It’s 6:30 a.m. on a school day in late October and a group of high school band members are out on the practice field for yet another early morning marching rehearsal. The students are freezing and would rather be in bed, but they show up early anyway, ready to work.
It’s now a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon, and across town, a college band stands in the bleachers at a football game. Even though the weather has turned away the majority of the crowd, the band plays music for the team for the entire game.
One might think that having to stand out in the elements day after day for no immediate rewards would make these musicians miserable. However, as both of these stories are from my own experiences, I can say that “miserable” is definitely not the correct word to describe these band kids.
There are many things about marching bands that people may not realize if they have never experienced it for themselves, either as a parent, director, or a band member. One thing that commonly isn’t thought about is the fact that everyone in the band loves what he or she does. This sentiment prevails throughout the entire season and beyond, and it all starts at band camp.
The start of band camp marks the start of a brand new season; you’ve got new show music, new sets, and lots of new marchers. I know from personal experience that when you’re that new marcher, band practice can be very intimidating. All of the people around you know what they’re doing and are all more experienced than you are. However, the intimidation doesn’t last long. The people in the band help teach you the ropes. They show you how to do the footwork, how to find your next set on the field, and how to dress a line in the parade block. Pretty soon, what was once intimidation turns into respect and friendship.
It’s pretty safe to say that friends make good teams, but band members take that just one step higher. It is thanks to those long, dark, cold practice mornings and all those rainy football games that we bond together. We learn to make the best of our situation because we have a field show that needs perfecting and we have a team that needs to be cheered on.
Everyone needs to work together in order to make the band the best it can possibly be. Unlike team sports where some people never get the chance to play, everyone in the band has to be able to play the music and march the sets because the show isn’t complete without every last member. In this way, not one member gets left behind. This makes the band the highest caliber of team possible: a family.
Even the most close-knit families have their share of arguments, though. Throughout the season, tension and stress run high. There will be arguing, yelling, hurt feelings, and tough love, but in the end it pays. You know it was all worth it when you come off the field together, knowing that you marched an awesome show. You know it was worth it when you are all celebrating and laughing together after the performance. Those kind of relationships last long past high school and college; some of them last a lifetime. This makes standing outside early in the morning and in the rain totally worth it.
