Musicians, Pick Up Your Instruments and Get Ready to March!
Starting Fall 2018, Southern Virginia University will have a marching band for the first time
By Tyler Smith
With a flashy new video, Southern Virginia announced the marching band, coming Fall 2018. The new marching band is anticipated to meet the week before school starts and will be performing at all of the home football games.
Heather Dobbins, Director of the Bands, will be heading the new Fall Band, a combination of the current concert band and the new marching band. The band will meet Monday through Thursday starting at 3:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday classes will focus on the concert band for the normal 50 minutes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the marching band will practice until 4:45 p.m.
Dobbins is looking for all passionate musicians, and especially those who play trumpet, trombone, and baritone. She is happy to work with those who want to play but haven’t practiced in a while, as well as those who are just nervous about marching.
Scholarships are available to any student who joins the band, based on the needs of the ensemble.
No audition is necessary to play in the marching band, but for the scholarship, the audition process is simple. Students just need to share a video of themselves playing two different pieces. The application can be found here. Dobbins explained that the main reason for the audition is so that she can get an idea of the student’s style and sound. The process is especially simple for current students, who can use their iPads to record the video.
The announcement of the marching band has excited many students including George Durfee ‘19, a percussionist in the concert band. He said, “I was excited because marching band is so integral, not just to students, but to the community. It’s integral to [our] identity, especially when it comes to college activities or the college experience.” For him and many other students, marching band is and has been a part of who they are, and now students can continue to have that experience here.
Some had reservations when hearing the early rumors, like Marissa Knudson ‘20, who said, “I was a little hesitant because I wasn’t sure how it would work out…but I was hopeful because this is something that I really wanted to happen.” Now that the announcement is official and the class is set, Knudson and others can move forward with more than just hope.
Students who are interested, even if they have reservations, are encouraged to apply, and contact Heather Dobbins.
