For me color guard was very much women dominant with only having one guy. If I’m thinking correctly clarinets is 2 guys ( which unfortunately I have a thing for one of them😔) and I believe 2-3 girls. Flutes is mainly all girls if I had to say maybe 1-2 guys. And honestly all the lower brass instruments is mainly guys or all guys. Which is unfortunate for me because I plan on joining the low brass ( I’m so excited to be with a bunch of band men yay🫩). Front or pit? Idk I’ve heard people call it both that’s mainly lesbian I mean this in no shades that’s genuinely the main people. Saxophone is a mix of both genders I’ve heard every year it was always a mix of both gender and just one gender being like higher by like 1-2. Uhhhh percussion is a good mix. That’s all I can think of all I know is anything with a horn is mainly men playing but that’s just for our band.

A little bit of background, I (14y F) am in my rookie year of marching band. This past May, I started experiencing some episodes, and didnt tell my band director until after I passed out at a parade. At first, it didnt really affect me too bad. It never felt great especially in the heat, but I was always able to push through. One time, however, it was band camp, very hot, and we were running a very difficult block. I felt it coming so I tried to get to the sideline. I didnt make it as far as I thought and passed out on the field, causing them to end the block early and send everyone to lunch. I would pass out occasionally at rehearsals, and it was something they kinda got used to (although let's be real, some people never got used to it).

In the past 2 ish weeks, I have been having more seizure episodes, almost like a flare, that have been making it incredibly difficult to march. At one of our recent competitions, I had a seizure walking off the field that really frightened my band director. I guess it never dawned on him that I could have a seizure at a comp. He seems more concerned about me marching because if this ever does happen on the field I could get hurt and trampled. Especially recently with this flare I have been having a hard time participating in rehearsals because I feel pretty bad. These seizures would happen at school, and then I still wouldn't be fully recovered by the time marching band would start.

I guess my question is have you had experience with this stuff? how can i stay safe during full runs knowing there is a possibility of me being unconscious mid rep? Any ideas are welcome, I really really need to still be able to march.

Hey, I’m a sophomore in high school and I play trombone. My main goal for college is to make the University of Texas Longhorn Band, and I’m trying to start preparing now so I actually have a good chance of getting in.

For anyone in LHB or who knows about auditions, how hard is it to get a spot in the trombone section? Also what should I be working on right now as a sophomore to get ready, both for playing and marching? Any advice or tips would be awesome, thanks!

Hi I’m a high school student in FWISD and I lost my mouthpiece in region 30 at Eagle Mountain High School in Texas and I was wondering if anyone could help me locate it. It’s a 2C Pickett with a 1/27 backbore and I must’ve dropped it on field after our last note. It has a small patch of gold on the rim of the cup because I scratched it a few days earlier and had it buffed. I’ll pay you for it and everything, it just has sentimental value to me. Thank you!

Before I begin, can you tell me the best memories from your freshman season?

Saturday marked the end of my freshman marching band season. I give it a 5/10. I gave it a 5 because I've met new friends in my band and reunited with some of the upperclassmen that went to my middle school! However, I marked off 5 points solely because of the contra bugle. The contra is a pain in the a-.. butt to march with. Its like a vampire that sucks soul out of me with every rep and full run of my show. For the years after this one, Im thinking about becoming a drum major or a front ensemble-ist.

I’m currently in percussion and I’ve really been wanting to learn a wind instrument. I’m honestly really between alto sax and trumpet. My big no’s are tuba, baritone, clarinet and pretty much any variation of those. Flute and clarinet are cool I guess, but I’d rather learn sax over clarinet. I can kind of play trumpet, I just need to fix my embouchure. For sax, I can make sounds and that’s about it. I struggle sometimes, but I love the way altos look and sound. I’m slightly interested in bass clarinet I guess. Idk, which ones would be easiest for a percussionist to learn?