Marching Band should be a part of the program at all high schools.
Do you agree or disagree? Why? I have found that many who disagree have been hurt in the past by a school that has abused their time and led to burnout.
Marching band adds to students’ lives in so many ways. I actually started a marching program from scratch at a high school I taught at, after being advised against it by many people. Here are three reasons why marching band is needed now more than ever before…
There are no benchwarmers
After graduation, students will increasingly find themselves working as part of a team in their careers. All members of a team must give 100% all the time for a team project to work! When one student is gone from marching band, it affects the whole team, just like in real life. If one person quits marching band, it affects the whole team. If one person gives less than 100%, it affects the whole team. Everyone participates. There are no benchwarmers in marching band. What great preparation for the post education world.
Marching Band is a non-digital activity
Young people are spending more and more time in the virtual world, especially recently since the pandemic. This isn’t inherently bad. But like anything else, it takes practice to learn how to relate and interact with people. It takes time face to face to develop relationships. Experts say that more than 70% of communication is nonverbal. That’s why bad news in an email is not an effective way to communicate. Students do have their electronic devices out at times during breaks in marching band, but most of their interactions are face to face with their peers and with their coaches. They learn how to talk to people, how to express differences of opinion, and how to hold a meeting to deal with problems and issues that arise.
Marching Band Helps Develop Leaders
Most of what I learned as a leader came from reading about leadership. I often had to jump right into a leadership position and learn on the job. I watched what bad leaders did and did the opposite. Students in marching band have a chance to develop and hone leadership skills in a safe environment. Almost everyone who wants to be a section leader is given a chance to do so after being in marching band a bit. Drum majors have more authority and responsibility but they have had a chance to prove themselves and make mistakes as section leaders.
When I taught marching band, every start of the new season, my leaders would come back to help even though they had graduated. In what other endeavor do the former participants come to help voluntarily and share their experiences? Every one of my leaders who graduated came back to help at camp…every single one. I didn’t ask them to. They came because of what marching band did for them as people. What has marching band done for you?
Don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from starting or expanding a marching band. You’re the one in control. You set the rehearsals. You set the expectations.
Although we held our own and even made it to state one year, we were not the most prestigious marching band to be in. However, the students were smart.
“Mr. Divine, how come we can’t be like X High School?”
“We can be. Here’s their rehearsal schedule. Should we incorporate that schedule next year?”
“No way Mr. Divine. Let’s keep it how it is.”
James is retired from full time teaching. He has served private, suburban, and Title 1 schools and now teaches half time at a charter school. Find out more about James at www.jamesdivine.net Subscribe to his podcast Almost Everything I’ve Learned About Teaching Band.
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