Optimal Band Size compared to your band

[Keeper]

How many people do you feel is the best size for a HS Band? I know there are a lot of different factors but try to give it some thought.

Based on how you answered that, how does your band match up? Is it too strong in one area and not strong enough in another?

[herefortheband]

mmm i think that 100 winds and then the appropriate guard and perc is a good size. ours is only about 100 including everyone.

[somethingrichandstrange]

Mine is only about 50 kids and six guard....

[big_coop88]

I graduated last year from Mt. Pleasant High School. In our band we might of had 25 wind and 5 guard. I like the smaller bands because everyone has to step up. We couldn't hide our mistakes from judges. But it would've been nice if our band was bigger.

[Laydown]

We have 81 winds guard and percussion, we could use a few more winds but all in all its a nice size

[herefortheband]

what i said in an earlier post about us being around 100 is from last season. this season we are at 86. i wish we were bigger.

 

maybe 85 musicians + percussion & guard. that would put us at around 120. i think that is a great size..... but as iv always been told "if ifs and buts were cany and nuts we'd all have a merrty christmas"

[TG24]

We've got 121, and it's about right

[DBGRAD70]

Dobyns Bennett has a few too many to compete well with the entire band. They had to cut about 100 from the competing band because there was not enough space to move on the field. It would have been unmanageable. They compete with about 275 but have 380 total - the largest band (college or high school) in Tennessee. I guess its a good problem to have. The school is in the 1650 range of total students so that makes it about 1/4th the student body. Optimal, no. Impressive, yes.

[herefortheband]

1/4th im jealous

[AEOTB]

I agree that around 100-120 is just right. Any bigger and you're taking up too much of the field to move much, and any smaller and you just can't get loud enough.

[ChipLay]

I don't think that the number of people is as important as having the proper instrumentation. This is the only way you can have a good, balanced sound on the field. Having 30 low brass and 5 trumpets is worse than having 10 of each.

[voiceofrockets]

And get rid of the stupid woodwinds. More a drum and bugle corp.