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Klarinet Archive - Posting 000045.txt from 1998/03

From: Mitch Bassman <mbassman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: marching band
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 09:37:07 -0500

At 12:58 AM 3/2/98 -0600, Edwin V. Lacy wrote:
>On Mon, 2 Mar 1998, Cheddar99 wrote:
>
>> sorry for writing so much. I just had to defend my favortie sport...
>
>I think that was the point several people were trying to make. Marching
>band is a sport.
>
>Ed Lacy
>el2@-----.edu

Ah, yes, now I remember. Thanks for stating that so clearly, Ed. When I was
in college, about a hundred years ago, people joined the marching band (for
football season) primarily so that they could play in the pep band (during
basketball season) and be guaranteed seats at basketball games. (Only
marching band members were allowed to play in the basketball pep band.) The
marching band and pep band were funded by the athletic department, not by
the music department. Marching band rehearsals were held at the baseball
stadium.

And further more, way back then (when all students were still required to
take physical education classes during their freshman and sophomore years),
marching band members were excused from PE class one day a week during
football season! We got PE credit for marching band, not music credit. We
got athletic letter sweaters for playing in the marching band!

We played in the orchestra and concert band to make music. We played in the
marching band to get a seat at basketball games. Seriously.

Mitch Bassman
Burke, Virginia, USA
mbassman@-----.com