Klarinet Archive - Posting 000161.txt from 1998/03

From: Stan Elias <elias@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Marching Band
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 1998 15:44:45 -0500

Scott Morrow wrote:

> I think you're confusing marching band with ROTC. Don't worry, lots of
> people do! I mean, they're both large groups of people who march around in
> funny costumes. The major difference is that, in ROTC, they're carrying
> weapons instead of instruments (although some people DO consider the
> glockenspiel a weapon).

When I was an undergrad at Drexel, all the guys -- about 95% of the student body
-- were drafted into ROTC (pronounced ROT-see). I think the school got a bounty
for the number of bodies they could stuff into ill-fitting uniforms. On
Thursdays the campus was a sea of green. Those of us who were musicians,
however, were the envy of the "corps" because while they were slogging around on
a cold, muddy football field, we were rehearsing in a nice, warm, dry
auditorium. Before football season we learned one drill and used it (with minor
variations) for each game. When the school dropped football, the ROTC band
became exclusively a concert band. Not the greatest musical experience, but it
kept me from toting a rifle!

Stan Elias

   
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