If you are a music ed. major reading this, I suggest that you not wait until your student teaching semester to find out what it's like in the real world.
Look this should be simple: figure out which band programs are successful. Contact the band director and ask if you can come out for a day to observe. Promise you won't get underfoot. Be willing to help if they want you to.
In other words...
if you're planning to do something for a living, go out and watch somebody who is good at it.
