FAQs

 

  •  Is LA Marching Band associated with a school or institution?

No, we are an independent, private group comprised of professional, working musicians.

  • What’s the smallest group size you can do while still giving the impression of a marching band?

Our smallest group with horns and drums is 8 people, but we recommend at least 12 people to give a fuller effect.

  • What if I only want drummers?

That’s called a “drum line” and we can definitely do that!

  • Can drummers play songs?

Not like a song where you can tell what the melody is. What they play will sound kind of like a drum solo would on a drumset, except split up among a group of people and more “traditional”, but still exciting and impressive!

  • How long can you play for?

Our typical set isn’t longer than about 20 minutes, but we can generally stretch it up to 30 minutes. Think of a half-time show at a football game. Those are only about 10-15 minutes.

  • What would the timeline and set up for a typical performance look like?

Call time for the band is usually an hour before we play. The band members arrive separately and we cannot guarantee carpools. Those with larger instruments and the band leader load-in instruments and the uniforms into a green room, if available. Next we discuss the scope of work, (hopefully) do a walk through in the performance space, warm up our instruments and change into uniforms. After the performance, we change out of our uniforms, pack up all equipment and instruments and load out.

  • Do we need to provide you with anything?

The great thing about a marching band is that we don’t need a stage, electricity, or sound equipment. We can just march up and perform, ready to go. However, a changing space and some waters are always greatly appreciated.

  • Do you have any travel expenses?

Yes, we do require parking to be covered for the band within a reasonable distance of the venue and a $35/person fee will be applied for every 50 miles outside of LA when applicable.

  • What if I want the marching band to be a surprise?

Let us know if that’s the case so we can help you clarify the logistics of how the band is to enter the building/space undetected.

  • Do you do drill like USC or choreography like BLAST!?

While it’s not part of our standard booking, it can be added on as a premium upgrade. (Checkout our Afterpay Halftime Show on IG @la_marching_band) A show like that takes time and resources to develop, so if that interests you, please let us know during our quote process so we can factor that in.

  • Do you do parades?

We can do a parade as long is it’s not longer than a half hour. After 30 minutes the band would need to take a break, but we could join the parade again after that for another 30 minutes. We can also perform stationary at the beginning or finale of the parade under the same schedule.

  • Can you play any song?

Yes! We already have an extensive Song List, but if what you want isn’t on there, we can help you find where to purchase it for us or you can hire one of our music composers/arrangers to write whatever you’d like the band to play. A good rule of thumb for any song you want us to play is try humming the main melody to a friend and if that friend can identify what song you’re humming, then that will probably work well for a marching band.

  • Can you play with a DJ?

Yes, but that often requires the added cost of special music arrangements (even if that song is on our list) and we need to be able to hear the song over us playing. The best way to do that is to give the band members in-ear monitors from your sound engineer.

  • Can you play while going up or down stairs?

Typically no. Several of our performers can’t see their feet while playing their instruments, so it’s a big safety issue.