The SVC Band Program welcomes students of all majors and backgrounds. Students who participate in band at Saint Vincent forge lasting friendships, hone performance skills, and provide service to the college and community.
Students can join any number of on-campus ensembles including the Saint Vincent College Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Bearcat Pep Band.
Any student with previous band experience is automatically accepted into the SVC Band Program.
Opportunities are available for woodwinds, brass, percussion, drumline, front ensemble, rhythm section, color guard, and majorettes.
• Marching Band (fall): Two (2) two-hour rehearsals per week plus alternating Saturday performances
• Concert Band: One (1) two-hour rehearsal per week
• Jazz Ensemble: One (1) two-hour rehearsal per week
• Pep Band (spring): One (1) half-hour rehearsal per week plus home basketball games
Incoming and prospective students can apply for a $500-$1,000 Marching Band Scholarship. These awards renew automatically each year for participating in the SVC Marching Band and Pep Band. Open to all winds, percussion, and auxiliary performers.
Students in the Marching Band arrive to campus one week before fall classes. Band camp does not conflict with freshman orientation.
There are no fees for participating in band, and marching instruments are provided. Students in the Marching Band do not pay for meals or housing during band camp.
Join the Saint Vincent College Marching Band and be a part of one of the largest performance ensembles on campus. What started in 1995 as a small pep band has now developed into a full marching band program and an integral part of the Saint
Vincent Community.
Throughout the years, the band has been involved in a variety of performance opportunities including band festivals at local high schools, parades in neighboring communities, and multiple preseason games for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Membership is open to woodwinds, brass, drumline, front ensemble, color guard, and majorettes.
Course #: MU 172
Semester: fall and spring
The Concert Band is open to all woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Members perform traditional and contemporary band music throughout the year. Placement auditions are held in September, and select instruments can be borrowed on request.
Course #: MU 175
Semester: fall and spring
The Jazz Ensemble is open to saxophones, trumpets, trombones, guitar, piano, bass, and drum set. No prior jazz experience is required. Members learn jazz interpretation and improvisation skills and perform music from the American and Latin American jazz idioms. Placement auditions are held in September, and select instruments can be borrowed on request.
Semester: spring
During the spring, the Bearcat Pep Band supports the Athletic Department and
performs at home men’s and women’s basketball games. Membership includes all Marching Band members plus any interested winds, percussion, color guard and majorettes.
Perform as an auxiliary member of the Saint Vincent College Marching Band!
The Color Guard performs choreographed routines using flags and rifles to interpret and enhance the music of the band. Membership is open to any student with previous color guard experience or an interest in dance or the visual performing arts. Previous experience is not required.
The Majorettes perform choreographed baton twirling routines alongside the
instrumentalists and color guard. Saint Vincent’s majorettes are the focal point of the band’s halftime shows and parades. Membership is open to any student with previous twirling experience.
Computer Science Major @ Saint Vincent College
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
My time in the band has given me the courage to step out of my shell and be more extroverted. It encouraged me to take leadership positions within my academics and take speaking positions in my jobs and internships. One of my biggest strengths is my written and spoken communication, and that is not something that anyone would have said to me before I came here.
Biology Major @ Saint Vincent College
Hometown: Hyattsville, MD
The marching band has really affected my college experience. As someone who came from a minority high school that had just started, we did not have a marching band or a band in general. I went from middle school playing the clarinet for six years to not playing at all. When I got to Saint Vincent, the band was very open and very willing to accept me. I was able to learn and grow from that experience, and ultimately I became the drum major.
Mathematics Major @ Saint Vincent College
Hometown: Columbia, PA
A big reason why band is important to me is that it gave me something to do outside of my classwork, both in high school and here at Saint Vincent. It also gave me a group to connect with and some of the best friends I’ve ever had.The leadership experience I gained while being in the marching band helped me by giving me more confidence and better communication skills, something that I use every day in my career.
Nursing Major @ Saint Vincent College
Hometown: Plum, PA
I came to Saint Vincent College because they had a marching band along with my major, nursing, and that was kind of hard to find. Marching band is important to me because it lets me relax after a full day of studies. Being in nursing, it’s really hard to balance a work and school life, and marching band made it easy for me.
Email bands@stvincent.edu for more information or to get started.
Follow the band on social media:
SVC Bands Facebook: facebook.com/svcbands
Marching Band Instagram: instagram.com/svcmarchingband