Marching band

Subsequently, they became regular enlisted men[6] who accompanied the unit on active service to provide morale enhancing music on the battlefield or, from the late nineteenth century on, to act as stretcher bearers.

Instruments during the 18th century included fifes, drums, the oboe (hautbois), French horn, clarinet and bassoon.

In the chaotic environment of the battlefield, musical instruments were the only means of commanding the men to advance, stand or retire.

[8] After World War I, the presence and quality of marching bands in the American public school system expanded as military veterans with service band experience began to accept music teaching positions within schools with developments such as Precision Drill, a disciplined geometric march, based in part on military-style drill.

Today, marching band competitions remain popular in the United States[9] and largely parallel modern drum and bugle corps.

Military styled marching bands are present in many European countries due to its historical origins in 18th Century European field armies and are present in many other nations due to colonial influence, including Latin America and South America, South and South-East Asia and the Commonwealth (for example Fiji's Military Forces[10]) and many ex-Soviet nations (with the USSR inheriting the tradition from the Kingdom of Russia).

[12][13] Many bands have auxiliaries that add a visual component to the performance such as a color guard or even dance lines and majorettes.

Some bands, and a select few drum and bugle corps, use a bent-knee variant of roll step, usually known simply as bent knee, in which the members roll from heel to toe but lead the next step with the knee instead of the foot, then planting the heel of the next foot by straightening the leg.

The high step is a style of marching used by many colleges and universities, including most bands of HBCUs and the Big Ten.

Four primary sub-variants of the high are used: An integral part of this style of marching is known as stop action, meaning that all movement ceases momentarily at the apex of each step.

Some bands practice marking time during concert arch with the toes coming off of the ground to give the marcher a greater sense of marching while standing still.

Traditionally, the drumline would put their feet in a V-shape and lift either foot fully off the ground a few inches while marking time.

[14] It is traditionally the responsibility of the people at the end of each rank and the front of each file to be in the correct location; this allows other band members to use them as a reference, also known as guiding.

This delay effect is informally referred to as ensemble tear or phasing (not to be confused with the music composition technique of the same name).

Three National Football League teams designate an official marching band: the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.

[15] Competitive bands, however, many times opt for matching uniforms, especially pants and shoes (usually white or black) to hide the visual effect of members who are out of step as seen from a distance.

Occasionally, a band forgoes traditional uniforms in favor of costumes that fit the theme of its field show.

Some (especially at the college level) still employ the tall wool-lined shako or much larger bearskin (both often derisively referred to as a "Q-Tip hat").

Sousaphone players may use a military-style beret or entirely forgo the use of a head covering, as most hats may be in the way of the bell.

Although its legitimacy is often called into question, competitive marching band is sometimes considered a sport, due in large part to the physical exertion required in combination with teamwork.

Besides, once they see them practice 12 hours a day, my players think I’m a helluva lot easier.”[18] In his presentation to the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in 2009, researcher and exercise physiologist Gary Granata presented research after studying members of the Avon High School Marching Black and Gold, noting "At the top levels of marching band and drum corps, you get a level of competition and athleticism that is equal to a Division I athletic program.

"[19] Granata further pointed out, "Performers are constantly moving, and often running, at velocities that reach 180 steps or more per minute while playing instruments that weigh up to 40 pounds.

"[21] Performance styles range from traditional block marching to elaborate productions with evolving drill patterns.

Past host nations include Canada, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, & Australia.

He attended Hot Springs High School in Arkansas and performed as a saxophone player while later serving as drum major for the band.

In the early to mid-20th century, the Canadian Forces maintained drum and bugle corps, which were similar in instrumentation and organization to civilian marching bands.

[31] The first marching bands were introduced in Malaysia during the British colonial period and has since grown and increased its importance.

The most common are found in the Malaysian Armed Forces, however, in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of show bands and drum corps in the country.

Also known as Marshiruyushchiye orkestr (loosely translated to Марширующие оркестр, which means Marching Orchestra in Russian), notable Russian marching bands include the Band and Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College, whose cadets are famous for setting the pace for the annual Victory Day Parades on Red Square.

By the 1960s, school and college marching bands, corps of drums and drum and bugle corps began to be commonplace (the latter in cadet units), as well as bands of youth uniformed organizations and universities, all following the armed forces pattern and British and Malayan (later Malaysian) precedence.