A concert band consists of three types of instruments. Woodwinds include flutes, clarinets, oboes, and saxophones. Brass instruments include trumpets, trombones, tubas, French horns, and sousaphones. Percussion instruments include many different kinds of drums, such as snare drums and kettledrums. They also include instruments played by striking them with mallets, such as xylophones and marimbas.

These musicians start practicing outdoors in late summer, when it may be very hot. They perform every week in fall when it may become very cold. Sometimes they compete with the marching bands of other schools.