Marching band was probably the reason that football was invented, so those who could not roll step and play an instrument at the same time would be able to have some time in the limelight. At least that’s what anyone who marched liked to think. For many of us, high school wouldn't have been the same without marching band. During the long hours of band camp and evening rehearsals, lifelong friendships and silly memories were forged. Although every marching band is unique, there are certain characteristics common to all bands. Here are just 11 of those commonalities:
1. You've been trained to always be in step.
Whether you’re at a store playing music of the PA system or at home jamming out, chances are you are subconsciously walking in step (or pretty darn close) with the beat. This strange ability stems from years of band and enhances when strolling with friends, everyone is in step. Well, you’re all in step until someone notices and changes on purpose!
2. You NEVER step off with your right foot.
This is the gravest of all band related misdemeanors. You did it once as a freshman, and consequently, you were called out by your section leader. The moment when they shouted at you, “LEFT! LEFT! LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT!” was scarier than a drill instructor and still haunts you in your dreams.
3. You have actual “That one time at band camp…” stories.
Every time anyone teases you about band camp stories, you say “Actually…” and recount the craziest story from band camp last summer. For example, "Remember that one time at band camp when Link was our drum major for the day?"
4. There’s at least one pair of long black socks in your drawer.
Forgetting your socks or wearing navy socks during a show was the second gravest misdemeanor. There was always that one kid in every section who was a repeat offender of this crime and the same band mom would tell him off and give him new socks every time.The band must look and sound as one!
5. Most of your friends were made in band.
In fact, band friends are the only kind of friends worth having. They are weird, goofy, and spunky, but they are loyal and supportive. Also, band friends are the only ones who truly appreciate your multitude of band jokes and music puns.
6. You had awkward tan lines for days.
They’re inevitable and they come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you were on the drumline or in the saxophone section, you had the tan lines to prove you spent many hours outside practicing marching in eight-to-five and learning the new show.
7. You had the show stuck in your head for months.
In season, there is rarely a moment when the show tunes are not stuck on repeat in your head. Fortunately, you probably found this helpful when memorizing your music.
8. Competition disasters.
It’s like the Murphy’s Law of marching band with a twist. On the day of competition, anything that can go wrong will inevitably go wrong, but you’ll always pull it off in the end. A great example of this is my senior year competition: my car overheated and died blocks from the high school, I hadn’t eaten anything all day, I was unprepared for the cold weather, and the bus driver made me put my piccolo in the back of the bus, BUT we performed and brought home the gold.
9. You know that the drum major is always right.
Even when they’re wrong, they’re right. The drum major was always the director’s go-to student, as well as simultaneously being the friend and the leader of the band.
10. You understand the struggle of making a line.
Making a line is way more complicated than it sounds! It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been marching or even which way the line is oriented, your line always ended up a bit wonky and curved. Ironically when the charts called for any kind of a curve, your section managed to form the best dang line anyone’s ever seen!
11. You had an eccentric director.
Directors are crazy, excitable people who live, breathe, eat, and sleep band. You never understand why someone would willingly become a director although you have several good friends who aspire to do so. Directors lead an exhausting life of arranging music, teaching students, and organizing any and all band events, but they are the embodiment of the band. Without your directors, however, crazy they may be, you never would’ve experienced marching band, and for that be grateful always.
