Michigan Marching Band

ckd022
Tue, 02 Apr 2019 00:05:03 +0000

@NorCalmomof3 A large percentage of the band is made up of engineers of one type or another (probably close to 50%) so from a workload perspective it is obviously very doable, but the students do need to manage their time well.

The drumline is more involved from a time perspective than the rest of the band sections. For auditioning to the drumline, the following is from the MMB website:

All percussion must contact Percussion Instructor Chuck Ricotta (cricotta@umich.edu) as soon as possible, prior to Orientation. The Michigan Drumline will be determined during Band Week in August. but you can begin drumming with prospective and returning members during Winter Semester Drum Tech rehearsals and spring/summer Drumline Camps. The camps, especially, are essential to your preparation to join the drumline.

Drum Tech is a class held once a week for 2 hours in the evening January through April for drumline members and prospective members, include many HS seniors who have applied to U of M.

My son met with and auditioned for the percussion instructor on his admitted student day tour in February while still a HS student. He attended one Drum Tech rehearsal on spring break and also went to all three multi-day drumline summer camps discussed here:

https://smtd.umich.edu/mmb-drumline/audition.html#summercamps

Most drumline members are from Michigan so this isn’t a big hardship for them, but being out of state as an incoming freshman will be more difficult. That being said, my son told me at least of couple of students that didn’t try out from drumline as freshman are choosing to do so as sophomores.

During the FB season, the band practices every weekday from about 3-5pm with another potential sectional practice once a week for 2 hours (MMB can be taken as up to a 2 credit class, but doesn’t have to be for credit if it would push a student to credit overload). All day Saturday on home game days is pretty much booked end to end. The band practices before the game, marches to the stadium, plays during and after the game, and marches back to their home building.

Like all the other sections, how many “open” positions for each instrument changes from year to year, but you can get an idea of how many positions for each instrument there typically are from this link:

https://smtd.umich.edu/mmb-drumline/roster.html

Sorry that is a lot of information, but there is definitely a lot to digest. I remember my confusion well from just about this time last year!