Comments on: Organized Chaos

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:15:20 +0000

I have absolutely no musical talent, but oddly enough, a whole bunch of my friends marched. I hated football, but I would go to the games to see them do their crazy formations!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:21:31 +0000

I wasn’t in marching band but I played the clarinet as well from 5th grade until 12th grade. I actually really started missing it lately, so when I get home from Europe I’m going to start practicing again

By: MinD

MinD — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:51:23 +0000

I’ve never been part of marching band – never played an instrument either – but I’ve always been fascinated. It’s beautiful to watch them play, hear the music that emerges. I love it. I bet you love the movie Drumline, too, don’t you?

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:54:19 +0000

Up north we did not have a ‘marching band’ per se. We marched in the summer on the street or road on flat beds to perform. But when I came to college in Louisiana, that all changed. I had to learn how to march on a field, find my place, while playing, and not bump into anyone. It is super hard, but totally worth it. My favorite memories from college were playing on the field for half time or for pregame. I almost got hit once by a football player because there was too much smoke. Now I go watch the marching band festival and DCI competitions (AWESOME!! Brass and percussion. Can’t get any better then that).

By: LiLu

LiLu — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:32:42 +0000

Yesss! I am so with you! I was never in band and had NO idea about “real marching” until I went to Mardi Gras last year… they are AMAZING- so talented and fun to watch!

By: Jaime

Jaime — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:17:57 +0000

Why are the uniforms always polyester, I wonder? I was in the choir, not the band, but our dress robes were also polyester and we hated them.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:35:35 +0000

Marching with an instrument IS really hard- I was in a marching band in middle school, no less. We marched during one of the parades at Disneyland and it was pretty awesome. But I don’t know if I loved it, or should I say I don’t know if I loved all the work I had to put into looking halfway decent, and so I drifted away from that. But I still love seeing marching bands play, and they are really fun.

Because I watch so much sports, and specifically college football, AND because I went to the university with the “Showband of the Southwest” aka the University of Texas Longhorn Marching Band, I love marching bands quite a bit. Also, I went to a Cal football game where the band did a whole Weezer tribute and that was really cool. But what was even cooler was that there was a Weezer concert a little while after that and before Weezer came on, the Cal band came out and played their Weezer tribute thing. It was one of the cooler things I’ve ever seen.

Wow, I haven’t thought that much about marching bands in a long time…

By: f.B

f.B — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:22:51 +0000

I was in marching band through high school; played the trumpet. Our band had this whole long history. But it still wasn’t that cool to be part of it. People still look at us kind of… sideways. But the only regret I have is the uniform. So, so awkward.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:38:12 +0000

I played flute from 6th grade all the way through college. I picked up the piccolo in high school. I completely understand what you mean about marching bands. I feel it too.

You talk about universities in the South. All universities have their style of matching, some correct and some not so correct. I know high school marching band is very competitive in southern Louisiana. If you want to catch some really good marching bands, I’d check out high schools. They are more into competition than college bands are.

I remember those songs!! They were so much fun to play. Man, I miss it.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:27:45 +0000

I played clarinet when I was little too. I’m glad I quit in 5th grade though, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten that marching thing down. I can barely walk.

By: Carissa

Carissa — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:35:36 +0000

love this post! I was a band nerd in high school, but not in the marching band. I played oboe, so I didn’t march. but many of my friends did, so me and my bestie, who also played oboe, would attend shows, sit by the band at football games… we even walked with the marchers during a parade one year to distribute water (aka, squeeze water in their mouths in between breaks). not to mention my high school boyfriend played sax in the marching band and was section leader. so even to this day, I love watching marching bands too. perhaps not as much as you, but I appreciate what they do because I know it is hard and I’m not sure I could have done it! I too wish I had gone to a bigger university that actually had a football team because I missed going to the games and seeing the band! :)

By: Sophia

Sophia — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:10:23 +0000

I’ve always been impressed by marching bands, what a workout! It has got to take oodles of coordination.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:10:50 +0000

Whenever I think of marching bands, I think of the episode from The Adventures of Pete & Pete where big Pete & Ellen join the band. It was rad.

I’ve never enjoyed football games, but I do like watching marching bands for all the coordination and music!

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:55:07 +0000

My high school didn’t have a band. My sophomore year of high school we had a drum line, but it only lasted that one year because the teacher who directed it moved to a different school. So. We didn’t have anything fun like that.

By: Herding Cats

Herding Cats — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:21:03 +0000

Yah Pasadena! The 4th in Pasadena is an EVENT!

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:14:53 +0000

I absolutely loved marching band haha. I started band in high school (since I couldn’t march wtih a violin). It was interesting learning a new instrument and how to march in 2 weeks. I loved it so much… I did it for two years in college and sometimes still wish I did more of it haha.