fuck yeah marching band!

the-cadets-official: A glimpse at rehearsal

haiku-dreams — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:30:24 -0400

the-cadets-official:

A glimpse at rehearsal

thecavaliers: Pre-Tour is heating up…

haiku-dreams — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:44:19 -0400

thecavaliers:

Pre-Tour is heating up…

Staying Hydrated

haiku-dreams — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:30:22 -0400

We live in Texas, so summer camps can be a complete beating under the sun. But no matter where you live, band camps usually start in the summer so it’ll be hot anywhere! I’ve seen way too many band kids (not just freshmen, even upperclassmen!) pass out or throw up because they didn’t know how to condition their bodies to the heat. So, here are just a few basic tips to keep in mind throughout especially the summer months.

Always bring water with you. At our school it’s a requirement to have a water jug at rehearsal but even if that isn’t the case for you, make sure you have water with you. Don’t bring like gatorade, energy drinks, or worst of all (someone in my section literally did this) bring chocolate milk. Milk and heat don’t mix, especially with all that unnatural sugar.
Eats fruits & veggies. They’re made up of lots of water, so you keep staying hydrated even when you aren’t drinking water that minute. The fiber will keep you full through practice. Please, don’t eat something super greasy and dense like a cheeseburger, it’ll sit like a rock in your stomach and make you feel worse. Go for fruits and veggies, lots of water, and complex carbs or lean protein.
It doesn’t matter if the water isn’t cold. Although ice cold water probably sounds more refreshing, it’s actually better to drink room temp water or luke warm when you’re outside because your body won’t have to use calories (your body can use it quicker for hydration) to bring your body temp to normal. So no excuses if your water gets warm while being outside! It’s fine! :)
Check yourself. You’ve probably heard this before, but a simple little test to see if you’re taking in enough water is to make sure that your urine isn’t dark. It should be more clear than yellow.
Make it a habit. Don’t just drink during rehearsal, start drinking water as soon as you get up in the morning and throughout the day so you’re prepared for practice.

To the anon about roll stepping: think about stepping on a tube of toothpaste and squeezing out all of the toothpaste from the bottom to the top. And maintain high toes at the same time. As long as you thin about that you'll have a good technique in no time ;)

haiku-dreams — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:47:38 -0400

awesome! haha I love helpful little analogies like that. thanks for the help c:

Hi! I'm a freshman and I've just started marching band and we've had 3 practices so far. I'm pretty good at keeping time and following commands but I'm so so so bad at roll stepping. I don't even know where I'm going wrong but everytime I try I end up walking normally. Do you have any roll stepping tips that might help me? Thanks!

haiku-dreams — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:33:50 -0400

Hey! I wish I could help you out with the roll stepping, but our school actually uses a different technique, like platform without the roll. However if you’re already good at following commands and keeping time, you’re in the best position you can be in! Seriously, all the rest like technique and ability will fall into place, but no one’s going to help someone who isn’t willing. Maybe ask your section leaders if during the next practice they can watch you a bit and let you know what exactly it is you aren’t getting. Or if practice would be too hard for them to get a chance to check out your feet, ask them if they’d be able to stay a little after or before practice, like marching band “tutoring” haha. Best of luck, again, don’t stress!

looms-music: caught up in the strands of this clueless...

haiku-dreams — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:31:45 -0400

looms-music:

caught up in the strands of this clueless summer

hey everyone, we’ve been making some music again and I know I’ve posted about us before, but it would mean the world to me if you checked out our new song we made this week. so even though I’m graduating and won’t be participating in marching band anymore, I’m definitely going to keep up with music in this way. ugh you guys, music just makes you feel so good no matter what kind it is or how you make it. c:

aha hi um im going to be a freshman soon and im going to start marching band. any advice for a newbie?

haiku-dreams — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:24:24 -0400

Most important thing to keep in mind is that it’s most likely going to be a totally different experience in high school than band was for you in middle school. So just keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to ask upperclassmen for advice on specific things! They were once in your shoes too. :) So definitely keep an open mind and with that I’m sure you’ll start to fit in and make your new band friends which helps you a LOT during practices, knowing those people are there with you. For logistic stuff as far as rehearsal, drink lots of water and eating is so important - I’ve seen way too many freshmen get sick or pass out because they didn’t take care of themselves. Be safe and you’ll learn quickly from the examples of kids who have been in your band! Good luck :)

Hello! I'm am a high school senior. No more marching band for me. I loved it, any ways I've played the clarinet for 8 years. In January I started to play the bass clarinet. My last/first concert is this month. Well I fear I'll mess up, I'm the only bass in my band, and I have a few solos. Any tips?

haiku-dreams — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:37:17 -0400

Hi! I’m in the same boat as you, just finishing up my last year playing clarinet and no more marching band…. congrats on the solos, what an awesome way to end your year!

You’ll be wonderful I’m sure, but here are a couple tips!

Breathing is number one with solos, just make sure you take a deep breath before your solos and plan out exactly where you’re going to take breaths during the solo. That way you won’t be flustered when you come back in after a breath or lose your spot on the page or somethin’ crazy. It also makes your solo naturally sound more lyrical and rehearsed, as if your breathing is just as important as the notes you’re playing.

Another thing I like to do for solos is to play it through really, really slowly when learning, to make sure your fingers memorize exactly how they have to move. Then of course work up to the tempo you have to play at. But the day before, or even before you go on stage for your performance, make sure you go back through and finger the notes really slowly and as lyrically as possible, even if it’s a technical solo. It’ll calm you down, and review for your fingers exactly where they need to go. (This tip I stole from Yo-Yo Ma, according to my lesson teacher he does this backstage before most performances!) Good luck, and have a great rest of your senior year!!! c:

I just found this blog like NOW. I didn't even know about it until it showed up on my dash and I'm also a band geek, and yet, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS.

haiku-dreams — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 01:32:36 -0400

hehe awesome, glad you found us! :3

I need help! Ah! I'm a freshman, and tomorrow is my first game where it's actually going to be really pretty cold. I don't know what to wear under my uniform! I've heard talk of long underwear and spandex, but mine is too small since I haven't worn them in a while. What do you suggest I wear?

justadirtytrick — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:23:11 -0400

Personally, I really like Under Armour brand under shirts and things, but they can get kind of pricey. I invested in a long sleeved undershirt my freshman year and I still use it as a senior. Several other brands make similar things though, so you can definitely go around and compare. I live in Texas, so I haven’t been able to find much other than what’s in sporting goods stores and Walmart/Target, so I hope you have better luck with options! For tomorrow, you could probably just wear any neutral colored long sleeved shirt. You might also be allowed to bring a blanket or other jacket depending on what rules your band has, so definitely ask a section leader as well on that. Hope you stay warm, haha. :)

Mt. Carmel’s famous trombone video! I wasn’t in high...

jmariex124 — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:05:41 -0400

Mt. Carmel’s famous trombone video! I wasn’t in high school at the time, but my sister was.

Photo

constantineii — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:35:53 -0400

Hey in desperate need of advice because I have no idea what to do! I am a sophomore and recently moved from one high school to a different one with a different marching band. I was in pit and I loved to, I had no desire to be in drumline But the in my new band I'm considered a loser because I'm in pit not drumline and there are I'm the only one who good at pit instruments I could probably make drumline but I don't want to leave the pit with no one good. Please help me.

justadirtytrick — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:31:07 -0400

That’s a really tough situation. I wish I could help out more directly (and I think this was asked a little while ago, so I don’t know if you’ve already made a decision), but firstly, you might want to talk to your directors. This goes for anyone in any difficult situation! Don’t try to just figure things out by yourself. Tell them how you’re feeling because (if you’re in the majority and you have a good/caring staff) they only want you to have the best experience possible.
And hey, if you’re the best person in pit, that just gives you an opportunity to shine and help others out! Although it’s no fun when you have a group holding you back, I’ve learned from experience that you can always make the best out of a situation. Help out the other people in pit and you might be surprised at how quickly they’ll learn from you and start improving. Just be sure to be humble about being more advanced than everyone, because bossing people around or getting frustrated just makes for a bad time for the entire group.
That really sucks about people in pit being considered “losers” because I have the utmost respect for all front ensembles. In the end though, it honestly doesn’t matter what other people think. Don’t let other people get you down, because at the end of the day, it’s just high school and it doesn’t last forever. Good luck. :)

Photo

justadirtytrick — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:16:44 -0400

My band geek brethren! I'm in need of your help!

sonalletsac — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:25:26 -0400

I’m Brittany! My band and I need your help.. We’ve entered a contest that if we win first place for the most votes we could win $50,000 for our entire music department AND taylor swift will come to our school to perform! And even if we don’t win first, and we get top five we receive $10,000! CRAZY, right?! But it’s reallll. And it’s so simple to help us win.. Just go to taylorswiftoncampus.com and connect through your facebook and vote for GREAT OAK HIGH. That’s it, no annoying emails, notifications, none of your info is released or anything! The contest ends September 23rd AND you can vote for us everyday to help our chances! Please please please vote! Us bandos have to stick together because no one but us understands what band means to us.. And especially the great opportunities money could do for our ensembles! Just imagine new uniforms that aren’t frayed from rats chewing on them :o you get the idea… so please help us out by taking five seconds to vote:)!

marchingartsphotos: Michigan’s drum major and quarterback...

justadirtytrick — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:59:10 -0400

marchingartsphotos:

Michigan’s drum major and quarterback switch places.

The University of Florida Gator Marching Band performing on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace...

is-mayonnaise-an-instrumentt — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:28:43 -0400

The University of Florida Gator Marching Band performing on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London England!

when someone hates on the marching band kids

justadirtytrick — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:40:31 -0400

bandandguardkidprobs:

This girl’s father took excellent photos of our marching...

constantineii — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:35:09 -0400

This girl’s father took excellent photos of our marching band before she graduated last year. This was warming up before we performed at a competition. (Mercer County Senior High School Marching Band, Harrodsburg, Kentucky.)

Literally the most accurate depiction of marching band ever.

justadirtytrick — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 15:37:00 -0400

Literally the most accurate depiction of marching band ever.