Sometimes there are some misconceptions about joining the Wildcat Marching Band. Think it takes too much time? Think you have to be a music major? Think again!

I WON’T HAVE TIME

This is probably the most common misconception about joining the Wildcat Marching Band. The truth is, you’ll have plenty of time to be a member of the WMB. Compare your college class schedule to your high school schedule. The average high school student spends 30 hours per week in class. The average college student spends 12-15 hours per week in class. Remember all of the people telling you to get involved when you go to college? This is exactly the sort of thing they had in mind! The WMB rehearses only 3 nights per week, for 2 hours each rehearsal. On game Saturdays, you’ll be busy, but there are usually only 5 home games. Unlike some high schools, we don’t call extra rehearsals either. Some sections may decide to get together outside of regular rehearsals, but that’s up to the section members. Also, if you’re worried about having enough time to study, don’t worry! You will have plenty of time. The average GPA of the marching band is consistently well above the university average!

I NEED TO BE A MUSIC MAJOR

All of the UNH Department of Music ensembles are open to students outside the music department. Some are by audition, but the Marching Band is open to anyone. In fact, 75% of the WMB membership is made up of non-music majors.

IT WILL INTERFERE WITH MY MAJOR

Not true! While all of the information thrown at you during orientation may have been overwhelming, most of the time the WMB will not interfere with your major. If you have a required class that conflicts with marching band and there isn’t another section of the course, that may be a problem. If it interferes with only one rehearsal, we may be able to work around it. UNH students are allowed to register for up to 20 credits without paying extra, and can petition to take up to 6 more credits for free, as long as they are “activity-type” credits, such as marching band (this varies for music majors). While you were allowed to pre-register for only 18 credits, you can add additional credits during open registration and the add/drop period in the fall. If you need help with your schedule, or want to switch to another section of a course that conflicts with rehearsal, but that section is full, contact the director and she may be able to help.

I WON’T BE GOOD ENOUGH, OR I WILL FEEL LEFT BEHIND THE OTHER BAND MEMBERS

We have dozens of rookie band members from various marching backgrounds every year. Some have never marched before, and those who have come from bands with varying marching styles. Because of this, we start every band camp with the basics. This allows our new members to learn our style (or how to march to begin with) and our veteran members to brush up on their technique. The band members are extremely patient with new marchers, and will go out of their way to help those who are struggling. Remember, each and every member of the WMB was a rookie at one point!

PART 2: I’LL BE TOO GOOD

Sometimes those who come from a heavily-competitive background worry that they won’t be challenged in the same way. While we don’t compete, we still strive to put on a high-quality show. Because we are housed in the music department, we take a similar approach to our season as a competitive corps-style band does. While we do need to keep the football-fan audience in mind, we stress quality of performance, especially when it comes to the music. Some college bands cater heavily to the football crowd and do different shows every week. While it’s fun to change things up like that, the quality or difficulty-level of performance often suffers due to the reduced preparation time. We do one full show with challenging drill, music, and colorguard carriage and keep working to improve it over the course of the semester. Sometimes, we will add a second small show for events such as Halloween, or add another tune to the halftime show later in the season to keep things interesting. Instrumentalists will also develop their sight-reading chops, as we have very little time to rehearse the music we play in the stands.

While we have many new marchers in the band every year, the majority of band members have been in marching band, drum corps, winterguard, and or indoor drumline before joining. In other words, we have a very wide range of ability levels on day one! We count on the expertise of our experienced performers to help bring the less-experienced performers up to a higher level. When we’re on the field, we’re one band; we have a culture of camaraderie rather than one-upsmanship and leave egos at home. That way everyone can take pride in what we accomplish and have a good time!

IT WILL BE TOO HARD

Many people find it is less intense than their high school. Contrary to what many believe, there are no competitions at the collegiate level for marching band. Our main performance venue is half-time at our home football games. We also perform at two high school shows in exhibition. Marching Band is supposed to be fun, so we won’t make you do push-ups or run laps (but you can if you want!). That being said, the members of the WMB do take a LOT of pride in our performance, so we do work hard to put on the best show we can. We’ve found a happy medium!

FINAL POINTS

Your experience in the WMB will be different than that of your high school band. If you have that realization coming in, you’ll have a great time! You may have to change the way your feet are when you stand at attention or learn some new commands. Be receptive to change and up for new adventures. One thing is for certain: you’ll make LOTS of new friends!

Also, each rookie band member will be paired up with a veteran who has something in common (usually a major/department or dorm). This person will be there to help you find your way around and to answer questions during band camp, and will also be there to help you out during the semester if you need advice.

[h4]LEARN MORE[/h4]