Southern University's Human Jukebox appears in Gap's “Denim on My Own” campaign, bringing an HBCU marching band to a global-brand spotlight. The OAWB panel discusses what that national visibility can mean for bands and the marching arts.

Bowling Green State University's Falcon Marching Band reached 600 members for 2026–27, making it the nation's largest collegiate marching band. OAWB considers the energy, logistics and growing campus demand behind a band of that scale.

Barberton community donors created a fund to help cover pay-to-participate fees for school sports, marching band and color guard. OAWB discusses access, participation costs and how communities can keep fees from shutting students out.

Cody Fry's “Magic in You” collaboration with the Blue Devils brings orchestral pop, brass, percussion and DCI performers together in a new performance video. OAWB looks at the collaboration and what it can expose new audiences to.

After an EF-3 tornado disrupted the Menasha community, the marching band became a place for students to reconnect, recover, and rebuild together. The OAWB panel discusses how music programs create stability and belonging after a crisis.

McKinney High School clarified its band undergarment guidance after a parent-shared jump test raised concerns. The OAWB panel discusses student comfort, communication, and how programs can set clear, respectful uniform expectations.

USA TODAY asks whether marching band should be classified as a sport. Courtney Coffey and the OAWB panel weigh the activity’s music-education purpose, athletic demands, artistic goals and the uneven physical-training structure across programs.

A U.S. Commerce Department Section 232 process put imported brass instruments and related components under national-security review. OAWB discusses what the proposal could mean for marching-arts programs while keeping the framing clear that this is a proposal/review, not a finalized blanket tariff.