What is
Marching Band?
A combination of brass, woodwind, percussion, dance, and color guard that works to try to “perfect” a 8 minute show that competes with other groups like it. Bands are from high schools, and classified by school size.
The marching band at Carroll High School is called the "Charger Pride".
•We perform at home football games and competitions. The competitions are run by two different organizations: ISSMA –Indiana State School Music Association, and BOA –Bands of America –a national organization
•Our performances this year are entirely in the state of Indiana. Most competitions in September are in our immediate northeast Indiana area. In October –we begin traveling more to the central part of the state, with up to 3 trips to Indianapolis towards the end.
When does it start?
Marching Band typically begins right after the last day of school with a Basics camp that last for 1 week. Many of the groups and sections will have their own optional practices on and off all summer. All-day Band Camp starts in late July and lasts three weeks. Band camp is when the students start learning the show they will be performing at all competitions. After Band Camp the Band will begin using the Fall Practice schedule of after-school and evening practices. On the weekends before competitions begin, it is typical to have a Saturday practice.
When is the Competition Season?
The Competition season usually starts the 2nd weekend in September and goes through the end of October, sometimes into early November. Competitions are held on Saturdays during this time period. The marching season consists of non-ISSMA events and then ISSMA Regional, ISSMA Semi-State, and ISSMA State finals. How long the season goes depends on if you qualify for the next round beginning at Regionals. By the time the band makes Semi-State you are down to 20 bands competing for 10 spots in the State Finals at the Lucas Oil Stadium!
How is Marching Band Organized
In Indiana, Marching Band is organized into "classes" based on school size: Class A has the largest schools, down to Class D which are the smallest schools. The exact number of students in a school to qualify for a class varies with each year. This allows the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA ) to keep approximately the same number of bands in each group. Carroll performs in Class A.