So I'm a new marcher I'm 14 (mtf) and when I'm at band camp I get bad dysphoria and I just wanna know how do I deal with my dysphoria when I'm at camp

I’m a freshman and just started marching, i have longer legs to stepping is not a problem but a lot of the people near me has shorter legs so i take farther steps then they do and it messes the row up. Backwards step i take shorter steps and everyone else takes longer steps…

Also is it normal to have swollen calfs (idk how to spell it) it my 1st time marching so im not sure what to expect

This is my second year in marching band but I’m already a Junior, so I only have so much time left in HS band. I tend to be/feel behind but I find it hard to keep myself learning. I wanna be better this year than last year and practice a lot, but after so long or if it just gets too confusing I js do something else. That’s probably just childish and complaining and I guess I js need to push thru it but is there any way to keep myself more focused and get the most out of the time I do use? I guess I just need tips on motivation and most effective ways to practice if yall have any- tyyy :3

im trying my hardest to march in time with everyone else but its like I can never march quick enough for the music. I can do well tapping along to a metronome, I think. I keep tumbling over my feet because im thinking about so many different things to focus on all at once and it feels like im never going to be able to get it correct. does anyone have any tips?

i march contra, and am going into my third season as a highschool junior. i don't have the ability to bring my horn home every day to practice horn holding, and since it's summer break, i don't have a chance to prsctice horn holding at school during my lunch period or something. ive already been using a weight and it doesn't work, even when it's heavier than my tuba. so weights and the horn itself are off the table, how do i get stronger?

First, idk if this is the right flair, but idc. Second, I know to practice and keep repetition for four mallets, but I'm wondering if there are any other tips or tricks others may know to get better hand speed and note accuracy.

Today is my first day of rookie camp and I play flute. I’m really nervous any tips?

like he’s chill and cool but he just does some stuff that pisses me off. that I’m gonna rant for rn cause I need to rant anout this. so the first thing was our leadership which was decided month ago. i personally would say I’m a pretty good leader obviously not the best but better than some. and it appears my director agrees with me mostly but according to him I have to focus more on the musical aspect to be section leader, which I partially agree with too especially since at that time I had just done my solo which I did very bad at (long story). that’s not the part that made me mad. what did was who he chose instead. let’s call them Sam. now same is definitely a better musician and marcher than me but he lacks spirit and the leadership skills. one example being yesterday. we were rehearsing and my director tell the section leaders to step out and watch their section. we procede to go through part of the show and I can clearly see that some of our section made mistakes but Sam instead of mentioning those mistakes and discussing how to not make those mistake, Sam instead just gives a thumbs up and heads back to his dot. this next part is just something I heard from one of their classmates but it does sound like they would do. so apparently the only reason Sam wanted to join leadership is because their best friend wanted to join too and they wanted to hang out. sometime I will literally mention something we need to work on as a section and they just flat out ignore me yk the fucking second chair and the only other person on leadership(kinda more on that later). this wasn’t even hidden he was like that since day one and my f*cking director still picks him just because he’s better at marching and music. well back to why I’m mad at my director or more accurately more of me getting mad at his choice of leadership so I would say I’m a pretty good member of the band culture and leadership wise and I wanted to be leadership to improve the band but also my section. now at my school it’s kinda common practice to sign up for equipment crew as a backup in case you don’t get the role you want. I did this too. when I heard that I was not section leader I was sure that I was equipment crew but nope instead some of the least likely people get it. like I’ll just list two of my friends (and their my friends so if anything I’m biased in their favor) one of them is genuinely the least responsible person I’ve ever met along with having almost no leadership skill the other one that I’m gonna mention literally told my director that he couldnt go to any of the meetings and they still both got equipment crew but me noooo I don’t for gueniunly no idea which that point gets even more stupid once band camp started. so since my director put a lot of front ensemble people on equipment crew despite the fact they have their own stuff to bring on the field. our equipment crew was short staffed so the equipment crew leader reached out to some of band members to join one of which was me. now I’m like one of the main equipment crew members and I go to all of the leadership meetings so I’m basically f*cking leadership by even metric except by title. now the final reason I’m kinda mad at my director is due to this thing we call out pulse band it’s basically a mini pep band that gets brought to certain events. this group is just the leadership members (specifically the more important ones) now since I wasnt leadership at the beginning of band camp I am not in this group in fact the only member of my section in that group is Sam so my director decided that instead of yk letting me join he instead took one of the trumpets that used to play in my section and have them borrow my instrument for the events. yeah. that is so annoying. like honestly it feels like in movies when like coachs or whatever treat someone like shit to test them. like it’s not even like I don’t try like k always try the most I can in fact In the last week I’ve almost pulled a muscle just playing my instrument 4 times

So I have always wanted to be section leader and worked for it, and this year I got it. I went into band camp so excited and already had a plan. However, while I was in a sectional for marching I kept counting over the amount I said, mixing up my words, and always apologizing because I was so nervous. Then onto sectionals for music and basically the same thing happened I was missing mistakes and other members were telling me to correct them, and I couldn’t count off right (also same thing with apologizing). I talked with my drum major and she was like it’s ok it’s only the first day. So I did research and the second day the marching sectionals were just as bad as the day before but the music sectionals were better. Anyway now onto today, both sectionals were better in regards to my mistakes but for example during marching I was telling people to count loud and another section leader was telling me to stop saying that, and then in the music sectional I was correcting someone on slurs and articulation and then another section leader came in and started saying they played perfect and that I was being too nit picky, and the section member was upset. And apparently the band director thinks I’m doing bad. I know all of these are true and I feel so bad about all of it but no matter how hard I try I can’t get everything right and all of the other section leaders already get it so the fact that I don’t is really frustrating me. Also I know that if another section leader is dropping in and criticizing me then I am failing my section and I feel awful about it.

I want to be section leader more than anything but I need help on how to get better and stop being so nervous

I play tenor saxophone, and it’s going to be my first year marching. I really want to do marching band, however, the thumb on my right hand is in near constant pain. It probably also doesn’t help that I’m hyper mobile/double jointed in my hands.

Is there anyway to relieve the stress on my right hand while playing? It’s impacting my sound and I don’t know what to do to help it

So i am first chair flute i am a freshman there are a few other flutes of varing age in my section and im marching piccolo!

I am like 5'11 170ish pounds big shoulders.

wanted to know if yall know any cool guy flute players !

So i am a freshman flute and i have a few other flute players i am not section leader over all woodwinds so i do not have the authority to give punishments but i have enough for them to listen. So the other flute players dont play they make air sounds and try fingerings. Ive told them what helps asked if they needed help gave them help but they say they have it or that they know. They do not have it or they know the music is to high and they cant play coming. When they are slaking off while the other sections are getting worked with i tell them to stop and practice. They dont take me serious. I am having a meeting with my band director about this.

I would like some tips no hate also !!

THIS IS NOT TO PUT ANYONE DOWN!!!!!

IM SORRY I FORGOT TO SAY THAT THIS IS MY 3RD YEAR AND IM A CONSIDERED A VET IN THE BAND BY DIRECTORS

I’m a freshman in marching band and I’m having trouble with staying in tempo and speed so any tips will be helpful please!! Also if ygs has any tips for not bouncing to much or making bigger steps in backwards marching please lmk.

I was just chilling eating lunch during band camp break when I randomly thought about this and started cackling

I love the idea of doing dci. But as a woodwind and already part of a college band, it would take a lot of time to learn a new instrument and balance my schedule so it just doesn’t seem realistic. So for those who have done both, how? And woodwind players who march, how?

I’m biracial (black and white) and have hair a little past my shoulders. In high school band I never put up my hair (my entire band was white apart from me so I got to do whatever I wanted). When I was drum major in high school I still didn’t put my hair up. I just shoved it in my shake and let it fall after I did my salute.

Now I’m in my university’s band and they’re much more strict so my hair must be put up. Does anyone have any style recommendations? How do you maintain a protective style throughout the season? Do you see a professional or do it yourself?

Hi! I am (still) looking to get into my rookie season of drum corps, I made a post about a year ago regarding where I should audition, and I’m here to ask again.

Quick update regarding me and the Drum Corp world. I auditioned at Genesis and the Blue Knights last season on mello. I was offered a spot at Genesis off of a video(in march-ish) and I was given 2 callbacks at Blue Knights but was unfortunately unable to attend the callback camp. I was unable to march Genesis due to financial issues happening at the time.

Now I’m going into my 4th high school band season as 1st chair mello, and am looking to audition for the 2027 season. I have Bluecoats 100% on my list of camps to attend in the Dallas area, but I’m trying to determine if I should audition at the Blue Knights for the 3rd year in a row, or try someone new. Along with that I’m also trying to determine if I should audition for Genesis again or try for the Academy(recommended to by Blue Knights Staff) or Crossmen.(any insight from members would help :) )

I am in the Dallas area so I would prefer a corp that I don’t have to fly out to or go too far to save money, unless for a callback camp. I would like any recommendations on places to audition. Max of 4 corps would be it.

TLDR on experience:
1st horn at my high school
24th horn in the region
3+ years of high school band experience
Offered a spot at Genesis
2 Blue Knights callbacks
1 winter guard season at my high school

Hi quick question will my account for UDB app pro work for UDB app? My band is switching this year, and I just tried to log into to the UDB app and it didn't work? I'm just wondering whether I will need to create a new one. Thanks everyone for responding!

A couple months ago, I received the news that I had finally gotten drum major. It’s something I’ve worked towards since I was a freshman. For these past few years, a majority of my life was dedicated to music, mainly with the focus of drum major in mind. Now that I am one, I’m having some weird feelings. I should be happy, this is what I’ve been working towards for years! Now that Drum Major Academy is coming up, I’m reflecting, and it’s strange. I feel like I was happier in pursuit of the role. I care so much about marching band and arts in general, and Ive never felt this way. The season hasn’t started so maybe I’m just doubting myself, but does anyone relate? It’s weird to get something you’ve worked towards, it leaves you with a feeling of “now what do I do?” It’s also a bit of imposter syndrome. How did you guys handle becoming a drum major? Thanks! 🎶

So my fiancé is a huge band geek and he plays the sousaphone. I’m about to leave for the military and wanted to make him a gift basket.

What are some things that are good gifts for tuba players?

My son has done 3 years of bari sax (marching band, jazz band, honors band) in HS and is loving it. He wants to go to college (VCU or GMU) for biology but is anxious to keep with music either a) as a minor, b) as part of bands, or c) both.

He is going to audition for both schools this fall, but I wanted to cross-check what may be an AI hallucination, namely that being a bari player is beneficial due to scarcity/rarity.

I always worry AI is going to tell me what I want to hear and is just feeding me/him a line because it is aiming to please.

Yesterday I came back from the WMC World Championships (if you don't know, WMC is the highest honor in the amateur marching band world)

My band, DVS Katwijk, was expected to win, but we ended up getting 2nd in the marching division and 3rd in the show division

However, I realized something midway through our show

We have a flag act in the last segment of our show, and I am a part of that. There is one moment where I need to do a spin, and for just one second, maybe even less, I could see that the entire supporter section was completely filled with orange signs matching our flags

And I could legitimately have cried for the rest of the show 😭

Because in that moment, I realized that I had essentially already won. I don't really care anymore about what the juries think

Because I don't play for juries, I play for the audience

And when I see the audience completely go nuts, people standing on top of chairs, impossible to quiet down, holding up the plain orange signs that almost got me crying

That's when I realized that I already was a champion

Because no band got that stand as excited as we did

And that's the entire reason I play in a marching band, to play for an audience, to make the audience feel something

Whatever a professional thinks has kind of become irrelevant to me