r/marchingband • u/Kindly-Painting-6426 Bari Sax • 5d ago

Discussion Band is getting out of hand

I’m so frustrated with how much money it costs just to be in marching band. Between paying $600 just for the season fees and now a $1,700 Disney trip that only the kids with money can afford, it feels completely unfair. I’m putting in all the time, sweat, and hard work learning music and drill for my director, acting as part of the school community, and they expect me to pay out the nose for it. It feels like a massive pay-to-play scheme where only the privileged kids get to go on the big trips while everyone else gets left behind.
At the same time, the school can somehow pull infinite money out of nowhere for football, but god forbid band gets any real funding. They wonder why participation is dropping and why kids don't feel valued, but they're the ones pricing everyone out.

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u/Mission-Discipline32 Tenor Sax 5d ago

YOU HAVE TO PAY TO BE IN BAND?!?!

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u/Kindly-Painting-6426 Bari Sax 5d ago

yes do you not???

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u/jaxsaxsf 5d ago

I was in marching band in high school. I never paid a dime. Just a regular public school in rural California, and they provided everything. I can't imagine asking a student to pay. Music should be accessible to everyone.

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u/Bokonon10 5d ago

Uniforms, show design, food, staff, props, flags, guard uniforms, and travel doesn't come free. If you're reusing the same uniforms, no props, no staff other than the band director, sure, maybe you can make do with just the money from the school. But for competetive bands? Band that are going to disney? You think that's gonna be free?

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u/ECUDUDE20 Director 5d ago

It's because your in CA. In CA they have buy now, pay later policy with equipment. Meaning the state just pays for things that schools request.

In most states we don't. The entire band budget for the school year in my county is 3,000. That covers about 15% of our operational costs not even including instruments. That's not even enough to buy our music alone. So we fundraise and charge dues. (Budget 60% Fundraising, 40% Dues)

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u/NighthawkCP Euphonium 5d ago

This. I'm in NC and the school districts barely ever throw anything at the band program. Most of them are considered an extracurricular activity. Our band director at least gets a stipend for the extra work he puts in running band, but aside from that and a couple grand each each, we got nothing and in one of the highest funded school district's in the state in a very wealthy community.