20 Ways to know if your in a marching band: You know you're in a Marching Band when...
1.) You spend time in the band room practicing your music as fast as possible.
2.) You have a band shirt for each day of the week.
3.) All of your friends are music students.
4.) You walk down the hall in step with the person next to you, whether or not you know them.
5.) You conduct to everything on the radio.
6.) Your favorite song is by someone who died 100 years ago.
7.) You lettered in band... four times!
8.) You go to the movies to see the 30 second marching band scene.
9.) You eat lunch in the band room.
10.) You KNOW that marching band is a sport.
11.) You roll step down the halls... around your house... on the way home... etc.
12.) You are friends with the freshmen.
13.) You know all the cheerleaders' cheers.
14.) Your only social activity is the marching band.
15.) When you graduate, you don't really leave.
16.) The local music store knows you by name.
17.) You get upset while driving because your turn signal is not in time with the radio.
18.) You can relate to the term, "One time at band camp..."
19.) You sit in class, fingering your music on your pencil.
20.) You gladly wear a shirt that shows off how much of a Marching Band Student you are.
24 ways to know if you've been in marching band too long:
1.) You actually like marching band and would kill to do it all year long.
2.) The drummers start making sense to you.
3.) You have to stay in step with people around you while walking.
4.) You direct the songs on the radio.
5.) Playing "stare down" with the drum major is no fun anymore.
6.) You wonder what life would be like if you weren't in the band.
7.) You roll step while you walk to class.
8.) You practice your marching music on a daily basis.
9.) You think "Louie Louie" is the best song ever written.
10.) You major in music and use your high school band director as a role model.
11.) Those stupid "band humor" jokes are the funniest things you ever heard.
12.) You pick out instruments from the music in cartoons.
13.) You start screaming "LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!" to people that walk in front of you on the way to class.
14.) Drummers start making sense to you.
15.) You've dated everyone in the band and now wonder if you're ever gonna have another date.
16.) You think that trumpeters have a right to be egotistical.
17.) You don't think flutiest have a slight attitude problem.
18.) You change your instrument to the tuba.
19.) You have perfect pitch.
20.) The band director is always right.
21.) You marry that special someone in your section.
22.) You have kids and force them to be in music.
23.) Drummers make lots of sense to you.
24) You can relate to more than a fourth of these things!
So do you recall in one of my earliest
post when I mentioned marching band as something that students may possibly lack commitment? Well, that is a prime example of something I call "Marching Band Drama". And that's what I'm gonna talk about today. And the only thing I'm gonna do is "attack" the individual sections that make up the marching band. Now before you go off barking about what's right and what's wrong, bare in mind that this is MY opinion based off the band program I took part in.
1.) Woodwinds; Flutes: Mostly consists of girls/young women (and dare I say mostly cute ones). But they're usually the least heard (in a musical sense) and usually the source of the drama, because let's face it: it' mostly women (and a little bit of an attitude problem).
2.) Woodwinds; Clarinets: Usually equal amongst the guys and the gals. Can be heard a little more than a Flute, but no by much. Not much else to say about them...
3.) Woodwinds; Saxophones: Like the Clarinets, there's equality amongst the sexes. They're usually the coolest woodwind section known to man and can occasionally induce some drama...
4.) Brass; Low Brass (Trombone, Baritone/Euphonium, & Tuba/Sousaphone): They're the main reason why you can't hear most of the woodwinds. Can be a bit obnoxious (and LOUD!) and may induce some of the drama. Division line present between the Tuba and the Trombones...
5.) Brass; High Brass (Trumpet & Mellophone/French Horn): Like the low brass, they're the main reason why you can't hear the majority of the woodwinds. All I can say is that you'll hear this section A LOT!!!
6.) Percussion/Rhythm; The Drumline (Snare Drum, Tenor Drums, & Bass Drums): The percussion section that's always on the move. They're the percussion group that you'll hear A LOT. Usually stereotyped as "the biggest jerks" in the band. They'll induce a good portion of the drama.
7.) Percussion/Rhythm; The Front Ensemble (a.k.a. the Pit): The percussion section that just stays put. Usually consists of members of the band that may play other instruments or people that just doesn't wanna march. Usually induces drama amongst itself due to members from another section in "regular band".
8.) Visuals; The Color Guard: Most of the time it consists of girls/young women. They twirl flags and other things and dance around the field. They're up there with the Flutes in the amount of drama induced. Mainly because they're the most stuck-up people in the entire band. Especially the ones that think they're pretty when they're not!
9.) Leadership; Section Leaders/The Drum Major(s): Now we all know that these select group individuals are the ones that set the bar for everybody else. They can go either way, depending on how good they are about commitment. Now if they're "corrupt", then that just opens a new set of doors to how chaotic a season will get.
10.) Leadership; The Director/Staff: It all depends on what kind of mood they're in because they're the "grown-ups". They'll usually breathe down on your necks if you're not careful.
Other general things:
When a guy and a girl goes into a relationship, rumors start flying around and followed by more drama amongst friends, siblings, etc.
In conclusion, marching bands have just as much drama as the next sport. It is an activity that can take a dramatic turn and should only be for the people that have the guts to do it and are willing to put forth the commitments of time.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, comments, or hate mail, drop me a line in the comments section, because I love being controversial!
