Klarinet Archive - Posting 000876.txt from 1997/04

From: Lord Rob <rteitelbaum@-----.EDU>
Subj: RE: marching bands (long but necessary, I think)
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 12:14:00 -0400

As a former drum major, I suppose I ought to offer a few more thoughts in
defense of the marching band. First of all, I take great exception to the
notion that the pursuit of marching band is anathema to musical
development. I am much more of a tone player than a metronomic
technician, but the fact that I have any sense of tempo at all is due solely
to marching band. When I first came into high school, my conception of
tempo and rhythm was quite limited, despite my having played 5 years at
that point, and also despite having had an excellent junior high school band
director. It was marching band that changed all this. It helped me develop the
mental coordination required to play in tempo, to understand complex
rhythms, and to fulfill that most formidable of musical tasks, conducting. The
challenge of simultaneously marching and playing also greatly improved my
ability to coordinate my two hands on the piano, and while I'm still just a hack
on that instrument, I'm a much better hack! (Plus, the increased finger
coordination has, in the past few years, worked wonders on my clarinet
playing!)

As for the complaints about band directors who "force their students to take
marching band", I think here it's important to look at it from the director's point
of view. Not every school is fortunate enough to have 320 musicians. Our
music program had from 55-75 in any given year. People were always asking
if they could just do concert season or just do marching season, and the
director's response was always the same: "If I let everyone just play the
season they wanted to, we'd be down to a 35 piece band!" Moreover, I can
personally assure you all that the only reason my high school's music program
was not stamped out of existence a decade ago is that the marching band
supports the football team. Now, I don't like that fact, and I'm not saying that's
the way it should be, but it is the reality of the situation in most U.S. school
districts. As for the complaint that students in marching bands don't read through
enough music, that may be true ensemble-wise, but why can't these students
read music in private study, or form small ensemble groups, as many band
programs have their students do specifically so their reading skills WON'T
deteriorate?!! Besides, marching band comprises approximately 3 months
of the typical school year. The majority of the time is still spent on concert
music.

In short (too late), though I am and always will be a concert-style musician,
I would not trade my 4 years in marching band for the ability to play the
Corigliano Concerto. Just my $.02. Or, considering the length, probably
my $.04.

Rob Teitelbaum
Claremont McKenna College