The rewards of band membership may be clear, but in tough economic times, with schools, teachers, and students facing new obligations around every corner, it is not always easy to keep a band on track. And so a question arises, one that has relevance both for teachers who want to start a band program from scratch and for veteran band directors looking to improve the ensemble they already have: What makes a marching band able to not only survive but thrive? In this article, the author discusses ways on how to start a marching band program and take the current band to a higher level. The author presents a list of things every band needs.