Yeah. That’s how I spent my summer.
For those of you that don’t know, The Ohio State University Marching Band program, or “TBDBITL,” spends the entire summer preparing bright-eyed bandies for the torture that is tryouts. Three to four hours a day, twice a week, for about two and a half months. And how do we spend that time? Learning the basics that, when put together in various ways and combined with music, are what makes our marching band so special and amazing. But there is a lot more to getting in the band than learning how to do a right 270 spin turn (which is exactly what it sounds like).
Doing band is like doing a sport, but usually without the same recognition. Sure, the squad leaders have iPads now, just like all the regular sports these days, but band is still fundamentally different. But that doesn’t change very much. Similarly, the requirements are heavy, forcing all other aspects of your life to suffer, including your social life, love life, family life and any hobbies you may have that aren’t band related. Actually, let’s be real: I doubt that many people who have been in the band have time for any other hobbies. Because when you’re in band, that’s your life. Don’t worry about any of that fun stuff, none of it will be as important when you’ve made the band! Things’ll be super awesome then!
But as the summer ticks by, you start wondering whether it’ll all be worth it. I mean, you’re putting a lot into this and so far you haven’t really gotten anything back. Sure, once you make it you’ll know that the effort you put in is going to good use, but no matter how confident you are in your abilities, there are no definites when trying out for this band. The program itself put it best: everyone is trying out for every single spot in the band. And it feels like it. There are 14 spots in each row and the moment tryouts begin the attitude changes, because even people who have been in the band before know that it’s every man for himself.
However, nothing you do all summer can prepare for what tryouts are like. You know going in that, by the end of it, your fate for the year will have been determined. But even after you’ve survived all the summer sessions, before you make it to tryouts you go through something known as “candidate days.” These two days are meant to give you a taste of how the tryout days will be, but they don’t affect your chances for making the band. Candidate days are a demonstration of how tryouts will go, minus the stress and the veterans. Squad leaders show you the process and progression of tryouts, give you feedback and provide tips.
And then…it’s time. You wake up early Sunday morning, drag yourself to the stadium, and it begins. Tryouts are set up in a very specific way. Over the course of two days, you take part in 4 different sessions. For each session you do an on-the-line, which is where the squad leaders for a row closely evaluate two or three of the people trying out in their row at a time. This includes in-place movements, several very long drills, a singing run-through of Hang on Sloopy and a ramp drill. Each of these is scored and the total score is what you are given for that particular on-the-line. In addition, during the first session there is a music portion, where you are expected to play from an audition sheet distributed a couple weeks before, as well as be able to play from memory scales, school songs and whatever else they may ask of you. All five of these scores come together to determine whether or not you are good enough to be in the band, with marching and playing each being worth 50%. Each marching session is grueling and tiresome because when you aren’t having your on-the-line, you are expected to be in constant motion, working on your weak areas or learning the drill that everyone does during block band at the end of each session. By the end of the fourth session you’re completely exhausted—in every way possible. But the hardest part isn’t even over.
Yes, you survived tryouts, but what happens next in the process is harder than anything you have done up to this point. Every person is sent home to get cleaned up before returning 4 hours later. While the relief spreads over you that you’re finally done, you can’t help but reflect on everything you could have done better and you start to stress over whether or not you were good enough to make THE Ohio State Marching Band. But that still isn’t the hardest part…
Now that I’ve got you on the edge of your seat, tune in next week to find out what happens next!
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