You’re a college student, so you might attend sporting events once in awhile. Chances are, you’ve been to a football, basketball or soccer game at IU.
Now, think back to that experience. What do you remember the most about the event? Probably if we won or lost, maybe some weird occurrence in the crowd. You probably don’t remember the marching band.
Marching bands aren’t given enough credit.
IU is home to the Marching Hundred. Last year, I had the opportunity to be a part of this family. I play the trumpet, and our section in the Hundred was almost 40 strong last year. Being a quiet sophomore, I was a little worried going into the big social setting of the Hundred. Nearly 200 members, almost forty trumpets alone? My graduating high school class had a mere 39 students in it.
However, it was splendid. Everyone was so welcoming and nice. It was great, considering that the band works extremely hard. Having rehearsals nearly two hours per day, five days a week can really wear down someone’s good mood. But not the Hundred’s. The trumpets — I’m a little partial to them — were always cracking jokes, sometimes at the expense of other trumpet players. But it was all in good fun, and everyone generally had a good time.
What’s really disappointing to me is that a lot of people don’t give the bands the credit they deserve.
On average, a band’s members works just as hard as the athletes. The heartbeat of a band member can reach over 200 beats per minute during a performance. Talk about working up a sweat.
Now, it’s tough to back up this argument with factual evidence. It’s more about the bands earning the credit they are due. Regardless of the game’s outcome, the band always wins.
I know that when I was in Hundred last season, I lost about fifteen pounds. Marching takes a lot of work, and it can help anyone who wants to lose a few while playing an instrument and making new friends.
It’s also downright exciting. Yes, game days were long and stressful, but they were always fun nonetheless. It was always the best feeling to go back to my dorm and lay down in a nice, cold bed once the long game day was completed. I was exhausted. My entire body ached.
There’s a lot to be said about appreciating the contributions of bands at sporting events and even considering joining one yourself. It’s a load of fun, and I loved it. I sincerely wish that I could have done it this season, but alas, I had a required class to attend instead. You can do whatever you want, but consider it. Whether or not you join a band, that’s not my business.
