band camp/marching band

[aphex]

I used to be in a VERY competetive marching band back in HS. In my four years we did the Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA), Fiesta Bowl (AZ), Peach Bowl (Atlanta, GA), Orange Bowl (Miami, FL), Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL), Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, and a few national marching band competetions.

While i wouldn't call band a sport per say, it sure as hell was hard work. It takes a hell of alot to march 9+ miles (in some parades) in the hot sun or freezing snow, not only trying to concentrate on keeping your lines and remembering your music, but also blowing your brains out into a trumpet, completely expelling every last breath in your body.

I'll never forget the Philly parade, we had to dip our mouthpieces in liquid plastic to keep them from freezing, but it didnt work too well. Halfway through the parade, parts of the plastic peeled off, and my lips started cracking (a usual thing for trumpets) earlier than usual. By the end of the parade, my lip was split so bad, i was spurting blood all down the front of my uniform, freaking nasty.

 

[bluehorizon]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

Shens

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

Yeah, those trombone chicks are hooooot...

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

I was in a marching band in high school, and though I think its a little foregone to call it a sport, its definitely much harder than you give it credit for. Try standing out on a football field in the middle of summer with a heavy instrument strapped to you for 12 hours a day, memorizing sets and the music you're supposed to play with it. Its not the same kind of challenge as a sport, but its definitely a challenge nonetheless.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

My daughter has bassoon lessons @ 11, with a college guy, I may have to kill you for what you just made me think about:evil:

 

[KC5AV]

I was in Marching band for about 8 years. I certainly wouldn't call it a sport, but it is one of the more strenuous activities I took part in during school. It was probably nowhere close to the level of exertion required for football/basketball/baseball/etc, but it certainly wasn't easy. It took a high level of mental and physical discipline, practice, and repetition.

 

[nakedfrog]

It certainly seems like just as much (if not more) of a sport to me as golf.

 

[Paulson]

It's difficult, not a sport, but difficult because your body is supposed to be standing at attention with no arch in your back. You're supposed to roll your ankles and hoist your instrument up to the certain angle it should be at, while playing an instrument.

I did marching band for 6 years (jr high/sr high) and I can tell you once you put on the uniforms it becomes pure hell.

Nothing like sweating like a pig and only getting ice cubes for water.

 

[nakedfrog]

I'll tell you what: if you go by the definition of the word sport it definitely qualifies.

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

My daughter has bassoon lessons @ 11, with a college guy, I may have to kill you for what you just made me think about:evil:

College guys have better poon to chase than an 11 year-old. 😛

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: A5

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

My daughter has bassoon lessons @ 11, with a college guy, I may have to kill you for what you just made me think about:evil:

College guys have better poon to chase than an 11 year-old. 😛

Normal college guys do. If he's into anime, worry.

- M4H

 

[Horus]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: armatron
My roommate used to be in marching band.. (I'm 20.. out of high school now..) and he was talking about how difficult it was... the training involved etc... how physical the entire sport was. I remember in high school all the bank dorks would complain about how strenuous the whole thing was


Sport??? Sport?? I was like wtf dude that's not a sport...

argument ensues.....




WTF? When did BAND become a sport?? I know you have to... you know... stand around.. then walk around some.. then stand and blow air out of your lungs but wtf?

You try carrying around an instrument in the blazing heat while going for a nice long walk for a couple hours ... while carrying a tune. 😛

It's not a sport, but it's hard work for sure.

- M4H

In a uniform that weighs, on average, 20 pounds and is made out of wool, and you're wearing a stupid, hot, uncomfortable hat, and you get to march around in weather that ALWAYS seems to be 110 degrees (Like the 2002 Baltimore Independance day parades) or minus 40 celcius (Like the Quebec Winter Carnival parades)

When you're wearing a uniform that's either twice its normal weight because it's soaked up all your sweat, and has turned from red to black, or you've had frostbite form on your gloved hands, and a mouthpiece literally freeze to your tongue, it's not the most fun experience.

Oh, and then, during the christmas season, say goodbye to every single weekend that you have. Period.

me=member of an extremely competitve city marching band (Canadian High schools have nowhere the money needed to create a marching band), which I competed with at the Calgary Stampede, Quebec Winter Carnival, Orange Bowl, Myrtle Beach St. Paddy's day parade, and god knows how many christmas parades around my home (I'm thinking more than 50 over 3 years)

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Horus

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: armatron
My roommate used to be in marching band.. (I'm 20.. out of high school now..) and he was talking about how difficult it was... the training involved etc... how physical the entire sport was. I remember in high school all the bank dorks would complain about how strenuous the whole thing was


Sport??? Sport?? I was like wtf dude that's not a sport...

argument ensues.....




WTF? When did BAND become a sport?? I know you have to... you know... stand around.. then walk around some.. then stand and blow air out of your lungs but wtf?

Try running around for 90 minutes while 250 pound gorillas try to eat you.

<= former rugby player...

You try carrying around an instrument in the blazing heat while going for a nice long walk for a couple hours ... while carrying a tune. 😛

It's not a sport, but it's hard work for sure.

- M4H

In a uniform that weighs, on average, 20 pounds and is made out of wool, and you're wearing a stupid, hot, uncomfortable hat, and you get to march around in weather that ALWAYS seems to be 110 degrees (Like the 2002 Baltimore Independance day parades) or minus 40 celcius (Like the Quebec Winter Carnival parades)

When you're wearing a uniform that's either twice its normal weight because it's soaked up all your sweat, and has turned from red to black, or you've had frostbite form on your gloved hands, and a mouthpiece literally freeze to your tongue, it's not the most fun experience.

 

[Supermercado]

Originally posted by: armatron
I believe that college/professional marching bands are very strenuous.... but we're talking high school here...

As a former band geek, I'd take the opposite stance. High school marching band is done for the purpose of competing. College band is done for entertainment. From my experience in high school and watching the marching band at my university, we did more in one show than they do over the course of a whole year. College marching band is more or less about moving a little bit and playing to the crowd. And from what I've heard, the music in college is nowhere near as difficult as that in high school. Add in the fact that you have to memorize the music top to bottom in high school (at least at my school) and many of the kids in college have the little clip-on music stands to read from and you end up with high school band being a lot tougher and more strenuous than college band. I never once saw anybody in the college band have to cover 10 yards marching backwards in like 5 steps.

Not really a sport, but why don't you try it before you say it's a walk in the park? It's a lot harder than you think to 1) learn the music 2) learn where you're supposed to be on the field at what time (as well as be aware of the positions of the people on either side of you so that you're in between them), and do those in conjunction all while keeping the correct posture, marching form, proper level for your instrument (parallel to the ground at all times is harder than you think if you're not used to it), playing the music correctly (dynamics, etc.) and either sweating to death or freezing cuz wool's either a) too hot in the summer or b) not warm enough in the winter.

I know that's not a very well-though out post but the point is, why don't you try it before you come in here and bash it? I've never played football but I'm sure as hell not going to say it's easy. Is band easier? Maybe so. Is football harder? Maybe so. Only people that can answer that question are the people that do both.

Edit: Sorry if that came off a bit pompous and arrogant, but I get really aggravated when people bash something I loved in high school without ever trying to do it themselves.

 

[Juice Box]

I admit, its not a sport... but neither is cheerleading. We work VERY hard at getting good, and it takes a lot of effort. Most bands practice as much if not more than the school's football team

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: digitalsnare
I admit, its not a sport... but neither is cheerleading. We work VERY hard at getting good, and it takes a lot of effort. Most bands practice as much if not more than the school's football team

My football team in high school was (and still is) god-awful. My sophomore year, we had a sum total of three touchdowns over the course of a season, and the other seasons weren't much better. Basically, the stands consisted of football parents and band parents.

 

[nakedfrog]

I guess no one is reading the definition:
sport
n.
1.
1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. A particular form of this activity.

It meets these criteria, yes?

 

[Juice Box]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I guess no one is reading the definition:
sport
n.
1.
1. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
2. A particular form of this activity.

It meets these criteria, yes?

yes it does..... so the verdict is,

SPORT

 

[Babbles]

I played the sousaphone in marching band. I wouldn't call it a sport exactly, but it sure as heck was no laughing matter. Then again it does involve teamwork, practice, competition and is that not what a sport is?

I will reiterate what made it difficult:
1) Memorized music
2) Carrying an instrument, moreso when it was a sousaphone or drumline
3) Marching in formation - heck of a lot harder than you think
4) Awesome polyester uniforms - hot in summer, cold in winter
5) The actual playing of the instruments

You can't huff and puff and wheez when you get tired, because you got to be playing the instrument. To be able to look at the drum majors, play your music, and look at 100 other people (or whatever depending on the size) is pretty tough.

Intersting story a good buddy of mine was telling me was back when he was in the Army during basic he hated doing the marching drills. Apparantly most people hated it as well, except for a handful of people. According to my friend those handful of people, come to find out, did marching band in high school and the common response was that if you did marching band in school, the Army drill stuff is so much easier.

So sum up, to appreciate marching band you really have to think about the skills required to memorize, play and execute a marching show that involves many, many people.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: saxophonoia

Originally posted by: armatron
My roommate used to be in marching band.. (I'm 20.. out of high school now..) and he was talking about how difficult it was... the training involved etc... how physical the entire sport was. I remember in high school all the bank dorks would complain about how strenuous the whole thing was


Sport??? Sport?? I was like wtf dude that's not a sport...

argument ensues.....




WTF? When did BAND become a sport?? I know you have to... you know... stand around.. then walk around some.. then stand and blow air out of your lungs but wtf?

Well it depends on how hard the drill is and how fast the music is while playing. Watch some DCI corps, i.e. Cavaliers, Cadets, Blue Devils and then come back and tell me what you think. Basically at times you're running while marching, doing an 8 - 12 minute show and also blowing air out to play so you really don't have time to catch your breath. I think a lot of people think it's easy until they try it. I was always in shape and ran track in high school so it didn't bother me too much but If I had to compare it to track when running distance, I would say I got just as exhausted doing marching band as when I got done running a track meet.

I PM'ed OP with a link to my step-daughter's band performance. It is a Corps style performance that is about 10 minutes long. She is in guard. For high school, it depends. The performances that were at Bands of America Grand Championships are pretty hard. Usually around 8-10 minutes and lots of fast moves with some in place stuff. It can be very hard, but it depends on the show and the school. If you made the top 25 this year, it was hard work.

DCI (Drum Corps International) is the "NFL" of marching band. The shows are non-stop and some studies have shown the respiratory output was at the same level as a marathon. but for about 10-12 minutes. DCI Division I corps, at minimum, practice for an entire month, 12-14 hours a day, 6 1/2 days a week before they go on the road. My step-daughter was out for a week on the road because of a stretched achille's. There is almost always an injury per show because of the strain (although I do remember a broken foot from a falling drum pad on the bus 🙂 )

And who says football is a sport? Hemingway said that only bull fighting, skydiving, and auto racing were sports. All the rest were games. 😀

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Deeko
I can vouch for the sex thing...when I was a youngin I was 1st chair trombone and gave this one HOT girl private lessons one day...then gave her some lessons of a different kind :shocked:

Yeah, those trombone chicks are hooooot...

Damn right. There was this one uber cute HK chick that played trombone in my high school marching band.
In my school, all the hot chicks were in marching band. Mostly because my high school was 60% asian, and hot asian chicks are usually nerds, and join band.

I agree high school bands generally suck. Although we had a lot of very skilled players, they just lacked the discipline to play well. It could have been the incentive, they get an A whether if they work their ass off, or just sit around class, hiding behind their stand eating cheetos.

In my college band, everyone is much more disciplined to be better prepared for their music.

I don't understand the nerdy image that is usually connotated with marching bands in the "Jesusland" states. I hear terms like "band fags" comming from the central states. I think the nerdy image that America Pie used had a big part of it. Nerds in short shorts running around with a trumpet up their ass.
Here in California, bands are very popular. In the high school of 2000 students I went to, the band/orchestra had over 300 members.