Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics

Subject: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:37 PM

This thread provides an opportunity to present information, memories, and comments about high school, university, and/or community marching bands.

I've never been a part of a marching band or auxiliary group like flag or baton twirlers. But I've always loved watching many of these types of bands perform.

Last night I attended a "battle of the bands" program that featured Grambling State University's marching band and the University of Pittsburgh's marching band. Six Pittsburgh public school high school marching bands and two teen community step team/drill team groups performed in the first half of that show.

What struck me about this program was that there appeared to be very different aesthetic standards for the performances of predominately White American marching bands and their auxilary groups for predominately Black American marching bands and their auxiliary groups.

This morning I tried to find Mudcat threads on the subject of marching bands and related topics. I found a few threads and posts whose links I will provide in subsequent posts to this thread. I've also found some online information on the subject of marching band traditions as well as information from elsewhere that I will be posting to this thread.

Please join in this discussion.

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Peace
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:53 PM

General overview article from Wikipedia.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Emma B
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 12:57 PM

Azizi, there is a tradition of "marching jazz bands" still alive in many parts of the UK.      

They don't actually play jazz!! In fact they play kazoos and perform complicated marching formation routines.

They were common in industrial areas during the 1926 Strike often raising money for soup kitchens etc but nowadays are popular with young people and continue to be part of carnival entertainment and competitions

one 12 year old's account of what being in a "jazz band" means to her

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 01:34 PM

Thanks for that information and comments.

There's a number of videos on YouTube that can serve to demonstrate the differences in style between predominately Black {HBCU-Historical Black Colleges & Universities} and predominately White American {Drum & Bugle Corp} marching bands.

For example, here's one video of The Madison Scouts performing @1988 Drumcorps Holland Contest The Hague

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzGFKsU8X4Y&mode=related&search=
Added: May 28, 2007
From: JanJaapV

And here is a video clip of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u4pndmz-70&mode=related&search=

Grambling Marching band
Added: November 19, 2006
From: GramblingTigers
Grambling Band in Dallas 2003

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:07 PM

Many of the YouTube videos have a number of comments from viewers. Some of these comment "threads" are decidely "un-pc" {not politically correct}, meaning some of the comments were racially derogatory...

But other commentators on those video clip "threads" tried to address the differences between the two styles of performance without judging whether one style is better or worse than the other.

For example, I found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heaV1d2LkAg

The Real Drumline Drummers (we started it all in 1982)

Added: January 05, 2007
From: ptrol06

The person who posted this video wrote:

"These 4 young men changed Black Drumlines in America. Natives of Durham, NC they attended Hillside High and Later went to North Carolina A&T State University (the school that the movie Drumline was based on). While joining the Marching band in (1984/1985), they shared the techniques with the Drumline (Cold Steel) and learned new techniques as well. These techniques laid the foundation for all Black Highschool and Black College Drumlines across America. This footage was filmed in 1982 in Greensboro, NC where these 4 young men placed 2nd in an all white Talent Show. These 4 men started the drumming techniques seen in the Block Buster Hit Movie Drumline, at the high schools and colleges they attended. Some would even argue that the Movie was clearly inspired by and was perhaps even based on one or all of these individuals. Pernell Briggs, Gerald Tharrington, Timothy Bryant, and Daryl Spellman"

-snip-

There were a number of people who posted comments about this video who challanged ptrol06's statement that these high school students had originated a new style of drumming. A lot of commentators described the high schooler's drumming as "sloppy".

Imo, there is nothing wrong with making that judgement. As to whether it is true or not, I couldn't say. But what was concerning to me {as a reader of that comment "thread"-and what was addressed by some of the commentators to that thread, is that whether the drummers played well or not is one thing. To jump from there to a statement that therefore the Corps performance aesthetics and performance standards are the only standards that are valid.

For instance, Vestman95 writes:
"Why do some of us Corps types instantly slam this? I think it's flattering that show bands have taken ideas from DCI. There's a part in the movie Drumline that sounds alot like the Madison's 92 warm-up. And it's cool what they did with it. Sure, it's not as tight, but these guys are going more for the groove than the precision. Plus, when I marched Madison, we practiced 12 hours a day. These guys don't rehearse near that much.
I guarantee that if they did, they would have the precision.

-snip-

Also, from that same thread, tigonian02:
"Some people think that precision is too robotic but precision and groove a world apart [If you don't like this clip] Thats your opinion. Corp style and HBCU style are two completely different things and should not be compared. Btw I am a corp style marcher that made crown last year. The whole point im saying is, those guys up there [in the video clip] are sloppy."

-snip-

I think that tigoniano2 is saying that it is alright to critique the quality of a performer's playing using the performing standards that he or she is operating within, but it isn't alright to judge that performance using a standard that is different from the one the performer uses.

I agree.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:14 PM

Here's another Wikipedia article that on marching bands:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_band

Here's an excerpt of that article that-imo-hints at the differences between the aesthetic preferences between many predominately White American and many predominately Black American marching bands:

British-style
Main article: Brass band (British style)

"A marching brass bandA brass band in the British tradition with a full complement of players generally comprises 8-10 cornets (usually including a soprano and repiano cornet), 1 flugelhorn, 3 tenor horns, 2 baritones, 2 euphoniums, 3 trombones (2 tenors and 1 bass), 4 tubas (2 E쳌ó and 2 B쳌ó) and percussion. There is a long tradition of competition between brass bands, often based around local industry and communities. This form of brass band is widespread throughout Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand and is also commonly found in North America and continental Europe.

The Salvation Army, part of the Christian church, has deployed brass bands since 1878 and they continue to be an integral part of that organisation. The most well-known Salvation Army brass band is The International Staff Band which is based in London.

New Orleans
The tradition of brass bands in New Orleans, Louisiana dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Traditionally, New Orleans brass bands could feature various instrumentations, often including trumpets, trombones, saxophones, sousaphones and percussion. The music played by these groups was often a fusion between European-styled military band music and African folk music brought to the Americas by west African slaves and the idiom played a significant role in the development of traditional Jazz.

A well-known use of these bands is for the New Orleans jazz funeral.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the New Orleans brass band tradition experienced a renaissance, with bands breaking away from traditional stylings and adding elements of funk, hip hop, and bop to their repertoires. Some notable exponents of this style of brass band include the Rebirth Brass Band, the Soul Rebels Brass Band, Youngblood Brass Band and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, though a number of groups outside the United States have begun playing this style of music. The style has moved beyond New Orleans and now brass bands can be found in such far flung places as Japan with the Black Bottom Brass Band, The Netherlands with the Happy Feet and the Hurricane Brass Band, Boston, Massachusetts with the Hot Tamale Brass Band and Madison, Wisconsin with Mama Digdown's Brass Band and Youngblood Brass Band"" ...

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Emma B
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:26 PM

British-style Brass (or silver) bands don't have any "marching" tradition,
The modern form of competition was represented in the film Brassed Off a
film about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of their pit. The soundtrack for the film was provided by The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, and the plot is based on Grimethorpe's own struggles against pit closures.

Those videos are pretty amazing Azizi I bet those kids in our kazoo "jazz bands" bands would love to see them!

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:39 PM

Here's another YouTube video clip. This one is from the movie Drumline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXWlOjYA95g&mode=related&search=
Added: August 09, 2006
From: deejjc

-snip-

The scene shows two fictionalized Black University bands having a drum battle during a football halftime.

Here's some information about the 2002 movie Drumline:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1807800000/details

"For fans of America⿿s show-style marching bands, halftime is game time. A squad of players, some 300 strong and armed with musical instruments, takes over the field, commanding attention with their stirring, spectacular display of choreography and musicianship. The football contest⿿s controlled mayhem makes way for the blaring sound of trumpets and the heart-thumping rhythm of drums. Into this rigorous, ritualistic world comes a kid from a different culture. Devon Miles, a young, gifted hip-hop drummer from Harlem, wins a full music scholarship to Atlanta A&T University with the hopes of gaining a spot as a drummer on the school⿿s renowned marching band⿿s drumline. Devon, sporting a talent that is both raw and undisciplined, has one problem: He marches to the beat of his own drum. Surmounting overwhelming odds, he snares a spot as a starter, much to the disdain of a resentful senior class band member, Sean Taylor, who dismisses the freshman⿿s skills as bogus. When Taylor discovers something amiss about Devon⿿s abilities, he alerts Dr. Lee, the school⿿s demanding, dedicated band director, who suspects that the upstart talent may have duped the school into awarding him his scholarship. That situation threatens not only Devon⿿s future at the school but, more immediately, his spot on the band⿿s drumline just before the heralded Big Southern Classic, one of the region⿿s most popular musical competition, spotlighting some of the area⿿s best college bands and the winner-take-all jackpot of $100,000 for the school. Now, with so much money, and possibly his own job, at stake, can Dr. Lee afford to pass up such a prize by keeping his star drummer on the sidelines?"

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:44 PM

There's a 2002 Mudcat thread on Colliery bands

Here's one post from that thread:

thread.cfm?threadid=44573#655729

And I'm going to take the liberty of reposting this comment from that thread:

Subject: RE: Colliery bands
From: mouldy - PM
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 02:24 AM

I don't know that much about them, but there were, and still are quite a few bands. There are competitive leagues in the brass band world, and the colliery bands were often up with the best. (Many of the other bands being associated with other manufacturing industries, eg Fairey Engineering and Fodens). I think I remember my husband (a one-time mining engineer who used to be in colliery management in Notts) once telling me that the members of the bands were, whenever possible, kept off the really dusty work that would damage their lungs!

I think the "silver" refers to the silver plating on the instruments. The bands would play at local public events and especially the miners' "Galas" held annually, when often there was a parade and the local colliery branch of the NUM would proudly march with their banner behind the band.

That's all I can really offer, still it's enough to start the ball rolling and is all fairly common knowledge. Radio 2 does have a 30 minute brass band programme at 9.30pm on fridays called "Listen to the Band".

Andrea

-snip-

I'm not sure if that Radio station or program still exists now...

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Emma B
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:54 PM

Miners Gala photo

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 08:22 AM

Yesterday, instead of focusing on other work that was waiting for me :o} I watched a number of videos of HBCU {Historical Black College & University} and non-HBCU marching bands performing during half time football games and at parades. I also thought back on the marching bands that I have seen in person, and those marching bands that I have seen on television and in movies. These were the questions that I formulated about those performances:

1. In the case of half-time performances or other non-parade performances, how did the marching band enter the performance area {for instance, did they march on to the performance area silently or with just the accompaniment of a drummer hitting two sticks together, or did other drummers play their drums, did they march using high steps; did the band members lean to right while marching in to the performance area?

2 What types of music the bands played?

3. What types of instruments and auxiliary sound makers did the band use {for instance, was a whistle used? and was the drum major the only one using the whistle?}

4. How prominent a band member was the drum major? Did the drum major hold his {or her?} baton and if so, how was that baton used throughout the performance?

5. What instruments did members of the band play and what did they do when they played them? If I were a musician I would have also been interested in how well did individual sections of the band, and the band in general play their instruments, but since I'm not a musician, I "note" that question :o) but don't address it in my admittedly unscientific and not otherwise very well informed analysis

6. What, if any, were the differences in the types of instruments that HBCU {or predominately Black high school/community bands} used as compared to predominately non-Black bands?

7. What did the band do while they played that music? {for instance: did they march using high steps; did they turn their heads to the side or do rhythmic head snaps; did they do any dance movements etc}

8. How did the musicians hold their instruments [and in the case of drummers, their drum sticks] when they entered or left the performance field {for instance, did the drummers point their sticks after playing their drum, and if so how; did the cymbalist twirl their instruments, did they wave their instruments, hold them above their head, hold them close to their side, did the musicians ever put their instruments down on the ground?

9. Did the musicians ever kneel with one or two knees down on the ground, or lay on the ground?

10. Did the musicians and their auxiliary groups move in such a way that they made geometric figures or spelled out abbreviations or numbers?

11. What auxiliary groups {such as dancers, flag twirlers, and baton, rifle, and other twirlers {with the exception of cymbalists} were part of the band? In the case of half time games, how prominent a role did these auxiliary groups play in the band's overall performance?

12. Were the dancers all female? What types of dances did they do?

13. What types of uniforms, including hats, did the band members wear? What type of uniforms did the dancers in the band wear?

14. Was an announcer associated with the band used in the half-time performance? If so, did the announcer speak throughout the band's performance?

15. What type of show did the audience expect from the band?

16. How and when did the audience respond to the band's performance?

17. If bands played in a competitive battle of the band event, how did the audience think or feel about the judges' decision about which bands won the event, and how did the audience express their thinking {feelings} about that?

-snip-

Since I like the number 17, I'll stop here. But there are probably other questions that could be asked about these performances, from a sociological, folkloric standpoint {frankly, I'm not sure what I mean by a sociological or a folkloric standpoint, or whether there is a difference between the two ways of viewing something. But it sounds good to me. So I'll leave that phrasing alone}.

:o}

I'll share some of my thoughts about these questions in subsequent posts to this thread, and I hope that other folks will also add their thoughts and opinions on this subject.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 09:16 AM

I'll try to answer the questions I posed in the order that I presented them, but knowing me, my comments will probably refer to more than one question...

I suppose that I don't need to add a disclaimer that the views I presented here are just my own and are arrived at in a very unscientific manner. Oh, I need such a disclaimer? Okay, then consider that last sentence my disclaimer :o).

1. There seemed to me to be differences in how the HBCU and non-HBCU marching bands entered the performance area. This relates to question numbers 15 & 16 since how the band entered the performance area helped build up {or lessened the audience's expectations} about what type of show they were going to experience from the band
If the audience expected a band to be "hot", then if the band marched in silently or just to the accompaniment of a solo drummer playing a beat with his drum sticks, that audience's expectations would be let down. My sense is that predominately African American audiences {and some non-African American audiences, I believe} want the band to immediately demonstrate that they are
"pumped up" to perform. When the band high steps in to a performance area to the accompaniment of a number of hot drum beats, and also when the band leans to the side {as I saw a drill team do, in the battle of the band program I attended Friday night, and have seen at other times, but come to think of it, maybe this is only done by drill teams}, the audience gets "geeked" {excited, pumped up, energized} and the audience shows it by their actions and their vocalizations-and that I believe is a key difference between predominately Black and predominately White aesthetic prefereces with regard to marching band {and drill team} performances.

2. It seems to me that the predominately Black bands played more music from R&B, hip-hop, pop music. These tunes were usually contemporary {meaning the latest hit song} but they might also be a golden oldie {a popular "old school" song}. The predominately Black band might also play music from Black religious traditions such as a familiar gospel song or a Dixieland jazz song. Perhaps the predominately White bands also chose songs that were from their traditions-it seemed to me that they were usually classical concert type songs or more classical jazz songs

{Note: In the case of the Madison Scouts, a number of viewers of their YouTube videos mentioned that this group used to be known for playing arrangements of Latin or Jazz tunes...Perhaps that is why they were my favorite Drum & Bugle corp groups when I used to watch the televised national marching band competitions in the 1980s}.

As appears to be the case in other stage performing arts, it seems to me that predominately White audiences don't usually respond spontaneously, or as often, or in the same ways as Black audiences perform. This goes allll the way back to African traditions about the relative lack of separation between audience and performer, and how people are expected to express by word and by actions how they are receiving the performance...

3. It seemed to me that the predominately White bands and the predominately non-White bands used basically the same kind of instrumentation, but I'm not sure since-again-I'm not a musician. It did seem to me that the predominately Black marching bands used the whistle as an instrument and I can't remember if the predominately White band did also...I've read and heard {recordings/videos] that the whistle was also incorporated early on [19th century?] into traditional African musical performances.

Also, I just thought of a question that could have been added- Did the band members incorporate vocalizations or chants into their performance-not just when they are marching in parades, but also when they are performing during half time? I think this is a difference between predominately Black and predominately White marching bands-meaning the predominately Black bands appear to do this much more often than the predominately White bands...I believe that this is part of the White aesthetic preference for pure sounds and the Black aesthetic preference for noisy,multi-layed, dense sounds {which in this context might be the same as "dirty" sounds but might not} See brief comments about African/ African Diaspora preferences for dense, mult-layered sounds in this article: http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/music/rhythm/rhythm.htm

Here's an excerpt from that article:

"African music values dense, noisy sound textures, also known as the timbre... Noisy timbres and complex, interweaving parts give the music a dense, rich quality.

This affinity for noisy timbres and dense sounds fit well with the cheap brass instruments available in the late 19th and early 20th century. Lieutenant James Europe's "Marching Hell-Fighters" band exemplifies this sound.

Listen to the Marching Hellfighters {click on link provided to get to this sound clip}"

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 10:11 AM

Hmmm, I see that questions number #3 and #5 ask basically the same thing. My bad {I used to hate this slang phrase which means I'm sorry for my mistake; but overtime, I've gotten more used to writing it, if not saying it}.

These mistakes show that I'm writing this in an off the top of my head type of way. If I were to spend time thinking about this, and formally writing it, it probably wouldn't get written. And if I didn't write it, then...well I think an analysis of the differences between the aesthetic styles of Black and of White marching bands & an analysis of the audiences' responses and expectations regarding these bands deserves some attention on Mudcat and elsewhere, so that is why I'm posting these thoughts and this is why I hope that others join in this discussion...

With regard to question #4, it seems to me that the predominately Black marching bands emphasize the drum major's performing role more than predominately White marching bands.

#5. I pass on this question

#7/#9. My for instances address the main differences that I see between HBCU marching bands and non-HBCU marching bands {high stepping, incoporating dance movements while marching, stopping marching to do dance movements, moving their heads while marching, bending down towards the ground, half-kneeling on the ground, laying on the ground while playing their musical instruments

#10 It appears to me that both types of marching bands moved in such a way that they made geometric figures, anagrams, numbers etc...Some may argue that the predominately White marching bands did this with more precision than the predominately Black marching bands, but I can't tell if that is the case or not.

#11/12/13. It seemed to me that the flag twirlers and baton twirlers were much more an integral part of predominately White marching bands than predominately Black marching bands. Indeed, some predominately Black marching bands don't appear to have had flag twirlers or baton twirlers. Female dancers seem to be an integral part of predominately Black marching bands more than predominately White marching bands. These dancers were usually slender, attractive young women {using the majority/minority culture's definition of "attractive"} who were usually dressed in majorette type uniforms or tight fitting informal wear; In Black marching groups the dancers usually performed dance steps from hip-hop/R&B culture; In White marching bands, the majority female dancers seemed to me to perform more modern dance/ballet type moves.

#13. The two types of marching bands usually wore the same types of military style, colorful uniforms; Some groups had capes to their uniforms...I noted how FAMU {Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University} drum majors and band members used the capes of their uniforms to further emphasize their moves...This reminded me of the traditional ways that female dancers in various African Diaspora cultures hold their wide skirts out to emphasize flowing moves, and how men and women wave {usually white} handkerchiefs and cloths while they dance} Both of these customs are still done nowadays. As a matter of fact, I was impressed with [during the battle of the bands show that I went to last Friday] how some old time veterans of the Grambling band joined the younger band members in a performance of a Dixieland jazz tune. Two of the old men danced a two step [I think that's what it was called] and both of them held a white handkerchief out but down toward the floor while they danced.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 10:46 AM

#14/15/16

Having an announcer talk to the audience throughout the band's performance seemed to be an integral part of the Black marching bands half-time performance. I think this fits into African American expectations that the band is there to put on a certain type of show and the audience is suppose to show their appreciation for that performance throughout the entire show and not just at its end. Black audiences expect marching bands to "pump them up" and if the band does not succeed in doing this, then the audience will either not respond or will respond in ways that show that they are not "in to" the performance.

See this clip from the 2002 movie for a sense of audiences respond to the music a band plays and how the band plays that music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBqBUT_MFlQ

Btw, the 202 to date viewer comments about this clip make for interesting reading. Of course, I didn't take the time to read them all ;0)

**

Of course, I'm not saying that non-Black drumlines don't ever get down or that predominately White audiences don't vocally express their appreciation for these groups or dance or wave hand held objects while the group is performing...But I do think that we {Black people} usually do this a bit more and more often than White audiences do. Also, I wonder how much of Black aesthetics have been adopted by White audiences, bands and vice versa.

Here's an example of a White drum line in which you can hear audience appreciation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27jV70BJQFU&mode=related&search=
UNT Drumline Fall 06

Added: November 16, 2006
From: meangreengurl04
"This is UNT's amazing drumline at one of our home football games
{University of North Texas}"

**

Also, here's a clip of a Swiss marching band that I thought made interesting watching. Note, the audience's response of handclapping and whistling throughout. So maybe I was wrong that White audiences usually sit back quietly until the end of a performance-though I've experienced this in other types of mainstream {ie White American} performances. The 200 plus viewers' comments about this clip also make for interesting reading

**

I think that different ideas and expectations about aesthetics can cause audiences to be very disappointed about the outcome of competitive events. With regard to the battle of the bands that I went to on Friday, the audience {which was 2/3 Black-and this is a city with about 20% African Americans and a county with about 10% African Americans}, showed their surprise and displeasure that out of 6 high school bands, the ones which won 1st, 3rd, and 4th place {trophies and money} were predominately White high school bands. Fwiw, the judges were never introduced. Nor did anyone explain what standards these folks used in their judging.

Also, the Grambling St. University marching band was a much bigger hit with the overwhelming majority of that event's audience than was the hometown University of Pittsburgh marching band. Though I'm sure that they were good at what they do. It's just that what they did didn't move me {and didn't appear to move most of the other folks in attendance}.

Again, I think it's because we were using different standards and aesthetics to judge these groups than the judges and "mainstream" American uses. I should say that some White persons in attendance at that event were also surprised at and vocally expressed their displeasure at the outcome of that competition.

But it bes that way sometime.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 11:01 AM

Why not just skip all the extraneous crappola and get down to it? There is but one band at the top of the heap and that one is known as "TBDBITL" (The Best Damn Band In The Land) around here but known to all far and wide as The Ohio State University Marching Band.

Many traditions as well as many firsts mark TBDBITL. One of their finest that is often referred to as one of the "greatest traditions in sports," not just marching bands or OSU, is Script Ohio. It is always an honor to dot the "i" by the way and is generally a Sousaphone player as in this case. On rare occasions the honor has been paid to Ohio legends such as Great Golfer,OSU grad, and Columbus native, Jack Nicklaus or the Buckeyes legendary coach Woody Hayes.


Spaw

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 08:05 PM

Script Ohio MICHIGAN VS OHIO STATE NOVEMBER 18 2006

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-TQcqRWbDA&mode=related&search=

Added: November 18, 2006
From: rjj28
Dotting of the I during the Ohio State/ Michigan Game on November 18, 2006.

-snip-

There's 90 viewers'comments to date.

Here's a few of them:

Forrester273:
i just get chills down my spine when he goes out to dot the i, this is so awesome, i wish i went to OSU

**

buckeyebabe25:
I still can't believe they showed all of Script on TV, but it still doesn't do it justice! Nothing is better than seeing it in person. TBDBITL! Enough said! Go Buckeyes! OH . . .

**

drewbe06:
love that! the drum major, Stew Kitchen, is a great friend of mine, graduated from my high school the year before i did, which was just 2 years ago, as he is a sophmore at osu, i actually took lessons from him for 3 months in high school, training for our high school band. he is a great person and is an amazing drum major, and he's only a sophmore!!! WAY TO GO BUCKS!!


-snip-

"Stew Kitchen"??!

Well, I guess if somebody has the name "catspaw49", a person can have the name "Stew Kitchen".

LOL!!!

Btw, Good Job, OSU!! I enjoyed watching that video.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 10:03 PM

AZUZU - I like you as a sister....but occasionaly....you stray far from the fields of folk and blues.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

There are several thousands of discussion/web places devoted to "Marching Bands"

Look, if eleven.... out of fifteen postings.... are from yourself....perhaps the thread should "die?"

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: blind will
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 10:49 PM

The most important marching tradition (historicaly) is that of the middle eastern-Turkish tradition, because they are the ones that got the ball running in the first place.The more western style march began in Europe as a hybrid blend of Turkish military and European classical.As it spread throughout Europe and America, the march took on regional variations or flavours (eg. flamenco in Spain, Operetic melody in Italy, etc).

Here's an example of Turkish style brass band marching:

Turkish Brass Band Marching

Another link that gives some info on European and American marching styles:

Wikipedia Article On Marching Styles

Unfortunately the article I wanted to give on Turkish marching (which would help to verify the Turkish connection) is no longer on the internet.I have it printed out at home but I certainly don't have the time to write it all out.Maybe I can find a similar article later.


PS. My own direct experience of marching bands is limited to parades, but I often borrow from the march beat when I'm beating out my own rhythmns.Not that I'm a real musician or anything, but sometimes I like to entertain myself at work.One of my common beats is a mix of Bo Diddly syncopation with a march, which comes out sounding like hip hop.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 08:07 AM

gargoyle,

I like you as a brother, but as happens with all families, there are often many times when brothers and sisters disagree.

This is one of those times.

In my opinion, the traditions and aesthetics of marching bands can be an interesting topic for consideration and for discussion among persons interested in folk cultures.

As to most of the posts on this thread being from me, that is the case now. This may continue to be the case. Or this may change.

In my opinion, there are two types of Mudcat threads:

1. conversational/discussion threads- where posts are from a number of people who respond to each other's comments & questions

2. information presentation threads -where information on a topic is presented by one person or a few people for the purpose of sharing knowledge and/or particular perspectives on a topic, and/or for others consideration about that topic.

I have started both kinds of Mudcat threads. And while I very much prefer the conversational/discussion type threads, I also consider information/presentation type threads to be an appropriate use of Mudcat bandwith-or whatever it's called that is used when posting to this forum.

As you are aware, Mudcat archives its threads and these thread titles are available by key words through Mudcat's search engines as well as other online search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This means that today, tomorrow, next month, or years from now persons interested in this topic could access this thread. Those persons accessing this thread, still may not post to it. But they could do so if they had a mind to-that is, if this thread has not been closed or deleted.

Of course, Mudcat's chief moderator is the ultimate judge of what topic or discussion is or is not appropriate for this forum, and for the above the line music/folk culture section.

If this hread isn't deleted or closed, or moved to the BS section, then that means that it passed the test of what is or is not an appropriate topic for above the line threads about folk culture.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Azizi
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 08:09 AM

blind will,

Thanks for sharing that information.

Best wishes,

Azizi

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 10:22 AM

Geeziz Garg.....Crabs actin' up on you or what?   Seems to me, but then I'm a rational person, that this stuff is every bit as much trad and folklore as Rugby Songs...........and you sure as hell have been on THAT thread a lot!

Have a sucky day......Eat shit and die......And all that stuff we wish each other......I'll do the same....Saves you all the mucking with html and such.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: Becca72
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 11:02 AM

I was in my high school marching band. I played clarinet for the first 3 years and was drum major my senior year. It was a very big part of my life and that was basically the "click" I belonged to. We all hung out together all year long (here in Maine marching band season was in the fall). We competed against other high school bands in the state and in fact won the state championship for our division my sophomore year. I have very happy memories of those times and I still, 17 years later, have close contact with many of the friends made back then.

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: blind will
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 08:44 PM

Your Welcome!

I think I'm going to march off to bed soon!

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 11:41 PM

Morris included?

~S~

Subject: RE: Marching Bands-Traditions and Aesthetics
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 12:35 PM

An old friend, a member of our high school marching band, went on to study music in college. He performed with his school's marching band at Texas Tech. He also travelled to England and learned about some of the traditions there. Both he and I came to deplore the very American collegiate marching band direction toward formations that spread musicians out all over the field, so that a piece becomes fragmented to the listeners in the stands or listening nearby. I would rather they be more static, so that I could hear a given piece as it was composed to be heard.