It's June, and we all know what that means: summer! But while the school year is winding down, band kids all around are still engaged in one of the most fun and challenging parts of the class. That's right, I'm talking about parade marching.
In the spirit of the season, I decided to interview 4 Whyvillians about their experiences in marching, be it middle school or high school. Without further adieu, here are DibIsHot, M0nkey97, jts2000, and Xion2.
tanibanan: What instrument do you play?
DibIsHot: I started off on clarinet and during high school I transitioned to bass and contrabass clarinet, then taught myself flute and saxophone.
M0nkey97: Trumpet.
jts2000: Saxophone.
Xion2: I play alto saxophone in marching band.
tanibanan: When was your first parade/marching event?
DibIsHot: I don't specifically remember my first marching event, but I do remember one contest in particular. My freshman year, where we went to WCU, the stands were huge so you could see everything that was happening and there were lots of great shows, including the WCU band, which takes up nearly the whole field. I also got my first official boyfriend on that trip. LoL, this was back in 2005.
M0nkey97: During the fall of 7th grade, we marched in a Halloween parade. It was really cold, and the percussion was horrible, but still pretty fun.
jts2000: Earlier this year on Veteran's Day. My band will not be participating in the Memorial Day parade this year.
Xion2: Like May last year.
tanibanan: What is the best part of marching band?
DibIsHot: The community aspect of marching band and how everybody is working together to create something great. And the drumline.
M0nkey97: I guess knowing that you're part of the big picture. You may not see it, but you know that the crowd must be enjoying it.
jts2000: It's a good time. I enjoy it because all my friends are around me and I just love playing the saxophone.
Xion2: Uhhh . . . marching.
tanibanan: Is there anything that you think is difficult about marching band?
DibIsHot: Well, where I live the summers are pretty hot and humid, especially in the mornings, so it was not fun arriving at school over the summer at 8AM to set drill until noon.
M0nkey97: I don't have too much experience in marching band, but the practices are pretty tough. When in season, we practice as much or more as an athletic team might, but we don't get too much credit for it.
jts2000: Sometimes just marching the whole distance while playing the instrument.
Xion2: Uhhh . . . marching.
tanibanan: What is your favorite memory from marching?
DibIsHot: Haha, definitely the guys I dated, the friends I made and going to all the football games for free.
M0nkey97: The first time I ever performed in the marching band, again in 7th grade. We played the National Anthem to start off the marching band competition at my school. It was pretty bad, but pretty fun.
jts2000: Well, someone I hate fell and got stepped on.
Xion2: Uhhhh . . . marching.
As you can see, we have a lot of fun. Even though some things are hard to work through, like hot weather and long practices, the good times we have make all of our work worth it. And you have to admit, seeing a few hundred people moving perfectly in time with each other and playing music all the while is pretty darn cool.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this interview!
- tanibanan
