The Princess Bride: An Analysis Of Marching Band

Most schools offer a variety of activities, classes, and clubs. I personally was never interested in school or anything to do with it. Then I came across band and was instantly hooked. Band has concerts, marching band, and you get to meet new people. Band is my favorite class and here are some reasons why.

Marching band is hands down one of the biggest influences in my life. It has only impacted me in a positive way. From friendships that I know will last a lifetime to experiences i could never forget. My junior year in band I was baritone section leader and my senior year I was low brass section leader and brass horn sergeant. Having to be the leader of 60+ people has really

Not only this, as competition marching bands are performing, the members are required to keep their shoulders perfectly parallel with the press box sideline, no matter what direction they may be traveling. On top of all the physical attributes, performers also have to have all music memorized to perfection. Part of playing music is to count—mentally count in time and tempo. To make the activity of marching band more difficult, members also have to be able to play while moving to at fast speeds to exact locations on the field to create new forms. To, as they say “put a cherry on top,” all of this has to be done at the same time. For all members of a competition band, they have to multitask throughout the entire performance with no mental or physical breaks. Mr. Spettel, Marion Local Schools band director, compares marching band and sports as “Physically and mentally it shares all the same aspects because the mental aspects of memorizing music, playing expressively, and using dynamic contrast. All of that is just like football or volleyball: remembering plays, strategizing to get the best possible outcome. And I think one could argue that marching band is just as physically demanding as a lot of other athletics.” All of these items lead to having a strong mental presence as members are

We have been in band since the fifth grade and gained a tremendous amount of music knowledge. In the middle school years we sought out more experience by starting a jazz ensemble. After middle school, We joined all aspects of band and participated in every event possible. Through our three years of marching experience we led the our respective sections. We focused on making sure our rows and lines were straight. Keeping in step was also a very important

To start off, unlike other sports marching band does not only require physical exertion it requires mental exertion too. Marching band is a very difficult sport to perfect, as it is in need of many multitasking and memorization skills. Band members have to march, play their instrument and memorize music, steps, counts, and drill all at once. Doing so is very hard, and and it takes someone that is disciplined and dedicated to the sport to do it right.

Not many people are familiar with marching band because the sport only lasts for a fall semester. Because the season is short, marching band does not have many competitions. A typical marching season has only one or two competitions. However, even though there are few competitions, each group practices for weeks on end. Each band strives to meet that one goal, which is to do well in a certain competition. When a marching band performs their absolute

Despite this, marching band forced me to practice more and perfect my skills, and I am increasingly better now for it. I even made an alternate for all-county, something I thought only “good players” could do. Turns out, I am

When I first joined marching band after seventh grade, I missed the first summer practice to see a concert. At that time, I had no idea how much band would come to mean to me nor the unexpected amount of dedication needed. Before marching band, music was merely a casual thing, but it has transformed this old hobby into a greater priority. After just one season, this shift was noticeable. I certainly did not consider missing two days of a Disney World vacation to march at nationals when first reading the schedule. But this beloved sport worked its ways in a few short months. Through two marching seasons and a winter concert, band became one of the most prominent activities in my life.

Marching band has had a great impact in my life, it helped me ease into high school a lot quicker. I had many upperclassmen to support me and help me through whatever I needed. The section leaders and marching specialists helped me so much. They especially helped

Marching band is a culture that many people in the world participate in whether they're in high school or college. Members of any marching bands share characteristics such as hard work, the strength to keep going when things are hard and to stay calm under pressure. Power is distributed in the group from the marching band director to the drum major and to the section leader. Many people think marching band is something anybody could do with ease, but we practice day to day, which means we practice two hours and five minutes to learn the show. The common nickname is being called ‘band nerds’ which I think is fitting because we live for it. Band is more than a hobby - it’s a sport because of all the time we practice.

Marching band has been the most time-consuming and enjoyable extracurricular I have participated in throughout some of middle school and all of high school. I marched alto saxophone when I was in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades and I have been drum major (also known as field commander) since my sophomore year of high school. Having this job has been a huge responsibility, but it has also given me invaluable learning and leadership experience.

Marching band is a place I can feel good about myself. I am a normally quiet, but I am okay with being loud for band.

Marching band should be considered a sport because the difficulty is equal to any other sport both mentally and physically. Some students need to carry an instrument up to 30 pounds with perfect posture. Before rehearsal, students also have to warm up, do stretches, and even run. Students have to be able to memorize notes, dots, and stay in step with the entire band. In order to do these things, students have to be super concentrated and must constantly practice. Just like any other sport, the participants have to stay committed, and it’s crucial that they are there for every practice. If a student misses, there is a chance they will lose their spot and be very lost when they return.

The summer of 2013 was both a time of celebration, as I had just graduated middle school, and a time of insecurities, as I started my journey as a member of my high school’s marching band. In middle school, I was normally a shy, quiet person, so it comes as no surprise that I felt uncomfortable at my first marching band practice. In addition, very few of my band friends in middle school had continued into high school marching band, creating a feeling of isolation over me.

Memories began to race through my mind as I started to look back at the time when I first joined the marching band. Coming into high school, I was not reluctant to try out new things, and marching band was an activity that would allow me to open myself up to others and develop a strong sense