Leaderboard

Marching band cannot be compared to sports. Sports have a fixed number of players. While some marching bands have tryouts and others have shadows/alternates, every director I've worked with gives every student as good an experience as possible. And having shadows/alternates may not be as negative as you might think. First, it can allow the band to adjust when they might lose members after the drill has been written. Also, I've seen first hand where freshman as relieved to be a shadow, because they know they aren't quite ready to march and play. And alternates are given opportunities to match in halftime shows, plus help with props. I'd be shocked if there are many directors that would "cut" students in order to make a certain Class. Believe it or not, it's not as cutthroat as some people may think.