It wouldnt be required that the bands learn a new show, just show up and play, basically. Something really flexible. All for fun.

 

Im just curious to some ideas why or why not this would be an interesting concept

Ive been told pennsylvania has something similar to this, the Collegiate Marching Band Festival, put on by Vivace Productions. >>> http://www.vivaceproductions.com/

 

So what do you think?

[Danpod]

I'm not too sure on this one. After seven years of music (four high school, three in middle school), most kids don't want to do the music thing anymore, let alone marching band. The level of commitment , in terms of musicianship, in college marching band is not nearly as high as it is in high school because a lot of students don't pick up their horn unless they are at practice a few hours a week or at the football game.

 

Also, keep in mind that an accredited university is much like a business. The number one rule in business is to make money. A university probably won't spend the money to send their school's marching band to a series of competitions unless they see some substantial financial gain in it.

[TRtrumpet]

  Danpod said:

I'm not too sure on this one. After seven years of music (four high school, three in middle school), most kids don't want to do the music thing anymore, let alone marching band.

I'm not gonna be one of those

[euro_euph06]

This is coming from me, a college person in marching band:

 

At the university I go to (a very good one too), we learn a new show every week. Each show has a theme and last about 15 minutes(ish). I love every minute that I practice and perform. But, if I had to actually be serious about it, it would be more like marching in a high school band. Thus being less fun and exciting. And the main point of college marching band (unlike HS) is to provide spirit and fun to the football game atmosphere. AND a far more important reason is that students wouldn't have the time to do it. I am taking 17 hours in college (tons of HW and practicing since 8 of those are music related), there are the football games on Saturday, church on Sunday, and working when I have the time so that I can buy food.....so I personally would not have the time to invest in compete in such an activity.

[itsstephenyo]

  TRtrumpet said:

I'm not gonna be one of those

Yea, that's what I said my senior year until I actually signed up for classes. Not a single music class. I was so intent on majoring in music, too, but then just didn't do it.

[Xukaniz]

College bands not competiting is exactly why Im not in one right now.

[MartinHorn]

I think euro_euph06 really does explain why they don't.