College marching bands are a large and visible part of American music education. Institutions of higher learning have benefited from the existence of marching bands, as they serve as a powerful recruitment tool and an essential public relations vehicle for music departments and universities. The benefit students may receive from marching band participation is influenced by a variety of social and educational factors. This article is a review of literature on the benefits of marching bands and band participation for universities and college students. The review is organized as follows: (a) brief introduction and methodology, (b) benefits for colleges and universities, (c) benefits for college students, (d) challenges for college students, and (e) summary and recommendations. This article presents scholarship on the possible benefits of marching bands for students and universities in an effort to aid recruitment and inform administrators of the value a marching band brings to their school.

Student recruitment and enrollment is a major concern for American institutions of higher education. According to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, student enrollment is a continuing challenge for admissions and registration professionals (Supiano, 2012). Enrollment fluctuations, particularly declining figures, capture the attention of administrators, taxpayers, and university admissions offices. While enrollment is trending up for minority students (Fischer, 2007;Porter, 2006) and some small colleges (Beja, 2009), enrollment rates are dropping at colleges in Virginia, Maryland, and California (Anderson, 2014;Fain, 2007). The U.S. Census Bureau (2014) reported that college enrollment declined by nearly half a million (463,000) between 2012 and 2013. In addition, the National Student Clearinghouse indicated that general college enrollment was declining annually from 2012 to 2014 (Lenderman, 2013). In efforts to increase enrollment, administrators may attempt to identify aspects of student life and organizations that attract students to colleges and universities. One such organization may be the college marching band.Extant research shows that many college students choose a university because of the marching band program (Madsen, Plack, & Dunnigan, 2007). For some students, the desire to wear a specific university marching band uniform can outweigh academic and financial considerations (Dunnigan, 2007). Successful marching band programs also operate as a positive public relations vehicle for colleges and universities. Visible marching bands, performing on large regional and national stages, serve as powerful recruitment tools for universities. School administrators have realized the impact of marching bands at school and sporting events, providing espirit de corps for those in attendance, including prospective college students (

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of preconducting and conducting behaviors on perceptions of conductor competence. We modified and extended a previous research study (Frederickson et al., 1998) and asked undergraduate college musicians (N = 214) to evaluate recorded videos of conductors that displayed combinations of poor and excellent preconducting and conducting behaviors. These behaviors included stepping onto a podium, preparing conducting materials, and conducting one measure in 4/4 time. Participants were also asked to describe the factors that impacted their ratings via open-ended questions. Results of a conducting behavior × order interaction signified that although participants’ ratings were influenced by preconducting behavior conditions, the effect was mitigated by order. Results also indicated that observers’ evaluations of conductors’ competence began immediately. Analysis of free-response questions indicated that conducting technique, eye contact, facial expressions, and conductors’ perceived confidence level impacted participants’ ratings of conductors. Given the importance of preconducting behaviors on participants’ ratings of conductors’ competence in our study, several suggestions are presented for university faculty who teach undergraduate conducting courses. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Culturally responsive pedagogy in music education is becoming increasingly crucial for all students, in all types of music programs, and at all levels of education as demographic shifts occur in schools. In music ensembles, the selection of repertoire is a critical component of culturally responsive pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to investigate student perceptions of repertoire in college music ensembles. This study was guided by the following research questions: (a) Do students perceive current ensemble repertoire as representative and supportive of their self-identities? (b) What are these perceptions according to students’ race or ethnicity, gender, and ensemble type? (c) What factors do students consider important in directors’ selection of repertoire? (d) How are directors’ current repertoire selection practices, as experienced by the respondents, informed by or responsive to gender and racial diversity in the ensembles? Respondents ( N = 278) were graduate and undergraduate college students enrolled in band, choir, or orchestra. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Overall, respondents felt that current repertoire practices were representative and supportive, although male respondents rated composer gender as lower in importance in repertoire selection than both females and those not identifying as male or female. White students indicated that they felt repertoire selection was more representative of their gender than Black, Indigenous, and other students of color. Respondents also indicated a desire for more underrepresented composers in ensemble repertoire. Numerous implications are provided, including the need for an increased focus on culturally responsive repertoire selection processes in teacher preparation programs.

COVID-19 mitigations significantly altered college marching band operations during the fall 2020 football season. Modified band operations may have affected students’ sense of community and togetherness. The purpose of this study was to investigate college marching band students’ perceptions of community and other band experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. College marching band students ( N = 765) from 10 universities across the United States responded to survey questions related to several aspects of pandemic marching band operations, including (a) mitigation strategies, (b) perceived mitigation effectiveness, (c) band community, (d) perceived band experiences, and (e) the extent to which some aspects of band modifications could continue postpandemic. Results indicated that feelings of community and opportunities for togetherness in marching band were substantially reduced during the pandemic. Implications including the importance of music performance, virtual learning, and monitoring of student physical and mental health are discussed.