Yes, I know some of you readers aren't in marching band...try to bear with me.
So today was one of those long days. Drumline from 7:15-4:45 or so. It was a pretty good show; first place, our score went up, and the judges had only good things to say about the basses. But it was the conversation afterwards that got me thinking.
I mentioned to Perry (our drumline director, for you uninformed souls) that I was going to the University of Maryland (with every passing day I feel more certain of that) and joining its 275-member marching band. And then he told me a story of a former Mirage (aka Souderton's drumline, for you uninformed) member who took everything in band really seriously. And he hated college band (oddly enough, at Syracuse, one of my top schools)--it was too lax, nobody bothered to learn warmups, etc. etc. I've heard that story before...I've just thought that I'd be able to adjust and appreciate college band for what it is--a good time with a bunch of kids playing really loud. There's no real alternative--I'm a sax player mostly, and drum corps (basically marching band on steroids--unofficially, "Major League Marching Band") don't accept woodwinds. And I don't have the chops (skills...gosh, people, LEARN MY MARCHING BAND LINGO) to play drums in corps...
Perry thinks otherwise. Yeah, I wouldn't be marching a major corps (for you band geeks, do I REALLY look like I could march for Phantom Regiment or Blue Devils? Yeah...no.) But I could be in a small corps.
That was a bit of a shock. I'm realizing that my life is just missing something without marching band or drumline, despite all the trials and tribulations that come with them. And if college band is really all that bad...
Part of the reason I want to go to Maryland so badly is for the band--I'd eliminate schools from my search solely because they lacked marching bands. But what if college marching band is really all that terrible? Could I really live without marching band? Doubt it.
Suddenly, marching corps is sounding like a better and better idea. And I've always liked playing drums more than sax anyway. Yeah, there's the money thing (it's EXPENSIVE), but honestly...band and drumline channel my focus and energy like nothing else in my life. And I'm a competitive person--it doesn't get much more competitive than drum corps. I know I can't cut it in the music industry, but performing music for a crowd is thrilling. So I'll consider marching a corps.
I never thought I'd see the day that I could seriously consider that.
Sorry for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about.
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Now playing: Living Sacrifice - Nietzsche's Madness
Saturday, March 20, 2010
One of those band-related posts.
Posted by Mike at 4:11 PM
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4 comments:
Be careful with placing too much weight on a singular anecdote. You might find that you'll like such an environment.
Sorry if you were expecting a longer post. :P
That IS short for you...
UM EXCUSE ME. Plate line got complimented too ya know...
I've heard the same about college band--basically the only good bands are at the massive schools. I don't know personally about Maryland, but I know for Moravian and Gettysburg I'll be getting maybe a little better than here. I didn't want the big band schools, I liked the small, tight knit feel of a small band. I eliminated schools as well because of band. My parents think that I won't do it after the first year, and maybe you won't want to. Our majors demand other attention outside of band and we may both find something that's bigger and better than marching band. But at the moment, I want to because I enjoy it and it'll be a good way to get to know people.
I've been thinking about corps as well, perhaps with the Bucs. It would certianally be an experiance.
"Plate line got complimented too ya know..."
Yes, but I am not part of the plate line, so in a blog about my thoughts, I think it would be irrelevant.
"basically the only good bands are at the massive schools"
WIN. Maryland has 25,000 people. I can hope.
"Our majors demand other attention outside of band and we may both find something that's bigger and better than marching band."
True. In fact, at a school this massive, it's pretty likely. Time will tell, I guess.
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