A Taste of Marching Band

Imagine yourself in a constricting, uncomfortable uniform. The shoes pinch your toes just a little. The pants are itchy. The jacket doesn’t allow much movement, and the collar keeps your neck straight. The hat makes you sweat, and the chin strap is chokingly tight. You are in the band. You play an instrument. You’ve memorized four songs for the half time show. You’ve memorized numerous charts of where to move on the field. You hold your instrument in the attention position, standing straight and tall, not moving.

Now imagine you are standing on the track surrounding the football field. You are in lines, waiting for the whistle to let you start marching onto the field. You look up into the stands and see over 2,000 people in the stands. They’re all watching you, waiting for you to start the show. The drum major blows the whistle and you march onto the field. You roll your feet, making sure the top half of your body isn’t moving but gliding to your spot. You stop and wait again. The drum majors salute the crowd and stand up on their podiums. You move your eyes so you can see their white hands against the background of the crowd. The hands move and the show begins.

You step off and begin marching. Then your part comes and you play your notes. Slowly the crowd begins to disappear. There’s only the band. The drum line is playing, locking in with the drum majors. The pit up front is listening so they play at the right time. The band is magnificent. Everyone is rolling their feet, playing their part, watching the drum majors. All the forms on the field lock into place. Everyone plays the right note. The band is balanced, every instrument playing at exactly the right volume. The first song ends, and the next song begins. The soloists play beautifully. You can almost feel their passion through their music. They stop playing and the rest of the band plays. The last note echoes in the stadium, giving you chills. The next song starts out strong and fast, the drum line playing in perfect time with the pit. The band joins in, adding to the energy emanating from the field. The fourth song is performed without a problem, everyone making every entrance at the right time. You are so focused on the performance you don’t see the crowd until it’s over. You put your instrument down and take deep breaths. The crowd is ecstatic. They give you a standing ovation. You march off the field feeling proud of yourself.

Now bring yourself back to the present. That was a taste of what marching band can be like.