Music at USC

imagep
Fri, 06 May 2011 09:16:22 +0000

I just doubled checked, this is for Music Ed:



Ensembles: (8 hours) Choral:at least 7 in MUSC 125/129; Percussion/Winds: at least 6 in MUSC 123, 124; Strings: at least 6 in MUSC 126



So it is 8 hours, I was wrong about 7 hrs. But apparently they do have their choice of either Marching Band (MUSC 123) or Symphonic Band (MUSC 124). I would assume that most winds would do 3 semesters of marching band in the fall semesters, and three semesters of symphonic in the spring.

Edit: Just checked to see if MUSC 124 is offered in the fall semester, it wasn’t listed, so maybe you are right, they would have have to do at least 2 semesters of marching band because they could only do 4 semesters of MUSC 124 (to reach a total of 6 credits of MUSC 123 or 124).

It is never stated that you have to do marching band, but their policies more or less create a situation where you do. You were right, I was wrong, I am big enough to admit it.

Music ensembles are very important to colleges as a prestige factor, I assume that they put a lot of effort into recruiting (or forcing) students to play in the larger ensembles that get more attention.



Anyhow, USC is not known for having a good marching band. I’ve seen a LOT of negative comments about their band, including how much smaller bands or schools just totally “blew them out of the water” like Furman and Western Carolina. USC has had 4 different band directors in 4 years.

Now to defend USC a little, they do 3 different shows each season, while Furman and WCU only do one show.

I have had several students to tell me that marching band in college “just isn’t the same” as marching band in high school. My son’s marching band in high school was a really big deal, they are a very competitive group, won the 5A upperstate championship for 3 out the 4 years he participated, they placed 2nd place twice and 3rd place once at the state championship, and made the finals every year. they were also the overall grand champion at local competitions at least once every year, and competed at a lot of out of state competitions, including going to the Atlanta Regionals twice, and the National Championship in Indiana twice. Marching band at his school isn’t just a music ensemble, it’s a sport.

College marching band is not competitive in the same way, I think that students coming from really competitive high school bands tend to be miss that competitive aspect in college.

The positive thing is that their new band director is supposed to be fabulous. Every comment that I could find about her indicated that she is amazing. Maybe she can improve the marching band situation.