[musictlk] Marching band in high school

[Jeffrey Young]

I did marching band all through high school and for a semester in college. I did it basically the same way Bill described. I loved it, and I'd do it again, but they canceled the marching program here. You remembered right Bill, eight steps to five yards is the standard. If they bring back marching band here I'll gladly do it again.

Jeff
On Jan 25, 2010, at 8:13 AM, Dancing Dots wrote:

> Hi, Bonnie,
> 
> That's exciting news about your daughter joining the marching band.  I did
> it myself over 30 years ago.  I did not join until the summer before my
> junior year.  Or maybe it was my senior year.  I had been in our concert
> band since freshman year but, until joining marching band, had not
> participated in football games and parades until that time.  
> 
> Our marching instructor and our band director worked with me over the summer
> before, during or after group practices to measure my steps.  I think it was
> 8 strides per 5 yards but it was a long time ago!
> 
> I memorized the steps for our drill and listened to the trumpet players on
> either side of me as we moved through the drill.  There were certain times
> when we found that I needed to touch elbows with the players to my right and
> my left but generally I just did my own thing.
> 
> It was definitely stressful at times.  But I really wanted to be part of it
> all and, in the fall football season, being in the band meant being in the
> marching band.  I had only one spectacular accident when I marched right
> into a goal post one day but that was at practice!   
> 
> My marching band career ended after our final competition in my senior year.
> We took second place in the small band division just a tenth of a point
> behind the first-place winner.  It was our small high school's very first
> marching band competition and we were all happy to have done so well.  
> 
> It was not until after the competition that our band director told me that
> she had told the judges that there was a blind student in the band.  She did
> not tell them who or even what instrument the student played.  After the
> show, the judges asked her: "So who was it?"  That made me feel great!
> 
> If you have not yet joined the Music Education Network for the Visually
> Impaired, I recommend that you do so.  See www.menvi.org for application.  I
> am a charter member and one of the MENVI advisors.  Membership is free and
> the group does host a listserv and send out periodic newsletters and member
> rosters.  The subject of participation in marching band has come up before
> and others have related their own experiences including some techniques I
> did not use like using very thin cords to attach the blind marcher to the
> person on either side of him during a parade. 
> 
> I'll contact you off-list about the possibilities of incorporating the use
> of GOODFEEL into Aubrie's studies.
> 
> Regards,
> Bill 
> 
> Bill McCann 
> Founder and President of Dancing Dots since 1992
> www.DancingDots.com
> Tel: [001] 610-783-6692
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bonnie Lucas
> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 9:11 AM
> To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [musictlk] Marching band in high school
> 
> Hello all you Marching Band enthusiists,
> 
> Aubrie has decided that she will participate in Marching Band next year when
> she starts high school. It will be a great experience as the Centinial High
> School Band from Roswell, GA will be performing at the White House in
> October. I would like to get as many hints and tips as possible for marching
> and playing an instrument at the same time. So, if any parents, teachers or
> students have suggestions, I'd love to hear what they are. We have already
> spoken with the band director and he seems excited to have her in the Band.
> He has been invited to her IEP. I have talked with him about the Goodfeel
> music translator and he is willing to try to come up with a grant for that
> as well. 
> thanks for your help.
> 
> Bonnie Lucas
> 770-992-0484
> Cell: 678-480-0864
> lucas.bonnie at gmail.com
> Bonnie Lucas
> 770-992-0484
> Cell: 678-480-0864
> lucas.bonnie at gmail.com
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