{"id":2246,"date":"2021-03-06T11:02:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T11:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/?p=2246"},"modified":"2021-04-01T19:57:56","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T19:57:56","slug":"is-marching-band-a-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Marching Band A Career?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>One of the most rewarding art forms for musicians is playing in marching band. Often, the passion for the marching arts is discovered while participating in a high school or college band program. Some students may consider the possibility of making marching band a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It is difficult to make a full-time career in marching band. Band directing is one of the few reliable careers that involves the marching arts. Playing in a military band is also a well-paying option, but these corps are extremely selective. There are a few non-military professional marching bands.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are very passionate about marching band, you may be able to make it a part of an overall music career by balancing it with other activities in the off-season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also full-time marching band related jobs out there for those who have the skills and expertise.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65efc2dec1bf1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65efc2dec1bf1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Is_it_possible_to_make_a_career_out_of_marching_band\" title=\"Is it possible to make a career out of marching band?\">Is it possible to make a career out of marching band?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Marching_band_related_jobs\" title=\"Marching band related jobs\">Marching band related jobs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Marching_Band_Director_position\" title=\"Marching Band Director position\">Marching Band Director position<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Do_marching_bands_get_paid\" title=\"Do marching bands get paid?\">Do marching bands get paid?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Marching_arts_career_opportunities\" title=\"Marching arts career opportunities\">Marching arts career opportunities<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Career_in_a_professional_marching_band\" title=\"Career in a professional marching band\">Career in a professional marching band<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Career_in_a_military_band\" title=\"Career in a military band\">Career in a military band<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Drum_Corps\" title=\"Drum Corps\">Drum Corps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/#Alternative_marching_band_related_careers\" title=\"Alternative marching band related careers\">Alternative marching band related careers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_possible_to_make_a_career_out_of_marching_band\"><\/span>Is it possible to make a career out of marching band?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To consider making a career in marching band, you should be or become one of the most superior musicians and marchers out there. It is highly competitive, and only the best can eventually make decent money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is relatively easier to become a teacher or administrator involved in the marching arts, though there will still be challenges. This can be in school or drum corp. settings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professional drum corps<strong> <\/strong>(see further down) require staff to run their season. Depending on the position, many work a second job to afford to be employed with a drum corps all year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with a winter guard is a great option for off-season work. However, both <a href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/drum-corps-vs-marching-band\/\"  >marching band<\/a> and winter guard require long hours, and the pay is usually not high<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those that become the best, there are selective positions and ensembles that support a career<strong> <\/strong>in the marching arts. While it is possible to make it a career, it&#8217;s generally challenging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marching_band_related_jobs\"><\/span>Marching band related jobs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/marching-band-related-jobs-1.jpg\" alt=\"marching band related jobs\" class=\"wp-image-2283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/marching-band-related-jobs-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/marching-band-related-jobs-1-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most positions in marching band work for high school and college programs, since these groups actively play at events and competitions. <strong>Band directors and assistant band directors<\/strong> are the two main jobs for these programs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Color Guard instructors and choreographers<\/strong> are often employed for the season to work with the visual aspects of the show. They work with the dancers, props, and flag corps. members of the band.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are accomplished at composing or arranging, you can be a staff <strong>composer\/arranger for a band<\/strong> and write and\/or arrange the music for their shows. High school and college programs frequently hire professionals in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Creating the drill for the marching aspect<\/strong> is also an option. Accomplished drill writers can make reasonably good money writing drill for competitive bands for high schools, colleges, and drum corps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marching_Band_Director_position\"><\/span>Marching Band Director position<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A full-time marching band directing job will require<strong> at least a bachelor\u2019s degree<\/strong>, and in some cases a master\u2019s or doctorate, in music education or performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rigorous music courses, various ensembles, field experience, and private lessons help gain the experience necessary to succeed in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Positions for <a href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/should-i-do-marching-band-in-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marching band directors<\/a> are often at high school or colleges. <strong>It can be a full-time or supplemental position <\/strong>depending on the program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be a good band director, it is essential that you become an <strong>exceptional musician and an excellent teacher. <\/strong>You must be able to convey the content in an engaging manner that will inspire students to become great musicians and marchers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A full-time director will often put in<strong> 50-60 hours per week<\/strong>, especially during marching season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The salary varies widely depending on what area you teach in, but expect to start out <strong>around $30-40k with employer subsidized benefits<\/strong> if employed full-time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To prepare for this career path, participate in as many musical activities as possible, including marching band in school, and take private lessons on your instrument from a reputable teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may also be helpful to serve in leadership roles in the marching band groups you play in, such as the <strong>drum major<\/strong>, <strong>squad leader<\/strong>, or <strong>section leader<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_marching_bands_get_paid\"><\/span>Do marching bands get paid?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The musicians in the bands rarely get paid<\/strong> and are often in the group for the experience. Drum corps. musicians do not get paid, and even pay tuition to be a part of the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In high school band college, marching band participation is an extracurricular activity and the players are not compensated. However, some colleges do offer incentives such as <strong>college scholarships for participants<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Military band members are compensated at around $60k<\/strong>, with benefits for you and your family while you are in the group. It is one of the few careers for marching bands in which you can make money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although they are rare, there are a few paid professional marching bands in the world that pay either <strong>salaries or pay per performance<\/strong>. How much they make depends on the funding for the group.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marching_arts_career_opportunities\"><\/span>Marching arts career opportunities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marching-band-career-opportunities.png\" alt=\"Marching arts career opportunities\" class=\"wp-image-2255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marching-band-career-opportunities.png 640w, https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marching-band-career-opportunities-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While options are limited, there are professional marching bands that offer full-time career opportunities outside of being a band director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be mindful that some of these groups<strong> <\/strong>only employ certain instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Career_in_a_professional_marching_band\"><\/span>Career in a professional marching band<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Disney World has a park band that is a paid professional ensemble. <strong>The Main Street Philharmonic <\/strong>is a 12-piece band that performs around the park five days a week and are full-time employees with benefits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Disney also has <strong>The Disneyland Band<\/strong> at their resort that transitioned from being a sit-down band to a marching band in the past few years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is an 18-piece marching band with an overall roster of 60 people divided into groups so that the band performs 7 days a week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Hawaii, <strong>The Royal Hawaiian Band <\/strong>entertains the locals and the tourists with more than 350 performances per year, including over 20 parades. The band members and staff are full-time civil servants employed by the city and county of Honolulu.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Patriot Brass Ensemble <\/strong>from New York pays professional musicians to play free concerts for veterans. Many musicians are not full-time, but every gig is paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Blast!<\/strong> is an additional professional program for musicians looking for a career in the marching arts. Blast! combines marching band and theater and have actively toured for nearly 20 years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the above are among  the most well-known groups, there may be additional niche groups out there that do offer career opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Career_in_a_military_band\"><\/span>Career in a military band<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The U.S Department of Defense employs the largest quantity of professional musicians in the world<\/strong>. Musicians are enlisted in the military and serve for active duty in one of the bands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Military band <strong>positions are auditioned<\/strong>, and the player must go through basic training just like the non-musician military service members. Various instruments are included in these ensembles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of the United States\u2019 <strong>five service branches<\/strong> has a <strong>premier band<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cThe President\u2019s Own\u201d Marine Band<\/strong> is one of the top ensembles in the U.S. It is the only branch that does not require basic training. Its mission is to perform for the President and the Commandment of the Marine Corps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other premier bands include \u201c<strong>Pershing\u2019s Own<\/strong>\u201d Army Band, <strong>the Navy Band<\/strong>, the <strong>Air Force Band<\/strong>, and the <strong>U.S. Coast Guard Band<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from these premier bands, there are dozens of other bands serving each military branch. These bands perform public and private concerts throughout the year around the world for ceremonies, entertainment, and outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being in a military band includes a salary, benefits, free travel, loan repayment (varies by branch). It is unlikely you will see combat.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drum_Corps\"><\/span>Drum Corps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Drum Corps. International<\/strong>, or DCI, is a governing body for junior drum and bugle corps. Performing in a DCI drum corps is not a career but is a <strong>great opportunity to gain experience<\/strong> for a future marching band related career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While being a performing member of a DCI drum corps is not paid, there are full-time paid positions supporting the organization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Switzerland, there is the <strong>Top Secret Drum Corps.<\/strong> This group is composed of only drummers and colorguard, and membership is by invitation only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternative_marching_band_related_careers\"><\/span>Alternative marching band related careers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several <strong>specialty positions<\/strong> involved in marching bands that require specific skills sets not necessarily related to music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Major drum corps., military groups, and some professional ensembles employ specialized roles such as technicians, attorneys, medical staff, physical trainers, programmers, photographers, designers, social media managers, and engineers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these are tough to make into dedicated full-time jobs, but can be an enjoyable side gig for those with the proper qualifications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most rewarding art forms for musicians is playing in marching band. Often, the passion for the marching arts is discovered while participating in a high school or college band program. Some students may consider the possibility of making marching band a career. It is difficult to make a full-time career in marching &#8230; <a title=\"Is Marching Band A Career?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/is-marching-band-a-career\/\" aria-label=\"More on Is Marching Band A Career?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/groovewiz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}