Marching Band Research Paper

Congratulations to the students in 7th and 8th grade who spent a whole weekend at UMKC for the UMKC Honor Band and Orchestra. These students were nominated by their peers and teachers and selected by the UMKC staff. The nominees had to perform a solo piece to audition for seating. There were more than 25 other local middle schools participating in this festival, and Prairie Star did quite well with a whopping 13 students accepted to the festival.

It was a misty day on the way to contest. What seemed like an average day for the Davis Marching band would turn into a spoopy tragedy. Almost all quiet, upon the band bus that early morning. Not an instrument was tuning, not even Issac was listening to music. (As he usually was) Meanwhile, those in the back laughed and chatted all the way to the Marching contest at ECU, while others kept to themselves with music or low conversations. Then all of a sudden on their ride, the bus was filled with screams of the name “MATT!” in the of a Broken Bow bus; which had the memorable Matt inside. Though all the other Broken Bowians were in confusion, Matt was in utter joy while smiling at Ben.

I started playing the marching baritone my freshman year of high school and it has been the symbol for a lot of the change that has happened since. I’d played the trombone all through middle school and switching to the baritone meant I almost had to relearn a new instrument. It was heavy, awkward, and I was the only girl who played it, so I almost felt like I wanted to prove myself in a way. But along with the baritone came the whole concept of the marching band and all of the commitments that came with it. Everyone was so outgoing and social that it almost became stressful for me. I was known for my shyness and always being quiet around people, so an environment like that was not exactly my preferred place to be. But, I soon found that it

When I joined marching band in my freshman year of high school, I felt nervous and reluctant about joining because I questioned my abilities. However, I decided to commit myself to it so that I would know if it was something meant for me to pursue in the future. On the first day, I was overwhelmed with the many people who I did not recognize, and I started to feel as if I should never have come. Things began to change for me when I met an upperclassman named Sophie, who was my flute section leader. She was kind to everyone and did not get upset if anyone made a mistake in the music or marching technique, but rather, she gave constructive criticism. Sophie was an amazing leader and musician, and she was, and still is, a role model to me. Without

They showed great dynamics and balance. I felt that the dancer’s (The Golden Stars) piece was short and rushed. Their piece and routine didn’t even last a full minute (5:16-6:07). Now; I’m not of fan of vocals being featured in Marching Band performances unless it is done correctly. In order for performances like these to sound good, the band needs to have enough balance, dynamics, and technique while still giving just enough volume where you can still hear the vocalist. I will give Miles credit; they sounded fabulous, music wise. The technique was there, the dynamics were there (instrument wise), and the balance was there. The ballad “Stand” by Donnie McClurkin sounded amazing. However, I felt that there were times you couldn’t really hear the vocalist as he sung, but it did get a little better towards the end. I also appreciated the nice woodwind parts towards the end of the ballad. Miles College Purple Marching Machine did a really good job and was one of the most consistent bands on the

Marching band is a great activity. I have fun while performing in the Alabama Christian Academy Marching Band. I work hard for an amazing goal. Marching band is a place I can feel accepted.

I was the only one who was fearful for what was about to happen because the humiliation of being unprepared to perform in front of the whole school left me with a sense of angst. Color guard was just called up to perform and as the music started, cheers were ringing through the gym. Everyone seemed excited for the performance, yet I remember everything going in slow motion: students yelling, teachers clapping, and yet my girls looked clueless. This was the moment I was dreading since before the school year started.

It began during my 8th grade year, I started to play in the marching band for the football games and parades. Percussion was my cup of tea because I know that I could nail it by reading and memorizing the music more often. It took me days to memorize my music for the half-time performances, especially for the parades. Meanwhile at the football field for the first time ever, I begin to think that maybe it did not turn out to be bad after all. For the rest of the football season during half-time, I finally got the hang of it. Marching fundamentals was quite a bit confusing. So that took me weeks to figure out remembering the fundamentals before the half-time performance. Back then, I heard a person who was cheering on for me and it just made

Well then after that September,5 came around the corner which was Blue Springs Golden Regiment and we got there and we ate breakfast then we suited up and we marched part 1 and part 2 of the show we got done marching and we waited for finals to be called we unfortunately didn’t make finals but we all laughed and then after they said finals we went and ate dinner and Me,Tony,Michael,Holly were amigos during the marching season so we were always together and joking around well after we ate dinner we went and walked around we Michael and Tony are in drumline so they had to help pick up after dinner well Mr.Kuhlman wasn’t happy when he found out they went and walked around instead of helping drumline he called them to go and help and Michael said okay and Tony said hey Kuhlman can these woodwinds help and Kuhlman asked us did we I said No and so did Holly we got back to north and we all went home and went to bed .Well our invitational had come around the corner and well me, Tony, Michael, Holly, Brianna, Austin, Camarie and Rachel met at starbucks that morning at 8:00 because we had to be at North to help set up stuff at 8:30 as we were at starbucks well Michael spilled his coffee and it was so funny and that day we took pictures and then he fell and got hurt and we took pictures for memories we had our laughs and then we went home.Well it was the fourth marching competition the very last one the last march march that we would have until June and for some us for the last time in

There are certain things people take away from high school, experiences, memories, etc. Personally, I will never forget my first marching experience. The first day of summer band was a complete wave of mixed emotions. I had been in band before but no junior high band compares to the high school marching band. I can still remember how the screeching sounds of the trumpets, melodic runs of the clarinets, and the erotic smell of year old marching dinkles filled the band hall. The experience was just overwhelming. The upperclassmen could just see how lost we all were because we had never experienced anything close to this before. Soon after we got there the directors didn’t waste any time going straight into how to stand at attention,

With over 20 band seniors leaving high school this year a substantial amount of the band is moving on and leaving a gap to be filled in. As a rising junior at Bristol Central I recognize that successful upperclassmen transition from being a follower to a leader and I believe that it is my time to show that I will help lead the band in the same direction as prior effective band managers.

Awards ceremonies are nerve wracking, especially as a freshman marcher. Especially because this competition, the Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional, meant more than anything else. Successful marching bands from all over the midwest traveled to this one competition, which practically determines the band’s prominence. I took a deep, shaky breath and continued on into the stadium, letting my uneasy thoughts drift away. “Don’t worry,” I told myself, “you got this.” I had yet to see the crowd themselves, as I had only heard them from inside the tunnel. Saying I was shocked is an understatement. Thousands of people gathered in one stadium just to watch a marching band competition was a sight I have imprinted in my memories. I look forward to it every year. At last, all 14 bands are lined up side-by-side, close enough that we’re touching. Awards have finally begun. All the long hours of practice, perseverance, and pain led up to one deeply special moment that is tattooed in my

Since my 10th grade year, I have been a percussion captain and front ensemble section leader for my high school’s marching band and it changed me as a person and allowed me to learn about myself. When I first started, I did not understand how I should take control of 25 other people, most of which were older than me, so I felt as if I had to be overly demanding of my group to reach my high expectations. However, I soon realized that to be an effective leader, I must not set my expectations too high, but at the same time, I must motivate my section to be the best they can be so that we can all succeed as a team. Furthermore, I discovered that to lead, I must not always just do what everyone else wants, but instead, do what is best for everyone.

I could feel my heart banging vigorously against my chest as I sat in the family room of my own home. The sweat trickling down my back was giving me an extra sense of nervousness and I could feel myself shifting uncomfortably in the seemingly too small chair. Finally, I opened my mouth as the unexpected came out. I had finally taken the initiative to ask my parents about joining the marching band. I know this probably seemed like an unimportant and a simple question to ask, yet when it comes to Arabic cultural norms, the answer was anything but simple.

We all sat down on stage, sharing both nervously and excited glances with each other. We watched Mrs. Sharpe take the stage and raise her hands into position. The whole band raised their instruments. I saw her count us off, and heard the intake of breath right before we started to perform. On Saturday, April 22nd, 2017, one of the greatest days of my band career occurred. For months, me and the Westville High School band, had prepared for the 2017 ISSMA Band Competition. Eight months have hardcore practice on our pieces and sight reading skills, all came down to this very moment.