Introduction to Marching Band

1
Introduction to Marching Band

• Nick Brown
• Norton HS Marching Band

2
What is Marching Band?

• A marching band is a group of instrumental
  musicians who incorporate movements with their
  musical performance.
• Marching bands perform during football games, as
  well as local and national parades and
  competitions.

3
Important Commands

• Attention This is a 4 count move with a hit on
  1. You will hear 4 claps than band tent hut
  There will be a pause on beat 4 and everyone will
  snap to the attention position on count 1.
• BAND TENT HUT (pause) HIT
• The attention position is
• Feet together
• The upper body and lower body should be aligned
  and the shoulders should be back.
• There should be no curve in the back, the hips
  and spine should be aligned.
• The head should be looking slightly up, and
  straight ahead.
• The instruments should be in the carry position.
• THERE IS NO MOVING OR TALKING AT ATTENTION!!!!!

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Important Commands

• Parade Rest Parade rest is a slightly more
  relaxed substitute for attention.
• This is also a 4 count move with a hit on count
  1. The band will hear 4 claps and then band
  parade rest. There is a pause on beat 4 and then
  a snap to parade rest on count 1. Band Parade
  Rest (pause) HIT
• The parade rest position is as follows
• Feet will be spread apart shoulder width, with
  the feet facing forward NOT naturally angled to
  the sides.
• The upper body is the same as attention, except
  the instruments will be held in their parade rest
  carry position.
• THERE IS NO MOVING OR TALKING DURING PARADE
  REST!!!!

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Important Commands

• Horns Up/Down This command is used to bring the
  horns up(or down) together. This is a 4 count
  move with a hit on 1.
• You will hear BAND HORNS UP. There is NO
  movement until beat 1. You will make a hissing
  sound with your tongue and snap your horns to
  playing position.
• To get the horns down, you will hear BAND HORNS
  DOWN. There is no movement until beat 1. You
  will make a hissing sound with your tongue and
  snap your horns down to the carry position.

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Marking Time

• Marking time is used rarely during drill, but is
  used during rehearsals and sectionals in order to
  keep time.
• The command to mark time is 4 counts. You will
  hear Mark Time Mark with a silence on beat 4.
• On beat 4 you will lift your LEFT heal about 2
  inches off the ground so that your heal hits on
  beat 1. On the AND OF ONE you will lift your
  right heal off the ground and it will hit the
  ground on beat 2.
• When done right it will look as follows
• Mark time mark (lift) left hit and right hit and
  left hit and right hit and etc.

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Basic Marching Fundamentals

• The two most common marching techniques are
  corps-style marching and high-step marching.
• Our band uses corps-style marching because it
  allows for a smooth musical sound.

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Marching Fundamentals

• Corps-style marching is characterized by
• A very high, pointed toe.
• Straight legs while moving backwards.
• Weight centered when moving forwards, on the
  balls of the feet while moving backwards.
• A very still upper-body.
• You will learn how to march proficiently during
  preseason marching rehearsals.

9
How to Learn a Show

• A competition marching band show is a complex
  work of art using drill to emphasize the music.
• Music will be handed out the last week of school,
  drill charts will be handed out at band camp.
• ALL MUSIC MUST BE MEMORIZED BY THE END OF BAND
  CAMP!!!

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Basic Marching Information

• A football field is 100 yards across, with yard
  lines that run perpendicular to the side lines
  every 5 yards.
• 28 steps from the side line are the hash marks,
  which run parallel to the sidelines.
• The most common step size that we use is a 22.5
  inch step, known as an 8 to 5 step size.
• It is known as 8 to 5 because it takes 8 even
  size steps to cross 5 yards.
• If a band lined up on the goal line, how many
  steps would it take to cross the field from goal
  line to goal line with an 8 to 5 step size?
• Answer 160 steps

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How to Read Your Drill Charts

• Learning to read drill charts is imperative for a
  successful band camp.
• Drill charts explain exactly where your
  individual position is on the field.
• If you look at the chart on the left, you will
  notice a circle around the performer on the 30
  yard line on the right side of the field.
• When you get your drill chart, you MUST CIRCLE
  YOUR DOT.

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Drill Charts 101

• The numbers on the chart are the yard line
  numbers
• The thick, dashed lines that run across the field
  are hash marks. They are at this position on the
  real field.
• The smaller thick blue boxes on the chart are 4
  step boxes. These boxes show where all 4 step
  intervals are on the field.
• The small, thin blue boxes are 1 step boxes. They
  show every step on the field.

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Drill Charts 101

• Drill charts lead you to your individual DOT
• To find your dot, find your location on the chart
  and go to the nearest yard line and hash mark(or
  sideline). You take even size 8 to 5 steps until
  you find your spot. Then standing on the hash or
  sideline. You forward march using 8 to 5 steps
  until you find your EXACT location on the field.
  Once everyone has found their dot, we can adjust
  the form so that it looks perfect.
• As the season goes on, we will begin to form
  march instead of dot march, but you will learn
  more about that as the season goes on.

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Drill Charts 101

• You will also get an instruction sheet attached
  to your drill chart.
• The instruction sheep has several important
  pieces of information including
• The amount of counts during the move
• Any visuals that might be added to the move
• Direction changes, hip switches, halts, park
  and barks, or marking time.

15
Drill Chart Quiz

• Where is the circled player?
• On the 30 yard line, 4 steps off the sideline.

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Preseason

• We will meet every other Tuesday and every
  Thursday during the month of June
• Tuesdays from 6 to 730 PM are sectional times.
  The first and third Tuesday of the month are
  brass. The second and forth Tuesday are
  Woodwinds.
• Percussion meets every Wednesday from 6 to 8PM in
  June and July.
• We will have Full Band Rehearsals every Thursday
  in June from 6 to 9PM. We will spend the first 2
  hours on marching fundamentals and the last hour
  on music rehearsal.
• BRING WATER AND SUNSCREEN!!!!

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Band Camp

• Band Camp is schedules July 28th-August 1st 2008
  from 830AM-6PM and August 4th to August 9th from
  830AM to noon.
• Band Camp is MANDITORY for all band students, as
  we will spend the time learning and cleaning
  drill.
• Band students are NOT allowed to leave the school
  during band camp hours. The band boosters will
  feed the kids lunch and dinner and will provide
  nutritious snacks during the day.
• Please bring water and sunscreen and start
  hydrating early as we will spend the majority of
  the time outside and it WILL BE HOT!

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Football Games and Parades

• Remember, all performances are required.
• The Norton Band will attend all Norton Panther
  football games for the 2008 season.
• We will meet in full uniform at 530PM for all
  home games to rehearse and at 530PM for all away
  games in order to board the buses.
• We travel to the games in full uniform.
• We will play our pregame show at all home games
  and our competition show at all halftime
  performances.
• All pregame and stand tunes are to be memorized.
• Band members are be on their best behavior while
  at any performance, as you are representing the
  Norton City Schools and the City of Norton!
• No matter what the situation is, we are at the
  game to support the team. Please cheer
  appropriately.
• We will assign raincoats for when they are
  needed. The weather gets worse as the season goes
  along. Dress appropriately because we are going
  to be there rain or shine(or sleet, or snow, or
  whatever)

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Competitions

• All competitions, including the Indianapolis trip
  are mandatory.
• We will attend 4 OMEA competitions, 1 Bands of
  America regional, as well as OMEA State Finals
  and Bands of America Grand Nationals in 2008.
• All band members are required to ride the bus to
  and from all competitions.
• Band members are expected to show pride, class
  dignity while at the show.
• We will wear band shirts under the uniform.
• The Norton HS dress code will be enforced while
  on all trips.
• Updates will be sent to parents by mail.

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BOA Grand Nationals

• We will travel to Indianapolis, IN on Thursday
  November 13th for the annual BOA Grand National
  Championships.
• We will return Sunday the 16th.
• Cost of the trip is 150. We will have many fund
  raising opportunities for the students to raise
  this cost.
• Room and bus sign ups will be posted in November
  and updates will be sent to parents via mail
  before the trip.
• Trip updates and pictures will be available on
  the band website www.nortonbands.org

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BOA Grand Nationals

• The following is hotel information for the 2008
  Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis,
  IN.  The band will be staying at the following
  hotel
• Holiday Inn East, 6990 East 21st Street,
  Indianapolis, IN 46219
• Phone [phone], Fax [phone]
• For more regarding the Indianapolis, IN, area
  (including dining, etc.), please visit Indy.org

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Norton Band Grading System

• Your total band grade is taken from these areas
• Marching/Music50
• Rehearsal50
• Marching/Music Grade taken from pass-offs, spot
  checks, taped playing quizzes, written quizzes,
  assignments, and faculty observations.
• Rehearsal Grade Any missed rehearsal which is
  not excused will result in the loss of 5 points
  from a students rehearsal grade.
• A students rehearsal grade is also negatively
  affected by his/her failure to have necessary
  equipment at rehearsals and sectionals.
• Performance Policy Based upon attendance at all
  performances(games, contests, parades). A
  PERFORMANCE CANNOT BE MADE UP! A students band
  grade will be lowered one full letter grade for
  each missed performance.

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Uniform Care

• Each member of the marching band is assigned a
  complete uniform.
• The uniform is under the care and control of the
  Norton Music Boosters.
• Uniforms will be handed out prior to the
  performance and collected after the performance.
• They will be stored in the uniform closet between
  performances.
• An annual fee will be charged to each band member
  in order to help defray care and cleaning charges
  accrued throughout the season.
• At no time should uniforms be washed or ironed.
• If it appears that your uniform has been abused
  while in your care, you will be charged for
  additional cleaning, repair, or replacement of
  that uniform.

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Uniforms

• The band uniform should always be worn with the
  following accessories not furnished by the school
  district or music boosters
• Long black socks
• Black Band Shoes(MTX)
• Black dress gloves
• Shorts, thin sweats and/or long johns.
• Jeans and pants are prohibited under uniform
  pants. Band tee shirts or sweat shirts must be
  worn under uniform jackets unless told otherwise.
  

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Additional Information

• All band information and forms are inside the
  Norton Band Manual that was given out during the
  mandatory parent/student meetings in May.
• Additional forms and information can be found on
  the band website www.nortonbands.org
• The band office number is 330-825-7277.

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References

• For additional information on the Norton Band
  program, go to the bands website
  www.nortonbands.org
• Grading scale and uniform care courtesy of the
  Norton Band Manual given to students and parents
  at the beginning of the season.
• Other sources
• Bands of America
• Marching.com
• Wikipedia
• The drill image is courtesy of Superior
  Educational Solutions