Summer Sessions are a student run rehearsal taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays during June, July, and August. These sessions teach candidate members all of the marching and playing fundamentals and prepare incoming candidates and veterans for the Ohio State University Marching Band’s tryout process and the marching band season.
All Summer Session participants must complete a one-time online registration form before attending any Summer Sessions.
While Summer Sessions are an important tool that can be used for veteran members and candidates alike, attendance is not required to audition for the marching band.
Anyone unfamiliar with Ohio State’s campus can download this OSU Campus Map to help find their way around. There is visitor parking around Ohio Stadium that is Pay-and-Display and the rehearsals take place on the Lincoln Tower fields.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are outdoor rehearsals, including an outdoor drumline sectional and outdoor marching session. Students are expected to wear attire suited for physical activity (gym shorts, athletic shoes) and be prepared for a physically demanding night. Outdoor rehearsals will be used to teach playing technique and approach to marching while wearing the instrument. This is especially helpful for candidates that have never played Ohio State’s more traditional style (including snare drums on slings, flipping of cymbals, and tenors while high step marching). The marching section will consist of instruments breaking off into their own small groups so the squad leaders can teach and refine the fundamentals that the band is expected to learn that evening. The band will then return to a full block and march drill and play school songs while marching. After the session is over, attending members will receive feedback on their marching and playing performances. This enables members to work on their weaknesses outside of Summer Sessions, helping to refine their technique and ultimately improve their marching skill.
Fundamentals
The Ohio State University Marching Band utilizes 43 different marching fundamentals. While this may seem daunting at first, it should not discourage anyone from auditioning. The fundamentals are spread out over the course of two months, giving students ample time to learn and refine these fundamentals in preparation for tryouts. Summer Sessions also cover maneuvers that are not fundamentals, such as the Ramp Entrance and Hang On Sloopy. The band will also march and play school songs, oftentimes using to-the-rears to reverse face and play another song back down the field. This helps develop a candidate’s proficiency in marching and playing in the traditional style.
Below is a list of Summer Session dates and the fundamentals that will be covered and fundamental videos. It is the expectation of the Squad Leaders that candidates will look ahead to the upcoming session and watch the portion of the video that correlates to the fundamentals that will be covered. The videos below run through each and every one of these fundamental maneuvers. Each instrument has its own video posted below. These videos can be a valuable tool, allowing students unable to make it to Summer Sessions a certain evening, to still have the fundamentals explained and demonstrated to them, and other students to look ahead and learn the fundamentals for a night before the session starts. This allows these students to understand how the fundamental works and spend their time at Summer Sessions getting feedback and improving upon these marching moves.
Summer 2023 Schedule
Summer Sessions will begin on June 6th and run from 6:30-9 pm at Lincoln Tower Field south of Ohio Stadium. For the rest of the summer, the drumline will meet at 5 pm for a sectional outside the band doors (between gates 10 & 12). Arrive early to get a drum and to set up in preparation for the 5 o’clock downbeat.
Tuesdays: Sectionals from 5:00 – 6:30 pm and full band from 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Thursdays: Sectionals from 5:00 – 6:30 pm and full band from 6:30 – 9:00 pm
2023 Summer Session Schedule (subject to change)
June: 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29
July: 5*, 6*, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 26
August: 1*, 2*, 3*, 7*, 8*, 9*
*Denotes Focus Weeks
Detailed Schedule
Week One
June 6: Posture / Attention / At Ease / Chair Step / Instruments Up & Down / In Place Movements (right face, left face, about face, step forward about-face)
June 8: Mark Time Drill / Mark Time / 8 to 5 Forward / Regular TTR / Flanks / Halt Kick Down
Week Two
June 13: Box TTR / Backward Marching / Slow Turns / Box Drills
June 15: Step Sides and Side Steps / Lateral Slides / Slide TTR / Countdowns
Week Three
June 20: Up Step Turns / Forward Adjusted Step (6, 12, 16) / Backward Adjusted Step (12, 16)
“Fight The Team” memorized
June 22: Review / “Horn Slides and Backwards Lateral Slides Translation”
Week Four
June 27: Obliques / Hats Off
Short “Beautiful Ohio” memorized (m. 13, optional cut to m.61)
June 29: Step Kicks
Week Five (focus week one)
July 5: Review Weeks 1 & 2
July 6: Review Weeks 3 & 4 / Common Drill Patterns
Week Six
July 11: Ramp Entrance
“Buckeye Battle Cry” memorized
July 13: Review
Week Seven
July 18: Sloopy
“Hang On Sloopy” memorized
July 20: Review
Week Eight
July 25: Mock Tryouts
Long “Beautiful Ohio” memorized
July 26: Mock Tryouts
Week Nine (focus week two)
August 1 – 3: Mock Tryouts
“I Wanna Go Back” memorized
Week Ten (focus week three)
August 7 – 9: Mock Tryouts
Two weeks of Summer Sessions will be designated as “Focus Weeks,” which will provide a review of music and marching fundamentals covered to that point over three rehearsals. If you’re an out-of-state student or simply unavailable to attend as many Summer Sessions as you’d like, these Focus Weeks are specifically designed to bring you up to speed over a short period of time. The first Focus Week will be July 4-6, the second will be August 1-3, and the third August 7-9. We unfortunately are not able to provide housing during Focus Weeks.
2023 Tryouts Schedule
This schedule is subject to change as more information becomes available. The dates and times below are based on a normal tryout schedule.
Thursday – August 10th: Squad leader tryouts, 9 a.m. to noon, 2-5 p.m.
Friday – August 11th: Candidate Day 1 (for all who have not previously been members of the marching band), 2-5 p.m., 7-9 p.m. Registration will be open at the Band Center from noon-2 p.m. There will be an optional meeting for parents at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday – August 12th: Candidate Day 2, 9 a.m. to noon, 2-5 p.m.
Sunday – August 13th: OSUMB Tryouts Day 1 for all candidates, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Secondary instrument auditions and music/marching re-auditions, 7-9 p.m.
Monday – August 14th: OSUMB Tryouts Day 2 for all candidates, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 2023 band selected ~ 10 p.m.
If you have not previously checked out an instrument for Summer Sessions, you will be able to check one out on your designated first day of tryouts.
Preparing for Summer Sessions
- Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Come to the session hydrated. During practice, drink fluids early and as often as thirst and common sense drive. Rehydrate afterward.
- Eat healthy carbohydrates and foods with lean protein in the meals before practice (e.g. turkey sandwich on whole grain, quinoa with chicken, chicken marsala). Fruit is always a performance food for the carbs and electrolytes as you get closer to start time. Pretzels or similar low-fat chips can help with fueling and hydration.
- Wear comfortable athletic clothing and good athletic shoes. (Basketball shoes not suggested)
- Warm up before marching by stretching.
- Start becoming familiar with our school songs (Across the Field, Buckeye Battle Cry, etc.).
For more information regarding Summer Sessions visit the OSUMB’s website.
For more information regarding tryouts visit the OSUMB’s page on tryout information.
Snare Drum
Bass Drum
Tenor Drum