marching band parents

[Anonymous]

If your kid joins the marching band in college (first time - high school did not have a band other than orchestra), are you going to all the home football games (assuming a 3 hour drive or less, so doable in one day)? Do parents of band kinds hang out or get tickets together? I'm sure there's varying band cultures - I went to grad school at a big ACC university, so didn't pay much attention to the band except to know it was competitive and highly regarded. And there was an HBCU nearby who had a highly lauded band - clearly a big deal (and there was some sort of hazing scandal that I can't remember the details of now, two decades later!).

This would be a Big 10 school, relatively large band, but not well known (when I think of band schools I think of Ohio State and the tuba player that gets to dot the i, for example), and not competitive (no auditions), but clearly trying to build a program (lots of recruitment). I think it's a good way to get involved at college, though it can be a big commitment, but a great way to find a tight group of friends.

Mostly just curious at how other parents do (or don't) engage. (as an example, I have a relative who is a coach of a sport at the division II level and I was surprised at how involved parents are - traveling for every game, organizing dinners and activities. Maybe it's a smaller school so parents just engage more.)

[Anonymous]

DS was in marching band in HS and college (UVA). No idea how competitive the band was but I know there were auditions. We attended many, but not all, of the home games over the four years. We attended to support him but mainly because we really enjoyed watching/listening to the band and attending the games. My guess is about 10-20% of the parents regularly attended.

[Anonymous]

Penn State tickets are in the range of $250 each. Since my kids were in the marching in high school, I guess I would attend one game, but that’s about it.

[Anonymous]

We will attend several home games for our rising UMD freshman. During open house the band director said the band parents had tailgaters for the group.

[Anonymous]

We attended a few games a year for our marching band college student, who was a plane ride away.

We attended all the parents weekend games and then usually one or two others each year but not all - we twice attended travel/out of town games that were really fun. Met some parents of other band kids, went on weekends that were convenient, had a terrific time.

One thing to note is that the times of games aren't always announced in advance (even if the day is announced) so sometimes planning around football is hard.

We also attended some winter and spring sports as DS was also played at basketball and other sporting events.

Its really fun - enjoy!

[Anonymous]

I know this isn't what you asked, but your kid is in for a big wake up call if they have never been in marching band before. I was in marching band in high school and then marched at a huge Pac 10 school that is now going to the Big 10. It was night and day different and your child doesn't have any marching band experience.

Does your child know how to march 8 to 5? Do they know which foot you step off with? Can they read a show chart? Do they understand two off their yard line or hash mark? I would recommend watching some YouTube videos before reporting for band camp. Band camp moves quickly because there usually isn't much time to prepare before the first half-time show.

I'm not saying all this to dissuade your child from participating. In fact, I feel the exact opposite. I met life long friends in the band, including the maid of honor at my wedding. I still consider marching in the Rose Parade one of the highlights of my life.

And to answer your question, my band provided free tickets to parents. My parents came to all my games, but it was only about an hour drive for them.

[Anonymous]

I was in band at UMD 20 years ago. My parents lived four hours away and came to at least one home game a year--usually family weekend. The last home game was always senior day and I think my parents came down for that one. Sometimes they would be free for homecoming and I could get tickets through the band, or other random weekends they had available. Of course UMD tickets are relatively cheap (or at least were).

When we traveled--once to my home state--my parents came, and when we went to a bowl game my parents went because a relative had a condo they could stay at.

As an out of state student though, there were no other families they got to know (besides the parents of the fellow band guys I dated!). It wasn't like high school though where there's a solid band parents organization and socialization.

[Anonymous]

Newbie collegiate band mom here and we’re not going. Tickets would be the least of the expenses — any hotel within a 50 mi radius has a two-night minimum and get almost their rack rates. And that’s if they even have a room. Rabid fans book a year in advance.

So no, we’ll be reduced to watching on TV and hoping they even both to air the halftime show.

I’ll second the PP who mentioned that marching band isn’t for the lighthearted. The time commitment and physicality of high-test shows is real.

[Anonymous]

I was in marching band. My parents attended zero games. It was fine. Ask DC if they even want you there. I was busy flirting with a cute clarinet guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this isn't what you asked, but your kid is in for a big wake up call if they have never been in marching band before. I was in marching band in high school and then marched at a huge Pac 10 school that is now going to the Big 10. It was night and day different and your child doesn't have any marching band experience.

Does your child know how to march 8 to 5? Do they know which foot you step off with? Can they read a show chart? Do they understand two off their yard line or hash mark? I would recommend watching some YouTube videos before reporting for band camp. Band camp moves quickly because there usually isn't much time to prepare before the first half-time show.

I'm not saying all this to dissuade your child from participating. In fact, I feel the exact opposite. I met life long friends in the band, including the maid of honor at my wedding. I still consider marching in the Rose Parade one of the highlights of my life.

And to answer your question, my band provided free tickets to parents. My parents came to all my games, but it was only about an hour drive for them.

I wondered about all this reading the OP. I did high school marching band and loved it, but even I wasn't sure I could hack it in a university marching band! (My college didn't have one, so I didn't test the proposition.)

[Anonymous]

We found it to be a different vibe than high school. Kid marches with SEC school and we live out of state. I have been to one bowl game but that’s about it. For this school, we get our own tickets and parents sit wherever they are fortunate to purchase tix. I have not attended a Family Weekend since my kid told me the band will be busy rehearsing/performing the entire weekend—not much down time to hang out together.

[Anonymous]

Both my spouse and I did college marching band, and our parents didn't even make it once per season. (One time my mom came, it was because we were playing at RFK.) If our kid marches in college, we'll probably go for the parents' weekend and that's about it, unless they go to our alma mater (where we'd go more often to hang out with other alumni friends but not every game). There really was not a group of college band parents that hung out at every game.

If your kid has never marched before, it might be a bit of a challenge. College marching band was easier and less time-consuming than competitive HS marching band, but I think it'd be a lot for someone who couldn't 8-to-5 in their sleep or read a drill chart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in marching band. My parents attended zero games. It was fine. Ask DC if they even want you there. I was busy flirting with a cute clarinet guy.

Mine was almost the same. My parents came to one game. I didn’t expect anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this isn't what you asked, but your kid is in for a big wake up call if they have never been in marching band before. I was in marching band in high school and then marched at a huge Pac 10 school that is now going to the Big 10. It was night and day different and your child doesn't have any marching band experience.

Does your child know how to march 8 to 5? Do they know which foot you step off with? Can they read a show chart? Do they understand two off their yard line or hash mark? I would recommend watching some YouTube videos before reporting for band camp. Band camp moves quickly because there usually isn't much time to prepare before the first half-time show.

I'm not saying all this to dissuade your child from participating. In fact, I feel the exact opposite. I met life long friends in the band, including the maid of honor at my wedding. I still consider marching in the Rose Parade one of the highlights of my life.

And to answer your question, my band provided free tickets to parents. My parents came to all my games, but it was only about an hour drive for them.

This is true. Marching a routine and playing your instrument is not the same as sitting in orchestra. There’s no way I would have passed an audition if I hadn’t marched for four years.

[Anonymous]

UMD requires that you can play the instrument, but welcomes those who have not marched previously. I would imagine this is the most common situation.