Marching Band: What’s not physical about it?
February 2, 2010 • By Rintaro Sato
Filed under Editorials
It was a fresh new season and time for the Father Bray game. I practiced hard all summer, memorizing each position enough to do it in my sleep. As I stepped on to the field and heard the crowd cheer, a wave of anxiety rushed through me. But, I reassured myself after seeing my fellow teammates in uniform, who I shared the joy of bonding in camp and the pains of the three hour summer practices.
I am, of course, talking about the marching band.
The marching band under the direction of Mr. Dayao has supported the football team with blood, sweat and time, sacrificing their summer with three hour practices every day and attending most of the football games as well as Sunday practices once school begins. Isn’t it like a sports team?
There is no doubt that the students in the band march just because they love music and supporting ‘Iolani and not because bands three and four are required to be in the marching band. These hardworking students should be rewarded somehow. Treating the marching band like a real team and offering them PE credit may be a viable option.
According to the National Association for Music Education, 15 states already offer PE credit for marching band.
The reason why PE is required is “for students to be exposed to different activities and promote a active lifestyle,” said Mr. Nakoa. “In that sense, yeah. I would think band would (count).”
Average sports teams range from about 6 to about 11 members. Our marching band has 95 people on the field and everyone has to work together as one. Everyone has to march in step, move to their parts, and play together in order for the band to be successful. It just takes one person to be off to make the entire band look sloppy.
however, not all instruments were created equal and some instruments like the bass drum and the tuba are especially difficult just to hold for long periods of time. Imagine marching with that instrument.
The marching band does as much as any other sport and constantly employs the One Team philosophy.
Kristina Kokame, a drummer in the marching band agrees.
“I think we should have PE credit because it’s just like a real sport,” Kokame said. ”We have practices, competitions and we sweat like crazy. Plus we do more than bowling.”
The musicians should be rewarded for their required participation outside of regular class time and offering PE credit will help the band members as well as prospective band members that are reluctant to join because of the time consuming nature of marching band.
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That is an awesome argument! I wish my school offered this as an alternative to PE, but then people who know nothing about music would join just to get out of gym, so I don’t know!
Interesting, Rintaro…