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• Who Can Join the Spirit of Houston Marching Band?
  • Any student who is admitted to the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Main Campus regardless of their major.

• Is there an audition to join the marching band?
  • All new woodwind and brass members audition prior to joining the group. New woodwind and brass music majors who have passed a Moores School of Music audition do not have to pass a separate marching band audition. All drumline members (including returning members and incoming music majors) must audition each year.

• What are the schedule requirements for members of the marching band?

  • The Cougar Marching Band rehearses 5:30-8:30pm on Mondays (woodwinds only), Wednesdays (brass and drumline only), and Fridays (full marching band). All members attend Spirit Week- our version of summer band camp- which typically runs Saturday through Saturday the week before school starts for the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. All home football games and games in the greater Houston area are required in addition to any exhibition performances around the state and select away football games. If the football team is bowl eligible, the marching band also attends those games as a full ensemble.

• What instruments does the marching band provide to students?
  
  • The Cougar Marching band provides all members of the Mellophone, Baritone, Sousaphone, and Drumline sections with instruments. In addition, there are a select number of instruments available for all other instruments. The organization does not turn away students due to instrument needs and will work with any incoming students.

•  What does it cost to be in the marching band? Is there a scholarship?
  
  • All students are charged a once-a-year $100 fee as part of their tuition for being a member of the marching band. This partially covers products provided to band students, including new marching shoes every year, shirts, polos, caps, travel bags, subscriptions for drill and music products, and meals throughout the year. All veteran members (returning members) receive a $1000 service award every year. New members are given service awards in different amounts dependent on remaining funds each year. In addition, students in the organization are eligible to apply yearly for band scholarships through CenterPoint Energy and the Spirit of Houston Alumni Association.

The Cougar Marching band requires a short video audition from all new woodwind and brass members, unless you have passed and accepted admission to the Moores School of Music.

The audition is primarily to assist in numbers management of the ensemble as well as part assignments. You should not be nervous and please email the band faculty with any questions. Please play on the instrument you feel most comfortable with, even if it is not a marching instrument.

Audition Music can be found at the link below and is taken from the University of Houston Fight Song. For the video, make sure you and your instrument are clearly visible. Choose a tempo that you are comfortable with and that allows you to showcase your best sound. Begin playing at the beginning of the excerpt, play through Circle A, and take only the second ending- stopping at Circle E. If you want to be considered for lead parts- particularly on high range instruments like piccolo/flute, trumpet, mellophone- please feel free to include a multiple octave scale or an excerpt from band music or etudes that showcases your range. This is not a requirement, and the only selection all students must include is the Fight Song excerpt.

The Cougar Marching Band requires all students on the drumline to audition every year. Please note that the Spirit of Houston does not have a front ensemble. We march snares, tenors, basses, and cymbals every year.

Please record all excerpts in a continuous video with your face, body, hands, and instrument/pad visible at all time.

Spots can be highly competitive on the drumline and we encourage you to submit videos on multiple instruments if at all possible.

Snare Drum and Bass Drum Music Tenors/Quads Music Cymbals Music