Register for tryouts!

Register

• Tryouts Schedule
• Marching Fundamentals
• Tryout Music
• Housing During Tryouts
• Rehearsal After Tryouts

Thank you for your interest in becoming a part of The Ohio State University Marching Band! 

The Ohio State Marching Band is an all-brass-and-percussion marching band. There are plenty of opportunities for woodwind players at Ohio State, though! Many woodwind players learn to play a brass or percussion instrument and have had success in making the band. For other opportunities, learn more about our Athletic Band program or other concert bands in the School of Music. 

All candidates that have not been members of the Marching Band in past years are required to attend Candidate Days. These days are meant to introduce new candidates to what will be expected during tryouts. 

Auditions for The Ohio State University Marching Band take place over two days. Tryouts are open to all students eligible to register at Ohio State and those at Columbus State Community College and other area institutions eligible to register through the Higher Education Council of Columbus (HECC).

If you are planning on trying out for the Marching Band, we suggest you register for the class for the autumn 2026 semester, as it is easier to drop the class than adjusting an existing class schedule. The course number for marching band is MUSIC 2205.01 (or MUSIC 7205.01 for graduate students). If you are enrolling at an institution other than Ohio State, please check with your advisor on how to add the course. 

If you are enrolling via Extended Education, you can do so here. Any returning Marching Band members who have enrolled this way in the past can enroll using the new applicant/visitor application, but there will be no application fee. The process does take 2-3 weeks, so enrolling sooner is better than later. Anyone who is enrolling via Extended Education for the first time will be required to pay the $60 non-refundable application fee.

For additional practice on our music and marching fundamentals, we encourage you to attend Summer Sessions, our optional rehearsals that run from June through early August.

Marching Fundamentals

Those trying out for The Ohio State University Marching Band will also need to know the fundamentals of our marching style. More information can be found in the newly updated fundamentals guides:

• Trumpet
• Mellophone
• Trombone
• Baritone
• Sousaphone
• Percussion

Tryout Music

For tryouts, candidates must have four songs memorized: Fight the Team, Buckeye Battle Cry, Hang On Sloopy and Beautiful Ohio (Long Version). Candidates must also perform the appropriate tryout sheet for their instrument, which contains musical exercises. The tryout sheet will be made available to those who have registered three weeks prior to tryouts. The tryout sheet does not need to be memorized.

Housing During Tryouts

For those with an on-campus housing contract for the 2026-27 academic year, early move-in is available starting in early August at a cost of $42 per day. Early move-in slots start as early as August 10 for those who are registered for tryouts. Students who intend to move in early must be registered for tryouts by no later than July 10. Autumn semester dining plans will not be active until August 22, so students moving in early will need to make arrangements to get their own meals until then. We will share the tryout registration list with Housing and Residence Education to ensure students are able to schedule an early move-in.

Rehearsal Schedule After Tryouts

For those that make the band, the hard work continues! Three-a-day rehearsals begin at 9 a.m. on the day after tryouts and continue through the start of classes. The typical three-a-day schedule is 9-noon, 2-5 and 7-9 p.m.

[pdf] - Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please contact osumb@osu.edu.