Marching Band Controversy

Many students have the opportunity to work in teams whether it’s a sport or a club that partakes in competitions. For me, that activity is marching band. Although marching band isn’t a sport, it’s similar in the team aspect, except we can have 150 or more other team members. Working in such a large group can be very overwhelming and time consuming. The season starts in late June and can go on well into the months of November or December. The overall objective of our band is to put on the best show possible. With each year, the hardest obstacle is training the rookies. They have to be just as disciplined and have the same conditioning as the older members to be able to carry out the drill. As one of the older members, it’s our job to guide them

Marching band a sport? Many people would say that is a crazy idea while others may understand it completely. Marching band is playing a musical instrument while marching a certain way to a tempo. Marching band is a form of entertainment that competes at competitions against other marching bands. Myself, knowing what marching band is and how it works from personal experience, marching band should be considered a sport.

The atmosphere of Schoenfeld Campus Gym had been electrifying Thursday afternoon. The Fall Homecoming Pep Rally included numerous activities for Concordia’s sports team to partake in. For example, one “challenge” involved a member of the sports team getting wrapped up in toilet paper, under the pressure of a time clock. When time ran out, whichever individual was wrapped in the most toilet paper (or looked the most like they had just emerged from an Egyptian pyramid) won that game. The CCNY Pep Rally acted as an opportunity for the rest of the student body to become familiar with our famed athletic program, and to mingle with this elite status of the student. The audience also joined in the fun and games. Dr. Leach flung specially made Pep Rally shirts into the bleachers, which made for a good laugh. I think it’s also important to note my lack of awareness of our gym’s bleachers until this afternoon!

What is the real definition of insanity? Merriam Webster’s definition is “severe mental illness : the condition of being insane.” Albert Einstein’s definition is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And my definition is “running the same set over and over again expecting the freshmen to hit their set.” Unfortunately, this is a daily occurrence for members of a marching band, who spend countless hours walking from one side of a field to another just so that they can perform at a game while the audience is at the concessions. This illusion of importance gives most bands an egotistical view of themselves and an unjustified self confidence. They build themselves up with dreams of making

When you think of sports, marching band is not necessarily something that comes to mind but should definitely be included in the category of a sport. First, marching band fits the definition of a sport by being physically exerting and requiring skill. A marching band not only consists of band members that play instruments, but also include the color guard. The color guard is a section of the band that does not play an instrument but uses props, flags or other items to enhance the visual appeal of the performance. Most times they can do as much, if not more, work than the members that play instruments. Second, playing in a marching band requires a lot of skill. Band members must march in time while playing music from memory and traveling to different points on the field at designated times. The definition of a sport includes activities that can be played by an individual or a team. Marching band is a group effort but requires an individual band member to perform to the best of their ability. Without each member fulfilling their part, a marching band’s performance

Because of his outstanding ability to motivate us, the quality of our music and marching drills rapidly improved. As a result, we were awarded superior ratings and best in class awards during our Fall competition season. My service as band president has taught me the value of a good work ethic, the strength to go the extra mile, commitment, and selflessness. I will carry these lessons with me to college next year and eventually to my chosen career as a Graphic Designer. In an interview with a local news station about our band’s fundraising drive to purchase new uniforms, I said, “It’s a new era for the Ardmore Tiger Marching Band.” I’m so thankful to have had a hand in such a significant

Even before I had my first day of school at McGavock high school I had already been going to practices for the marching band. I had just been a freshman when I joined, and I had not known about the long legacy that

There is a great debate on whether marching band is a sport or not. In marching band the performers have to get a physical. Also there are competitions for marching. Another thing is that most people think that only nerds are in marching band, but most people don’t know that the people in marching band are actually using more energy than the football team. Marching band is a sport because of the Physical exertion, the mental fitness, and the time it takes to practice.

To the average person, the high school marching band is nothing more than a bunch of geeks that play during half time at the football games or monopolize the benches by the band hall, but to me, it is so much more. To me it is a family, a safe haven, a creative outlet, a home. I have been involved in marching band for three years, going on four, and I wouldn 't trade the experience for anything. When I entered high school as a scared and awkward freshman, I immediately had three hundred people that I could rely on. The program quickly became like a second home to me and opened up a whole new path in my life. Playing percussion took on a whole new definition in my eyes and I gained not only a greater respect for music, but for the people that created it and managed it and loved it like no other. Through my high

At the end of junior year, a majority of the upperclassmen band members send in applications to become the next leaders of the band during marching season. These leaders are the role models that, as an upcoming senior, I intended to join. I couldn’t understand how I couldn’t get it. I spent hours after performances unloading supplies. I had perfect attendance for every afterschool practice since freshmen year and always turned everything in on time. Even when it was off season I was helping in every way I could like volunteering for band camps that taught little kids how to play the french horn. There was not a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t get it. With that, I turned in my application as soon as I could. The list of leaders was posted the next week and I could hardly wait. I remember when he put it up, as I was waiting there and was one of the firsts to

I stood seven steps from the start line, hands sweaty and lips trembling. It seemed as if at any moment I would break the position of attention: feet at a forty-five degree angle, knees slightly bent, chin just above the horizon, and shoulders up, back, and down. Though I always dreamed of representing the Benicia High School Panther Band as their drum major, the lone figure in front of the block of blue and gold wearing a white British uniform and a brown bearskin hat, it never occurred to me that I was finally there. There was no way I could not be nervous; it was the last marching practice before my first competition in my career. Nevertheless, there was no escape.

“Ting, tong, tong, tong, ting, tong, tong, tong,” the doctor beat echos through the bitter cold October air in the early hours of a Saturday morning. It’s marching season. Band kids across northern Indiana are hard at work perfecting their show for competition that has yet to come in the afternoon. The past three months have been used to learn and fine tune their show to it 's best. Long hours of hard work, sweat, tears, dedication, time, love, and much more is put into a band program and what comes out of it is a strong group of individuals who have the ability to do great things in life. Lessons that you learn during the course of your marching band career will stay with you for the

The community group I visited was Beaches Unity Group, which was located at 322 Penman Road. This was an Alcoholics Anonymous group that provided open discussion for people who were both struggling with alcohol abuse, as well as addiction. It gave the participants an opportunity to introduce themselves, and tell their background story. There where also opportunities to offer advice to the other members. I decided to sit in an AA group because there is history of alcoholism in my family, and so I was curious to hear the stories of other people, and how they are coping with their disorder. I chose this particular group because it was an open meeting and they welcomed anyone. The man running the group, was a member himself, and was very welcoming.

Marching Band is rapidly becoming a sport. Some people believe that marching band is not a sport while some believe it is. Marching band falls under the sports category, according to the Oxford dictionary Marching band is a sport, because a sport is something involving physical exertion where people can compete against others.

It's hard to stay optimistic in a Challenge, sometimes you want to give up and quit. But in the end you have to stay with it. Whether it be getting a new job, starting college, learning to drive, working in a group you don't want to be in ,and even playing a new instrument. You have to try your hardest to stay together and keep going for your friends, family, and for yourself. One of the hardest challenges for me was switching instruments the end of the eighth grade year for the marching band that next fall.