Have you ever seen them? The people carrying around those heavy cases and yet you never hear their feet stomp on the ground. Who always seem to be fifteen minutes early to everything. I do, or I used to for extensive periods of time. Being in band were some of the best years of my life. It helped develop good habits that I still rely on today, and it gave me friends that would last a lifetime. This is why marching band is so important to me and all others in marching band.
For one, it gives us creativity that is beautiful to any who has witnessed a marching show. To most people, marching band looks like the following two things. One, a secret society of a bunch of strange people who simply hum bits of music (band people), tap obsessively on random objects (percussion people) and spin flags around them (colorguard). Two, a group of people who need fill their fine arts credit. I would say most people believe the latter.
However, marching band is really just a group who needs to fulfill their need to be creative through visual and auditory art. I remember making colorguard routines that had to perfectly coincide with the music that was given and in doing that, I exercised the creative part of my brain. I did a favor for myself, because I had so much fun in creating those routines. Creating routines (or for many band people, composing music) is an outlet; it’s a way to let our minds flourish, not to mention and it puts something beautiful into the world for others to see.
Not only does marching band help produce amazing art that challenges its users and amazes its audiences, but it actually helps expand the memorization skills for the people who actively take part in it. It takes a good deal of effort for the band person to remember the content and different positions in a 10 minute marching show. Band people spend hours of their time and often give up their mornings (especially if they're high school students) to rehearse their show in order show an audience the work that they put into it. It’s hard work, but it pays off tremendously for them.
Not only did band provide me with a creative spirit, it gave me a community of people that I call my friends. They have been my best friends through high school, these people that embrace weirdness in all forms. Marching band has been a safe haven for many students to thrive in and seek a safe place of acceptance. That is why band is so important to those who were a part of it in the past and those who are currently in it.
