The Freshman Clarinet's Guide to Marching Band
I am a freshman and I made it through my first marching season. You will, too, I promise. I can't say much for the actual players in band, because I spent all but 3 days of band camp as a flag, but I will try to explain both sections. I'll start with the clarinets, then the flaggots.
I joined back into the clarinets when there were 3 days left of camp. Therefore the previous 14 I spent as a flag. When you join the high school clarinets, you find that you are nothing. You suck, and that's just the way it is and is going to be, until around November, when Marching season ends. Not all of the high school clarinets are great, but you don't want to be like them, you want to be like your captains, Amanda and Felicia, because they rock. And unless you want to spend camp running laps around the practice field (which doesn't look so big, but you start to change your mind after the 5th lap), you'd better start trying. Blaring on your horn is bad, but playing like a wimp is worse. It makes you look like a freshman. Yes, I understand that you are, but you don't want to be treated like one, do you? And even if you try to fake playing (which by the way, you might think is working, but the band director knows everything. Band related or not), please, have mercy on the band and keep your eyes on your music, and pretend! Don't let your eyes wander around, don't look at your stand partner(s), and for Beethoven's sake DON'T talk!!!!!!!!!! If you need help, then ask for it. Your captains seem scary, but they are not going to laugh at you if you can't play like them. They know you are new, and they are there for no other reason than to help you. Why do you think they're there those first couple of days? They already know this stuff. They don't need to be there until you start learning the routine. Plus, once you get to know them, they are really nice. Especially if you have Amanda and Felicia. You will begin each day at about 8am. You will start playing immediately. You begin by marching. Probably doing Marching the Box. Yes, you will hate Marching the Box. We all do. But it is something you will endure every single day, until the end of November. And by then you will be playing and marching it while you sleep. And please, memorise the music! We have an army of clarinets, yet we can't hear them. There are 15, not two, 15! After marching is over, somewhere around 11am, you'll go back to the band hall, for maybe a ten-minute break. Then, you break off into sectionals. Sometimes the band director practices with you, other times it's just your captains, or your free practice time. If it's free practice time, then I suggest getting with a partner and memorising the songs that you need to play off (i.e. school and fight song, SSB, Hey Song, Respect, etc etc.) You have lunch at 12. Now comes the part that every freshman dreads. You are exhausted, you're upset, you're sick, you're wondering why you joined band, your thirsty and your starving. You are at the very end of the line. You get your food according to rank. Director(s), drum major, assistant drum major, captains, seniors, juniors, sophomores, and finally, freshman. You are nothing but dirt, and by the time you get your food, that's what it tastes like. You complain, and no one listens because they've all been there before. After lunch you have more marching and sectionals and around 3:30, you finally get to go home. You take a shower, and you lie on the couch for the rest of the day. If you are really dedicated, you might practice before lying on the couch from where you will not move until you go to bed, but it's not likely. Not even the geekiest of the band geeks so that.
Now, it's time for Color Guard.
You join color guard because you think it's fun, and it's going to be easy. Fat chance! Color guard is a lot of work! Your summer ends earlier than everyone else's. Yours begins in July, when you start having car washes to raise money for uniforms. These generally start at 7am and end at 2pm. You begin your day by marching with everyone else, but it's harder for you. You have to keep your arms straight up in the air, and don't you dare slouch. Don't forget to "Smile at the press box!" And "Don't be a boob twirler!" Sometimes the drum major forgets to say "Flags, at ease!" So you have to keep your arms up for 15 minutes, and if you slouch, you run, A LOT. And don't mess up, because everyone can see you. After that, you go inside and have practice. You dominate the hallways. You have control over the whole band because, even though I have converted back to clarinet, this was the saying I was taught and this is what I'm sticking to: "Color Guard is NEVER wrong." Why? Go ask a Guard member. You'll find out really quick, and you'll have the bruise to prove it. Have you seen those girls? Just try getting too close while their doing speed spins, or a toss. If they dent your precious saxophone, it's not their fault. You were too close. They give you one warning, after that, your fair prey. Your sectionals are a little different. You march, and march, and march. Up and down the hallways. Don't ever move your pole after you are called to parade rest!!! You will die if you move that pole. Yes, it is supposed to be close to the inside of your foot, but if you miss it, "Just stick it!" The judges might never notice. They WILL notice when the big bright colorful flag on top of your pole moves. When you have mastered marching, you might have a standoff. That is when you stand at attention for as long as you possibly can. The winner gets nothing except satisfaction, stiff arms, and one less lap. Your fellow guard members will do ANYTHING to you, to try and make you move. All you can do is smile. Don't move one inch. I actually won the first time I ever did it. I even beat Jill, the lieutenant. Christy, my best friend, tried everything to make me laugh, Ricky; the drum major did the same thing. Jill tied my flag around my waist, Savvy made sexual comments and gestures, and Jackie tried to feed me. When you go home at the end of the day, you take a shower and CRASH! You have no strength left. And if you do, you know you have to go practice, because Becky, Jill, and Sam will kick your butt if you don't. But most of the time you can't get up until the next day when you get to do it all over again. That is the reason I quit. Not only because I missed my beautiful clarinet, but I had no time to practice. If I wanted to make region band, I couldn't be in color guard, too. However, I must admit that I LOVED Guard. Even thought you go through all that work, you really are like a family. And you get to play the Knot Game a lot. LOL. Guard is so much fun. I'd do it in a heartbeat if it didn't take so much commitment. But, hey, that's what makes it great.
Finally, It's over!
Yay! You survived your first day! Congratulations! At the end of the day, we all gather around our drum major and we shout, "Gimme an H! A! P! P! Y-eeeee!!!! What are we happy to be? SHS band! Huh!" It is intended to be led by the drum major, but Amanda usually takes over. It's the best part of the day. I think we should do it in the beginning, because it gets me hyped up. We also do, "Feet? Together! Stomach? In! Chest? Out! Shoulders? Back! Eyes? With pride! Eyes? With pride!!!" and at the end of one or both of those, "Band dismissed! Go Big Red!!!!" It all makes band fun. You are happy at the end of the day, but get ready, there's still two weeks to go.