While participating in marching band may seem to be easy on the surface, it could not be any different from that stereotype.  Marching band competitions and practice are often compared to a sport in intensity, while combining the finesse of a fine art.

“It’s not as easy as most people think,” senior Tolguy Ture said. “Band camp during the summer is all day; it consumes all of my time for three weeks.”

Band camp encompasses 21 days from late July until early August, nine to 10 hours a day. Having to hold an instrument with perfect posture all day can be physically demanding. Since practice is conducted outside during the summer, marching band often becomes a tiring physical activity.

“I remember during the summer I would get up to go to Band, and when I’d get home I would just fall back asleep again,” senior John Hartman said. “It was just so exhausting, but in the end, it was all worth it.”

Marching band is physically demanding and also requires coordination and finesse. Marching in synchronization with dozens of others while having to memorize entire musical scores is a daunting task.

“We are expected to memorize music and every spot for every page of drill,” senior Dennise Kuchar said. “On top of marching in step, in form and in time, we have to play the show as we run around the field; we’re expected to play with great musicality.”

While band camp may take 10 hours a day from start to finish, marching band competitions span an entire day, from very early in the morning to late at night. The competitions that band camp prepares for use a scoring system out of 100 points. Style, choreography and, most importantly, the sound of the band are taken into consideration for the total score.

“It’s like cheerleading, kind of,” freshman Kiara Esparza said.

“There is a 10 minute performing period where two songs are played,” freshman Adrianna Gasior said.

While to many marching band may not be recognized as a sport, at the end of the day, students participating in band forge friendships with each other that last, like any sport team does.

“The band is like one big family because we spend most of the day with each other,” Kuchar said. “We put in just as much effort as other sports. We all spend a lot of time together, and, like a family, we end up loving each other.”

By Zaid Akel