Where are the DIS Marching Band Directors???

[elbigvato]

Well, I say I have to totally disagree with you. You are talking about 2 totally different marching band philosophies. There are some schools where their marching bands are there just to entertain the football crowds and to fun, crowd pleasing shows. Then there are the higher end bands that compete regionally and nationally that have intricately designed shows with fairly complicated formations, etc. Our band is one that competes regionally and nationally. I think maybe you should revisit some of the BOA shows or some of the more competitive marching band shows to see what I am talking about.

I have seen both kinds of show at the finals of my state's marching contest. Some years the fun show wins, some years the "weird" music wins. Both types of music can have complex drill.

 

[GeorgeG]

It's been many, many years since I've been involved with marching bands, but I don't remember any really elaborate routines. I do remember good marching music with some basic half-time show choreography.

I really hate saying this, but half-time shows are almost completely ignored by most, except maybe the Super Bowl, which hasn't been about marching bands in years. Half-time is when spectators to to the restrooms and get hot dogs while televised pro and college games cut to the jocks in ties who tell you all about the game you've been watching.

I always loved half-time marching bands, but it seems a waste to spend a lot of money to entertain people who don't want to be entertained.

 

[mrsklamc]

It's been many, many years since I've been involved with marching bands, but I don't remember any really elaborate routines. I do remember good marching music with some basic half-time show choreography.

I really hate saying this, but half-time shows are almost completely ignored by most, except maybe the Super Bowl, which hasn't been about marching bands in years. Half-time is when spectators to to the restrooms and get hot dogs while televised pro and college games cut to the jocks in ties who tell you all about the game you've been watching.

I always loved half-time marching bands, but it seems a waste to spend a lot of money to entertain people who don't want to be entertained.

Although your experience is probably typical of many Americans, there is a whole world out there of highly competitive marching bands-many at schools where the football before and after the show is an inconvenience.

 

[GeorgeG]

Although your experience is probably typical of many Americans, there is a whole world out there of highly competitive marching bands-many at schools where the football before and after the show is an inconvenience.

I like how you put that.

 

[klj27]

I taught marching band at the high school level and university level for 23 years. In addiion, I was a DCI judge for 15 years. Therefore, I speak from experience. The current style of "artsy ***tsy show design is mainly for the
dance element. Entertainment has gone out the window. If I want to go to that type of show, I'll go to a ballet. Most bands I have seen over the past few years couldn't march there way out of a paper sack. Most of the music is boring. We have totally lost track of what marching bands are for. Teach music...Entertain football crowds...Keep band boosters happy. Can you hum (or whistle) a melody from the last half time show you saw?

My husband and all of his band friends were just having this same discussion this week. It is a shame that some bands have to choose between an entertaining half time show and an artsy fartsy competition show. I was chaperoning at band camp today and can tell they are working so hard and it will be a great competition show, but I don't know what kind of a halftime show. It is a show about good versus evil with some dance involved.

 

[golfgal]

It's been many, many years since I've been involved with marching bands, but I don't remember any really elaborate routines. I do remember good marching music with some basic half-time show choreography.

I really hate saying this, but half-time shows are almost completely ignored by most, except maybe the Super Bowl, which hasn't been about marching bands in years. Half-time is when spectators to to the restrooms and get hot dogs while televised pro and college games cut to the jocks in ties who tell you all about the game you've been watching.

I always loved half-time marching bands, but it seems a waste to spend a lot of money to entertain people who don't want to be entertained.

Although your experience is probably typical of many Americans, there is a whole world out there of highly competitive marching bands-many at schools where the football before and after the show is an inconvenience.

We have a really good football team and a really good marching band. If the weather is such that the band can't perform at halftime, people are disappointed. People come out to watch both. Our little town usually has about 5000 people at a home football game. I also have to say that our shows are what a lot would consider "artsy" but they are entertaining as well. The music is good but not really anything anyone outside of "band" would probably recognize or often it is custom written for our band. The football coach also makes sure that the football team is at every band concert (as do the basketball coaches since the band is there for pep band).

 

[CowboyCO]

Our band Director at our high school is a state champion director, former member of Phantom Corps - and he writes drill for other directors all over the country. His eventual career goal is to get out of teaching and write drill full-time.

 

[mrsklamc]

We have a really good football team and a really good marching band. If the weather is such that the band can't perform at halftime, people are disappointed. People come out to watch both. Our little town usually has about 5000 people at a home football game. I also have to say that our shows are what a lot would consider "artsy" but they are entertaining as well. The music is good but not really anything anyone outside of "band" would probably recognize or often it is custom written for our band. The football coach also makes sure that the football team is at every band concert (as do the basketball coaches since the band is there for pep band).

Oh yes, there are certainly schools where both are a big deal as well. I was just thinking along the lines of that documentary that came out about the national spelling bee, or the show toddlers and tiaras. People are aware these things are out there but not how hard core some of the competitions can be.

 

[GeorgeG]

We have a really good football team and a really good marching band. If the weather is such that the band can't perform at halftime, people are disappointed. People come out to watch both. Our little town usually has about 5000 people at a home football game. I also have to say that our shows are what a lot would consider "artsy" but they are entertaining as well. The music is good but not really anything anyone outside of "band" would probably recognize or often it is custom written for our band. The football coach also makes sure that the football team is at every band concert (as do the basketball coaches since the band is there for pep band).

I like that, too!

 

[golfgal]

Oh yes, there are certainly schools where both are a big deal as well. I was just thinking along the lines of that documentary that came out about the national spelling bee, or the show toddlers and tiaras. People are aware these things are out there but not how hard core some of the competitions can be.

I would have to say our band is pretty "hard core". Our kids are on day 6 of band camp. Revele is at 6:00 AM, practice starts at 8:00 am the kids go all day, stopping for lunch and dinner, to 9:00PM. At 9:00 they have some fun activities-they make up skits, have a dance, etc. It's been 90-100 degrees all week there. They then go all day practices until school starts. The kids have a BLAST doing this too-they work hard but all of their friends are there and they REALLY look forward to this.

Dh and I considered chaperoning at camp this year but decided that we needed more sleep than that .