Klarinet Archive - Posting 001152.txt from 1998/09

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Marching band
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 16:56:40 -0400

On Tue, 29 Sep 1998, Harlan Landes wrote:
> And for top level marching bands and drum corps, the shows they can produce
> are not only musical, but they are often as moving and emotional as any
> symphony orchestra can be, and often moreso because it's on a larger scale.
> (I've never heard one orchestra that had a range of dynamics as large as a
> better marching band or drum corps, and I'm talking about both ends of the
> spectrum.) It can incorporate visual art, dance, music performance, all
> while "marching." Quite extraordinary, when it's done right.

Musical from the standpoint that the elements are there. The one element
that will never be in a marching show that is a major part of
self-expression is spotantanity (did I spell that correctly?).

I would disagree regarding the dynamic range - the Marching Band does not
have colors that the orchestra has available to it - especially in an
outdoor setting. I would agree that, in terms of sheer volume and use of
space, marching bands have larger dynamic ability.

Roger Garrett
IWU

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