Join Marching Band

Marching Band

Tradition is an important part of Big Ten universities. The Pride of Minnesota has been bringing spirit, color, and music to campus for over 125 years. We would love for you to become a part of the band's life and experience the pageantry, excitement, and dedication to excellence for yourself.

Never marched before? We'll teach you!

Not a music major? Neither are 95% of our members.

Worried about the time commitment? With nearly every major represented in our current band, let us know your area of interest. We will have a student contact you and let you know how it works with your upcoming course of study.

Prospective Members

Prospective members are invited to contact us for more information about the program. Members of the band staff, including the directors, graduate assistants, and current members will be happy to answer your questions. If you would like to learn more about joining the Minnesota Marching Band in 2024 and beyond, please complete the Marching Band Interest form.

High school students who wish to join the Minnesota Marching Band through post-secondary option (PSEO) programs should contact their high school counselor for further information. More information about PSEO can be found here.

20 Ruttan Hall
1994 Buford Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108 (In-person hours are currently suspended.)

612-624-4000 or 1-800-234-6564
ccapsinfo@umn.edu

Not a U of M student?

You do not have to be a U of M student to participate. Part-time college students attending other metro-area schools can take Marching Band as an extension course by visiting this website and following the instructions.

Time Commitment

The Marching Band season officially begins with Spat Camp, the ten-day training period that begins late August and ends on Labor Day weekend. When fall semester classes begin, the band meets Monday through Thursday from 4:15 – 6:00 pm. Additional rehearsals are held on Friday afternoons (4:15 – 6:00 pm) and Saturday mornings before all home football games. The rehearsals avoid conflicts with most classes and allow residence hall students ample time to attend evening meals.

Spat Camp

Spat Camp, the intensive, in-residence preparation camp where students learn music and marching fundamentals, marks the official start of marching band season. Students reside in the residence halls during Spat Camp. A nominal fee covers the cost of housing, meals, and social activities during camp.

Please email us at mnmarch@umn.edu if you have any questions.

Registration and Freshman Orientation

New students must attend University orientation before Spat Camp begins. Students who are assigned orientation dates during the Spat Camp period should contact their college representative and ask to have their orientation rescheduled. Students accepted into the Marching Band will be notified when they can register for MUS 3480, which carries two academic credits.

Auditions

Fall 2024 Woodwind and Brass auditions

Early decision submissions have been reviewed. Emails have been sent out this afternoon (3/18/2024). If there are any questions, please email mnmarch@umn.edu.

Regular auditions: audition videos due June 14, 2024.

  1. We plan to release our roster by July 12, 2024.
  2. Some scholarships may be awarded at this time, however students are highly encouraged to complete the early round audition for the greatest scholarship potential. 

The audition consists of:

  1. Chromatic scale ascending and descending that showcases your playable range
  2. Your favorite major scale, 2 octaves ascending and descending
  3. A part (1st, 2nd, or 3rd – you select) from "The Minnesota Rouser"
  4. A part (1st, 2nd, or 3rd – you select) from "Minnesota March" (Note: Mellophone players audition on "Go Gopher Victory" instead of “Minnesota March”)
  5. A personal statement answering the following questions: “Why do you want to be a member of the Pride of Minnesota? How have your past experiences prepared you to be part of the band?” The personal statement can be written (max one page) or video-recorded (max two minutes).
  6. Optional: you may also include another selection that helps display your talents (i.e. a prepared piece from solo and ensemble contests)

One bit of advice: don't point directly at your microphone. This distorts the sound on your recording unless you have a good external microphone.

Videos should be posted on a personal YouTube site, then the link should be shared here, along with your personal statements. Please be sure to follow the YouTube directions below.

Submitting the Video

  1. Create a YouTube account (if you have gmail, you automatically have one)
  2. Click the Upload button in the top right corner
  3. It will take you to the Upload page.
    • A little box will appear with the word Public. Click on the little triangle and click Unlisted (this way only people with the link will be able to see your video).
  4. Either drag the video, or select the file of your video to upload.
  5. Make sure to title your video “Your name, Instrument Audition”
  6. Copy and paste the link to your YouTube video (it will give you the link once your video is uploaded) to this form.

If you have any questions about submitting the video, send an email to mnmarch@umn.edu

Audition Music

Listen to the sounds of the Minnesota Marching Band on our Soundcloud.

Drumline 

Thank you for your interest in the University of Minnesota Drumline!

Fall 2024 Drumline Auditions will be held late April; the exact date is still TBD. Learn more about the University of Minnesota Drumline.

If you have any questions, please contact Kelley Lima at limax003@umn.edu

Color Guard

The preferred method to audition is to submit a video, which is due June 30. Please email a link of your YouTube video to ummbcolorguard@gmail.com. Visit the audition page to view the audition requirements and tips to upload the video.  https://ummbcolorguard.wordpress.com/audition-info/  

In addition of a video audition submission, your Spat Camp application will also be due by June 30. 

Following a video audition one of 2 things will happen:

  1. You are accepted into the group – Yeah! And go straight to the Learning portion of the guard camp in August.

  2. We need to see more so we will invite you to the in person auditions taking place on day 1 of the August camp. If you are unable to submit a video for any reason, or do not feel you have the skills needed to make a video yet (we have had plenty of members that had never done guard before joining our group!), then you will be required to do in person auditions on day 1 of our August camp

For incoming students, some scholarships are available that require videos to be submitted by March 1st for early decision

  • Those scholarship offers would be made by the end of March. 
  • The overall deadline for video submission for placement in the group is still June 30th.

Learn more about the University of Minnesota Color Guard.

If you have any questions, please contact us at ummbcolorguard@gmail.com

Thank you for your interest in the University of Minnesota Twirler position! Auditions for FALL 2024 have closed.

If you have any questions about twirler auditions, please contact us at twirler@umn.edu