FAQs
Who do I contact for more information?
• For more information please contact out Administrative Assistant Sindi McGuire at 559.278.5086 or smcguire@csufresno.edu.
How much does the band rehearse?
• We rehearse from 3-5pm Monday and Wednesday and Friday from 3-6pm in the Fall. There is also rehearsal on game days that last approximately two hours.
Does the BMB compete against other college marching bands?
• No, we are committed to supporting the University. We do however make appearances at high school competitions in exhibition.
I currently borrow an instrument from my high school. Are there instruments available for me to borrow to use for band, or do I have to provide my own.
• A member of the band can borrow an instrument from the instrument shop in the old music building for $25.
Are scholarships available?
• Scholarships ranging from $100 to over $2500 are available to members of the band. Scholarship Auditions are required in the spring prior to the season.
When do auditions take place?
• Auditions are held in the spring, typically in late February or early March. These are not auditions to become a member of the band; they are merely auditions for those wishing to receive scholarship or for Bulldog Beat spots.
How long can I be in the band?
• You can be in the band as long as you'd like to be. We have had members who have devoted over six years of their life to the band. According to older members, the current record is eight years as a member of the BMB family.
How much does the band travel? What can I expect on a typical trip?
• We typically travel to one away game a year with the Fresno State Football team and to bowl trips if the team does well. On marching band trips one can expect a lot of fun times, good memories, free food, great hotels, spending money, and a once in a lifetime experience.
How much does it cost to go on a band trip?
• Nothing. The University, Athletics, and your band fee helps subsidize the trip.
How much does it cost to be member of the BMB? Can I afford it?
• Of course you can afford to be apart of the band! BMB fees are currently $50 for the season. This includes a Nike Uniform shirt, BMB Stein, and official trips taken by the band.
• First time band members are required to purchase black patent-leather Show Stopper marching shoes, which are $35 through our uniform managers. Clean white gloves are also required and available from the uniform managers throughout the year. For music, members also are required to have a flip-folder and enough pages to hold all the music for the season, which are available through our librarians.
• Extended Education, for students attending another school and taking apart in the band, will need to pay those fees which are around $75 and includes one college unit.
Are there organizations or clubs on campus that I can take part in? Are there any groups dedicated to helping the band specifically?
• There are hundreds of clubs on campus that one can take part in during their years at Fresno State, ranging from clubs dedicated to a certain major or hobby to social fraternities and sororities. Members of the BMB are in various organizations and to find out more information, a first year member can speak to any of those students.
• The Band Council is one way to get involved with the band on another level. To become a part of this group, please speak with the director and find out how you can help. First-year members cannot be on council except in certain circumstances.
• There is also a fraternity and sorority dedicated to serving the band program at Fresno State. Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity is devoted to serving the collegiate bands while Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority is dedicated to serving the collegiate bands and promoting women in music. Bothe are co-ed organizations, and their membership is spread across all levels of leadership in the band, from drum major to president, to other members on council, to section leaders, and all the way to regular members. They work jointly to serve the bands and to provide fun social activities for band members to take part in. To find out more information, speak with a member of either organization.
How do I become a section leader or drum major?
• The Associate Director of Bands holds interviews for both section leaders and drum majors in the spring. Drum majors also have a tryout period in which they demonstrate their conducting skills, leadership abilities, and their competence with a full-sized mace. These positions are then filled with those that the Director of Athletic Bands feel are most qualified for them. It is possible that a second year member could end up in one of these positions after interviewing in their second semester at Fresno State, so it is not solely based on the number of years in band.
As a parent, what should I expect of the band? Is my child taken care of? Will they feel as if they're part of the band even though they're new? Will members of the band put my child through some form of initiation or haze?
• The band provides a fun and enriching atmosphere for Fresno State students with some believing it to be simply the greatest group of people they've ever known. New people are always welcomed into the band and by the end of band camp they will have made a lot of new friends, not only within their own section but also through taking part in social activities during the week. Some of these activities include volleyball at the dorms, dinner at local restaurants, ultimate frisbee at the field, Double Play, and so many more.
• Your child will be taken care of. The band will help them feel they fit in because they'll know so many people of all majors who will most likely be in their non-music classes. Veterans of the marching band do not put new members through any form of initiation or haze.
As a parent, how can I take part in this experience? Is there a booster club?
• You can take part by joining the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band Halftime Club.
Where can I find more information on becoming a Graduate Assistant?
• Please go to our Graduate Assistant page for more information.
If you happen to have any questions please don't hesitate to contact our Administrative Assistant Sindi McGuire at smcguire@csufresno.edu or 559.278.5086.