Five Myths about the Wildcat Marching Band
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, youll 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, youll be busy, but will be done around 4:00 that afternoon, and there are only 5 home games. Unlike some high schools, we dont call extra rehearsals either. Some sections may decide to get together outside of regular rehearsals, but thats up to the section members. Also, if youre worried about having enough time to study, dont worry! You will have plenty of time. In fact, the average GPA of the marching band in Fall 2006 was 3.43!
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 isnt 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 Mrs. Goodwin 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!
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 travel to one away game (all paid for by the school) and perform at two high school shows in exhibition. Marching Band is supposed to be fun, so we wont make you do push-ups or run laps. 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.
This year, each rookie band member will be paired up with a veteran in the same or a similar major. 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.
