“Marching band isn’t athletic.”
“How do you get hurt in marching band?”
“Marching band isn’t hard, all you do is walk around a field playing music.”
The above are all quite common for a marching band member to hear when talking about the sport to someone who does not partake in marching band. However, marching band can actually be a very physical activity, it's hardly easy and like any other sport, comes with the risk of injury.
A typical marching band field show is anywhere from seven to 10 minutes with multiple songs at a variety of tempos in an approximate range of 60 to 200 beats per minute (bpm). These shows are very physical as, in many cases, an instrument must be held up and manipulated to create different visual effects. For musicians who play a woodwind or brass instrument, certain muscles must be exercised and toned to correctly hold their instrument in the correct angles as to create the same effect as the rest of the students playing the same instrument. This requires proper posture or it can lead to back problems, and as such, requires plenty of core strength. Marching percussionists exert the most effort in their marching, although they must do so while wearing their drums and harnesses which can weigh up to a total of about 35 pounds. Members of the color guard dance and spin throughout the production, showcasing talent on multiple different pieces of equipment including flags, rifles, sabres and various props. Spinning and tossing this equipment requires precision and strong arm muscles, as well as the core strength to do what these performers do.
Many members of the marching band community also continue to participate in Drum Corps International, “Marching Music’s Major League.” When marching with a drum corps, members spend about six months with the group from start to finish, from auditions until the conclusion of the season in mid-August. These elite members give up their summers to travel the country -- constantly rehearsing and performing. This activity is incredibly physically demanding resulting in a majority of members losing anywhere from five to 50 pounds throughout the course of the summer. This progress is documented by the crazy “#bodybydrumcorps” posts that spring up everywhere at the end of the season.
In a study conducted by ESPN of a drum corps performer using equipment to measure heart rate and oxygen intake, it was found that even when watching the production from the sideline, the performer’s heartrate shot up to 180 bpm, compared to a track star’s response to hearing the starting pistol being fired. What the study found after tracking the performer’s systems during a performance was that his heart rate was over 200 bpm and that his rate of oxygen intake during the show was approximately 14-times higher than his resting rate. This consumption rate is, “generally what it would be in the middle of a marathon, for a well trainer runner.” However, the recorded heart rates throughout the production were found to be relatively similar those of at the maximum heart rates of a 600-meter or 800-meter sprinter.
This being said, it is very easy to become injured in marching band. When participating without correctly stretching all parts of the body, many become injured by straining, pulling or tearing muscles that have not been properly warmed up. In addition, when running across the field at a tempo of 200 bpm, one misstep can easily result in a rolled or sprained ankle. The pure weight of either a drum and its harness or holding up a 15-pound brass instrument can cause serious back and neck problems. Common injuries and ailments of marching band include tendinitis of the knees or shoulder, shin splints, rolled ankles and chronic back pain. This is why, like any other sport, it is essential to stretch and warm up before practicing or competing.
In short, marching band is a very intense and physical activity. While it might seem easy to an outsider, it actually requires hours of hard work, sweat and pushing through the elements in order to produce a show that seems so effortless. In reality, this activity is far from easy and far from properly represented in media.
