The Chronicles of Marching Band

This year is a new start for the cowboy marching band! Why, you ask? Well, for starters we have a new director! He has performed with the United States Marine Band at Quantico, serving as the principal trumpet. I really like the way he runs things! He is straight to the point, and when he gives us water breaks he actually gives us the time he tell us (10 minutes).

Here is a quote from a good friend of mine, Dan Brooks (referring to OSU Cowboy Band) and I don’t think he could have put it any better! “The band this year kicks ass. Like, we already kicked your band's ass. But now your band should just ... I dunno, quit. Don't bring your shiznat up in hur. (For the record, we're playing "Gold Digger" by Kanye West this year. In the stands. Blech.)”.

So, with this I will share with you, my Chronicles

I am going to take you way back to when I first started to explain the intense, insane, fun, and extremely rewarding trip that I have had being in Marching Band. It all started in 6th grade and I got my hand-me-down trombones from my brother (thanks, by the way)! To make this short and simple, form 6th to 8th grade I had to spend an agonizing hour of one class period sitting in a chair that put my butt to sleep and then I stood up it felt like I have a huge hole where my butt was! Trust me that is a weird feeling in it’s own way! But don’t get me wrong it was still fun but when you are border line ADD, it’s so hard to focus!

Author’s note: for those who how have never been in marching band before let me lay down just a few things that we have to do!
1.) Stand up straight
2.) Keep heels and toes together
3.) Stand at attention
4.) Don’t lock your knees (trust me, we have had people faint)
5.) Hold your horn 10’ above of your holding position
6.) Squeeze the vertical smile, or squeeze the grape (as one band director used to call it) for balance and air control for playing
7.) Keep equal spacing between the people around you
8.) Memorize your music
9.) Watching the drum major
10.) Keep in step with everyone
11.) Count
12.) Keep your toes up as high as you can and roll through the step!
13.) And don’t forget any part to your uniform (like the Plumb…it’s that funny looking thing with feathers on top of space plus I have more exciting things to share!

Throughout high school every summer and about two weeks before school I would head off to good ole’ band camp! For some reason it was always the hottest time of the year when we started band camp. I kind of felt sorry for the homes that were right by the field we practiced on because they got a wake up call at 8:00 in the morning from us!

As the weeks came to a close we had that oh so active farmers tan on the arms, the raccoon tan from the sunglasses, and the short and sock tan as well! Oh yeah we all were stylish when the first week of school started! But the thing I loved in high school was how we became a family, everyone new everyone and we all just hung out in the band hall in-between class.

For those who don’t know what the band hall is, well I will tell you! The band hall was where most of the “bando’s” hung out (I will explain that term later) and most of the school didn’t set foot in that hall for who knows what reason! But I knew someone who was scared to come hang out in that hall! I was like come on! She looked at me like “heck no you all are……?” I looked at her and said, “Ok, look we don’t bite and trust me it really is not that scary!” That really did happen! But I just can’t fathom that you’d be so scared! We “bando’s” are just like everyone one else, we just march and play instruments! My friend said, “Anyways, in school no one cares about the band!” But I just don’t get it! Our foot ball team was *cough* terrible *cough*! They didn’t win any of their games while the band won more trophies and competitions in one year than the football team did in one year!

Okay, now that I got that out, I can tell you what a “bando” is! The word “bando” is a new, improved, and up-to-date meaning of “band nerd.” Now, a band nerd is someone who lives, eats, and breathes band, and only like a regular nerd in that we all make the highest grades in school. Loose the pocket protector, big glasses, and lack of social skills and…well you get my point! A bando is kind of like - serious - but more up-to-date and way cooler than the average nerd! Bando’s actually have a life outside of band since we are all friends! We act and look just like everyone one else except ….can you guess?.....*insert the thinking theme of Jeopardy*…..ding… times up! It’s band!

Fast-forward to college! Freshman year. I kind of already knew what to expect but at the same time … not! For starters Cowboy Band Camp was so much easier, not as intense. One thing I was not ready for was learning a new show every week! I HAVE TO WHAT?... I thought and was like I can’t do that! But come to find out it was SO easy! The music was short but fun and the sets where easy!

One thing I will never forget was when the band practiced in the OSU stadium for the first time! WOW! That was something I will NEVER forget. I can remember thinking man this is AWESOME! People will actually care to see the band! Oh, and I almost forgot, whenever we got to go on away games…we were given money! Yep, money! It was nice! Sophomore year came and went! Now it’s Junior year. It feels great because this year is going to “rock my socks off!”

Well, this year at band camp went by so fast! It felt like yesterday we just got started. We lost a lot of people in our section! We went from 33 trombones … down to 21! YIKES! I may have to start recruiting or something!

Every year we get new people, or rookies as we call them and well we have to teach them the traditions of the band! That is a little scary at times only because some things are hard to grasp! Like for instance the run-on (our signature move when coming on the field). It’s hard to explain so if you see me, ask me about the run-on and I will show you how to do it! To put it briefly, it is a dip sort of move. You stand on your toes and hold your arms straight out bent at the elbows and when the beat of the drum-line starts well you mark time in place with your feet (not letting your heals touch the ground…that is a no no!) and every so often we say “Go STATE” at the same moment saying that you dip down and bring your left leg up … and your move your arms slightly to the beat! In a nutshell that is what the run-on is!

The End

hopefully there will be more short stories later!


You know you’re a bando when….?
1.) You know you’re a bando when…you see anther fellow bando and the first thing y’all talk about is band!
2.) You know you’re a bando when…you get your schools fight song stuck in your head.
3.) You know you’re a bando when…have that ridiculously HOT farmers tan.
4.) And you know you’re a bando when…someone finds out your in band and say “one time at band camp!”

comments are welcome....so don't be shy! :o)