How do I join one of the Green Machine Ensembles?

Filling out an information sheet on our website is the first step. Go to https://greenmachine.gmu.edu/ensembles and navigate to the page that fits the ensemble you are most interested in. You will be added to our email listserv in which information for dates, rehearsals, policies, and scholarships is distributed. The next step is to sign up for the class (see below) if your ensemble has a class affiliated with it.

What is the audition process for the Pep Band?

**Please note – the informaiton in this section may not apply during our organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact us at greenmachine@gmu.edu for the latest updates.** There’s no formal audition for most instruments in the Green Machine Pep Band – just sign up for class and/or show up to rehearsal during the first week of classes each semester to get oriented! All rhythm section instruments, however, do have formal, individual auditions. These instruments include drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocals. Auditions will be arranged while at rehearsal and once auditioning members get a feel for the group's repertoire. Email greenmachine@gmu.edu for rehearsal dates and more information!

What is the audition process for the Indoor Drumline?

**Please note – the informaiton in this section may not apply during our organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact us at greenmachine@gmu.edu for the latest updates.** To audition for the GMU Indoor Drumline, you must attend one of three audition camps held during the Fall. Anyone between the ages of 18-22 is welcome to audition, we just ask that you bring your own sticks/mallets, practice pads, and pay your audition fee. More information available at: https://drumline.gmu.edu/auditions

What types of events do Green Machine Ensembles perform at?

The Green Machine Pep Band plays academic events, admissions events, men and women’s basketball games, Washington Capitals, Wizards, Nationals, and Redskins games, and various other sporting, charity, and community events. Students attend these events as their schedule allows or their scholarship/syllabus requires, so that no one student will be relied upon for every event. We travel with the basketball teams to their post-season tournaments and also travel in support of additional tournaments as funding becomes available. Our competative ensembles – GMUID & Mason World Winterguard – typically perform February-April across the country at AIA and WGI performances. Dirty Gold Brass Band, 8th GM Regiment Band, Green Machine Spirit Drumline, Funk Band, and Patriots Fife & Drum Corps perform at various University & community events throughout the year, and are available to book upon request. Throughout our organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our ensembles look forward to connecting with you via our digital content library, available at https://greenmachine.tv

Do I have to be a music major to play in the Green Machine Pep Band?

No! We have over 40 different majors in the band. We welcome students of all majors and degree levels (graduate/undergraduate). In fact, non-majors can have pep band count as their fine arts requirement for the general education studies in their degrees.

How do I register for the Green Machine Pep Band course?

Pep Band (MUSI 280 001) is a 1 credit course and counts as a chamber ensemble credit for music majors and an elective credit or fine arts general education requirement for non-music majors. The class meets on Tuesday nights from 7:20-10:00 p.m. Although PatriotWeb lists the class space as deLaski 3001, most class meetings are in the EagleBank Arena, as schedule allows; however, the meeting space may change. When this changes, communication to this effect will be sent out in advance. Please visit PatriotWeb to add Pep Band (MUSI 280 001) as a class. Additionally, Patriots Fife & Drum Corps and Green Machine Spirit Drumline offer course credit through other sections of MUSI 280. Search PatriotWeb for MUSI 280.

Do I have to register for the Green Machine Pep Band as a class?

Scholarship recipients and students seeking credit for the course are required to register. If neither of these apply to you, but you are passionate about coming to rehearsals and games, we ask you to register if you have the 1 credit hour space in your schedule. Exceptions can and will be made for students who want to play but have a full schedule.

What are scholarship requirements, and how do I apply?

Though scholarships are awarded as a tuition credit at the beginning of a semester, they are basically payment-up-front for support of the Green Machine's mission through participation throughout the semester. Instrumentation is the first consideration when scholarships are awarded. We have a commitment to the university to support events with an appropriate band. A certain number of scholarships are set aside for each instrument to fund these two groups, the Green and Gold Bands. A close second in criteria is service to the band and seniority. For this reason, it is rare for new members to receive scholarships unless they fill a hole in instrumentation. Finally, a scholarship contract outlines the specific commitments to events, dates, and times that will be requirements to satisfy the contract. The amount of a scholarship is $750 for each spot, with more money available for crew leaders. This generally works out to just over $50 per event with the average number of 15 events or less per semester. Applications are taken from an online form sent out over the listserv at three times; July for the Fall semester, and December/January for the Spring semester.

I have another question! Who should I contact?

General questions/not sure where to go? Start here. Jeremy Freer, Associate Director - jfreer@gmu.edu

• Green Machine Pep Band attendance including sickness/conflicts/absences
• Combos
• Conflict resolution/issues within Green Machine Pep Band
• Green Machine practice room (de Laski PAB A221) scheduling
• Instrument requests
• Chart suggestions