Who are we?

UW Concert Band Club is a club operating under the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) at the University of Waterloo. It provides an opportunity for brass, woodwind, double-reed, and percussion players to play in a band environment. The majority of its members are made up of UWaterloo undergraduate students, but is also open to graduate students, faculty, staff and members of the community. At the end of term, we hold a performance at the University of Waterloo. All guests are welcome!

Our Discord Channel

We have a discord channel we use for online social events, which you can find here.


Admission Fee?

We always welcome new musicians to our band! The first rehearsal of each term is our Open Rehearsal and is free for anyone interested to come play or learn what we are about. A termly membership fee of $15 is required on the second rehearsal of the term, and a one-time uniform fee of $18 is required for those who do not have a UWCBC uniform.


Contact Us

Please feel free to contact any member of our exec team. We will be pleased to answer any of your questions!

Our primary form of contact is our email, uwconcertbandclub@gmail.com.


Visit the WUSA website.

Section 1 - Name of the Club

The name of the club will be the UW Concert Band Club. We are not an agent or representative of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association, and our views and actions in no way represent the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA).

Section 2 - Governance

The club will uphold the values, mission, and mandate of both the University of Waterloo (UW) and WUSA through following the directives outlined in the WUSA Clubs Manual, all WUSA By-Laws, Policies, and Procedures, as well as all policies and procedures outlined by the UW Secretariat. Furthermore, the club will abide by all laws of the Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada. All club matters will ultimately be governed by the WUSA Internal Administration Committee (IAC), by virtue of the office of the WUSA Vice President Internal, via the Clubs Manager and Clubs Manager Delegate.

Section 3 - Purpose

The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty, and members of the UW community at large to rehearse, perform, and enjoy music. Club events, activities, and/or initiatives will include maintaining a concert band which will perform at least once per term for the enjoyment of the public.

Section 4 - Membership Structure

Membership is open to all members of the University of Waterloo and members of the community at large of which only UW students (graduate and undergraduate) may hold executive positions. Only UW students are eligible to vote on club decision making measures. University of Waterloo undergraduates will make up a majority of all club executive positions. Staff, faculty, and members of the community at large may hold nonvoting associate memberships and may not hold any executive positions.

Section 5 - Membership Admission and Membership Fees

Section 5.1 - Membership Fees

The membership fee is $15 paid directly to the club. The membership fee must be paid by the second-last general meeting. Under special conditions, the fee may be waived with majority approval of the Executive Members. Members may require uniforms and attire for public performances; these costs are not covered by the membership fee and will require the payment of an additional fee beyond membership. Members will be given at least one month's notification of these charges. While uniform costs do not need to be paid to attain or retain membership with the club, they may be mandatory to partake in public performances. Members electing not to pay uniform costs must inform the executive within the first month of their membership, will be provided a shirt for the duration of the concert, to be returned immediately afterwards.

Membership fees will be used and budgeted each term for:

  1. Sheet Music and Other Copyright Expenses (see Section 5.2)
  2. Rental/Purchase of Percussion Instruments (see Section 5.3)
  3. Rental Subsidies for Instruments (see Section 5.4)
  4. Administration Fees (see Section 5.5)
  5. Membership Appreciation Expenses (see Section 5.6)
  6. Other Expenses (see Section 5.7)

Section 5.2 - Sheet Music and Other Copyright Expenses

To ensure a variety of music from term to term, new sheet music can be purchased each term. Sheet music purchases are the responsibility of the Conductor(s) for the term. The Conductor(s) may only purchase sheet music that is intended to be played during the Conductor(s)'s term.

Since most concert band repertoire is not public domain, the club may use the membership fees to cover any appropriate copyright costs required to use the music.

Section 5.3 - Rental/Purchase of Percussion Instruments

Percussion instrument rentals may make up the largest expense funded by membership fees. It is a reasonable expense since concert bands percussionists are not expected to own their own instruments (due to their price and size). Also, percussion instruments are fundamental to concert bands and benefit every member and the band as a whole.

Additional funds will be budgeted for the purchase of percussion instruments, or put into savings for purchases in future terms. Purchases will be approved by a majority vote of current Executive Members on a per term basis.

Section 5.4 - Rental Subsidies for Instruments

Depending on the balance of the band for the term, the requirements of the music being played, and the costs associated with renting an instrument, the club may offer a small subsidy to partially cover the cost of the rental. The value of the rental will depend on the instrument being rented, but it will not exceed the value one month of rental of the instrument from an official company (rental subsidies will not cover Warriors Band rentals).

To apply for a rental subsidy, members must submit a request to the club. Requests may not be made before the club's first general meeting of the term. The rental subsidy request requires approval of both the Primary Conductor and the majority of the Club Executives. Requests are to be processed within term of submission. All approved requests are conditional on the applicant being an active member of the club and not missing more than two general meetings, without approval of extenuating circumstances by the Club Executives. The applicant is responsible for arranging the rental and providing the club with receipts as proof of the rental. If the approved request meets all of the necessary conditions, the subsidy will be paid out at the last general meeting of the term.

Section 5.5 - Administration Fees

There are many administrative expenses associated with running a successful band. These include, but are not limited to:

  1. Marketing and advertising expenses
  2. Information technology expenses
  3. Photocopying and printing expenses
  4. Venue rental expenses

Section 5.6 - Membership Appreciation Expenses

A portion of membership fees will be budgeted for membership appreciation activities including, but not limited to:

  1. Providing food and refreshments at concerts and socials
  2. Providing memorabilia for participation in a given term.

Section 5.7 - Other Expenses

Other expenses will be budgeted as deemed necessary by Executive Officers.

Section 5.8 - Membership Fee Refund Policy

Under no circumstances will membership fees be refunded to members.

Section 5.9 - Reimbursement Policy

To prevent the club from accumulating debt to its members, any expense incurred must be processed at latest one academic term after the term in which the cash expenditure took place.

Section 5.10 - Active Members

To be considered an active member of the band, an individual must have paid their membership fees for the term and attended at least one rehearsal. In the event that membership fees are waived for some or all members, via majority Executive vote (Section 5.1), any such member is considered an active member of the band if they have attended at least one rehearsal.

Section 6 - Executive Officers

The majority of executives will be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate). The club president will be a current UW undergraduate student. All club executives will be elected, not hired or appointed. The term of office for all executive positions is one academic term, as outlined by the UW Registrar's Office. All club decisions will be determined by executive vote, as no executive officer (not even the President) holds decision-making power for the collective. All executive members are expected to be respectful, accurately and positively represent the club, and, excepting valid circumstances, attend all rehearsals, help set up and remove equipment at each rehearsal, as well as attend executive meetings.

Section 6.1 - President

The President must:

  • Have at have held a position of Executive Officer for a full term with the UW Concert Band Club

The President is responsible for:

  • Ensuring the club follows the constitution, WUSA policies, and all applicable laws that affect the club's operations
  • Ensuring decisions are made in a manner that is democratic, fair, and open
  • Chairing and organising club meetings and agendas, in accordance with Section 8 of this constitution, while moving the club towards its goals as agreed upon by the Club Executive and the General Membership
    • For clarification, any Executive Officer may organise an Executive or General meeting and the respective agenda
  • Arranging an election for Secondary Conductor(s) of the concert band, as per Section 7.1.2, and arranging for the Primary Conductor to be trained
    • It is the responsibility of the President, together with Primary Conductor of the previous term to ensure the Primary Conductor is qualified and prepared for the position
    • In the event that all Conductor(s) will be unavailable for a rehearsal, the President shall choose a substitute Conductor or call an Executive vote to cancel the rehearsal
  • Arranging for selection of the Small Ensemble Leaders, as per Section 7.1, and arranging for the Small Ensemble Leaders to be trained as necessary.
    • It is the responsibility of the President to ensure the Small Ensemble Leaders are qualified and prepared for the position
  • Allocating the responsibility of assigning parts to the club members as part of the band
  • Communicating with WUSA so they are kept up to date with club activities when necessary (the President will be the club liaison to WUSA).
  • Providing the necessary permissions and access to the various club accounts to the Executive Officers who require access
  • Ensuring that all of the next Executive Officers are trained by the previous Executive Officer
  • Communicating with other groups as required
  • Providing summary of termly activities to members by the end of the term.
  • Ensuring that the next president is trained

Section 6.2 - VP of Administration

The VP of Administration ensures that:

  • All decisions and directives as made by Executive Officers are maintained, distributed and accessible to all the members.
  • Meeting minutes are taken at all meeting and are distributed to Executive Officers and voting members within 24 hours of any executive and general meeting
  • All forms and bookings, except Cheque Request Forms, are dealt with appropriately.
  • The duties of the President are undertaken in their absence
  • Club documents are maintained and made accessible to all Club Executives
  • Attendance is taken each rehearsal
  • The list of active members for the term is accurate
  • The next VP of Administration is trained

Section 6.3 - VP of Finance

The VP of Finance ensures that:

  • The club account with the Federation of Students is maintained and that all financial transactions are completed properly as per Federation of Students regulation.
  • All membership fees are paid before the last general meeting and reminders are provided to members whose fees are outstanding
  • A budget is made each term, as per the constitution, that includes all expenses and cash expenditures made during the term (Section 5).
  • All expenses are documented
  • Rental subsidies are recorded in club documents and members are reimbursed as per constitution (Section 5)
  • Financial summary is provided to members at the end of each term
  • The next VP of Finance is trained.

Section 6.4 - VP of Marketing

The VP of Marketing ensures that:

  • Posters, advertisement and marketing plans are made for each event (as deemed necessary by the Executive Officers), and that all advertising is in accordance with policies set out by WUSA
  • All marketing plans are executed.
  • Communications channels are maintained, monitored, and updated regularly with club news and events (including the website and social media).
  • Communications with current members and potential members are maintained
  • The Webmaster's duties are performed.
  • The next VP of Marketing is trained.

Section 6.5 - VP of Operations

The VP of Operations ensures that:

  • All club events, including the performances, are planned and organised
  • Purchases and rents equipment as per directives approved by the Club Executive
  • Corresponds with other clubs and organisations to plan events
  • Club storage facilities are maintained and inventoried once per term
  • The next VP of Operations is trained.

Section 7 - Other Special Positions

Section 7.1 - Conductor

The Conductor(s) is/are responsible for selecting music, leading the band, and ensuring that rehearsals are run smoothly. There are two types of Conductors, Primary Conductor or Secondary Conductor, each with distinct roles, responsibilities, and requirements, as laid out in Sections 7.1.1 and 7.1.2. In any term, there may be a maximum of three Conductors, and exactly one Primary Conductor. The term of office of any conductor is one term.

Section 7.1.1 - Primary Conductor

The purpose of the Primary Conductor is to select music, lead the band in rehearsals, and guide the band's general artistic direction for the term.

The Primary Conductor has the following responsibilities:

  • Selecting and acquiring sheet music for the pieces that they will conduct (Section 5.2)
  • Conducting the band in rehearsing and performing said pieces
  • Overseeing and approving the Secondary Conductor(s)'s sheet music selection
  • Overseeing and training the Secondary Conductor(s)
  • Conducting the Secondary Conductor(s)'s pieces in their absence
  • Approving or rejecting requests for rental subsidies (Section 5.4)

The Primary Conductor must:

  • have served at least one term as Secondary Conductor, unless no such candidate exists or is willing to serve as Primary Conductor

The Primary Conductor is selected through a general election, held concurrently with the executive elections for that term.

The Primary Conductor must conduct at least half of the music, as measured either in number of pieces or performance time.

Section 7.1.2 - Secondary Conductor

The purpose of the position of Secondary Conductor is to identify and train future candidates for the position of Primary Conductor, as well as to provide an opportunity to conduct for those with an interest in doing so.

A Secondary Conductor has the following responsibilities:

  • Selecting and acquiring sheet music for the pieces that they will conduct
  • Conducting the band in rehearsing and performing said pieces

A Secondary Conductor must:

  • have been trained and assessed by a current or previous Primary Conductor
  • have been a member of the band prior to their candidacy

To be eligible to vote for the Secondary Conductor(s), one must be an Executive Officer and/or the Primary Conductor, and not a candidate for Secondary Conductor. The Secondary Conductor(s) are elected from a pool of self-nominated candidates, as well as candidates for Primary Conductor who were not elected. The voters shall decide, by majority vote, whether to elect one or two Secondary Conductors. To elect one Secondary Conductor, each voter shall cast a vote for one candidate; to elect two Secondary Conductors, each voter shall cast a vote for two candidates. The winner(s) of the vote shall be the candidate(s) with the most votes. In the event of a tie, the Primary Conductor will be the tiebreaking vote. The selection should consider the candidates' term, experience, skill, and any other criteria that the executive and Primary Conductor may deem relevant.

Section 7.2 - Small Ensemble Leaders

Each small ensemble that will be run by the club will require a Small Ensemble Leader, each one selected by the majority of the Club Executive. The term of office is one term. Each Small Ensemble Leader must meet the following requirements:

  • The Small Ensemble Leader must have been a member of the club for one full term
  • The Small Ensemble Leader is a member of the respective small ensemble

The position of Small Ensemble Leader has the following responsibilities:

  • Selecting, locating, and purchasing sheet music for the term (Section 5.2)
    • Any Small Ensemble Leader that wishes to access club funds must have the purchase approved by the Club Executive
  • Leads the small ensemble
  • Organizes events and performances (other than those organised by the concert band) for the small ensemble

Section 7.3 - Webmaster

The Webmaster ensures that:

  • Accurate and up-to-date information surrounding rehearsals is displayed on the website
  • The website is updated as requested by the Executive Officers
  • All technical issues that arise with the website are rectified in a timely manner

Section 8 - Meetings

Section 8.1 - Rehearsals and General Meetings

The UW Concert Band Club will hold weekly rehearsals. The time and day of the rehearsals will be determined by the Club Executive based on bookings of rehearsal space. Time and day of rehearsals will be communicated through e-mail and social media to its members. Notification of the rehearsals will be given a minimum of two weeks prior to the rehearsal. Notification of all other events will be given a minimum of one week prior to the event.

The first rehearsal of each term will be a general information meeting for new and old members. Subsequent rehearsals will operate as normal concert band rehearsals.

The Quorum for rehearsals and general meetings will be 15 people or 20% of current active members, whichever is more.

All Club Executives are expected to assist in set-up activities.

Section 8.2 - Executive Officer Meetings

The UW Concert Band Club will hold biweekly executive officer meetings. The time and day of meetings will be determined by the President who will be in charge of meeting agenda and meeting conduct.

Meeting times and dates will be forwarded to members via email. Notification must be given at least 4 days before the meeting.

Quorum will be 3 people for executive officer meetings or 51% of executive members, whichever is more.

The President must send out a meeting agenda 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. The VP of Administration will take minutes for the meeting and must distribute minutes by 24 hours after the meeting has taken place. If the President and the VP of Administration are not available at the meeting time, other members of the Executive Committee will be chosen to take over their roles.

Section 8.3 - Emergency Meetings

An emergency meeting can be called by any executive via a email that must be sent at least 48 hours prior to the meeting time.

Section 8.4 - Small Ensemble Meetings

Small Ensemble meetings and rehearsals will be conducted by the Small Ensemble Leader. The VP of Administration is responsible for booking these rehearsals. Notification of rehearsals must be given at least 1 week in advance. Notification of other events (such as performances) must be given at least 4 days in advance.

Section 9 - Election Process

Executive elections will take place at the end of each term for the following term. Only University of Waterloo students may run for an Executive Officer position, and the majority of the Executive Officers must be undergraduate students. To be eligible to vote in the UW Concert Band Club elections, a person must be a University of Waterloo student, an active member of the club in one of the past two terms (for example, for the Winter 2023 elections, the past two terms are Spring 2022 and Fall 2022), and must not have any outstanding debts with the club. A current Executive Officer that does not plan on running will be in charge of the process. In the event that all current Executive Officers are running for re-election, a self-nominated active member of the band shall be the Elections Officer. In the event that no such member exists, the current President shall be the Elections Officer. There will be a one week period in which applications may be submitted. The process will be announced through the club's various communication channels, including e-mail. One may apply for multiple positions; in the event, they win both, they will choose which position they want. After all applications have been collected, members will have one week to submit their votes. The winner of the vote will be the person with the most votes. In the event of a tie, a re-vote will take place until the tie is broken. The term of office is one term. Results will be declared as soon as they are available.

Section 10 - Impeachment/Disciplinary Process

A movement to impeach an executive officer may be made by any Executive Officer or by a petition of at least five voting members.

When the motion is made, the Clubs Director will be informed. A general meeting will be called as soon as is reasonably possible. If the initiators of the movement feel a general meeting to be an inappropriate avenue for the impeachment meeting, then a motion can be to IAC via the Clubs Manager to request the impeachment meeting be changed to an executive meeting. No club funds will be spent until the issue is resolved.

At the impeachment meeting, the person or persons that initiated the process will state their case. Afterwards, the officer under impeachment will have an opportunity to reply. There will be a question period after which a vote will be taken by a CRO designated by an executive member who is neither initiator nor subject of the impeachment. If there is no such officer, any club member may volunteer. If there are multiple volunteers, then the CRO will be selected based on a simple majority vote cast by secret ballot and tallied publicly by the chairperson of the meeting. If there is no such volunteer for CRO, then the meeting will be at a standstill until either an eligible executive officer or voting member volunteers.

The vote will be by yes/no secret ballot. If at least two-thirds of the votes are for impeachment, the officer will immediately be stripped of their position. The remaining executive may choose to call an immediate by-election to replace that officer.

Section 11 - Conflict of Interest

A claim against any executive officer or club member regarding a potential conflict of interest can be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. If such a claim arises, then said individual(s) under suspicion have the opportunity to remove them self (or themselves) from said potential conflict without acknowledging intention of wrongdoing. In the event the claim is contested, then the Clubs Manager will be informed and an emergency executive meeting will be called to determine the validity of the claim. Executive officers who have a claim against them cannot vote to determine the validity of said claim. If an executive quorum is not possible due to the removal of said vote(s), then an emergency general meeting will be called and the same proceedings described for impeachment will be used to determine the validity of the claim.

If the claim is validated and there is suspicion of intentional wrongdoing, an immediate impeachment proceeding may be called by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members, of whom are not named in the claim. If it is determined that a club member is involved in intentional wrongdoing, the impeachment proceeding will be called to determine said member's club status.

Section 12 - Amendments

Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. The amendment will then be voted on by referendum. The voting procedure will be the same as for the impeachment process. If the vote passes, the amendment and the vote will be forwarded to the Clubs Manager for final approval from IAC. If IAC approves, then the constitution will be amended and any changes will be inserted into the constitution.

A motion to officially close the club will follow the same procedure as a constitutional amendment. If such a motion passes, then the club will be purged from the club's system.

Section 13 - Affiliations

No organisation(s) is/are currently affiliated with this club. Any additional affiliations will be added via the amendment process, pending final IAC approval. If approved, the new affiliation will be added to the Affiliation section and a letter confirming the affiliation from the affiliate will be included following the Affiliation section.

Rental Subsidies Form

We recognize that having a musical instrument can be costly to rent over time! For this reason we offer rental subsidies UP TO one month's rent for instruments rented from a store. This does not include Warriors Band Rentals and the actual amount depends on the cost of the instrument. Fill out this form and we will talk to you about how to get the subsidy.

Feedback Form

We want to constantly improve our band and experiences of our band members. If you have any suggestions or comments that would be constructive, we are more than happy to hear from you!

Fill out the following form if you have any feedback for the execs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to audition to join the UW Concert Band Club?

No! Our music is usually centered around grade 3 difficulty, but it's usually possible for even new instrument players to play the simpler parts in this music. Most of our members have played their instrument through high school.

Do I need my own instrument?

Yes - with the exception of percussion, our band does not own any instruments so you will need to purchase or rent your own. You may be able to rent from warriors band (see below) and we offer rental subsidies if you rent from elsewhere (see the Rental Subsidies section above)

I missed the first/second rehearsal. Can I still join the Band?

Yes! Just show up to the next rehearsal (usually the same time as the first rehearsal) and be ready to play! You may need to email the club to ask for sheet music.

I already joined the band, but I need to miss a rehearsal. Do I need to notify the band?

No, but if you're playing a relatively important instrument (solo, rare instruments like bassoon), then you might want to let the conductor know so that they can plan for that rehearsal.

What about small ensembles?

Every term, there is usually a small ensemble that runs and plays along with the main band at our end-of-term concert. Ask an exec to see if one's running this term, or if you'd like to start one! Note that all the members of the ensemble need to be part of the band.

What if I play a string instrument?

With the exception of String Bass, concert bands don't typically have parts for string instruments - you may want to check out some of the other groups, such as the orchestra, below.

What other musical ensembles are there at UW?

Below are links to active (F'19 update) instrumental groups on campus:
  • UW Concert Band Club is a concert band like you had in high school, playing modern & more traditional concert band pieces. They (We) rehearse once a week and perform at the end of term. Takes wind instruments & percussion.
  • UW Warriors Band is UW's "official student-run pep band", playing relatively simple music and willing to take on absolutely anyone & everyone regardless of ability or experience. They perform regularly at sports games & practice once a week. Takes anyone enthusiastic to try or play an instrument.
  • With Respect to Time is a jazz band sponsored by UW's Engineering Society (but everyone is welcome). They rehearse 1-2 times a week and perform regularly at various events throughout the term. Takes vocalists and instrumentalists willing to play jazz.
  • Animusic Ensembles is a group playing a variety of anime & video game soundtracks, arranged each term for whoever shows up that term. They rehearse once a week and perform at the end of term. Takes all instruments and vocalists.
  • The UW Symphony Orchestra operates under the UW Music Department. They are an auditioned group who take students from all faculties. The orchestra can be joined as a credit course or as an extra-curricular activity. Takes strings & wind instruments.
Not an instrumentalist but somehow found our page anyway? Here are the singing groups around campus:
  • UW A Capella has many sub-ensembles: one un-auditioned, and multiple auditioned ensembles. They rehearse 1-2 times and week and each have 2 End-of-Term concerts as well as various other performance opportunities throughout the term. A Capella performs entirely with their own bodies!
  • UW Cabaret is a musical theatre group who put on a show once a term.
Finally, the UW music department houses a number of groups including a jazz ensemble, instrumental chamber ensembles, a Balinese gamelan ensemble, as well as 3 choirs. All the groups can be joined for credit or for fun. Specifics change depending on the term, we recommend checking the link for most updated details, since they don't have their own pages. Their list of ensembles is available and includes all current music department ensembles as well as a number listed above. Good luck finding your group, and we hope to see you at rehearsal!