Anonymous wrote:For my band kid, marching season looked like this:

Mon-Thurs Practice after school until 6:30

Friday They stayed at school. Boosters fed them. Football game at 7. Home….whenever.

Saturdays Competition or some kind of band thing.

It’s very busy from summer band camp through about December (Christmas parades). Also, add in a band trip.

I’m 14:47. I forgot about the trip. We went to Disney in January for part of winter break and missed a little school. This definitely was not a one quarter commitment.

For my band kid, marching season looked like this:

Mon-Thurs Practice after school until 6:30

Friday They stayed at school. Boosters fed them. Football game at 7. Home….whenever.

Saturdays Competition or some kind of band thing.

It’s very busy from summer band camp through about December (Christmas parades). Also, add in a band trip.

No Fall sport. It won't happen. Marching Band Sponsor and Fall Sport Coach, in collaboration, will see that those two do not happen at the same time.

I did it as a freshman and then stopped. It was a lot and the students who enjoyed it were all in. I was not. I had no idea there were competitions that we had to attend on top of football games. It was social but not for me. Look into the time requirements at your particular school so he knows exactly what to expect. I did a spring sport and then they also expected some practices because they marched in a Memorial Day parade. This wasn’t local.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?

Marching band does require a lot of time; but it is very rewarding and only lasts for the first quarter. Some advantages include getting to know peers from all grade levels before even starting high school via band camp, and learning time management and task prioritization early on which will benefit them throughout high school. It does take up most of August; but for our 9th grader who is too young for a summer job, too old for "camps," and not a big travel family, it was great to fill up a lot of summer "down" time -- and at the same time, start getting to know other classmates as well as the school facilities.

I would not recommend playing a fall sport that conflicts with band, primarily because it takes away from his bandmates and the band when members miss practice for another obligation. That's not fair to the group. Sometimes you have to make tough choices.

But it's just his first year - give it a try and if he doesn't like it, he's done by the 2nd quarter and never has to do it again. He will not have missed out on his winter and spring sports. Doesn't sound like he's passionate about a fall sport, since you indicate elsewhere "possibly" but that he plays primarily winter and spring sports. So, what does HE want to do? Does he WANT to do band or at least give it a try for his first year? You never really know until you actually try it; can't go back if you regret it; and -- I cannot emphasize this enough -- it is only ONE QUARTER....and the FIRST quarter of his entire high school career. It will not forever doom him academically. It's great socially and physically, and music enhances a person's development and education.

My current freshman did marching band, intensified English, intensified Biology, AP World History, and Algebra 1. They were hesitant to do marching band; but it was totally worth it and definitely put them on a great start to high school, even if they decide not to do marching band again next year (but I think they will).

He's not sure what he wants to do, that's why I'm trying to help him decide. He's not sure if he'll be able to handle everything that will be required of him and, to your point, he doesn't want to sign up to do something he can't fully commit to. It is reassuring to know that most of the commitment happens in the fall. I think that will be doable. I agree that it would be a great experience but it is ultimately up to him. I told him to talk to his MS band director and also reach out to the HS band director and hear what they have to say.

My DS was a swimmer and in marching band. The fall was busy, but doable. I would do a CHEER inside my head when the football team did not make the playoffs which would have extended the season.

Definitely depends on the school. Some are bare minimum football games only and a practice outside of school each week, some are very intense and do marching band competitions that require travel and tons of practice time.

It can be an amazing way to make friends with lots of different kids and at most schools band is a very supportive environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?

Does he want to play a fall sport? It might be too much if he wants to play a fall sport since marching band is basically a fall sport. Kids have done it for sure- there have even been football players that march in their football uniforms at halftime but it's a lot.

Possibly, but not football. The sports he plays are winter and spring sports. But for his travel sports they have practices and workouts year round, including summer.

Personally, I think multiple travel sports are more stressful than marching band. If he likes band and enjoys music, it would be a shame to not even give it a try because he has travel sports during the summer. He apparently still has other sports opportunities; so it's not like he would be sacrificing one for the other entirely.

Anonymous wrote:I assume it varies by school. But for my DD at W-L, marching band entails mandatory band camp for most of August, meeting every weekday for several hours. During the Fall, there were after school rehearsals at least 3x a week, performing at the home football games, (pre-covid) multiple Saturday trips to competitions. She has a couple friends that also did cross-country in Fall but it sounded pretty exhausting, having to go directly from a track workout to more of the same workout for band. You cannot miss marching band rehearsals or performances so whatever other sport you do would have to be fine with being secondary when there is a conflict. It's intense but a pretty short season, ending before Thanksgiving.

DP - it ends well before thanksgiving. It is essentially over by the first week of November.

Anonymous wrote:DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?

Marching band does require a lot of time; but it is very rewarding and only lasts for the first quarter. Some advantages include getting to know peers from all grade levels before even starting high school via band camp, and learning time management and task prioritization early on which will benefit them throughout high school. It does take up most of August; but for our 9th grader who is too young for a summer job, too old for "camps," and not a big travel family, it was great to fill up a lot of summer "down" time -- and at the same time, start getting to know other classmates as well as the school facilities.

I would not recommend playing a fall sport that conflicts with band, primarily because it takes away from his bandmates and the band when members miss practice for another obligation. That's not fair to the group. Sometimes you have to make tough choices.

But it's just his first year - give it a try and if he doesn't like it, he's done by the 2nd quarter and never has to do it again. He will not have missed out on his winter and spring sports. Doesn't sound like he's passionate about a fall sport, since you indicate elsewhere "possibly" but that he plays primarily winter and spring sports. So, what does HE want to do? Does he WANT to do band or at least give it a try for his first year? You never really know until you actually try it; can't go back if you regret it; and -- I cannot emphasize this enough -- it is only ONE QUARTER....and the FIRST quarter of his entire high school career. It will not forever doom him academically. It's great socially and physically, and music enhances a person's development and education.

My current freshman did marching band, intensified English, intensified Biology, AP World History, and Algebra 1. They were hesitant to do marching band; but it was totally worth it and definitely put them on a great start to high school, even if they decide not to do marching band again next year (but I think they will).

I assume it varies by school. But for my DD at W-L, marching band entails mandatory band camp for most of August, meeting every weekday for several hours. During the Fall, there were after school rehearsals at least 3x a week, performing at the home football games, (pre-covid) multiple Saturday trips to competitions. She has a couple friends that also did cross-country in Fall but it sounded pretty exhausting, having to go directly from a track workout to more of the same workout for band. You cannot miss marching band rehearsals or performances so whatever other sport you do would have to be fine with being secondary when there is a conflict. It's intense but a pretty short season, ending before Thanksgiving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?

Does he want to play a fall sport? It might be too much if he wants to play a fall sport since marching band is basically a fall sport. Kids have done it for sure- there have even been football players that march in their football uniforms at halftime but it's a lot.

Possibly, but not football. The sports he plays are winter and spring sports. But for his travel sports they have practices and workouts year round, including summer.

Depends on the school.

Anonymous wrote:DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?

Does he want to play a fall sport? It might be too much if he wants to play a fall sport since marching band is basically a fall sport. Kids have done it for sure- there have even been football players that march in their football uniforms at halftime but it's a lot.

DC is in the process of selecting courses for 9th grade for the fall. We're debating whether he should continue with band in HS. He's planning on taking on a fairly rigorous course load and also plans to play sports. Would it be too much to also do marching band? How did your DC manage it?