I have always considered my school marching band to be a very good band. Now, as a percussionist, I have to chose between pit (whitch is mainly melody percussion) and battery (drum line). I want to get the "full" experience of marching band (whitch would make scence to go to battery to march), but I am apsolutly IN LOVE with playing xyolophone. People in the band are like pulling me different ways (band geek tug of war), so I think I need some outside opinion. I have the rest of this school year to deside... but it will end before I know it if I say I have all the time in the world. ALL OPINIONS WELCOME!!!

well, im heading into 9th this year... but i would go for the snare line.... either snare or tenor (quads, tris, or whatever ur school calls it). our band in 8th has 61 people in it, and there is 120 something in the highschool with only about 25 seniors leaving. Personally i like mallets (xylophone) but nobody in our school takes bells onto the field. I hope that inspired you... lol

uhh i made a mistake... im heading to 9th after this year...

The xylophone will always be there for concert percussion, and such. Go with a marching drum, the only output for a battery instrument is marching band. As to which marching instrument, thats your call.

i would be the only girl going into battery... and IDK if that scares me or not. i guess zylofone will always be there for concert... but i love it so much. IDK if thats a bad thing.

so i guess i'm still kind of stuck

Xylophone is AWESOME! You don't HAVE to march, but you get to do a ton of cool stuff. Ex. My BFF and I both play xylophone and during parades we get to be the banner girls and march at the front. XD Besides, almost anyone can play the other instruments in drumline with enough practice. Xylophone tends to take more skill and it shows.

well, color gaud dose banner for my school, so i wouldn't get to march at all. Now I look at my school, and all the "marchers" have something agaisnt the pit. Dose anyone know why that hatred is there?

The rest of the band doesn't like the pit because they don't have to march, and the majority of the pit play "toy" instruments. @-@

toys are fun

Sounds like a tough problem? Just to give you a little background about myself so that you can see that I might know what I am talking about. I was in Marching Band for 8 years and DCI for 1year. First you are young so you still have time to play every instrument in the band. Lol. But for real, what is it that you find yourself watching when you go to a band competition. Do you find your self in front of the pit or are you seeking out the snare or maybe the tenor line. Which one of the two makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you here them practice. But honestly, if your planning on sticking with music for awhile you have plenty of time to choose. If I were you I would try out for the snare or bass line. The reason why is that they give you the fundamentals that you need to become a great percussionist. And like others have said concert band needs alot from the xylophone. Honestly the music for concert band is alot better for the xylophone rather than marching band music. Most marching band music for highschool pits are fairly simple. Just remember it's what you want and not what everyone else wants. Good luck!

Thanks for that great advice.
My problem is
I LOVE MUSIC!
Thats not really a problem, but, in a way, a challenge.
I want to stick with music for the rest of my life (seeking a profession in it), but I get so excited about it, I want to try everything NOW. I guess I just have to relax and go with the flow! Thanks to everyone for their great advice, and if anyone has any other commets, feel free to share them!

Marching out there on the field is a totally different experience than being on the front ensemble. As a pit percussionists, I would say that we have more difficult and unique music. We get all the quick melodic runs. Furthermore, I have witnessed one high school in Southern California that had a marching pit percussionist with a marimba, where a couple colorguard members pulled their board to the center of the field as the pit percussionist was marching. That was very neat and diverse.

It is really up to you. Pit has much more warm ups and mandates to learn, but it really pays off in terms of skill and the one that "stands out". Good luck on your decision and I hope it pays off well!

You might want to run your concerns through your band director before you make your final decision. If you want to play Xylophone in concert band but not in the pit, then someone will need to play xylophone in the pit. And when concert season starts don't be surprised if whoever played in the pit is the one playing xylophone the concert band (even if you're better). You will probably be told something to effect of, "well, Mary paid her dues doing the pit, so she gets to play in the concert band".

Why do so many marchers dislike the pit? Because the pit is different and the marchers think the pit doesn't work as hard, they don't have to do as much or as hard work. But, you have to have the confidence to calmly explain the pit has it's own work and it's own resposnibilities and it is a very important part of the group.

Couldn't try out for both?