Between high school and college, I’ve dedicated eight years of my life to marching band. But through the sweat, aching muscles, and months’ worth of practices, I’ve managed to pull through somehow. However, in those eight years, I’ve found that there are eight things that anyone who has been in a marching band can understand!

1. “One more time” is never actually one more time

When the instructor said he wanted you to run that previous set “one more time,” did you actually believe that he meant it? Of course not.

When an instructor tells you that they want you to do something “one more time” it really means they’re going to want to run the set 2 or 12 more times. Better get running back to that dot!

2. To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be dead

There are fewer things as terrifying as the gaze of a marching band instructor resting upon you as you jog towards the football field five minutes after call-time.

So unless you want to be publicly humiliated in front of your band-mates, it’s best to be standing on the field, ready to go, five minutes before practice starts.

3. The 10-degree burn

Every brass player is familiar with that uncomfortable burning sensation we get in our arms during the middle of a performance. Keeping your horn angle pointed up 10 degrees for the entire duration of a 10-minute show really puts your muscles to the test! Your arms are sure to be aching after a long day of practice, so get that Advil ready!

4. Always know your dot

Everyone hates that one guy who doesn’t know where he’s supposed to be in the formation. Don’t be that guy. That is unless you want to get called out by the instructor for standing 12 steps outside of your section’s line.

5. The band camp joke gets really old, really fast

We have American Pie to thank for this one. It might be funny the first time someone sarcastically says, “This one time at band camp…” to you, but by the 8th time all you can do is stare at them with empty eyes and offer a hollow laugh.

6. Roll-stepping becomes a habit very quickly

Heel to toe. Heel to toe. Heel to toe. It’s something that repeats in your head non-stop, all day, every day. The instructors drill this marching style into your head so much that it essentially becomes your new way of walking.

But hey, at least it helps you stay balanced while carrying a hot bowl of soup across a room.

7. I can’t hear you!

Whether it’s playing the notes written on the page, or counting your steps aloud, the instructors want you to be loud and proud. Half of the time though, loud isn’t loud enough. A big band needs to a make a big impact, and the only way to do that is through lots and lots of noise! When the instructor tells you to be louder, try amping it up to 11!

8. Band is way more athletic than it seems

Running around a football field in 80-degree weather while blowing large amounts of air into a piece of metal really gets the heart pumping! Who’d have thought? Despite the geeky stereotype often thrust upon its members, marching band actually serves as being quite a workout.

It requires a lot of endurance and strength to pull off a successful show, so by the end of the season, there are some pretty in-shape band geeks strolling around campus!

Maybe think twice the next time you imagine a band geek to be wimpy!