Band Camp 101- What is marching band?

I don't know about you but band camp is just around the corner for me. This is my third year in marching band and it seems like every year when this lovely time of year comes around, I forget about how painful and exhausting the sport really is.

Don't think marching band is a sport? 

Let me explain a thing to you.

A sport is defined as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Is marching band physical? Yes. A sousaphone (a marching tuba) weighs around 30-35 pounds. A euphonium weighs about ten pounds. It's not as heavy as a sousaphone but a euphonium is long and all the weight is at the bell of instrument. Holding that up at a ten degree angle for a ten minute show takes a lot of upper body strength.

Is marching band a team? Should that even be a question? Yes! Of course marching band is a team. It's a group of people forming to do the same thing as one group. It is definitely a team.

Are there competitions? Yes. There are marching competitions all over the United States that I can't actually find a number. But I do know in my area, there are about 10 each weekend in October, a few at the end of September, and a few at the beginning of November.

Does marching band entertain? Hell yeah they do. They don't shed sweat, blood, and tears to hear you say it was a boring show. Marchers work their ass off, break bones, dislocate joints, and go through the stiffness only a heavy instruments can understand so your ungrateful ass is entertained. How different do you think the football games would be without marching band? I know without marching band, I'd never go to a football game.

So is that not enough proof for you? If not, oh well. You can go back to thinking marching band isn't a sport but poker and toe wrestling is and I won't complain...much.

But back to those who are actually going to feel the exhaustion of the infamous band camp.


Band camp is not some free for all where anyone can get away with anything.

This is not what band geeks actually look like.

Band kids are so socially awkward that sometimes they don't even associate with the people of their section until a week into band camp. There was a kid in my section who was like that and by the end of band camp, he was best friends with one of our bari sax players.

If you're a first year marcher, no matter the grade, you will eventually make friends. You won't label yourself as an outsider forever because you won't always be an outsider. Become friends with your fellow first years and you'll be fine.

Don't worry. You'll be fine.

Trust me. I was a first year marcher once.