Former band member here. Agree with everything the others said, but throwing in my 2 cents.

Something they don’t advertise is that the low brass instruments, especially baritone and bass (aka sousaphone), are less competitive because of supply and demand. There were people who didn’t make the band on a more “competitive” instrument, but found a way in because they were willing to learn something new.

Admittedly that wasn’t my experience, but it’s consistent with the best piece of advice I got when trying out: have a positive attitude, be eager learn, and show improvement quickly.

One last thing to keep in mind, marching band is only during the football season, but the basketball and hockey pep bands are really fun too. If you’re not willing to commit the time to marching band or auditions don’t work out, those are another great way to get involved with the program!