There's Just Something About It...

That makes marching band so addicting! Something that even though it's very physically and mentally challenging and sometimes draining that makes you keep coming back. And back again. People ask why I would ever want to have 4 hours (and sometimes more!) of practices, and not complain. To tell you the truth, I don't really mind the long practices- we get so much done and improve a lot with each one! Besides, everyone can have a laugh during breaks, even if the breaks ARE two minutes long.

In marching band, there's so much to keep in your head, and on top of that, each season it's completely different! To start, there's the music. And at least in my band, the music is hard. This year in particular. It's usually anywhere between three to five pages in length and very complex. After the first couple rehearsals you've usually got it down as you're reading it, but remember, in a show, it has to be completely memorized. 200-300 measures of music- all in your head!

Then, there's the drill. Somewhere between forty and sixty drill sets, all with different counts to get there, holds, visual movements, spots on the field, and forms to create. And putting that with the music, with only the lines on the field and the people around you. All while staying exactly in step with the other seventy people in the band, marching with the drum majors hands, playing the music, and remembering where each spot is on the field, how long you have to stand there, the visual movements coming up, horns up/down, etc. Not to mention whether you're doing a forward slide, backwards slide, jazz run or backwards jazz run. And one of the most important things? Shoulders flat to the front. Even if you're walking in a line perpendicular to the endzone, your shoulders have to be parallel to the front. Ouch!

But that's marching band. You may think 'Wow. That sounds pretty impossible.' , and really, it's the certainly the most challenging extracurricular I do, but it's one of my favorites to. There's such an amazing swell of pride and accomplishment when you finish a show. It's so much fun to be in full uniform. There's just something about it that's totally addicting.

At least in the fall,

I do marching band.

I think marching band.

I breathe marching band.

I LIVE marching band.